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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Soft play costs and charging adults

113 replies

Rupiduti · 09/02/2023 20:26

A fairly local garden centre to me have recently installed a soft play, they previously had one pre covid and as far as I'm aware, it was a cheap and cheerful couple of pounds entry which was a nice added bonus to the garden centre. It's a nice garden centre and I'll often pop along at Christmas time to see their displays, look at the pet store there, purchase some Christmas presents and buy some lunch. Spending plenty of money in store. As do many people.
Their new soft play charges are extortionate at £8.50 1- 4 , £9.50 for 5+ and a charge for under ones. Plus £2 per adult (plus it's more during weekends and school holidays). This caused a huge backlash on their fb page and people are saying it's unaffordable etc...
Anyway, the main point of my post. Do you think it's reasonable for soft plays to charge for adults, especially given most will purchase a drink or cake or something ! I guess my thinking is, a 3 year old can't go alone! This isnt specifically regarding this soft play btw, im noticing it happening in others too.

YABU - it's fine for them to charge for adults

YANBU - they shouldn't charge for adults.

Also interested to hear people's views on what soft plays should cost!

OP posts:

TheSnowyOwl · 09/02/2023 20:28

It’s standard where I am. They still have to pay someone to clean up after the adult and cover them using the loos etc. Plus soft plays are a business that were hit hard by covid.

Cantwait4summer94 · 09/02/2023 20:30

I think it’s ridiculous charging adults at soft plays. It’s more that likely that the parent will be contributing at the cafe buying coffee & cake etc

NuffSaidSam · 09/02/2023 20:30

YANBU

But it is standard at all the soft plays near me so I'm not surprised.

You should get one adult free per child and pay for any extra adults for those people who like to bring an entourage with them.

MrsTerryPratchett · 09/02/2023 20:31

I think it's OK to charge for extra adults. Not the required one who has to be there. Grandparents and hangers-on can pay.

Clicheinaqashqai · 09/02/2023 20:31

Where I am, full soft play centres cost around that much and the small one in the garden centre is £3 per child.

Soft plays started charging for adults during covid, when there were limits on the number of people in the building with social distancing etc. People paid it, so I guess there's no reason for them to scrap the fee but think it does take the piss a bit.

The role play place near us charges £3 per adult but that does include a hot drink which I don't mind.

Orangeis · 09/02/2023 20:32

They'll charge as much as they can get away with, whether that be a higher child price, charging adults, terribly expensive coffee, or whatever else.
Go elsewhere, or don't, but you footfall will dictate whether they keep their prices high or not.

Cnidarian · 09/02/2023 20:32

I think it's OK in principle but those are astronomical charges for a garden centre soft play! Might pay that for one of the mega ones with trampolines for a long session but in the context of those prices it does seem like a lot. My favourite soft play charges 25p per adult!

Itisbetter · 09/02/2023 20:32

Well if they don’t they get loads of adults per child. £8:50 for a 1 year old is a big fat “no” from me.

Overthebow · 09/02/2023 20:33

I think it's fine to charge for adults but those charges are very high. I love in an expensive area and garden centre soft plays are £2-3 for kids, and bigger soft plays £5-8 with a small charge for adults.

Sucessinthenewyear · 09/02/2023 20:33

Our closet soft play charges £1 per adult, the local cheap and cheerful council one doesn’t but has doubled it’s prices and local imaginary play centre cafe charges a lot per child but is one free adult per child and cost for additional adults.

Flowerfairy101 · 09/02/2023 20:33

Standard where I am and back in my hometown but I still resent paying for myself to go somewhere I'd rather not be Those prices for a child seem a bit much though. One I go to is £5 child and I think £1.50 adult for 2 hours which is palatable to me.

Sparklybanana · 09/02/2023 20:33

I think they should include 1 adult in the price and charge for extra adults. The ones that charge for adults usually have a shite cafe too so perhaps they should have a nice cafe and decent food and they'd make way more that way.
We don't end up going to softplay anywhere near as much as we used to as its so expensive now.

