There are a number of activity centres across the region which are open through the school holidays
Inside Cirq D Play(Image: Cirq D Play)
Planning activities to keep the kids entertained during the school holidays is never easy – and it can be especially hard to fill the days when it’s rainy and miserable outside. Luckily there are a number of soft play centres in and around Liverpool which offer the ideal destination for a rainy day this summer.
Many of the soft play centres are offering extended opening hours over the summer to accommodate the busier period for families in the region. Additional opening days and hours mean there are even more opportunities to book, with many venues requiring pre-booked tickets in order to attend.
Most soft play centres choose to price their tickets according to a child’s age, with tickets for older children costing slightly more, due to the wider range of activities they are able to enjoy. Babies under a certain age can sometimes enter for free, making it a more affordable option for families with more than one child.
We rounded up some of the soft play options in Merseyside as well as the most up to date information available about their summer opening hours and pricing structure.
Imagine That!
Imagine That Science and Discovery Centre in Wavertree(Image: Imagine That)
Imagine That!, based in Wavertree Technology Park, provides entertainment for kids whether they want something exciting, hands-on, educational or simply colourful.
Families can call in for three-hour visits that grant access to four different zones. The first stop is to Imagination Village where kids can get behind the counter of their own shops, hair salons, theatres and news studios. The Construction Area boasts cranes, wheelbarrows and a giant conveyor belt to move bricks for little builders. Both of these areas are included as the first zone.
For the second zone, you’ll proceed to the “home of alternative art” with Art Beatz where you can get hands-on and creative. A spin bike will help create a unique masterpiece while a giant air graffiti screen produces a souvenir photo to take home or leave on the pin art exhibit. Kids can even paint a real-life car.
Imagine That, Wavertree(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Also included in zone two is the outdoor area for more spacious activities. The outdoor area is available from May until September so long as the weather remains tolerable. Kids can manoeuvre a giant catapult to attack dinosaurs, run wild at the builder’s boot camp, or take it easy and check out the lodge’s fossils.
Zone three is the Bright Sparks area where kids learn about forces, pressure, electricity and heat. Guests can hop inside giant bubbles or splash around in the water area. Last but not least is zone four, the Slime Factory, where you’ll once again get hands-on with some of the gooiest concoctions available.
The summer holidays will see the centre host the ‘Funfetti Festival’, which will feature ‘fairy encounters’, a jungle drum workshop, a crazy hat stand, a dry ice science show and a glowstick disco.
Hours: From July 23 to September 1 the centre is open every day. Entry is only available by pre-booking.
Prices: Tickets are priced at £23.95 for a child, £18.95 for a toddler (ages one and two) and £9.95 for an adult.
Jungle Fun
Jungle Fun, Belle Vale(Image: Jungle Fun)
Jungle Fun Activity Centre is located on the first floor of Belle Vale Shopping Centre and has a multi-storey soft play frame for little ones to enjoy.
There is a dedicated baby area and the centre regularly hosts character visits from the likes of Sonic, Stitch and Iggle Piggle.
There is free parking and a food and drink menu on offer.
Hours: Jungle Fun is open seven days a week from 10am until 5.45pm
Prices: Adults – £2. Child entry – £7.50 (off peak) or £8.50 (peak). Under 1s – £4. Under six months old – Free
Frankie + Lola’sContent cannot be displayed without consent
Frankie + Lola’s is located on Hunts Cross Retail Park. Parents can drop in at any time during the venue’s opening hours, with prices starting from £1.99.
The centre has a number of play frames for children to enjoy, with jungle themed play areas, slides and a ball pit.
Character visits from Bluey, Stitch and Minnie Mouse also add to the fun at the centre, with a café on site for food and drinks.
Hours: Open daily from 10am until 6pm.
Prices: Babies aged from 0 to 12 months – £1.99. Toddlers and older children – £6.99 at off-peak times and £9.95 at peak times. Adults – Free. Peak times are Fridays from 12pm, weekends and school holidays.
Yellow Sub
Located on Liverpool’s waterfront, close to Brunswick train station, this large play centre has designated areas for children of different ages.
Yellow Sub houses a range of activities for children with a large play frame, football pitch, arcade, special toddler play area and a café.
The large play frame, which features a number of slides and obstacles, is suitable for children up to 4ft 9in height to enjoy.
Babies and toddlers can play in a fenced-off area, with giant soft building blocks, interactive screens, a mini tricycle track and smaller climbing frame. This area is for children aged up to four to enjoy with adults.
Hours: During the school holidays Yellow Sub is open 10am to 6pm every day, including Mondays. No booking is required. Last admission is at 5pm.
Prices: Children aged under one – £2.95. Child tickets – £8.95. Adult tickets – £2.15. Prices are charged per 90 minute play session.
Fun Time
Located on Knowsley Industrial Estate, this 5,000 square foot indoor play centre is an ideal place for little ones to burn off some energy. Parents and carers with children go free of charge, with a café on site for food and drinks.
Fun Time is a family run business, managed by sisters Clare and Lisa. The centre has five slides which vary in height, shape and descent to suit a wide range of children’s ages. The slides are suitable for children aged from babies up to 12 years old.
There is a penalty shoot out and basketball area, as well as a rope bridge section which forms part of the climbing area. There are also additional play areas featuring a row of ‘houses’ and a ‘fire station’, all designed to allow children to role play.
The toddler area features a ball pit and the under-threes area consists of a slide, ballpool, sit on toys, baby walkers and soft play animals. Children also have access to swivel scooters and ride-in cars.
On Wednesdays between 9.30am and 11.15am there are SEND sessions which can be booked over the phone.
Families are advised to book online during the school holidays.
Hours: From July 28 until August 3 the centre’s opening hours are 9.30am-5.30pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, 11.30am-5.30pm on Wednesdays, 9.30am-5.30pm on Thursdays, 9.30am-3.45pm on Fridays and 12pm-4pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
Prices: Children aged from one to 12 – £5.50. Babies aged six to 12 months – £2.50. Babies under six months – Free
Cirq d-Play
Cirq D Play on Great Homer Street, Liverpool(Image: Cirq D Play)
Based on Great Homer Street, this soft play centre is open seven days a week. No booking is required and walk-ins are welcome each day.
The circus themed play centre has a large climbing frame and slides.
Hours: Open 9.30am to 6pm, seven days a week
Prices: £4.50 for babies aged six to 11 months. £8.50 for children aged one and over. Adults charged £1.50.
Crazy Town
Crazy Town Soft Play Centre in Aintree(Image: Crazy Town)
Crazy Town in Aintree allows families to book two-hour long play sessions during weekends and school holidays. Toddler play sessions are two and a half hours and after-school play sessions are two hours.
The play centre has a multi-level climbing frame as well as a tunnel slide and a café. All play sessions must be booked online.
Hours: 9.30am until 6pm, seven days a week.
Prices: During the school holidays, sessions are priced at £9.95 per child for children aged six to 11 months, and £11.95 for children aged 12 months and over. Babies aged up to six months old go free, and adults pay £2 per person.