Soft Play at the Brixton Recreation Centre

As you have probably gathered from the pictures on some of my posts, my child is a little one at only 7 months and counting. However, I do want to take her out and about to new things to see what she makes of them and if it's somewhere we can go to now or wait until she's a bit older.

So I checked out my nearest soft play space which just happened to be down the road at the Brixton Recreation Centre. Boo-boo is crawling and appreciating having the space to do it. I'm always a little worried at home about what random object she has found to eat and what new spaces she has found to explore! So at least I know that soft play should be fairly safe.

We arrived to find there were a few other mums and about five small kids, all of varying ages and wobbliness. Some were running around and others were just being baffled by the whole experience.

There are two areas for the kids to play in; a small under fives area which consists of lots of soft mats, some rocking horse shapes to play on and a little ball pen. So this is pretty good for the very small children. However, when I went, this was where the mums were hanging out and this meant their children tended to come back to them and run riot in the little uns areas. There were lots of mums telling their children to"MIND THE BABY!"which, of course, the kids ignored! Having said that, my baby didn't get bothered and wasn't bothered.

The other part is a three tiered climbing structure of  nets, slides, ball pit, rope swing, ladders  and more; an adventure space for the kids to ramble around in. I was surprised that the kids weren't all in there; it looked far more interesting than hanging out with mum. I managed to get a little look around by putting Boo-boo under my arm and having a clamber around the structure. We did have a go on the slide together. This section looked great for the kid who isn't quite old enough for the adventure playground but likes to climb up things and launch themselves off stuff and throw small balls at objects and people.

The equipment does look a little worn and the parents are in charge of their children in there so it can be a bit hit and miss as to what level of running riot the kids are at. Whatever it's small flaws, it has lots to offer and at £2.70 for non-members, it's a cheap way to let the kids wear out their energy. I will certainly be popping in again, quite probably weekly as it was great fun and good value!

The soft play area is called the Play zone and located on the same level as the reception. It opens between 10am to 6pm daily and it is £2.70 (under fives ) and £3.20 (over fives) non-members for approximately an hour session. It is best to phone if you plan to visit on a weekend as it is often used for children's parties. The number is 020 7095 5100

The Brixton Recreation Centre is located at 27 Brixton Station Road  Brixton, SW9 8QQ

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 Want to know more about soft play facilities in the Lambeth area and beyond? Read the following:

• our review of soft play at Bertie and Boo Adventure Island
• our review of soft play at Peckham Pulse Healthy Living Centre
• our review of soft play at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre  
• our review of soft play at Clapham Leisure Centre