Soft Play - heaven or hell

[Playingwithbuses]

My friend is considering setting up a soft play facility from scratch, they will have an empty warehouse to kit out so have the chance to really do what they want with it. So i would love to hear about your best and worst experiences with regards to the structure and play areas, age suitability, seating areas, toilets, food, prices , other facilities. Really what do you love and what do you hate. Thanks in advance.

Brave friend!

I pretty much dislike most soft play centres, but my favourite one is the most expensive. Don't mind paying more because is is clean, not stupidly noisy, slightly quieter (probably because it is more expensive), food is good, choice of drinks etc.

Also, the play frame is at one end, then the seats, then the entrance behind us, so they have to run past us to get to the door. Security is good, with a double door, so no accidentally nipping out with another family.

Did I mention, it is CLEAN!

Another vote for clean. Out of the soft play centres I've been to there are 2 that I return to.
The 1st I go to only occasionally because it isn't as 'clean' as the other which is a shame because the layout is great: Seating area with backs to entrance, exit slightly round corner from entrance but still to rear of chairs (except more in the eyeline IYSWIM) toddler area in large circle in front of seating area with beanbags dotted around it for parents, good selection of toys for toddlers all encircled by soft foam wall thingies. Across back wall is a large climbing frame with slides and ball pool, you can pretty much see the little ones wherever they are. The food is a bit bog standard and not too nice (chips, crisps, reheated jacket spuds, beans, fizzy pop, hot drinks)
The 2nd is really clean, always, even near to closing time on the busiest days. My Ds has lost a sock in the ball pool on occasion and I'm never afraid to fish to the bottom to find it and when I do I find the sock and not old crisps,dust,hair etc. The layout isn't as open as the 1st. Toddler area is L shaped and is behind a 5ft ish soft rope type fence with 2 entrances then area for older children is round corner. It's safe and secure but you have to dash round after little ones to be able to see them so when you have toddler DC1 and older DC2 you struggle to keep an eye on them all the time. Food lovely and freshly prepared.
Suprisingly not much difference in price between the 2 but I always spend more in the 2nd because the food is better, the drinks are better and more varied and the place is clean, clean, clean so we stay much longer.

I've been to one in a warehouse and it gets unbearably hot in summer, particularly at the top near the roof. To a point that people do avoid it for being too hot.

I think the things for me: free water accessable easily, policing the babies area (perhaps height rather than age as people will lie) and being prepared to ask children to leave it if they're too big, making the food a good selection, (not just chicken nuggets or sausages,) enough balls in the ball pits, lots of toilets kept clean and with loo roll, good first aid policy.

For parties, one near us plays the celebrations song when the party is leaving to go to the food, which they children always love.

Price I would say that the one I liked on price had it tiered. Free for non-crawling babies, £1 for up to 2yo, £3 2-4 yo, £4 4yo+. This meant when you wanted to take your preschooler and newborn you weren't paying for both. They also had on and off peak price for entry and birthday parties.

yess cleanliness is going to have to be priority, bottom of ball pits certainly can be hellish ツ
one thing we perhaps see differently is staffing. What are your opinions on staff and different duties , do you think you need a front of house person that rescues children and referees, or do you think parents can manage that them selves. Would this perhaps be different if it is a school day morning or a wet saturday afternnoon or holiday.
Also would you expect the entrance to be controled by staff eg a gate they have to buzz you in and out or are you happy with gates and doors adults can open themselves.
What security concerns if any do you have, and with regards to that what procedures/ setups lessen those concerns.

Not so many exits to one play area

Taking special need escapee children to most is a nightmare! Mainly because even if following right behind there is so many exits try can slip through before I catch up!

Definatley more age appropriate areas. I would prefer one mainly catering for under 5s as is calmer, gentler for toddlers, we appeal to parents all year around

Baby areas, staff doing music/ dance sessions with little ones in the mornings

Clean large toilets ( enough room for adult with toddler and baby all together)

Fresh food

I would pay a lot more to attend somewhere like this

Lots of staff, including staff prepared to muck in and climb the playframe with the children. Also, staff on the exit -my favourite one has a card you have to hand to the staff to swipe before you leave, so they can check you leave with the sane number of children you arrived with!

