To take DN to softplay..

[SipTheCocaCola]

Tomorrow afternoon 4-5?

I’ve been before. Hated it. Other people’s 7&8 year old children trampling all over DN in the BABY area but that’s a whole other thread.

From experiences, how bad will it be on a Tuesday 4-5? I’m hoping it’s early enough in the week that older kids may have after school clubs and not many people will go after school with their kids. But that’s wishful thinking

It's half term. It will be AWFUL

If your in the UK it's half term so likely to be busy. But that time shouldn't be as bad

It's half term OP! So defo don't rely on older kids being in after school club. I would think 4- 5 is tueir busiest time anyway as its straitht after school.

9 am is your best bet!

It's not half term every where by any stretch of the imagination.

Lots of places don't break up until Friday.

Fuck sake I forgot it’s half term 😩 alternatives to do with 12mo please? I’ve no car so it’s public transport wherever we go but I don’t mind.

It's not half term in Wales

@SipTheCocaCola It may not be where you are!

Not half term in Solihull or Birmingham

Park if the weather is nice? But do you need to ‘do’ anything if it’s just an hour? Can’t you just stay at home and read/ play with her? My DCs were always very happy whenever they had the undivided attention of an adoring adult!

Pulling your fingernails out

Removing your eyes with a blunt spoon

Sticking knitting needles in your ears

These are all viable alternatives to taking a toddler to soft play, during half term

And far less painful.

No it’s definitely half term. My younger siblings been home all day I just didn’t make the connection. I don’t like her being in all day to be honest.

All activities- swimming, soft play etc - will be rammed and horrible. A walk or a trip to the park is your best bet really.

12 months? Go somewhere on the bus and have a cup of tea, then go to the swings, then come home.

Yeah I think 12 months is too young to enjoy soft play anyway!

@HolyShet if she was younger I would but she’s been walking 2 months now and is not content to sit in her pram and be pushed about. She needs an activity or there’s tantrums.

I live in Liverpool so thinking the museum is big enough for her to toddle about as it’s quite child friendly. Aquarium & bughouse etc

It's not half term in Manchester.

This was her last trip to the park. No way in hell she’d sit in a pram around it It’s only over the road so just carried her over and put her down once safe in the gates so I didn’t have to push a pram around the mud she wouldn’t sit in!

If you're going to Liverpool world museum, pop next door to the art gallery. They do some fab looking toddler stuff. Theres an activity room just to the left as you go in.

Library? Ours does baby activities, but even just a change of scene will be nice. Plus it's usually quieter than soft play.

Good idea @rippleeffects Could do the library also. She’s obsessed with books

Does she like swimming? Your local pool might do toddler sessions, with toys and inflatables etc.

Do you have a pets at home near you? Or a some garden centres have play areas with and aquarium bit too.

DD was walking at 9.5 months but would still be happy with a short outing.

As others have said, park if it is nice. If not could you do something like baking?
Go on the website for your local council. Ours publishes half term activities. Some are busier than others. When dd was little everything was 3 plus, or 5 plus. Now a she is in school they have a range of tots activities for 0 to 5 yrs.
Not sure where you are based. Have a look and see if there is any music groups. I know local to us is Happy hands and twinkly toes, music with mummy but there are lots of others. The people taking the group may have young children and still run them in the holidays.

Do you have any places nearby with visitor centres as they may have holiday activities. We have a canal visitor centre that often does a kids trail, or activity.
Check to see if there is anything on at your local libraries - ours do a story and small craft activity.
Check the FB page of any local shopping centres. Ours has an agreement with the organisation that took over running the leisure centre and theatre from the council. The shopping centre provides free parking to leisure centre users and in exchange a member of theatre staff has a craft table in the shopping centre in the hols. (Colouring, badge making etc.)

I forgot that middleclass. Parents sometimes take dd to garden centre. Drink and biscuit with a look at the pets of fish is a great adventure at that age.

I'd go into Liverpool and do world museum, library, Walker art gallery area.

In the Walker gallery if you turn immediately left as you go in they have a section called "big art" which is amazing. Loads of activities based on the artwork. Craft, dress up, puppets, books. It never used to be as crowded as world museum. It's also age limited to under 7 if I recall (I know my kids are too big for it now) and they only admit a limited number.

Last time we went I half term the library had free plays on in the kids section. There were kids sat at the bottom watching but she could toddle around the top if she didn't want to sit still.