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Original poster

To not understand why soft play centres are so bad?

128 replies

Stigaloid · 03/08/2009 10:14

I have taken my son to a couple of soft play centres and whilst they aren't much fun for me, he seems to enjoy them on the few occasions we have been so far. He much prefers the park, but on rainy days he likes climbing and jumping around safely indoors. i have seen quite a few comments on MN about softplay centres and wondered why they are viewed as being bad? Genuine question here not trying to start massive debates or arguments.

OP posts:
GoldenSnitch · 03/08/2009 11:09

Our soft play center is great!

It's large and airy and spotlessly clean. It has soft play and slides and a carousel, bumper cars, a whole street of imaginiative play areas stocked with ELC toys (pizzaria, dressing up shop, supermarket and vets), a lego building area and they've just opened an outside area with an enormous sandpit (complete with buckets and spades), little cars to ride and a pool with little paddle boats on (fully supervised and locked and with life jackets for the kids).

Plus, it does nice food and drinks (it is over priced though) and has plenty of tables inside and out for having a sit down and watching the kids play.

They also have messy play sessions, toddler yoga, music and movement classes and even cookery classes!!

We love it and have a (well used) annual pass cause we go almost every week in term time!

We do have to avoid the horrid, pushing, shouting big kids in the holiday though

HappyMummyOfOne · 03/08/2009 11:10

We only tend to go for parties now DS is at school but tbh we didnt tend to go much at the toddler stage. The local one is clean but theres always at least one child who throws the balls at others spoiling the fun.

nappyaddict · 03/08/2009 11:10

I think we are lucky in that we have 2 local soft play centres near us that only seem to get busy in the holidays when it's raining.

nappyaddict · 03/08/2009 11:10

I think we are lucky in that we have 2 local soft play centres near us that only seem to get busy in the holidays when it's raining.

bubblegumsupermum · 03/08/2009 11:13

I used to take my DC before they started school, I would take them at 9;30am when it was dead, the staff were busy and didn't mind if I joined in, I loved it it was like a work out for me and brought the little girl out in me!!

Now DC are older they don't want to go

crankytwanky · 03/08/2009 11:20

I find they smell of wee. And big boys scare me a bit.

DP takes DS, so it's all good. I think he likes getting in.

nappyaddict · 03/08/2009 11:26

nancy the one you go to where your DD always gets ill does it look grubby or clean?

katylou25 · 03/08/2009 11:46

wow goldensnitch where's that it sounds Fab!!

LittleMissTuffet · 03/08/2009 12:07

If the food is poor/over priced why not take a packed lunch and water bottles?

Eve4Walle · 03/08/2009 12:09

The only decent one near us has closed down as they went into liquidation. I on;y found out last week when I went there to find it all shut and boarded up - so sad.

The other 2 in my area are both shite - dirty, dangerous and the food is awful.

Nosoft play for us anymore methinks! Can live without it TBH.

MrsBadger · 03/08/2009 12:11

'Only food and beverages purchased in the Scummy Softplay cafe may be consumed in this area'

ie the whole building

GoldenSnitch · 03/08/2009 12:19

It's in Milton Keynes Katy. The website is here

We're always up for a play there if you are ever in the area

Just found out they do baby signing classes too now!

giraffesCantCatchSwineFlu · 03/08/2009 12:19

I like playing helping the children at softplay - its FUN! But when its busy it is stressful and the over priced food is rediculas. And since I injured my wrist in May falling off a soft play wall and am having an op in 3 days to fix it I am now more weary of soft play.

GoldenSnitch · 03/08/2009 12:22

Ooh, and special SN needs evenings which siblings are welcome at too!!

MyCatIsABiggerBastardThanYours · 03/08/2009 12:27

I think they're great but only in term time when they aren't full of kids too big to be in them pushing the little kids aside.

My DD loves them (and we had her birthday party in a local one that also has a mini farm park attached). Great way to tire the kids out.

The last local MN meet up for my area was at one. None of us are scummy (if they are they scrubbed up well for the meet ).

Boco · 03/08/2009 12:30

My children love them. I find it not very enjoyable personally, especially if it's really packed as you can't find a seat, it's noisy, it's steamy hot and crowded, the fried food smells horrible, there's no natural light, -screaming and wailing and sweating (and that's just me)

proverbial · 03/08/2009 12:52

"but theres always at least one child who throws the balls at others spoiling the fun."

I think that is the fun for most of the kids, isn't it?

The one near me is just too expensive 5 euro ((6@ w/e) per child for an hour and a half?

golgi · 03/08/2009 13:35

I have promised myself that we won't go during the school holidays, even if it's raining.
Mine are often ill after soft play, too.
Or maybe it's just a coincidence? I haven't done a proper study.

There is a wide variation in soft-play experience - the one in our town is small, smelly, too busy, nasty food, expensive (only been there a couple of times).

Mine are the children who throw the balls, I apologise. It is mostly at each other.

FimbleHobbs · 03/08/2009 13:47

There are a couple in our town and a few more within easy driving distance. I find them claustrophobic because of the NOISE. The food is not bad and reasonably priced compared to a 'normal' cafe.

They are great for the children, makes a change from the park or the many other varied healthy educational activities I provide for them (like the shoe shop/tesco/getting the car MOTd/watching endless DVDs). Off to shine my halo now.

carocaro · 03/08/2009 13:48

Yes they are great when the weather is poo, I have just taken my 2 boys, 7 and 2.5 and they went wild for three hours, I read a book and drank delish coffee, now they are both sparko on the sofa and I see nothing at all wrong with that.

If som sniffy MN's don want to go they can stay at home and go stir crazy if they want to.

MIAonline · 03/08/2009 13:51

I don't go because there are better, more interesting, less frantic,, less smelly things to do.

We go if there is a party or a group going, but I would never make it my choice. Too much out there in the real world.

sarah293 · 03/08/2009 13:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Oliveoil · 03/08/2009 13:58

noise

smell

other children

skanky mothers who read mags and screech when their darlings try and get their attention by headbutting other kids

smell

food

and the one and only time dd1 had gastro was after a visit to a dubious joint

but even the clean ones make me lose the will to live

did I mention noise?

JackBauer · 03/08/2009 14:02

I go to one local to me, and DD's love it, but it is hot, and you are not allowed to take in own food/drinks so have to pay, and they both want to play in different bits, so I am split between DD1 calling me to help her as a bigger child has knocked her over or is thumping her and DD2 who is trying to jump off the top of the slide.
They are great, but only when quiet, and I always come out stressed from running ragged past both DD's, hence 'soft play hell'

jellybeans · 03/08/2009 14:04

I like them and have had parties in them. I do get annoyed when people let their older kids terrorise the baby areas but overall, especially in quiet times, they are great.

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