And a good toddler area that is challenging enough for them. both of mine got bored with ours at quite a young age.

I would rather pay a pound more and be allowed to take my own food in, rather than be forced to fork out loads more, for crap food my dc's probably won't finish, if I want to play around lunchtime.

My favourite also has a football/basketball area, which is great as my 8yr old ds can enjoy himself and won't complain that it's 'babyish'.

Room to walk between tables. Cafe/eating area well defined so children aren't running around near hot drinks.

Light and open plan with clear view of all play areas, so it's not so easy for badly behaved kids to be bashing anyone without being seen LOL!

An area for babies/non walkers separated from the other play areas, and with a fence high enough that adults can step over, but older children can't, so the babies can play safely.

No loud music playing - you can't hear if a child is in trouble.

Clean loos, tables you don't stick to, and a cap on numbers if there is nowhere for the adults to sit. My favourite place allocates a table to each family, and it is full when no more tables are available.

single entrance point to toddler area with height chart. Single entrance point to junior area. Clean. Clean. Clean. good coffee and cake for grown ups

thanks everyone lots of info ti pass on, the height marker is such a simple idea.

Its also important to note parents will try and join in the fun and therefore employ staff not to laugh as a mum [not me obv] shouts to her dh pull my feet im stuck in the tunnel as 6 kids are queued on top of her head .....waiting for the slide.

i like places where they dont mind parents joining in, although i was at a place aimed at older kids and the two dads that kept going down the big slide made right twats of them selves and were blinking annoying.

But what if you have a tall toddler?

Ds2 is on 98th percentile for height, why should he be excluded from a toddler area before others of his age or even older just because he's tall?

One other thing - no tv's!

Urgh....please serve something apart from chicken nuggest and chips.

A lot of these places have ball pits for littlies and climbing frames for toddling and upwards. However it may also be nice to provide a few activity mat / play arch type things for really tiny babies who aren't big enough for ball pools but still need a little bit of entertaining.

i agree with the tall toddler my ds was one, he is now over 6ft, if you had a height marker I would put age as well and ensure staff used it with discretion. Mearly for discouraging the rowdy obviuosly older kids.

Oh the one family per table thing is a great idea! I have yet to get a seat at our soft play.

I would also add a decent sized buggy park and lockers.

We have a lovely restaurant with soft play near us (so way smaller than your friend will be thinking) but it has the "cage" in the middle with seating all around so that every section is visible from the outside - which takes away any "trouble" spaces where little people can get into difficulty without the grownups being aware.

They (as they are a restaurant) do have a children's menu, but it is home cooked things so the chicken goujons are seasoned but not salted; they will also (at the normal adult mealtimes) provide a half portion of any adult meal. There is a ready supply of fruit juices and water - not just fruit shoots!

Toilets are cleaned and inspected regularly, and the play area itself is also cleaned frequently.

They stringently police a sensible age & height policy (7 and under) so that older kids don't ruin it for the others.

On the other hand, there is another soft play that I avoid like the plague as it's sticky, kids are allowed anywhere and it's hot, noisy and expensive. There is also no climbing equipment for the under 5's - they are restricted to a ball pit and an inflatable bit. It's terrible for those of us with Evil Kineval under 2's who want to do what the older kids are doing!

I would have thought 1 table per family is obvious, i certainly would expect to struggle to find a free table, capacity of equipment, number of tables and how many you let in all has to be linked.

I am suprised how hot some places allowed to get, the kids are all glowing red at the best of times.

have an "escape route" from the highest level that doesn't involve a slide or a massive drop....

My favourite soft play ( we moved so don't live near enough now) had a big play frame, lots of seating and lots of clear floor. some sit n ride toys on the floor, dressing up clothes, a colouring table, table football and a few sofas. It was also clean.

There was a "drop slide" but it was zipped n locked off unless a staff member was in attendance at the top.

DS likes rope bridges and see through tunnels and other things that let you go over the top of people and wave down at them.
A local soft play centre have started offering an after school club with pick up from primary school.