AS SNOW turns to rain, the UK is once again experiencing a wet and windy spell, so what better place to head to with the kids than soft play?
Across the UK there are lots of indoor attractions featuring playgrounds and soft play.
They make the ideal wet day out as often, they include features for both younger and older children.
And pretty much every single one has that all important cafe for onlooking parents…
Woodlands Family Theme Park, Devon
Home to Devon‘s largest soft play, Woodlands theme park is a great spot for miserable weather.
Inside, visitors will find drop slides, ball pools, climbing tubes and obstacles.
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The area is for children over 90cm tall.
Then there is also the Ice Palace, which is split into two sections – one for toddlers under 95cm and one for children up to 125cm.
In the Circus Drome Zone at Woodlands there is even more soft play with the Big Top Soft Play where there are stacking cubes, soft play blocks and interactive puzzlers for kids under 110cm.
In this zone there is a Circus Bouncy Castle too and the Acrobats Challenge with nets, rope swings, ball pools and slides for kids between 90cm and 140cm.
And finally, in the Toddler’s Village Zone, there is a Mermaids Ball Pool with slides.
An adult or child under 92cm costs £16.50 to enter and children under 92cm tall are free.
Play Factore, Manchester
Play Factore in Manchester claims to be the biggest indoor family entertainment arena in the UK.
Inside, visitors can head on the tallest standing indoor slide in the UK as well as head to a laser tag arena.
Kids can enjoy a bounce on the interactive ValoJump trampolines too and a zip wire.
In the Toddler Area, there are two floors of play designed for kids under the age of five.
It is safety gated as well so no running off moments occur.
Inside the Toddler Zone, there are tunnels, three different slides, soft play areas, an immersive interactive room, balance mats, touch screens and obstacles.
For older kids, between five-years-old and 16, there is a play frame, which is dubbed to be the largest in the UK.
Inside there is a network of tunnels, slides and obstacles including bubble balls and spider nets.
Sporty kids can head on the inbuilt football pitch or basketball court too.
Peak general admission varies depending on the age of a visitor.
For six to 11-month-olds, it costs £3.95 each and then for one to four-year-olds it is £12.95 each.
Kids aged between five and 16-year-old cost £17.95 each and parents cost £5.25 each.
Riverside Hub, Northampton
The Riverside Hub in Northampton has several different zones for visitors to explore.
For example, there are the Role Play Villages where kids can use their imagination to explore a make-believe world, with a cafe, shop, witches house and tooth fairy dentist.
For kids a little older and braver, there are a number of climbing activities including a beginner-friendly oak tree and a 10-metre beanstalk.
In the Toddlers at Riverside zone, there are a number of ball pits, activity walls and a gentle waterbed.
There’s a giant play frame as well with four levels featuring slides, games, themed zones and even a football pitch.
Ticket prices usually cost £7.50 per adult and children between one and three-year-old are £12 and finally, kids between four-year-old and 17, cost £15 each.
Travel writer Catherine Lofthouse said: “There’s so much to do here that it’s a struggle to fit it into the two and a half hours that each session is allocated.
“We could have happily spent the whole day and still have gone back for more.
“With three boys aged between five and 12, it can sometimes be difficult to find somewhere that has enough to keep all ages happy as the older two are getting a bit big for soft play, but that certainly wasn’t a problem here.
“Laser tag, crazy golf, two climbing poles, go-karts and even arcade machines all included in the price.
“There’s a mezzanine floor with extra seating that’s perfect for cheering your little climbers on as they get to the top.
“Downstairs, my sons really loved being able to take on the free arcade machines that would be pay per play elsewhere.
“And the go-karts were a big hit too, with short queue times despite how busy the venue was.”
Flip Out, various
There are several Flip Out locations across the UK – which means you likely have one near you.
These indoor adventure and trampoline parks feature interconnected trampolines, foam pits and stunt walls making them ideal for burning energy.
Some of the newer locations, such as Canary Wharf, also have other attractions such as laser quest, bumper cars and interactive football.
Keep an eye out for special events too, as sometimes there are After Dark DJ nights for teens and Mini Flippers sessions for kids under the age of five.
Travel writer Catherine Lofthouse headed to Flip Out Coventry with her three children.
She said: “Based in a former department store in a city centre shopping mall, you enter through a hall of mirrors and an arcade before exploring 13 attractions set over two floors of fun.
“With a ninja warrior course, laser tag, bumper cars and drift trikes, I hardly saw the older two while we were there.
“I think the dark space and graffiti vibe of the upper floor really appealed to my 11-year-old and 13-year-old, feeling a bit more grown-up than the bright lights and primary colours of soft plays aimed at younger children.
“But there was still lots to love for primary aged children here too.
“My six-year-old enjoyed the inflatables, roller rink and football zone.
“For little ones, there’s a dedicated toddler soft play next to the cafe area, so they can play in safety while tired parents have a rest nearby, hot drink in hand.”
Family tickets for two hours are normally £65 for four people or £80 for five.
The Playhive, North Yorkshire
The Playhive at Stockeld Park in North Yorkshire is one of the country’s largest indoor playgrounds – and claims to be one of the biggest in Europe.
While the attraction is not your typical soft play venue, it does features soft play elements.
For example, there is a Baby Bee Play Area for little ones under two-years-old that features soft play.
There is also a bouncy castle.
However, most of the other features are for older children such as the jungle-themed climbing walls.
The whole attraction is heavily themed too, so there are rocket walkways, spaceships, submarines and planes.
A 90-minute session starts from £13.50 or you can also purchase a ticket with access to the full Adventure Park, including outdoor attractions, from £23.50.
In other attraction news, England’s little-known theme park to get two new rides this year in massive multi-million pound expansion.
Plus, first look at the UK’s new Bluey rollercoaster – the first-of-its-kind in the world.