I have a bit of a love hate relationship with Soft Play Centres. You know, those mad places that are filled with giant slides, ball pits, climbing thingys and lots of kids running wild. Some Mums hate them, some love them, but it’s undeniable that all kids LOVE them!
So firstly the pros. To paint the picture, it feels like it has been raining for about 50 days in a row and it is not just the kids that are climbing the walls. There is only so much play dough, cooking and craft that a Mum can do without going as mad as a hatter and these are the times that I just about cry with relief that there are such things as soft play centres. Where E can run off excess energy and I can generally sit and watch her whilst enjoying something hot and yummy, usually with other frazzled, cabin-fevered Mums. It is at these times where I gladly pay the entry fee and in fact some days I would probably play double.
The other times I love soft play centres is when I am meeting up with my mummy friends. It’s is great to organise to meet somewhere where we know everyone will be happy and you don’t have to rely on the weather. The kids play together and don’t fight over sharing toys and us mums can generally hang out by the slide and have a really good natter. I think these times have been my sanity savers. Many of life’s problems, have been discussed by the ball pit or big slides and I have learnt many valuable things by talking to my friends without our sentences being interrupted every other second. So how can you not love play centres?
Well, you can! Soft play areas can really be quite expensive and I’m not talking just about the entry fee. Lets face it they are businesses and I think that the fee is quite reasonable when you compare it to other outings. It’s actually the ‘no food’ policies that bug me. Many centres in my area don’t allow you to bring your own food. So you are left with two options. Buy the over priced, unhealthy foods that they sell or leave when the kids get hungry(which is generally within five minuets of being there). It frustrates me that I can’t pack snacks for my kids that are cheaper and healthier when we have already paid to get in the door. I would happily pay for a coffee or a treat but I feel like I am committing a crime if I feed them snacks from home.
The other thing that annoys me are ‘those’ (raises eyebrows) kind of parents. You know the ones that go there and let their cherubs run wild without so much as glancing up from their phone or book? Most parents supervise but there are those few that just use these centres and rely on other mums and people who work there like it is a babysitting service. It can be a bit like ‘Lord of the Flies’ in those tunnels where you can’t see very much even if parents are supervising.
So what’s the verdict? Whilst they are expensive compared to going to playgroup, the library, the museum, the art gallery and all those wonderful type of options, sometimes I just need something else that is easy and E friendly and these places fill that hole and I am very pleased that Exmouth now has one!
