FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We recommend our events for actively mobile children and up - it’s very dependent on the child and their development but we often see little ones around 6 months+ actively engaging in soft play. We have dedicated under 2's area, where the equipment is smaller and more secure, allowing little ones the chance to crawl and climb in a more sturdy environment. We have a range of larger, bigger soft play shapes to keep the older children at the sessions busy and engaged.

We announce our upcoming dates including special events on our social media pages, as well as through our mailing list. If you want to follow your most local branch on social media head to our Find Your City page and if you want to join our mailing list please go to littlecityuk.com and complete the information in the pop up box!

All bookings are confirmed via email. To check any bookings you’ve already made, please head to bookwhen.com/softplaycityuk - click the login button at the top right hand corner to view your bookings. All we need to know is your, and your child’s names to check you in on our register. If you did not received a confirmation email or can not log onto your account, please contact your local Soft Play City and they can check your log ins. Usually, it a simple spelling mistake on your email.

You can cancel your booking up to 24 hours before the event. As per our terms and conditions, we don’t offer refunds for customer cancellations. If you can no longer attend the event you have booked, we may be able to transfer your booking to a future event but require 48 hours notice. Please contact your local Soft Play City for assistance.

If you are unable to make your session at the last minute but you have a friend or family member that can, then they are most welcome to take your spot at the city. Please let you branch member know in advance so we know to look out for a different name when booking you in.

Any child who is unwell or showing symptoms of chicken pox, sickness, diarrhoea, flu, COVID, hand foot and mouth, conjunctivitis or any other contagious virus or disease should not be brought to play in the City. As per our terms and conditions we reserve the right to refuse entry to anyone who is visibly unwell. We have a duty of care to keep everyone as safe as possible. If you are unable to attend due to illness, please let us know asap and we will make every attempt to transfer your ticket to a future event.

Yes! Of course you can! Non-walking babies/babes in arms are free to come along with an older sibling. We ask that you aim to keep buggies/pushchairs away from the playing area to keep it safe for everyone and allowing lots of space for the children to play and run around in. If you can, please park buggies and pushchairs in the venue communal areas and use slings where possible. If you need a chair to feed baby, please let us know; we’d be more than happy to provide one for you.

Yes, you are allowed to bring snacks for your child to Soft Play City. However, we kindly request that you adhere to a few guidelines to ensure the safety and comfort of all our patrons. Please avoid bringing any items that contain common allergens such as peanuts or tree nuts to prevent potential allergic reactions. We also ask that you confine eating to designated areas within the facility to help keep the play zones clean and safe for all children.

Most defiantly! At Soft Play City, we are committed to ensuring that everyone can experience the magic of playtime. Our venues are chosen to be fully accessible, with features that accommodate a wide range of needs. From easy parking to wide doorways, we have taken care to create an environment where all children and their families can enjoy a safe and fun experience. Additionally, your friendly branch member are always on hand to offer any assistance you may need.

At Soft Play City, our focus is on creating a safe and engaging play environment where children can explore and have fun. To enhance the overall experience and ensure safety, we have designed the layout to maximize play space for children. By not placing chairs in the play area, we encourage parents and carers to remain actively engaged with their children, promoting both supervision and interaction. Additionally, this setup reduces any potential obstacles that could pose a risk during play. Rest assured, we can provide comfortable seating should a chair be required where parents and carers can relax while still keeping an eye on their little ones. Some venues we hire will have access to a side room, where their may be seating laid out. If you need a chair, your branch member will be more than happy to assist.

Absolutely! At Soft Play City, we understand that all that running, jumping, and playing can work up quite an appetite. That's why we offer a delightful selection of drinks and snacks for our guests. Whether you're looking for refreshing beverages, healthy snack options, or even a little treat, we've got something for everyone. We offer free squash and water for everyone and also there will be hot drinks available to purchase as well. Payment is via cash or card. Some venues will have an onsite café where you may be able to purchase more luxuries drinks, snacks and also hot food. You will find details about such venues in the location details.

Yes - extra adults are welcome to come along to play with your child(ren) - in some instances we might limit the additional adults in the room (this is for everyone's safety and comfort) - if you need to add on an extra adult to your existing booking, get in touch with your local branch who will be happy to help.

