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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:
paisleyleaf · 03/08/2009 14:28

It depends on the place. We have a couple near us
One does costa coffee, newspapers, it's light, clean airy, I can see DD wherever she is (so I do get a chance to have some coffee too).
The other is like hell on Earth, massive and yet also dingy, cramped, dark. Smelly, the layout is such that you can't see. Rubbish, overpriced food and coffee. This one also seems to have no limit to how many children can go in.

melmog · 03/08/2009 14:38

Agree it depends on the place. The ones near me are skanky and smell of wee, but there is one a little further away that I love.

I can sit with a latte and a couple of crumpets and see the girls from my table. They run or crawl off some energy and nap on the way home. Marvelous.

I'd definately prefer it outdoors or swimming or something but with one nearly three year old and a not walking yet should be toddler, soft play is so much easier.

gingertoo · 03/08/2009 14:44

I've got a really nice one near me.
It's new, spacious and clean. The toilets are nice with seperate (clean) baby changing rooms and best of all they have leather sofas and nice coffee for the mums!

My friends and I meet there once a week in term time with our babies / toddlers (Don't go in the hols as it's not as safe with bigger children running around and I've got bigger children too who would rather die than go to soft play!)

Have been to bad soft play places though too and they can be vile - it really depends on the place, I think.

Gateau · 03/08/2009 15:02

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

That's a bit OTT . Soft play is far from being the sole alternative to staying at home; not in my world, anyway.

Satsuma1 · 03/08/2009 15:16

In principle they're a great idea. Somewhere for kids to enjoy themselves in a safe environment.

Unfortunately, I've yet to have a positive experience at one. The separate areas set aside for babies and toddlers is never policed properly and regularly infiltrated with much older kids acting in a raucous manner, which quite frankly can be very dangerous. I've had several incidences where DS was in a ball pool and a 4/5 year old has launched themselves in nearly crushing him. I'm actually quite surprised that there haven't been some serious accidents at some of these places.

If they were properly managed and parents watched their children properly then they would be a great idea. Unfortunately I've yet to find somewhere where that's the case.

Fillyjonk · 03/08/2009 15:19

Its OBVIOUS, isn't it?

They have BIG kids in them. And of couse, being big kids, they will be insufficiently respectful of small firstborn children.

And sometimes they have FROOT SHOOTS

And SOMETIMES the bigger kids DRINK the froot shoots

Duh!

pispirispis · 03/08/2009 15:40

This thread has made me laugh!

I went once to the one near my parents', and it was really big and new and clean. I thought it was great. My dd (13 months at the time) got so excited by all the soft surfaces and primary colours that her whole body actually suddenly shook with excitement. It was so funny! She also wanted to go on all the cars at the same time. Poor thing hadn't been out of the house that much because it was pissing it down every day. And there were only about 4 other kids there. I'll be making sure to go at 9.30am on a Tuesday or something and I'll be sniffing this time to see if it smells of wee!

AmazingBouncingFerret · 03/08/2009 16:55

I remember the first time I took DS to one, it was at Hatton Farm and we had the place to ourselves, im not sure who had the most fun... me, DH or DS!

GColdtimer · 03/08/2009 17:30

"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"

Don't mean to pick on you carocaro but you have summed up partly why I don't like soft play centres. Too many parents not actually supervising their dcs whilst they go wild. DD has been on the receiving end of "exuberant" behaviour far too often whilst parents sit around oblivious.

I am not saying that you did just sit there and ignore them for 3 hours whilst you enjoyed your book but so many parents do.

And the foods is always crap, the toilets are always dirty and they are staffed usually by teenagers who don't give a toss.

Having said that, they occasionally serve a purpose if you go at about 9am on a monday morning.

MrsChemist · 03/08/2009 17:43

Can I be the embarrassing voice of youth and say that I absolutely loved them when I was a child?
Bugger what my parents thought, I had the time of my life in those places.
Saying this, I will probably hate taking my children.

SomeGuy · 03/08/2009 18:14

Like indoor swimming pools, they are not really a place for summer - so many nicer places to be.

Acceptable in winter, outside of weekends and school holidays.

curiositykilled · 03/08/2009 18:22

Surely the centre depends on the people who run it?

Morloth · 03/08/2009 18:24

The big one near us is excellent, I am a take the paper and get a cup (of the very good) coffee type parent. The one we go to is aimed at 5 years and up though so there really shouldn't be any babies underfoot.

Their chicken nuggets are also delicious and worth the trip alone. Costs a bomb though. 9.75 per kid 4.00 per adult.

We used to go to a smaller one which was cheaper but DS outgrew it.

GeeWhizz · 03/08/2009 18:37

Love soft play, have not got a decent park within walking distance.

