To think soft play is old school and not eco or progressive

[sheparo]

We have the v v exciting opportunity to make a building that will house some sort of large play/event/task zones for children, that will have to meet the council's loan interest of 100k a year. The building is part of a city-wide facelift on being more green, community focused and cheerful and is the only focus on making money in this venture. The rest is building bridges, creating community hubs, cycle paths and green spaces (yay!).

Thing is, I want this space to be eco friendly and an opportunity for kids to try new things like barefoot trails, climbing and bouldering, maybe a small skate park, small library area, sensory room, running and soft area, maybe even a circus bit, a little indoor garden... sort of where kids can develop skills, talk to each other, learn things, run around but also have it as somewhere to chill and have a milkshake.

My (kind but elder, male, grown up kids yada yada) colleague says he wants soft play. His wife is a childminder and wants soft play. I really think soft play would cheapen and degrade everything this building is meant to stand for... but I agree we need to make money... AIBU to want to push for something different? Or is there something about soft play that I am being snobby about? (I have three kids btw, they adore soft play tbh... but, but... garish and loud and plastic and aircon! And can be rough and not exactly community...)

Am just wondering if I am being a snob and really, soft play is fine and am just over it, personally, when others would really love it.

TIA ladies, I await judgement... !

Am really keen to push at least a sensory room for SEND kids, this would be a great investment. was thinking of having it accessed by a side door with a corridor leading to the main bit, so kids with sensory processing issues don't have to go into the main bit which will be loud and (hopefully) busy with kids

My local soft plays have specific nights/afternoons for SEN children, and they are great and a god send for my son.

Could you do something like this? Fantastic play areas for kids
www.outdoorplaybarn.co.uk/

I suspect you will need something spectacular to make that much, after cleaning, maintenance, staff, heating, insurance is all considering. People will be cutting back next year and this kind of thing will be seen as a luxury.

YANBU. Soft play is dire. The idea that children need soft play is laughable. It didn’t exist for most of human history. Children are perfectly capable of learning to climb and play and move without it Children need to have small hurts and accidents to learn how the real world works and how to navigate it.

Real world experiences are what children need. Children need to learn how to manage risks. Most children now seem to have rubbish motor skills, poor climbers, poor balance, poor body mastery, poor risk assessment. Because the risk adverse world they live in does not allow this.

Hold firm OP. Maybe look up the Froebel Trust. Cowgate nursery for under fives in Edinburgh is exemplary for their approach to risk for children up to age Five. Maybe approach them if you want to gather evidence for your case.

What about something like this as a compromise? www.williamsden.co.uk

Your idea sounds very worthy OP and I totally get where you’re coming from but I’m not sure it’s somewhere parents or kids would be rushing to visit.

Please consider allergies if you're thinking of milkshake near play equipment, this could make it out of bounds for many allergy families unless you clean very well.

I don't understand why you aren't properly codesigning this with the community. A few questionnaires and basing things on your or your colleague's wife's whims are not the way to do this.

But...a soft play that caters to all ages ie has different sections for different ages and goes up to teens, that has a really good affordable cafe and free wi-fi, would clean up anywhere. Ours closed over Covid and is much missed.

I don't see why it can't be a money spinner AND a bit worthy (as for whoever said kids dislike libraries I hope you meant your kids not kids in general as that's not true at all).

My kids love the library but if this place is in a city then it is a certainty that a) there is already a library (probably multiple ones) and b) the library service has had its funding reduced in recent years. Opening a new, 'small' library in a building that's mostly something else and is going to charge to enter seems like a pretty pointless use of this project.

Most parents want something that their kids can do mostly independently while they sit and have a brew while just keeping an eye from afar.

I went somewhere the other day and it was beautifully presented, a miniature indoor town with all wooden toys and accessories. I thought it was going to be a lovely change from soft play.

It was a tiny venue where you could see the entire room where ever you were. It wasn't dangerous in any way, literally just role play. Probably only capacity for 10 kids at once.

The cafe area was behind a small wall and gate. But the rules are that you can not leave the play area and go to the cafe area and leave your children to play. (Despite never being more than about 10 metres from your child at most). If you want a coffee you have to take your child with you. So they can't play if you have a drink. No food and drink allowed in the play area. And when the 1.5 hour session ends you have to leave straight away and couldn't then go and have a brew.

I was really disappointed because I would have had a little play with the kids then gone and had a brew while watching them. I won't be going back because it defeats the object of letting them burn of some energy while giving me some much needed peace.

Guess what I'm saying is soft play definitely has its place!

Agree.
We have an area at a local park which is basically just a bog pile of foot long logs and the council call it an 'eco, den building play area' and its literally a pile of logs the kids can move around for games in a local wooded area. it's great and well used with a bench or parents.

