To enjoy softplay?

[ilikespftplay]

It seems from threads on here I’m in a definite minority but I don’t mind soft play. I prefer it to the park where I have to stand around. At soft play, I get to sit down, have a drink and maybe a cake, chat to a friend if we’ve done together or chill with my phone if not.

I love kids parties at soft play too; my child is fed and entertained for the price of a gift under £20. Love it.

Surely others out there secretly like soft play?

I fuckin love softplay. But im the opposite to you. Im in the softplay, knocking all the kids over and training my family for when we compete in Irelands fittest family. They are 2 and 4 now, 14 years of training left, softplay is a great place to start

As a mum of 3, a childminder and a nanny and now a grandma I've spent a lot of time in various soft play venues. I've also worked in one for 6mths. I can honestly say there's worse places to go/be. I've become very good at not hearing other children's noises. And yes, I've had some very enjoyable times especially when I've been with friends and their kids.

It's grim, because they are like a giant petri dish of germs. The benefits of soft play do not override this sorry fact. 😷

You don’t love ‘soft play’, you love places were your kids are occupied without you. I like soft play because it’s fun chasing my kids around in a place that’s warm and I don’t have to care if they scream. No judgement on enjoying the peace (don’t we all!) but you aren’t a soft play lover!

The world is a petri dish... Kids are allowed to be exposed to germs, it does them good!

Gate keeping soft play love... Nice.

I don’t mind soft plays, but I do prefer the park and being outside, that said though my kids are an age where regardless of where I am I’m not sitting peacefully having a chat or on my phone I’m playing with them or watching them so I prefer to do that in the fresh air rather than scrambling through sweaty tubes with sticky finger prints all over them and the fabulous smell of 5 years of sweaty feet😂

I’m with you, OP. I love a soft play date for all of the reasons you mention!

Last time I was in soft play, my 2 year old wanted me in there with her and my 6 year old traumatically lost his front teeth - give it a year or two when they can go in together and entertain themselves as I drink coffee and I’ll change my mind no doubt but, for now, soft play is hell

I’m not a massive fan of the park tbh.

I find it dull. Too much standing around and requests to push on the swings and spin on the roundabout.

We have a wetlands centre I love and I like a farm, outdoor playgroups with different activities set up are good too, but the park leaves me a bit cold (sometimes literally!)

Happy memories. I used to sit in a little ball pit with Ds . We posted balls up a sucky tube and when the container above was full it rained down all of the balls . There was a disco room and I would spin him around in a little car and we went down the slide together. Happy days , yes I loved soft play .

My DC are 5 and (almost) 3 and I had 2.5hrs reading a book and drinking coffee in one last weekend. I think we’re in the sweet spot where they play well together and the oldest hasn’t outgrown it. As the other poster pointed out, I don’t love soft play but I love that my DC are entertained there. I didn’t love it when I used to have to go in there with them.

I don't care about the germs, but some of them are so busy and loud I just can't take it.

If you find one at a quiet time that does decent coffee and food then they are brilliant.

As someone who doesn’t have kids or close friends with kids, this mysterious ‘soft play’ that I always hear about on Mumsnet invariably accompanied by the word ‘hell’, is so intriguing to me. What is it? Is it the place they are in Peep Show where Sophie disappears under the huge pile of balls? Don’t tell me, I know I could just google myself and find the answer easily, but I’ve decided I want it to stay mysterious and incomprehensible, like the Bermuda Triangle or the Loch Ness Monster.

Yes I always enjoyed taking my child to soft play or going for parties - it's great watching little kids tearing around having safe fun. I loved playgrounds too and would go on the swings myself if was quiet.

Yabu for chilling with your phone, the kids who hit my child or follow us around talking only to me and not actually playing with my child are literally always the one whose parent is ignoring them for the phone! It’s my bug bear if that’s you (please ignore if it’s not!)

kids talking to you when you’re trying to play with your child is really annoying, I agree -
pretty sure that’s not mine though.

I loved softplay when mine went in without me. HATED it when they wanted me to come in. Dh loved going in, but it was nightmare fuel for me. Just so overstimulating and an assault on all my senses.

But when they went and played and I had a coffee it was 👌 and yes, nicer than the park for me.

Mine are 8 and 11 now, so think my softplay days are more or less behind me

Well I'm sure the majority of kids don't behave like that and can be trusted to go and play and be nice, so I'll continue to drink coffee and look at my phone thanks.

I enjoy soft play at the moment as we can go on a quiet weekday morning, and DS isn’t big enough to be unsupervised so I get in with him. Ask me again when we have to go on a weekend!

Yes I like soft play but in a different way to you! I love the bumpy slide, the curly slide, the rope bridge… great workout! 😁

I do prefer the park and love roaming around out there, but I am also a big kid when it comes to soft play.

Love a ball pit and a big slide.

This!!!

Did you know @pinkpony and @TheNinkyNonkyIsATardis , there are some soft events specially for grown ups?

I would hate to go, but my dh loves this idea and keeps meaning to go to one. He found it got to a point when the kids didn’t need hime in the soft play, so no excuse to go in anymore. It was a sad day when that happened!

I prefer the park because it’s usually empty. That’s not even anything to do with germs either, I just feel awkward constantly moving from one side of the soft play to the other hovering over my daughter making sure she’s not getting up to anything (she’s 2)