Went on Sunday DD 5 and DS 3 had great time letting off steam. We were the only ones there for at least half an hour as we arrived just as they opened.

Did sit having coffee and reading magazine but still feel that parents must still keep an eye on the children they take.

Lusi · 03/08/2009 18:37

If your DCs are small - you should be supervising them...no arguement.
If they are bigger (and you have taught them to be responsible...) they will usually behave well enough to not need supervision...and are perfectly capable of telling you if there are other children causing problems...so you can either tell the staff or tell them to fight there own battles - depending on the child and circumstances.
If it is raining and miserable a play centre is a great place to take them - I have been to all types some better than others...but most serve their purpose...the only ones I have had problems with are the ones attached to pub restaurants...with teenagers running around.(although I do think we need play areas/parks of some sort for teenagers as well...)
BTW I don't touch the food or the coffee in any of those places...at the most the children get a jug of diluting juice.

GeeWhizz · 03/08/2009 18:38

Ps I have a go too!!

crokky · 03/08/2009 18:50

I relaly like the idea of them and think they are good fun.

However, I hardly ever take my two (3.4 and 1.4) because of 2 main things...

-we have picked up soooooo many bugs from these things because people who've got DCs off nursery etc becuase they are sick think it's OK to go to these places. I would see an ill toddler cough directly into DS's face, then me DS and DD would all be ill and stuck at home for 2 weeks. Got noro from one as well. We had about 4 different illnesses in a row at the end of last year/start of this year and it was really depressing.

-I can't stand children not being supervised when they are behaving really badly. Hurting eachother deliberately etc etc and parents are far away drinking coffee, chatting etc. One unsupervised child (boy of 7/8) approached my 3yo - just walked up to him(fine)...but then slammed him so hard on the shoulders that he fell over backwards. We didn't know the boy, DS had not seen/spoken to him that day - he just approached and floored my DS for no reason whilst his father was drinking coffee! My mum was with me and she was fuming about this happening to her precious first grandchild so she shouted at the 7/8yo!

pamelat · 03/08/2009 19:10

I have never thought to think of them as a bad thing, especially not in a snobbery aspect way.

I personally would not choose to spend my time in them but DD loves it (18 months) and I am there for her, not me.

I always supervise her as she is so young but am often surprised about the amount of completely unsupervised children. I often find myself becoming token parents to a gaggle of kids in there but I think its only because of the age of my DD, so I cant leave her alone etc etc.

Morloth · 03/08/2009 19:14

I am now wondering why we have never picked up any bugs at these places? Maybe the ones we have been too have been really clean? DS has been at nursery (and now school) since 8mths though so maybe we have already got everything we are going to get?

TabithaTwitchet · 03/08/2009 19:23

The one near us is fantastic - I think it won an award for best soft play centre in the UK.
It is for under 4s only, so no need to worry about big children - plus they have special let-off-steam sessions for 3 year olds, and also under 18 month baby sessions.

It is spotlessly clean, absolutely gleaming - I once saw a child being sick and the staff were there cleaning it up instantly.

The food is yummy, all homemade and freshly cooked, really good healthy choices for adults and toddlers.

They have messy play sessions and music sessions, plus an area with imaginative play toys that change daily - things like ELC Happy land, trainsets, dolls houses etc, plus a quiet area with mats and playgyms for really small babies.

It is in a lovely converted barn in the middle of the countryside, light and airy and not too big, perfect for younger children. DD and I love it!

pamelat · 03/08/2009 19:26

That sounds lovely TT, where do you live near?

funtimewincies · 03/08/2009 20:21

I can't take ds (2.8) at the moment. He's too big for and bored by for the toddler area and needs to be supervised on the 'over 4s' bit. I'm 24 weeks pregnant and simply can't climb and squeeze through all the bits which lead to the very exciting top-to-bottom slide.

Mind you I didn't really enjoy taking him when he was small enough to play in the toddler area as I spent most of my time having to ask much older children (too old to be in that section) to stop trampling on ds while their parents had their 'me time' .

The coffee and food at out local one are pretty good though .

TabithaTwitchet · 03/08/2009 22:23

Ours is near Reading, pamelat

MamaGoblin · 03/08/2009 23:03

I've only been to one, once, but can't say I loved it. Will probably go again though, when DS is older and I'm more desperate!

It was pretty grubby but not filthy, the food was shite (but I'd brought a snack for DS anyway) and the under 2s area was full of over 2s. Didn't have to police it any more than I would at a normal toddler group, though. It was humid and extremely noisy, but you'd expect that, with a large warehouse full of hyperactive children. Not the seventh circle of hell but no picnic either.

RubyBlueberry · 03/08/2009 23:12

Tell me - - cos now you have me thinking - if I opened one what would you want in it?

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