Soubriquet · 09/02/2023 20:35

Before covid, our local soft play never charged adults.

It was used a lot just by adults 3 days a weeks as they did a car boot on the field behind the soft play. Adults would then walk in, usually with a baby in a stroller and sit down and have a coffee.

When it re-opened after covid, they started to charge adults £1 each.

Not a big deal I don’t think. It’s still free for under 2s.

WeightoftheWorld · 09/02/2023 20:35

I think you should get at least one adult free with a paying child, ideally two for families to be able to go together. Fair enough to charge extra adults maybe who are taking up a lot of tables and so putting off other people coming in, for example. Everywhere round here started to charge for adults only during the pandemic and it's stayed ever since. I hate it and its one of the reasons we rarely go to soft play since. We always buy drinks and usually snacks too when we go to one as we aren't CFs and wouldn't dream of taking something from elsewhere in, for us or the kids, so I think it's really sly to charge us as adults to enter too.

Thingsthatgo · 09/02/2023 20:35

It's a lot of money, and I wouldn't pay it. But, they will either find enough people who will pay it, or go out of business.

IloveRickyGervaisAndHisTeeth · 09/02/2023 20:36

My 6ft 2in son (41) takes his kids to soft play places - and charges round the place (safely!) with them

Lkydfju · 09/02/2023 20:36

It irritates me as it’s just a way of making more money. It seems to vary round us whether they do this or not.

HunterHearstHelmsley · 09/02/2023 20:37

YANBU. Most near me are free for adults, thankfully. The one that isn't tends to be dead.

If I'm paying, I'm playing

20viona · 09/02/2023 20:37

I think one adult should be free and the other £1. I went to one today with my 3 year old and my 5 month old slept in the pram the whole 3 hours we were there, I said she was under 3 months so she would be free as they wanted to charge £3 for the baby!

Soubriquet · 09/02/2023 20:38

I stand corrected. They have changed the prices of toddlers too.

It’s now free for under 6 months, 6 months to 3 years is £7.99 and 3 years plus is £9.99.

They did do a complete revamp of the baby area though. It’s a lovely one and I wish it was like that when my dc were babies.

They do have a deal for toddler hours. It’s half the price if you go during school time

Scottishskifun · 09/02/2023 20:38

I don't agree with charging for adults most of the ones by us don't charge for adults. Ones near SIL does.

For us it actually means we are less likely to buy coffees cakes etc at the ones which charge for adults as both parents go so it soon racks up.

Original poster

Rupiduti · 09/02/2023 20:39

TheSnowyOwl · 09/02/2023 20:28

It’s standard where I am. They still have to pay someone to clean up after the adult and cover them using the loos etc. Plus soft plays are a business that were hit hard by covid.

I get your point but I'd say 95% of soft play customers buy a drink.
We don't go to a cafe and pay entry before purchasing a drink do we?

OP posts:

Nowfeeltheneedtopost · 09/02/2023 20:40

I’m afraid that soft plays are typically a
business so they can charge what they want (and you can decide not to go). That you would like their charging policies to be different is understandable but unfortunately it will be up to the centre.

LolaSmiles · 09/02/2023 20:41

The only places I've known that charge for an adult are the large all age places where adults can go on the equipment with the children.

I'd not pay £8.50 for a garden centre soft play anyway so trying to charge me for the privilege of paying for my child to go to soft play would make it even more of a no.

BanoffeeBoat · 09/02/2023 20:41

Soft plays in general are expensive IMO. And they all seem to have a policy prohibiting people bringing their own food or drinks in, which is annoying as the food on offer is usually extortionate and completely unsuitable for coeliacs.

Our local soft play charged me £2.70 a few months ago for my 3-week-old! Ok it's not a fortune but she just sat on my boob the whole time - what was I paying for?!

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