To be annoyed play centre held a party at the same time as open session?

[Hohohoididnotgo]

I went to a little role play cafe today with my children. It’s only small so probably only capacity for about thirty kids. Fine except today there was a birthday party which was pretty much the whole centre. So after an hour or so of play pretty much every other child there went and sat at a table with food, balloons and cake and were playing party games.

I have had this before at soft play and obviously it happens but at soft play it’s bigger and less obvious and when the children go to eat and play games it’s in a separate room. This wasn’t.

AIBU? I felt a bit sad for mine as they’d struck up friendships with some kids playing and then they were left almost alone!

What do you do if she's running into the road or wants to climb into the oven

OP I think the most sensible thing to do would be to complain to the venue - say that you should have been told that there was a party happening as it really impacted your young children who didn't understand why they couldn't join in or eat with the other children. Say that it has put you off going again so would they consider informing people in the future.

You don't pay £30 to walk down the road or go in your kitchen.

You pay per child for birthday parties. If you’ve paid for 25 children and let an extra few join, you’d be charged for the extra few children.

Was there still ample space and equipment to play? If so, it's just one of those things that you have to get on with I'm afraid. Yes they're having a party but your dc still has the same situation they originally had. The way you respond to their disappointments will show them how to deal with them. It is good that they understand these things. I remember making it clear from early on that not everyone got invited to every party etc. It's good to be able to take these things and know how it works.
I remember dc meeting a few school pals at soft okay and being delighted only for them to run off to a party 15 mins in.. that was just unfortunate.
I wonder did you say anything on leaving?

I'm not replying to op I'm t
Replying to the poster who said you can't stop a strong willed toddler

Where I live, places like this have parties during special times when they are not open to the general public. That seems like a more reasonable solution to me.

Am I the only one as a kid who would of loved the play area to myself why the other kids had to go eat

I think you probably would have had better responses if you'd phrased it differently from the start.

I agree with you in that: I believe such a small location should not have had a birthday party booking and also other bookings. Or at the very least, they should have given you a heads up to expect it "we're happy to host you as well, but we also have a big party who will be taking up most of the space." Being in the middle of, essentially, a big party but not actually being included in it would be really awkward, and I'd be irritated that I'd paid that money so that my children could just sit around with no more children left for them to play with while the big party got on with their activities, right in front of them.

(and some people might take it this way so let me stress: I'm not saying you should have been invited to some other child's party to make up for the situation. I'm saying, you should have been informed so you knew what your children would be in for when you arrived, because I assume you'd have opted to book for a later session)

Honestly what a silly comparison. I said I repeatedly tried to remove her and that the lovely parents invited her to join in, which meant meeting Micky mouse and having a small piece of cake. If the parents were unpleased I would’ve continued to remove her. Unsure as to what your problem is?

Oh OP, you’re being so precious 😂 I’m
more sorry for the birthday kid having a load of randoms in there.

I don't see what the issue is to be honest. Kids always make friends in these please and they move on easily - one might leave before an other etc.

How does it make any different to the same number of children not attending a party?

They are trying to run a business. The feelings of a random toddler won’t feature.

Well, they should do when it's a business aimed at toddlers!

I'd also be pissed off too pay £££££ and then not have exclusive use of somewhere tiny.

You sound incredibly entitled - not everything is about you or your child/ren

I really dont see the problem
Surely after it emptied out your kid had the run of the place?

They hadn't made mates for life and the session was going to end at some point. What's the difference between that group going to a party room or just leaving?

You have two children so surely just direct them to play with eachother?

I personally wouldn't want a random stranger joining in my kids party and expecting to receive food, cake and take part in the games that you seem to think they should have been allowed to do. If it's a kids party the parents all know eachother, and it's likely the children do too. If they are taking photos etc it would be awkward explaining in the future who these random kids were 'oh we didn't know them, they just felt left out'.

If the capacity of the centre is 30 then I do feel they should have not let others book if they knew the party would be 25. However if they have a larger capacity and it was just unfortunate you were the only non party attendees then I can't blame them, they are running a business after all and they don't know who might turn up on the day.

Just read this update
Yes if it’s booked out for a Party of 25 and only has capacity for 30 then the kind thing to do is not take bookings outside of the party.

We've often booked private parties at soft play and they are always outside of operating hours (so 5-7pm say). People would absolutely game it by booking a party and getting sole use without paying for that and the business would lose out.

The op is literally saying she thinks she shouldn’t have been allowed to buy tickets seeing as 99% of the other spaces had been taken up by one party. Not that the party shouldn’t have been allowed and not that her kids should have had guest of honour status.

Talk about entitlement. Why should a stranger invite your kids to their own child’s birthday party? They’ve paid for it, probably only catered for a set number of kids and don’t know you or your kids. Maybe just take your kids home if it bothers you so much.

To be fair if it was 20 of us and three ransoms I would be offering cake and joining in.

Why didn’t you stop this from happening though?

Goodness!! I've incurred the wrath of mumsnet 😬 Apparently there are only two universally hated things - fiddling kids and expecting play sessions to be inclusive.

Anyone who's bothered, I answered most of your questions on a 2nd post.

I know what you mean OP, the centre should have a separate party room!