I see someone’s already mentioned William’s Den. Their indoor area is great, it’s a little bit different, but it has many characteristics of soft play - physical challenge/activity, safe, enclosed, can be supervised from a distance, and even little or SEND children (I have one of each category) can negotiate it safely and independently. There’s nothing dangerous that means parents of less-capable children (whether through age or disability) have to be ‘on them’ directing play or dodging hazards the whole time. And honestly, that’s a real godsend for my daughter with learning disabilities. There isn’t a ‘dangerous’ area she can access, or somewhere she has to cope with lots of queuing, and she doesn’t have to have her wits about her (or me for her) so that a zip-slide doesn’t collide with her. (Her processing speed means she doesn’t always understand in time that she’s in a dangerous position, eg at the park she’ll walk too close to the swinging swings). She needs proper walls & doors physical boundaries to help her understand that she has to stick to one area, she doesn’t understand barriers or cordons, and this has it. I can back off, let her have fun, and whilst I’m constantly vigilant and supervising, I can let her have independence. There are also no hidden areas where she’s out of sight. This independence is so, so importance for children with additional needs. If you want something that’s truly inclusive, this sort of set-up is just magic. Additionally, when I have this holy grail, I can take her and my toddler there by myself. A session at a play centre with mixed-use, open plan areas, some with very free play and others with more structure/demands/rules does not work for us, even during ‘SEND hour’.

YANBU. Soft play is dire. The idea that children need soft play is laughable. It didn’t exist for most of human history. Children are perfectly capable of learning to climb and play and move without it Children need to have small hurts and accidents to learn how the real world works and how to navigate it.

Yes but parents enjoy being able to relax and you don't have to be hyper vigilant at soft play.

OP I like your idea of a sensory room that doesn't need to be accessed through the main spaces. It makes me think of the clip in the Katie Price documentary when her son went into the sensory room at his potential new school. He was completely absorbed in it and so calm.

How big is the space? Could you add something that appeals to adults as well? We have a local space that has a large soft play area and role playing areas for children. It also has climbing walls and mini golf aimed at older children and teens on a different floor. From 7pm, they shut the children's floor and open up climbing walls and mini golf to adults until 10pm-11pm depending on the day. It could help with profitability. We do work nights out there.

And yet soft play retains its popularity...

I'm all for managed risk for young children but it has to be just that - "managed". And this costs money. Forest school experiences are great, for example, but very expensive with a high staff-child ratio. And my DC has been climbing on challenging adventure playgrounds since very soon after they could toddle around, but with me right beside them to assess the risk and prevent serious accidents.

Soft play is popular because it doesn't require this.

This all sounds so vague. It’s taxpayers money and you’ve only been talking about what you want and what some other bloke (his wife) wants. Surely there’s a proper structure? This should be community driven. You mention some chats and surveys, that’s not enough at all for a large project.

Is there a budget? What is it? You need to make £100k profit per year. Blimey.

I really like the idea of marrying my preferences with what soft play can provide

Your preferences should have nothing to do with it.
Its not your money and not your personal vanity project.

What does the local community want you to spend this public money on?

Have a look at these for ideas of indoor play without the garish colours / lights

https://www.williamsden.co.uk/

stockeldpark.co.uk/playhive/#video

DD wasn't the keenest on soft play but it allowed us to let her run of steam safely and us sitting down for a moment.

There is a huge forest play school craze going on locally and it's taking up well but it's relying on parental supervision.So while I know parents going there, they also say it's a lot more demanding. It's only when they are over 5s they can be dropped off but it's pre-booking, not really spontanous.

Could you see if local pre-schools and Infant schools/sections would be interested? It sounds like something they could implement especially if they don't have enough space on their own premises.

I went to a play centre recently where all the activities were made of recycled materials the local council had collected. Really ingenious things were constructed in their workshop staffed by people with difficulties with conventional employment (I’m afraid I can’t remember the exact difficulties). 0–4 year olds engrossed for hours with little parental involvement.

What you want I wouldn't pay to go to because we can do it easily at home and it wouldn't interest mine for long. Combining could be a good idea. Really if I'm paying £££ then I want the kids worn out, safe and something I can't do.

As a parent I wish my area had one decent softplay instead of the numerous community hubs, community playrooms, community dining rooms, community gardens, and other initiatives which keep being set up without any real content. They tend to be lackluster and not well used because their purpose is ill defined.

If you can add a climbing wall and skate park that's great (not cheap and the skate park won't ever be an earner).

Have a look at the amerton farm play building! All wooden, my two absolutely love it. Parents have to use common sense that it is wood obviously.

I have a love hate relationship with soft play. When it's somewhere that's primary function isn't softplay but has it as a bonus love it! Just soft play centres though loath. Fluorescent lighting indoors in the day makes me feel really depressed combined with absolute shite for food and the most exotic beverage is a cappuccino, hell no.
So I think you should do your idea, with a soft play area. Do a decent cafe that serves iced coffee it's no more expensive or difficult to make than normal coffee.

Also, if your garnering opinions via a Mumsnet thread to inform your recommendations, is dressing it up as an AIBU a good shout? I do think your plan to talk to stakeholders and the people you think will come to this venture is a good one, but ultimately, I think the most viable business model will win out.

100% this. This shouldn’t be down to one person’s likes or dislikes. It can have inbuilt environmentalism through sustainable materials, solar energy etc -
but the actual content, theme and facilities should be decided by the community if it is for the community (including children, adults, parents, childminders…).

Ah sorry I see you said you were talking to community! Lots of lovely ideas in thread but yes soft play still A THING. Personally thought I’d hate it / never darken the doors but actually found a lovely one nearby which is calm and clean and bookable spaces / limited capacity and my daughter loves it, so I love it!