Local indoor play centres

It’s a rainy Saturday afternoon, and the children are full of energy… Let’s go to an indoor play centre! This is a familiar scenario with a great solution for children to get exercise in a large space that isn’t affected by the temperamental British climate. I recently visited three local indoor play venues with my children, all of which they loved.

Please get in touch with your own experiences and recommendations for play centres in the Thames Valley West area: editor@familiestvw.co.uk

Jungle Mania

Headley Park Nine, 4 Headley Road East, Woodley, Reading, RG5 4SQ, jungle-mania.co.uk As the name suggests, this is a junglethemed soft play centre, complete with a gorilla, a treehouse (or is it a spaceship?!) on one side and, my favourite, a trampoline in the trees. The all-important ball pit and slides are all within the jungle canopy in a yellow, brown and green colour scheme. What I really like about this place is that it retains its friendly, down-to-earth feeling, despite being part of a chain. The under-3s area is in the former loading bay, which makes me smile; it has a great selection of ride-on and bouncy toys. There is plenty of empty space, meaning that visitors don’t feel crammed in during crowded periods,

Monkey Mates

Old Forest Road, Wokingham, RG41 1JA, monkeymates.co.uk This soft play centre also has an outdoor playground, and children can move between the two areas, making it very unique and versatile. It is lots of fun but also really quirky, with a funny little gift shop that sells an eclectic assortment of toys, ranging from England flags to squeezy bananas. In addition, the sweets counter and gumball machines near the entrance desk give something of the feel of a traditional sweet shop. Seating is mainly around the “cage” over the equipment, which has every combination of slide: small, large and helter skelter! My children loved the super-fast slide with a bumper at the bottom in particular. The children’s lunch box selection in safari cars was also a hit, and I was impressed with the cleanliness of the place.

Walking in the cage

Watercolour Arts and Play Café

48 Market Place, Henley-on-Thames, RG9 2AG, watercolourcafe.co.uk Located right in the centre of Henley, this is first and foremost a café, which also has a lovely play area at the end of it. It is extremely popular with families of young children, and there were buggies parked in every nook and cranny on the day we visited, amid the buzz of conversations of parents catching up with other parents. The bright yellow and sky-blue décor and the chunky, wooden play equipment are totally different from typical indoor play places, and it all felt very safe. During the week the café also runs free classes in the mornings for children, and the food is home-cooked and delicious… And check out the cute, mini-toilet, especially for little people! This is clearly the place for young families in the Henley area!

and the offer of a free meal with the 3pm session (providing you order before 3:45pm on weekdays in term time) is a very welcoming touch. Prices: Under 1: £2.50 1-3: £6.95 4-10: £7.95 Adults: £2.00 Parties: From £12.95/child The treehouse / spaceship!

Prices: £3.50/child for the play area (ages 0-6) Parties available (contact info@watercolourcafe.co.uk for more information)

Mini climbing wall Prices: Under 1: £1.75 1-2: £5.75 3+: £6.75, Adults: £1.50 Parties: £9.95/child

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