Families London SW Mar-Apr 2020

Soft play and Rainy
Reviewed by Families Roving Mum team
Tooting Leisure Centre
Greaves Pl, Tooting, London SW17 0NE
www.placesleisure.org
Tooting Leisure Centre has a soft play for
children aged 18 months-6 years. It has a slide,
ball pit and mini football area. We always take
our son there after going swimming on a
Saturday morning (he doesn't let us leave the
building without going in!). Also perfect to
allow a younger child to play while an older
sibling might be having a class. Parents can sit
and watch at the tables and chairs next to the
soft play. Cost: £4.50 per child. Open Mon-Fri
9am-6pm, Sat & Sun 11am-3pm.
March and April can be very wet months, so when the
looong Easter holidays come you need to have a Plan B!
Once you have exhausted all parks and all your wet
weather play options it is time to get indoors and allow
STEAM, and lots of it, to be let out. Soft play areas are
fantastic: they are super safe, children are actually
allowed to run riot, scream and shout (ok within limits)
and they have bright, comfortable cafés where mums can
relax in-relative-peace. Our team of Roving Mums tell
you what they like about local places.
Wandle Recreation
Centre
Mapleton Rd, Wandsworth, London SW18 4DN
www.placesleisure.org
The centre has a great 'Adventure Zone' soft
play with slides, trampoline, 3 levels with
different climbing equipment, plus a seating
area for parents/carers/snack time.
Reviewed by Roving Mum
Daniela Hale
Bertie and Boo
205-207 Balham High Rd, Balham, SW17 7BQ
www.bertieandboo.com
This is a great place to visit if you want to grab
a coffee and a bite to eat and let the children
play. There's also a huge buggy parking area for
any sized buggy you might have. Staff are
extremely friendly and both my 4 year old and I
had a great time. Eliana was free to explore and
have fun in a safe environment while the adults
could sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee. Story
time is also available (Mo-Fri at 9.45, 10.30 &
4pm for 30 minutes; no afternoon session on
Fridays,) and worth attending as the children
are mesmerized and captivated by the
storytelling. We were also allowed to leave and
come back as many times as we wanted to.
This is definitely one of my favourite child
friendly cafés and there should be more like
them. Entry to soft play £5.50. Ages 0-6 years
(6 months and under go free). Story time £1
per person on top of admission price.
We used to go every Friday morning after
Playball before my son started school—he
absolutely loved it. It's quite big so there is
plenty of space for your little ones to let off
some steam! Bonus for tired mums and dads:
Southside Shopping Centre with its many
coffee pit-stops is just around the corner!
(Children must be supervised by parents/carers
at all times however). Cost: £4.45, additional
siblings: £2.50. Open Mon-Fri 9am-6pm.
Under 8's only.
Flip Out Wandsworth
Bendon Valley, Wandsworth SW18 4LZ
www.flipout.co.uk
All four of my children love Flip Out! For my
youngest, the under-five area is amazing. It has
several small trampoline spaces for them to
jump, a foam block pool to jump into and a
soft play area with a small climbing structure
and ball pits. If you have older children with
you, it’s difficult to watch them while staying in
the under-five area. You can go during special
toddler times. Standard Jump sessions give you
unlimited access for £12 off peak, £13 peak. All
ages and abilities welcome.
Reviewed by Roving Mum
Daniela Hale
Sinbads Soft Play &
Cafe
82 Durham Road, Raynes Park, London SW20 0TL
www.sindbads.co.uk/
While Sinbads is a bit on the smaller size, that's
what I like about it! It's cozy, and you can see
your child no matter where you are sitting. It's
a great spot to sit with a friend and have a chat
while your children are playing and there is
plenty of food and snacks to choose from in
the cafe area, especially kid- friendly eats. 1 to
4 years old £4; 5 to 8 years old £5.50; siblings :
£2.50.
Reviewed by Roving Mum
Andi Petrou
Reviewed by Roving Mum
Melissa Reynolds
Reviewed by Roving Mum
Melissa Reynolds
6 Families South West • March/April 2020 familiesonline.co.uk