AIBU to ask about soft play?

[CanadaNotAMum]

I see lots of references to soft play here and I’m curious about what it is. And is it really as popular in the UK as it seems on Mumsnet?

I’m in Canada and I don’t think it’s a thing here, or perhaps we use a different term. I googled local soft play and it just showed me foam toys to purchase. Is it like an indoor playground? We have those but not everything in them is soft. I’m picturing an indoor playground where everything is made of foam, but that can’t be right because how would they clean the foam?

Yes it's an indoor playground. Most of it is padded. The foam is covered in wipe clean plastic, like a bouncy castle/inflatable with a cushion inside it rather than air

https://www.spaceworldplaycentre.co.uk/gallery

That's my local one. The weather here is very wet. My local ones do good coffee and nice food, so we often have meet ups there. They do children's parties.

Canadians call it Jungle Gym or Indoor Playgrounds.

It's an indoor playground, if you google Wacky Warehouse, that's a chain and should come up with some pictures which are pretty typical.

I am not sure if the same thing really exists abroad. The ones that are shown on Blippi etc (sorry I know he is in the US but it's the only North American reference I could think of!) are quite different. And the indoor play areas that exist where I live in Germany are crap compared with the British ones - much smaller climbing area, massively expensive to get in, you have to pay for adult entry (which I have never experienced in a UK soft play area) and just generally not the same.

They are the perfect place to go if you want to develop your child's immune system

Isn't there a Big Bang Theory episode where Sheldon is in a ball pit? Soft play centres usually have big ball pits that smell of piss and big wavy, multicoloured slides.

A jungle gym in Canada is normally a piece out outdoor playground equipment that kids can swing from. Definitely not soft! I guess it’s an indoor playground, but I don’t think they are nearly as common here as they seem to be in the UK.

I think they’re fairly common in Europe. The best ones we’ve been to have been in Germany, Sweden and Denmark!

Very common in the UK due to the unpredictable outdoor weather. Somewhere the kids can burn off energy regardless of the weather.

Something like this …

When I was in the UK there were about six different soft play centres within a 10-15 minute drive, one within walking distance. A couple of them are attached to pubs, so you can go there for a drink or a meal and the kids can run riot. They were cheap to get in, the kids' entry fee was less than £5 (though honestly it's been about 13 years so I wouldn't be surprised if it's more now), some nominal fee for crawling babies and adults didn't usually pay entry, though wouldn't be let in without a child. They serve cheap coffee and snacks, usually fried type food.

Here the closest one is 20 minutes away despite living in a larger more populated city. There is one other which is about 35 minutes away and that's it unless you count a couple of tiny 10 cubic metre ones in a shop occasionally. They charge about €12 per child or €6 per baby and you have to pay €6 per adult so it's already €20+ just to enter and then the food and drinks are ridiculously overpriced. They try to justify the cost by having stuff like trampolines and go kart tracks but it's just not worth it TBH. I used to go to the one near me with toddler DS every 2-3 weeks.

We have pretty rough weather for a big part of the year, so I’m surprised that these aren’t more popular. We do have open play drop ins at the local Y / community centre, but random toys and crafts. Which can also be fun.

From an adult perspective, I can’t figure out if bringing kids to soft play would be lovely and relaxing (sitting in the cafe with a nice cup of tea while the little angels play harmoniously) or a horrible time full of screaming children and worried that they will catch the typhoid from the foam pit of germs.

From what I read here, it’s one or the other!

Attached to the pub…now I’m seeing how these became such a thing in the UK. It’s basically like the old play areas we used to have at McDonalds, with the ball pits and dingy foam. Parents could enjoy a burger while watching their kids drown in foam, but safely.

We have those anymore, but apparently the UK gave the idea a major glow up!

You get good ones and bad ones. Some family run places mentioned that they're closing for a regular deep clean on their social media and it's definitely one of the reasons the place is popular. Others - often the ones attached to chain pubs - are where the typhoid may be hiding... Pretty sure my kids caught a pretty horrendous d and v from a yucky one so I am rather picky now!

It is a complete sensory overload with the echoing (they are usually in old warehouses) combined with children playing and loud music. On the plus side you do tune in incredibly quickly to your own child crying.

But it's one of the few places you can have a conversation without being asked to push them on a swing or watch them 897897 times. I used to meet one of my friends there who at the time did not have children and she would say "Let me know if you want to go again so I can get a flu shot first"

If you go on a quieter day it’s alright. Kids are entertained and if they are old enough you can have a coffee in peace. But if you have a toddler you’re crawling around after them so not peaceful! Also the noise levels, lack of seats/queues make them a grim place when busy.

Cleanliness varies some are lovely others are awful.

Ha! I was literally about to share the same photo 😄 our fave

This is one of the ones we use

https://g.co/kgs/gQAfQeT

And no it's not relaxing. One hour in soft play is 7 years on earth. But it's useful when you're at the end of the school holidays and it's pissing down.

@BertieBottsI spent £22 on my 4yo, 2yo and myself yesterday (they charge for adults). £6 for a kids “lunchbox” (sandwich, crisps and drink). And £3 for parking. You’re not allowed to take your own food.

Maybe the prices have gone up everywhere.

You're coming across as quite sneery though OP. You don't have to go to one, I'm sure there's something superior in Canada for the kids to blow off steam. ...

I love a good soft play myself. They are a great way for kids to let off steam and hone their agility, especially in wet weather. They are a bit noisy and germy so you can't have everything, I suppose, but they're fantastic for getting kids active and stretching themselves physically. I don't even mind going in with my younger one, I just view it as my exercise for the day.

What are you seeing as sneery? She sounds curious to me. The idea that soft play is "germ filled" is not an uncommon one, plenty of UK responders have mentioned it.

I don't think that she's coming across as sneery at all. Just curious.

A lot of people on here describe them as germ filled, pits of hell.

I never minded them really. It's been a looong time since I went to one. My DC are 18 and 14 now so no need for them anymore.

They are germ pits but thats not what I mean. I thought they were behind me until the grandbabies come along. That time comes back.

Attached to the pub…now I’m seeing how these became such a thing in the UK

And overall tone.

Maybe the OP could start their own soft play up. Seems to be a shortage of things for the kids to do.