What do you want in a Soft Play/Activity Centre? Please let me know your thoughts and views..

[OMGIAMAMUM]

I'm in the process of putting together a business plan for a Soft Play Centre in Scotland. I have my own ideas and vision on how it's going to be HOWEVER I would really appreciate others views on what they look for in terms of a good time out with their small people please, in particular what you want, wish or look for in this sort of venue. It's really important for me to seek views of other mums for market research purposes.
In terms of what I have so far I can give you a brief description of my centre, which will:
? Be a children?s soft play centre where the emphasis is on fun and children are treated like VIP?s. Where the play equipment and the general environment is of a high quality, pleasant and clean.
? Have an age range of entry of 0 ? 10 years of age with a dedicated area for babies and toddlers to play.
? Have an emphasis on quality and service, to a level to rival other such centres coupled with a simple but tasty menu of snacks, meals and drinks available to suit both adult and child tastes with the emphasis on healthy but tasty food options for both parents and children. Emphasis on friendly but fast service for food and drinks we've probably all had some experiences when your trying to get something either ordered or heated up for your small people in such places and it's taken an age while you have a grumpy/v. hungry/unhappy child or children on your hands, so a common sense approach in these sorts of situations for customers will apply and the kids will be attended to asap by the staff.
? Be a funky place for parents to hang out and enjoy themselves while their children play with an area dedicated to parents and their wants and needs.
? Also be a party venue with a full range of party services and options for parents and children to choose from.

All views, thoughts and suggestions welcome please, the more the merrier.

Hi OMGIAMAMUM (Great name!)

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Good luck with your new venture

sounds pretty good already tbh!
was going to say i would much appreciate an area for littlies... but you already have that!

and healthy food! yes, yes yes! can't stand the overpriced crap in most places

1. space! So many soft play areas are badly laid out and squashed in awkward spaces. I want to be able to see my children. I have four so I need to be able to see both the older ones and the younger ones. Plus I want room to be able to get the buggy in. It's all very well havign luxury leather sofas everywhere, but my dts prefer their buggy. also, easily accessible toilets and changing rooms with toilets!

2. supervision. If you have a dedicated baby area, then someone needs to make sure that older children aren't going in it terrorising the babies. 3. a ticket system for food. Queuing for food is a nightmare in these places, but I used to go to a park that had a ticket and intercom system and that was great.

It sounds great and my last suggestion would be to please build it in Ascot and not scotland. It is far too cold up there neway.

sounds great - just wanted to add that food shouldn't be overpriced - we have a very nice soft play centre here but it costs £5 per child to get in, and then they rip you off again with the food, out of protest I always take my own now, also can't stand queuing for 20 minutes for a carton of Ribena.

Also, little toilets would be a very nice and thoughtful touch, and good-sized toilet cubicles that will allow you to go in with your child.

yeah the nearest one for me is extortionate

AND bans you from bringing your own food/drinks!!!!

I want somewhere CLEAN. The local ones are filthy and the ball pit always smells of wee.

I want somewhere with genuinely healthy meals and snacks, not just flapjacks that are 40% sugar.

I want somewhere where the staff are polite and helpful, and actually enforce the rules of the play areas, e.g. no over 5s in the toddler area etc. I have even complained to the management of our local one about this and she says there is nothing they can do, if parents choose not to follow the rules. Erm excuse me, you could chuck them out for a start.

I would take ds to soft play loads more often than I do now, if these 3 criteria were met. It's not much to ask, I don't think?

Message withdrawn

Healthy food a must and some decent healthy food for adults too.

Able to see all areas clearly, important if you have more than one child.

To be honest I find the baby area really difficult, with my 1st child I actually liked it (0-18 months), but now I have two its really awkward. I have to be in there with my 6 month old and my 2 1/2 year old doesnt want to go off on her own. So I can only go a weekends when its so packed with DH. Not sure if there is any way around this, surely others Mums must find this difficult.

Clean

Lots of different things to do, I went to one in Oz which was brilliant - various different soft play areas, a mimi carousel ride, bouncy castle, big soft building block area.

if you can find a way for the place not to smell of wee...

dd (4) tends to enjoy the bits that aren't just about climbing - good to also have another element be it toys or computer or...

they are rough places I'm not sure how you deal with that

Woo, hoo, Scotland!!!

Have you ever been to Jungle Kids in Dundee? (don't know if it is open anymore, think the owner was playing hoogerie pockerie with the 'lec'y meter), my DSs absolutely love it there, loads of fun, seems to cater well for a wide age group. However the food is awful.

The best food in a soft play IMO is in the new one in Dalgety Bay (Planet Play? Something like that.) They do a great range of finger foods (mostly organic, big platters of mini sausages, cheese cubes, potato wedges, carrot sticks, etc, etc, stuff my 6 year old was as happy with as my 3 year old), homebaked biscuits, various coffees, nice adult foods, organic fruit juice. My only complaints are however is that the soft play isn't very exciting, a bit bland, unlike Jungle Kids which seems to be a big adventure (in fact DS2 doesn't want to go back to Planet Play, or whatever it is called, as it is boring but would love to go back to Jungle Kids). Also the children are expected to eat within their playing time which IMO is crazy, personally think you should try and have a system that will let the children play for their 2 hours (or whatever), then get their shoes on and sit down and have a meal. That way you get your customer both ways, they pay for the play session, Mum (or whoever) usually has a coffee and cake/biscuit , then kids come out of soft play and everyone sits down and has lunch or dinner. If you are expected to eat during the play session I find this really off-putting and would probably not eat in the place (well appart from the obligatory coffee ) no matter how good the food.

One thing that stands out about both Jungle Kids and Planet Play is that there are staff in the play areas so parents can relax a little without wondering if wee Johnny is being thumped. The last time we were in Noah's Ark in Perth and Coco's (?) in Kirkcaldy one of the things that irked me was the lack of staff in the play areas.

Sorry for the biiiiig ramble and all the best with your project, although please do as NDP advises and pay a sub.

Whereabouts do you intend to open your play center?

There's a wonderful soft play centre in Brent Cross, North London. It has a website. topsy turvy world

That's what I like in a soft play centre

cameras in the slides /areas where you cant see very well so you as parents can watch your kids on screen from the comfort of your armchair..note i said armchair not those plastic uncomfortable things you normally sit on..microwaves where you can heat up food/bottles etc.. mags and papers for parents to relax with plus a tv/playstation area for dads!! mini bumper cars/go carts..sensory area for special needs in a darkened room with lights and sparkly bits..

Also Jungle Kids has a bit where children aren't allowed with comfy sofas and a telly and remote. Think your children have to be a certain age before you could leave them and go in there or for parents of younger children you could take it in turns if all you want is 20 mins peace.

woo hoo scotland but where abouts?#

Cannot say until I'm ready to launch on location, have to keep this under wraps - sorry Jambuttie. If I told you I'd have to kill you! I will however keep you guys updated once we are ready to open. Looking to open August, September next year or January, February 2007.
Thank you all so far for your thoughts and suggestions this is really, really useful and valuable.
Please keep your comments coming.

None of these slot machine games, hate paying £4 or so each DS to go to these places, knowing that money is needed for snacks or lunch and then be pestered for 50p or £1 to play some sort of racing game. I don't let them play it but hate the pestering, would rather they didn't bother with them in soft play type places.

Hoping you are opening near us.