When you’re fed up with the kids treating your house like a playground – it’s great if you can find a house that is a playground. Soft play is the ideal fun house, where kids can roam safely and parents can take the back seat for a few hours.
But with dozens of soft play centres all over the city, which do you choose?
Lucky for you, I’ve done the research to find the best indoor playgrounds for your kids in London. Bonus! I’ve also thrown in a soft play centre designed for grown-ups, too – thank me later.
The Best Soft Play Centres in London
1. Kidspace: Multi-Activity Indoor Playground
Although not the classic slides and ball pit type of playground, Kidspace offers kids the best day out they’ve had in a while. The building is jam-packed with activities such as go-karts, slides, mini-golf, ball blasters, laser tag, electric quad bikes, and much more.
This playground in South London offers a variety of games and toys that are sure to keep kids entertained. However, it can be quite loud and energetic, which may be overwhelming for shy children. If your child is nervous, it may be helpful to get involved and support them.
What you need to know:
- Suitable for kids ages 13 and under, but there is a separate section for kids under the age of 5. The toddler area is great too! But the main area is full of activities that older kids will just love.
- Make sure your kids have shoes they can play in, as some obstacles are painful on bare feet.
- Kidspace also hosts birthday parties if you’re looking for a place to host a party with a proper food menu – they even serve fruits and veggies. A bonus for health-conscious parents! Aside from the food, you can host parties centred around different activities.
- Adults get to play! Kidspace encourages adults to get involved and participate in activities with their children. However, adults have to pay for entry. So, if you don’t plan on getting involved, this may not be your facility.
- One adult can supervise up to four children. If you plan to bring more children, more adults must be present.
- Soft play centres can get pretty dirty, and Kidspace is sometimes criticised for this. So, I suggest only visiting if you can handle a few sticky floors and empty crisp packets.
Tickets cost between £0 for under one-year-old and £15.50 for kids visiting at the weekend.
Address: The Colonnades, 619 Purley Way, Croydon CR0 4RQ, United Kingdom
Phone Number: 020 3885 6672
Email: [email protected]
Related: Things to Do in London This Summer
2. Little Peeps Softplay
This indoor play centre is specifically designed for children between 0 and 9 years old, with the play equipment well suited to the little ones. However, there’s enough to challenge the wobbliest of 1-year-olds and the excitable 9-year-olds.
One of my favourite things about Little Peeps Softplay is that it’s actually clean! Considering the facility caters to younger kinds, it’s super important that the equipment isn’t neglected and grotty.
But a slight downside is that the staff are pretty hands-off, so the responsibility really is on the parents. So if you’re taking a very young child, you might want to put down the book and instead keep a closer eye on the little ones. The play areas host kids of a relatively wide age range, so the type of play can be a bit rough for younger children.
What you need to know:
- Try to book in advance if you’re visiting at the weekend because Little Peeps can get pretty busy.
- Each play session lasts 90 minutes, but you can leave earlier than that. There are lots to play on, but it’s definitely not an all-day activity.
- Some play equipment is pretty high for very young kids, so parents should get involved when possible to ensure their safety.
- There’s a designed adult zone with a well-stocked cafe, so adults can take a breath while their kids explore.
- There is a separate area for the very young kids, so you don’t have to worry too much about the little ones exploring obstacles they shouldn’t be.
Little Peeps is reasonably priced, charging £3.5 and £11 depending on the age of the child.
Situated southwest of Wimbledon, Little Peeps is a quite far out of town. So, it’s probably only worth visiting if you live nearby or have an easy transport route.
Address: 328 Hook Rd, Hook, Chessington KT9 1NU, United Kingdom
Phone Number: 0208 397 1114
Email: [email protected]
3. The Sheriff Centre: Best Building + Cool Space for Parents
You know how some people say their gym is their church? Well, this soft play is actually in a church and provides some striking views.
Okay, maybe the kids will be more focused on the slides and climbing apparatus, but the high, vaulted interior will undoubtedly help you forget you’re just in a playground. The play equipment is good, but pretty standard. But the entire building makes for an ideal setting for Sunday play time and chill time with some coffee and cake.
Because of the grand building, one of my favourite parts of this soft play is that you can actually hear the other adults talking. In other play centres, any conversion is washed away by screeching and yelling.
One thing to note is that the play equipment isn’t super special, so if your child is a seasoned professional at places like Kidspace and other similar places, the Sheriff Centre may not be exciting enough for them.
What you need to know:
- The upper age limit is 10 years because the equipment is designed for little ones. Older kids would just be bored.
- There are two sections, one for those who can only crawl (and drool) and one for those who can roam and explore more independently.
- There is limited seating, so it fills up pretty quickly. After your allotted booking slot (either one or two hours), you may be asked (kindly) to leave so that they can reassign your table.
The price is not too bad, only the kids are charged entry. Entry will cost between £4.50 and £13 depending on if it’s a one or two-hour session and if the child is less than two years old.
It’s easy to get to the Sheriff’s Centre, as it’s a stone’s throw from West Hampstead tube station in North west London.
Address: St James Church, 2 Sherriff Rd, London NW6 2AP, United Kingdom
Phone Number: 020 7625 1184
Email: [email protected]
4. KB02 Venue Hire: Centre for Kids and Adults
Who says kids should have all the fun? The grown-ups deserve to get silly and play too, and KB02 Venue Hire knows that all too well.
KB02 is London’s ultimate adult playground, with an arcade room, dance machines, soft play and even an ultraviolet bar which serves alcohol. Grown-ups can get in touch with their inner child and host the ultimate birthday or Christmas party here. Of course, you can hire KB02 for kids’ events too.
The staff team is small but great at what they do. They genuinely care about helping your event go smoothly and want to ensure everyone has a fun time. They’ll even help meet and greet your guests and appease any worries regarding the organisation, decorating and setting up for the event.
What you need to know:
- You can hire the venue for kids or adult parties with a maximum number of either 35 or 50 guests.
- Sadly, they don’t supply food, so you must bring or order food for the event. Their bar stocks beverages and snacks, but that is all.
- The games and facilities are more suited to kids aged 4 and above if you want them to make good use of the space.
- You must book in advance, as the business is exclusively for venue hire.
Priced per person, between £20 and £22 per adult, you can get in touch with them via phone or email to book kids’ parties, as they are not currently allowing online booking.
Kids’ parties cost between £296 and £295 depending on the time of year and day of the week.
KB02 Venue Hire is in North London and is just a short walk from Palmers Green tube station for easy access.
Address: 220 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, London, N13 5LB
Phone: 020 8886 7520
Email: [email protected]
Tips for Visiting a Soft Play in London
Before visiting an indoor playground in London, there are a few things you should consider:
- Age restrictions. Some indoor playgrounds may have age restrictions for certain equipment or areas, so it’s a good idea to check in advance if your children will be able to access all the activities and facilities.
- Socks. Many indoor playgrounds require socks to be worn for hygienic reasons. Make sure to bring socks for both adults and children if required by the facility.
- Food and drinks. Some indoor playgrounds may have a snack bar or vending machines, but it’s always a good idea to pack your own water bottles and snacks in case you get hungry while playing.
