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Original poster

Is soft play best avoided?

42 replies

keepgoing87 · 16/10/2021 07:12

I was planning to take my 18 month old to soft play for the first time, until I read the thread on HF&M. From what people have said it sounds like it’s actually pretty disgusting and seriously unhygienic (vomit and poop were both mentioned! 🤮) I want my son to build up a healthy immune system obviously, but I do feel somewhat put off. Should I go or is it best to avoid?

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SylvanasWindrunner · 16/10/2021 07:16

Ours is always clean. I've never seen poop or vomit or anything like that. But kids playing with shared stuff will always have germs being shared, whether it's soft play, church playgroups, nursery, whatever.

It wasn't really worth us taking DD until recently (she's 2.5). She's able to go on the equipment herself and is steady on her feet and not as likely to be pushed over by rampaging other kids. I think with younger kids you're either stuck just sitting beside them in the baby bit or constantly chasing them around to stop them going on play stuff that is too old for them.

AlexandraEiffel · 16/10/2021 07:16

I've taken mine to lots of soft plays. Never seen vomit or poo. I wouldn't go to one that looked poorly maintained. They feel pretty germy to me, but that's kids Grin

sausagepastapot · 16/10/2021 07:19

Mine are 8 and 6, been going to soft play since they were born, they've never been ill and I've never seen any bodily fluids

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ParadiseLaundry · 16/10/2021 07:45

All the soft plays around here are new and very clean.

Even the grubby one that used to exist years ago I always felt was good for my kids immune system! I never saw sick or wee though.

Kanaloa · 16/10/2021 07:48

Do you send the child to nursery? Anywhere with loads of kids is gross because kids are disgusting.

In decent weather I do prefer a park or playground because I feel we come home more refreshed but on bad winter days soft play is a perfect treat! Bit sad that mine are outgrowing it now, similar indoor treats for older kids (stuff like trampolining) is just too expensive.

residentkaleidoscope · 16/10/2021 07:51

I've never seen any of the things you mentioned. My kids have always loved soft play.

whosaidtha · 16/10/2021 07:52

I used to work at soft play. Any poo/sick was cleaned straight away if it was brought to our attention. Which it was as I never found anything I wasn't expecting. As for the general cleanliness it was cleaned by the teenagers who worked there when they weren't busy so very clean on a Wednesday afternoon. Very unclean on a Sunday afternoon.
Ball pits were emptied and balls cleaned once a fortnight.
Might be different now due to covid as more stringent cleaning is employed.

Dozer · 16/10/2021 07:54

Depends v much where you live and what the local places are like!

18 months is small, so you’d want one with an area for tiny DC.

DocAutumn · 16/10/2021 08:03

I wouldn't go to a soft play with vomit and poop on it. I have never seen this.

riotlady · 16/10/2021 08:06

I’ve never seen body fluids. Anywhere for kids is going to have a base level of germy-ness but that’s life.

KatieKat88 · 16/10/2021 08:08

See if any local ones are 0-4 and they'll be less boisterous at least! Or go midweek in term time. I've been picky about which we've gone to but the first session in the morning is always clean.

Wagglerock · 16/10/2021 08:09

We've got a small soft play nearby for under 5s that's always really clean - might be worth looking for one of those. I've never seen anything too disgusting in the big soft play but it could always do with a bit of a clean!

I do think parents are largely at fault - Ive overheard parents on more than one occasion saying little Timmy had been vomitting all night and then still take them to softplay or play group. 🤢

gogohm · 16/10/2021 08:11

At that age it's down to their ability to manage the equipment, mine could compete with the big kids by that age as were climbers but other children wouldn't get much from them. I wouldn't worry from a hygiene side though

EnidFrighten · 16/10/2021 08:14

I never take mine because I hate it. Full of hyped up kids and parents don't pay enough attention. Plus they're usually very noisy! I don't care about the hygiene side of things, they're just crap.

RedRobin100 · 16/10/2021 08:15

Any soft play we’ve been to have been fine. I don’t expect them to be sterile, that’s what soap and sanitizer is for.
My kid loves it, hes 16 months.

Woeismethischristmas · 16/10/2021 08:18

I was crawling through a soft play with my little one when I spotted mouse poo dotted round the edges where the mats meet the frame, really put me off.

cricketmum84 · 16/10/2021 08:41

My first job was cleaning a soft play centre. It is impossible to keep it permanently clean.

I have a fear of quavers after having to clean half sucked ones out of the ball pit.

As a result of that my DC have never been to one unless it was a friends birthday party!

Echobelly · 16/10/2021 09:08

I don't really get the hate for soft play - but then I'm very good at tuning at background noise! As for dirtiness, I'm sure there are some awful ones, but as long as your local has a decent reputation, by all means go there.

Bobholll · 16/10/2021 11:29

We love softplay! Don’t let your germaphobia stop your kids having fun! Do they go to nursery? Cos mine have caught far more illnesses from there than softplay!

I am picky. You can tell some are better looked after than others. For example, the ones I go to absolutely do not allowed food in the softplay areas, so I’ve never seen food squashed into ballpools etc. I’ve not seen any ballpools re-opened post covid actually. They all got removed & they don’t seem to be back yet. I’ve never seen anything gross in them and we go 2/3 times a week. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Yeh they are noisy but it’s not something I’m doing for me, it’s for my kids who love noise 😂 & it’s only for a couple of hours. I also love going down the slides myself, our favourite has a super steep & fast slide, I love it 🤣

Chelyanne · 16/10/2021 12:24

Can't protect them from everything, hey pick up all sorts no matter what you do.

Just go, your lo will love it.

NowEvenBetter · 16/10/2021 14:19

A load of dribbling, loud, germy, explosively incontinent people in a room that cannot possibly be brilliantly cleaned. Sounds like a disgusting way to spend your time, but then I don’t want a kid, so… 😆

NowEvenBetter · 16/10/2021 14:20

Also, what would a 1.5yr old get from it (apart from viruses)? Do they not get enough amusement from falling over furniture in their own house?

Original poster
keepgoing87 · 16/10/2021 14:26

Also, what would a 1.5yr old get from it (apart from viruses)? Do they not get enough amusement from falling over furniture in their own house?

I’m not entirely sure to be honest!

OP posts:
Rosesareyellow · 16/10/2021 14:32

We only went once - caught hand foot and mouth while there. It’s not my idea of fun and DS is more happy in a park so I don’t go out my way to take him. Didn’t surprise me when he caught a bug from there - some kids went in with a pack of crisps, dropped them and then licked them off the floor. I get it’s great fun for toddlers and young children, but a lot of mums I knew wanted to meet up there when our DCs were babies and could barely sit up - I really didn’t get it and declined every time. But some parents are just obsessed with going there.

RavenclawsRoar · 16/10/2021 14:34

I always anticipate my dc getting at least a cold the week following a soft play visit! We don't go too often but they love it when we do and actually they do seem quite a lot cleaner with covid. And less rammed since the ones round here all need to be booked now whereas before it was a free for all.