Typically, our sessions run during school term time, however we also put on special sessions in the holiday periods where we welcome older siblings up to age 8 in school holidays - all children playing in the City must be booked on to the session. If you have an older teenager/child who won’t play (when they see the city they will want to be involved) but may sit quietly in the room then they do not need a child ticket but may need an ‘extra adult’ ticket. For more information, speak to your local branch member.

Yes, you are welcome to take photos of your children while they enjoy their time at Soft Play City. We understand that capturing those special moments is important for many parents. However, we ask that you respect the privacy of other families and avoid taking photos that include other children without their parents' permission. If you plan to share your photos on social media, please feel free to tag your local Soft Play City branch and by using our official hashtag, #SoftPlayCityUkMagic. Our friendly staff are always available to assist you if you have any questions about our photography policy. Remember, making lasting memories is what we strive for at Soft Play City!

Yes, Soft Play City occasionally takes photos during play sessions to capture the fun and excitement of our Cities. These photos are often used for promotional purposes on our website and social media channels to showcase the magic of playtime that happens here. However, we understand the importance of privacy and have a strict policy in place to ensure that no photos are taken without prior consent from the parents or guardians. Even though we ask for permissions at point of booking, we will still ask your permission verbally before taking any photos.

At Soft Play City, we are delighted to welcome pre-school, early years and year one pupils from schools and nursery groups for fun and educational play sessions. Booking a session is straightforward. Simply contact your local branch member, providing details such as the desired date and time, the number of children and staff attending, and any special requirements or specific areas of interest. We will guide you through the process, confirm availability, and assist in coordinating your visit to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone. We also offer special group rates and can tailor the sessions to fit your educational goals and needs. After all, soft play isn't just for littlies...

Oh yes, most defiantly. Our Soft Play City's are the perfect way to celebrate a party from 1 - 7 years. To find out more about our party hires pop to Party Hire | Soft Play City

To see our up to date calendars, find your local branch and head to their branch party booking page. From there you can see party availability for the next few months. If you have a date in mind and it’s not listed, get in touch with your local branch direct. Your local branch may also be offering our new Pop Up Parties, where we will be booking venues and setting up the City on certain dates. Offering our Soft Play City parties at a discounted rate.

For the latest prices and availability regarding our party hires, please contact your local Soft Play City branch.

For our normal party hire, you will need to source the venue. We suggest trying to book your local branches venue for ease of set up. Should that not be available, your local branch member will be happy to help suggest alternative venues or will let you know if the venue you have booked is suitable.

As you will have seen, we need a big space to build a City. We need a venue/hall 12m x 8m in minimum size. This will fit the full City set up, including space for all the grown ups and kids to walk around, space for a cake and present table and space for tables and seating should you want it as part of your event. We also offer "Mini City's" which is a smaller version of our full set up. Speak to your local local branch to see if this is a package they offer.

Our minimum party hire is for 2 hours of play, inclusive of any food/snack times you are looking to offer your children. We can build the City in 1.5 hours (the same again to dismantle the City), providing access into the venue is quick and straightforward, we would suggest booking the venue for 5 hours. If you are planning multiple groups for the party, we are able to extend the hire. Speak to your local branch member for the additional hire cost.

Our full City is designed for 25 playing children for our sessions but we can accommodate up to 30 playing children for party hire. Why? At parties, all the children will generally know each other and will happily build/construct/demolish and generally play with one another. As such, whilst we still actively encourage adult participation, our party hires are not so much adult hands on, which creates more free space for play. That said, all our equipment is fully commercial and will take the weight of an average adult, the DIDI cars are suitable for 120KG to... We do not limit you to how many adults attend your party, however, please do be mindful that the more people attending, the bigger space/venue you will require.

As we are not a licenced caterer, we do not provide the food (we will happily eat some if offered though), we can suggest local caterers in your area, should you need some suggestions.

Unfortunately, we can not allow facepaint at a party we are attending. Even water based face paint can and will stain the fabric on the soft play, and believe me, some colours won't ever come off. If its apparent that a facepainter will be at the party then we refuse the right to set up the equipment, as per our terms and conditions of party hire. We do not wish to poo poo any party or event, but sadly face paint is the one no no when booking a Soft Play City party.

