Advice needed - Soft play centres

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Sorry to be a bit cheeky but OH and myself are thinking about setting up a soft play / indoor adventure play centre as we don't think our local ones are much good.
I just thought I'd try to use (and abuse) the collected wisdom on here to tell us what you like in existing places, what you hate, and what you wish there was. Examples of places are also welcome if possible!
Simple really!
Our DD in coming up to 1 year now and so we've started taking her out and just found our local ones depressing and thought we could do better. Saying that, neither of us has any experience so all advice is welcome too!
We'd be truely grateful for all your help and advice.

Thanks!

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Cleanliness and security = top priorty.
Sepearate areas for differnt age groups.
Good coffee.
Spare socks/ socks for sale.
Dressing up rails ( ours has this and the kids love it- not sure if some of the stuff gets nicked though!
Trampolines/ bouncy castles
Supervision by staff in uniform.
Helathy kids meals - cookeed and simple bread and butter for the icky eaters

PS Happy girl we go to Jump it is great but often too busy!

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here are some of my local soft play centres
ragamuffins
whiz kidz
mobile playcentre!

Not sure where you are based but if you are anywhere near jct 17 M5 you have to go to JUMP!.

I loathe softplay centres and the wacky warehouse is my idea of hell - but JUMP! is amazing and I would recommend anyone to visit.

They have a website www.123jump.co.uk

NOt only is it absolutely huge, immaculately clean, cheap food, separate areas for various ages and lots of staff.

Good luck with your idea.

I like www.monkey-bizness.co.uk/

they have a lot of features mentioned here.

for seating, as well as chairs and sofas, lots of beanbags. after spending an afternoon 'nesting' in one with bf ds2 aged 3wks I think they're a stroke of genius.

part of the seating area is fenced off - i think that works quite well to contain a small exploring baby while mum drinks coffee.

have full programme of clubs and activities.

was a stall selling some crafty gift things in the corner

have membership plan

Will prob be repeating some ideas but what I like about our good one is :
gated entry/exit
fairly healthy food (I think they could do better but its not bad)
get a voucher for free meal for kids in the linked restraunt
staff quite strict on size of kids allowed in (though are more leniant at quite timess)
parents allowed in play area and can sit either right next to it or further away
Activites in term time for little ones,special things on once a month on a Friday night (£5 per kid inc food)
Staff very on the ball re cleaning (Dd2 had a nose bleed and the staff cleared that section whilst they cleaned up and another one helped me with dd2)
Settees are very popular here too!

chip - jump only seem to be bristol cardif or plymouth. ther's a london one?

This one has a memebership plan too, we did last summer hols (6 weeks) for £25 per child but its changed now and its about £20 a month each now which is a bit dear for me.A loyalty pass thing would work too.

can anyone recommend one in east london? I'm really surprised that I haven't dug up any decently sized ones within reach of us.

I'm actually a huge fan of soft play. good safe fun. essential for parents to be allowed on equipment though - how can it be otherwise?

Re 123Jump, we've only ever been to the one in Bristol - heard rumours they have purchased a place in Weston Super Mare but not sure if that is wishful thinking or not.

As far as I am aware, they do only have the three centres open at the moment.

here is where we go

1- Security, not just front door but limited access points to play areas, we have a big huge one with exits out of the structure to an other floor and 2 seperate staircases to different floors. A bit woory when you can't locate you little ones.

Easier to monitor your child if there is one access point to the structure and the seating fanning out from it.

2- Activities for older children, kids over the age 5/6 just seem to end up chasing each other around bowling over the younger kids.

3- Good solid furniture without sharp corners, not wobbly 14.99 patio furniture. Not nice having to worry that kids are going to knock into your table and spill hot tea on themselves

4- Experienced staff dedicated to supervising the play areas, a lot of play places employ for catering staff that occasionaly cast an eye towards the ball pool. Same goes for the reception area can often be deserted, means waiting to be let in or out and not very secure.

5- NO CHIPS can I repeat that NO CHIPS, why do all soft play places have to smell like a fast food restaurant.

6- Toddler mornings, special prices for morning sessions, offer free coffees and juice and healthy nibbles, serve all at one area to bring together the parents and get them chatting, can help to get lonely parents to return as they feel more welcome.

internet access, and newspapers for parents, and sky sports to watch the footie...

trampolines, mine love them

Ah yes! Internet access and newspapers.
Good points about seating arrangements too.

Thanks for all the lovely ideas once again!

Kif, there's Kidzmania up in Clacton (I think it's called? Hackney, anyway). It's a bit rubbish, though. There's another at Highbury and Islington that's ok, but parents can't get on the equipment (it's very vertical, to put it mildly).

Dinosaur's points - supervision, cleanliness and food. Parking needs to be thought out. I think that you also need to think through parties quite carefully. A newly opened soft play area near me reserved its football/basketball court for 1.5 hours for a party which left ds1 gutted, especially as we weren't warned when we paid.

Nice big clean area. People employed to keep it clean during the day too!

Decent, clean toilets with children's facilities.

Enough staff to supervise play to an extent.

Allow parents onto the equipment.

Good, reasonable priced food in the cafe - and don't charge for tap water!

Opening hours AFTER school until 6-6:30pm, not just for parties.

One round here bans younger children going onto the older section - but the baby section offers so little challenge. If completely separated this about challenging the little ones better.

Try and give all round view for parents - so you can actually see your children, even at the top/back of the equipment.

Kif, kidzmania is in Lower Clapton - it's fine actually, if a bit grubby.

There are also two in Stoke Newington, Zoomaround and Pirates Playhouse.

LInes of site are quite reasuring used to go to one with CCTV that flicked from image to image showing the more closed in areas.

It also had a couple of young but very enthusiastic play supervisors who were quite happy to clamber through to the structure to rescue kids. I would never have fitted. Kids seem to like them and went running to them every 2 mins instead of parents, now that I do like. They would gather them up and take them all down the big slide and set out balance challenges with blocks etc as well as stopping kids chucking the balls at each other.

Not sure if I would want a soft play full of mums and dads playing lol .

I would agree that under 5's should be accessible for parents to get in.

Oh yes, don't be grubby.

When I worked in a nursery/ creche we had a softplay we had to clean it loads, bucket of pine disenfectant and a big mop, had to scrub it in rotation every night. Ball pools need patricular attention, small nervous children like to hide in them to pee and fill up with loose socks, badges and money.

So wash your balls . We perfected a technique for this.

I'll make sure we polish our balls every night.
I can't believe somewhere charged for tap water! That's illegal isn't it?

One thing that does worry me is hiring the right staff. Most of the ones I've come across are pretty indifferent at best.

LOL

Think that there is a loop hole with tap water, no charge for the water but charge for the glass!