Cafes with childrens play area or other activities in Oxford?

[snail1973]

I am keen to find indoor alternatives to the smelly old soft play centres. Does anyone know of any cafes with kids areas/activities in Oxford???

Indoors? Not many. There are some with a box of toys and a welcoming attitude toward small children. These include the Magic Cafe, and the cafe in the newly revamped Pegasus Theatre (both on Magdalen Road as it happens). And you could stroll up the road to the ever-popular Goldfish Bowl: not quite the Sea Life Centre but definitely the best place to see fish indoors in Oxford!

If your kids are quite bouncy, the only place I know which would rival soft play is Rainbow House www.wesleymem.org.uk/rainbow.shtml

I used to go to children's centres quite often; my favourite is Donnington Doorstep which has a nice outdoor area as well as indoor play and serves excellent cheap home-cooked food: www.donnington-doorstep.org/

Hope someone else will have some ideas for you!

I agree that the children's centres are great - Florence Park and East Oxford are both nice. Last time I was in The Magic Cafe it didn't feel as children friendly as it used to be, but Rainbow House is great. My DH is Greek, and I really wish we had the cafes here that they have there - as you say, a proper cafe with a full on separate (staffed) soft play area. But no such luck.