If you are a parent, chances are that you have been to a soft play centre at least once. And if your child is seven or eight years old, then it’s likely that you’ve been to the soft play at least 57 times. Moreover if you have more than one child. Most adults are not big fans of the noise and chatter of the soft play. Though it can be a godsend on a rainy day when your children are about to tear your house down brick by brick. But I think there are several important lessons that children can learn at the soft play. Practical lessons that will help them in the future.

Soft Play Centres London Tips

1. Survival of the Fittest – Despite its name, the soft play can get rough. Children push, shout, kick and spit. And that’s your own kids. Other people’s children are even worse. The soft play teaches kids how to deal with a kick to the ribs and still get to the slide first. That’s how future CEOs are made.

2. There’s Always A Bully – In the real world, not everyone will be kind and caring. There is always someone, be they big or small, who will act like a bastard. You might not be able to ignore this person but you don’t have to let this person get you down or keep you from having fun.

3. Building Relationships – In an unfamiliar land of play structures, strangers come together to form alliances. There the smaller ones become fast friends in order to protect themselves from that one mean kid. A smaller child will follow an older child around. Maybe they are of the same gender or age, but kids can find common ground easily if they want to make a new friend.

4. Run, Run, As Fast As You Can – Speed is good. Really good. Climb to the top, jump over the thingamajig, race to the slide. Caution is not always best. Sometimes you need to just go as fast as your little legs can carry you.

5. Having Fun Alone – Many children do not want to play by themselves. The soft play can be a way for some children to want to do things, without being attached to their mummy or daddy. Conversely, this can be good for parents who sometimes just want to sit quietly and have a cup of coffee.

So the next time it rains or the kids are going stir-crazy, just take them to the soft play. It’s not that bad. Plus you could even get a nice cup of tea out of it.

My Top 5 Soft Play centres in london

Here are my five favourite  soft play centres in London with their addresses and websites:

1. KidZania London – Located at Westfield London, Ariel Way, Shepherd’s Bush, London W12 7GA. Website: www.kidzania.co.uk/london

2. Gambado Chelsea – Situated at 7 Station Court, Townmead Road, London SW6 2PY. Website: www.gambado.com/chelsea

3. Eddie Catz Putney – Found at 68-70 Putney High Street, London SW15 1SF. Website: www.eddiecatz.com/putney

4. Wacky Warehouse at The Fox Under the Hill – Situated at 149 Shooters Hill Road, London SE3 8UQ. Website: www.wackywarehouse.co.uk/fox-under-the-hill

5. Little Dinosaurs – Located at Unit 1, 2-10 Carlisle Lane, London SE1 7LH. Website: www.littledinosaurs.co.uk

These soft play centres provide a fun and safe environment for children to play, explore, and socialize and all i have tried and had a fantastic time with the family.…

For those of you who aren’t familiar with London or have only been once or twice, I thought I would start regularly posting about all my favourite London attractions. Places that you should visit, whether as a foreign tourist or someone who lives in the UK. We briefly considered moving out of London after we had our first child, but realised that there was no where else we would rather live. I’m sure you all love your towns/cities/villages, but me, I love London.

First stop –  Tate Modern, which is located on the Southbank. One of the great things about London museums is that many of them are free. Although you do have to pay for the special exhibitions, much of the museum is free for all to peruse. There is so much to see, that you would need to make several trips. And don’t assume that children won’t love a modern art gallery. My children had a fun time, and have asked to go back to the Tate again.

We went on Saturday, and our first stop was Liminal on level four. There are boxes, of different shapes and sizes, which children (and adults) are invited to try and use to make sculptures. Moozles and Dubz made a robot, and Dubz even donated his hat (for a minute) to make the robot a bit snazzier. Tate Modern have a few kids-oriented exhibits like this, allowing the children to participate in the art.

After looking at some art installations, we were feeling quite hungry so we popped into the Tate Cafe. We hadn’t eaten there in years, and were pleasantly surprised at how the food had improved. Husband and I had the three course Christmas menu (which cost £25 each). We raved about the meal for days, as all the courses were superb. My potted shrimp starter was my favourite course. Husband loved his duck main. And the kids’ favourite was pudding (what a shocker). Tate Modern give kids a free main meal, at lunchtime, with every adult meal. Such a lovely touch! We enjoyed the meal so much, we are planning to go again soon with family.…