Bury Soft Play, our founding business, is a soft play and inflatable hirer, so we would be doing them an injustice by saying no inflatables. Please do note, Soft Play City takes up a large amount of space, and an inflatable also requires a lot of space so please bear this in mind when choosing a venue. If your party is in and around Suffolk then contact Orron @ Bury Soft Play as he will certainly be able to help with inflatable hires, although he is now leaving the big soft play set ups to us lol. If you have other business attending (we love working with other children's activities businesses) please do let us know in advance.

Most certainly, what party isn't complete without balloons. If you have balloon arches or other balloon art booked, please do let us know, so that we can make sure we layout the venue to allow some space for other businesses. Otherwise the City will literally take over the venue.

We don’t provide them as part of our party hire packages but we currently searching for business to partner with, to provide our party boxes. We have also partnered with Mutha Maker to offer Soft Play City branded t shirts for the party star. They also have a wonderful range of other items too. For more information head here.

We regret that whilst we cannot set up the full city in private homes, your local branch member may be able to setup a smaller "Village Set Up". Speak to your local branch member about the smaller set ups they may offer.

We regret that we cannot set up in your garden/a green space as a general rule, the weather can be unpredictable and our equipment internally is foam, and foam and water are only suitable in a bath :) The only exception is if the equipment is going in a commercial marquee with a solid base, for the matting to be able to be placed on. Whilst our matting is super safe and super stable, it doesn't not create a safe structure when placed on grass, making the City unsafe. If the City can go in a marquee (it needs to be a fully sided commercial marquee, with hard flooring) the your local branch may be able to help. Vehicular access would also be needed to the marquee area.

We certainly can, we love working with other businesses to help create lasting memories for works events, families days and more. If inside, then our typical room requirements are required and if the event is outside then our conditions for outside hire must be met. For corporate bookings we suggest starting a conversation as early as possible, to make sure we provide the right set up to go corporate event theme.

At Soft Play City, we understand that every child is unique and some may prefer smaller, more intimate celebrations over large parties. While the City is able to host parties for up to 30 children, we are also delighted to accommodate smaller gatherings with fewer children. This ensures that whoever your child wishes to invite to their party, whether it's just close friends or a few special guests, they can still enjoy all the magic their party in their City. Your local branch member will work with you to create a memorable experience tailored specifically to your child's preferences, ensuring they have a fantastic time with their chosen group.

Every Soft Play City branch member has an enhanced DBS check, is fully insured and risk-assessed as well as being paediatric first aid trained. We are also safeguarding trained and will ensure we align to your safeguarding policies and protocols on the day. We will always do a risk assessment before the event and will work with your team to ensure our set up, session, and pack away is as quick and safe as possible. Your branch member will be happy to show proof of insurances and aforementioned training certificated as required.

We offer a minimum 2 hour hire and then further hours/timings are based on an hourly rate. Contact your local branch for prices and availability. We also require 1.5 hours to set up and demolish the City, whilst we do not charge for this time, please factor this in to your rooms availability.

Head to our branch map to find your most local branch - there you will find the local branch member, their name and contact details. drop them an email or give them a call with your school/nursery details and when you’d like a visit!

The City can host 30 guests at any one time, to allow for space and ample resources for play.

Ideally, we would need a large free space around 16 x 10 metres. As our matting is versatile, we can make it fit any space or shape required. We can layout the City in zones or as one large area, depending on your needs. Ideally, we require a hard floor (DIDI cars do not work on carpet) for the City, so the school/settings main hall is usually the most suitable location. Speak to your local branch member who can help suggest an area the City might be able to be built.

We offer a minimum 2 hour "play" hire, but can do all day hires, it really depends on your school, children and requirements - we can work around you and your setting.

Sadly not. Due to weather factors such as rain, direct sun and wind, it is not safe to set up the equipment outside for both the safety of the children and also the protection of the equipment.

Yes you can, after all, we wouldn't want them missing out! Speak with your branch member as to how we can fit them into the session schedule or better still, book them a session all for themselves.

Of course! Soft Play City is dedicated to providing an inclusive and enjoyable experience for all children, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). We offer tailored sessions specifically designed to cater to the unique requirements of SEND schools and organisations. Our branch members are trained to create a safe and supportive environment, ensuring every child can fully participate and enjoy their time with us. To make a booking or inquire further, please contact your local branch member, and they will be happy to assist you.

Yes, if you wish to book us for more than one day/session per academic year we can offer discounts on future bookings within that academic year.