On a friend’s suggestion, I took my toddler to It’s A Kid’s Thing! play centre in Earlsfield, South West London, today. The venue is clearly very popular as it is recommended that you always book a table in advance to make sure you will be allowed entry. Upon arrival I realised that this was certainly necessary! Not only was it pretty chaotic when we got there (a large party was just leaving and crowding the entrance/exit as we arrived), but the venue itself is relatively small compared to the other soft-play centres I normally frequent.
My first thoughts were “I’m not going to enjoy this” just because I find it very stressful being in quite confined spaces with loads of screaming children. Because my little girl is just two years old and quite small for her age, I also worry when there are loads of older children that she might get pushed around a bit. But, to be honest, as soon as the morning session of mums departed the place quietened down enough for it to be quite pleasant. A bonus of having a small venue is that you know your little one is never too far away even if they are not in view. They have a largish climbing frame which takes up the majority of the room, with a separate area for under two’s right next to the adult’s seating area. They cater for parties and have various other classes available like Baby Massage and Messy Art. As it is half term this week, they also had a pirates theme with face painting and biscuit decorating, which is great fun in particular for the slightly older kids who can really get involved in the activities.
Today I was there as part of a group of 4 adults, 3 toddlers and one baby. We all had lunch - I thought the food was adequate - nothing wrong with it but, as with all the other similar play centres I have been to, nothing to write home about! The staff were mostly friendly, including the waitresses. My only real gripe was that I thought the day out was a bit expensive - the lunch and admission fee came to nearly £20 and with the parking on top of that (£1.80 per hour in the local streets - there is no free parking for the venue) it cost me about £25 for a couple of hours of fun, a sandwich for me and kiddie’s meal, a coffee and fruit juice. Adults don’t pay an admission fee like at some other play centres - kid’s are £5 for over two’s, £4 for under two’s and £2 for siblings.
My overall thoughts: I would go back again, but more because it is somewhere new and different to go to than because I thought it was special. I would not discourage other people from going, in fact the opposite - give it a try for yourself, but remember to book in advance - but I wouldn’t make it my regular soft play venue, especially as I have larger and cheaper venues within a similar driving distance from home. That said, one of my friends who was there with me today thinks it is a fantastic place and can’t wait to go back again - each to their own…
To find out more about It’s A Kid’s Thing! look at their website: http://www.itsakidsthing.co.uk
