Has anyone invested in some soft play pieces for the house? Are they worth it? We don't have a lot of space and my hisband feels we're better off just going for a soft play place rather than having something at home.
How do I convince him otherwise?š
Not going to lie I want to see it.
Second it!š
I think part of the fun of soft play is there get to play with other kids. I have gotten some random bits of soft play stuff here and there and he has gotten bored of it pretty quickly.
I have a friend in the US with 5 kids who turned their large playroom into an entire soft play but after a couple of months none of them use it. It was incredibly expensive so it must have hurt!
Wow! A whole room? You'd think the kids would be all over it! That's really good to know. Thank you š
I think they were at first, but then very much not!
We considered this for a while but decided it was a bad idea.
It will be fun forā¦ a month? Maybe. And in the winter when thereās nowhere to take the kids at the weekend soft plays are less appealing as we have some if it at home.
We did hire some soft play stuff a couple of times though for a weekend and that went down well because the kids knew it was a temporary thing so made the most of it.
We bought a little blow up ball pit and some balls, cost about 30 quid in total. And one of those fish tubes for about Ā£15. That's what he liked at soft play and now he has it at home. Does the job and save going there once a week
We have the fish tube too, as it was my sonās favourite as a baby. Heās six now and couldnāt care less about it but I secretly fell in love with the little no maintenance āfish tank.ā So now it lives in the living room, happily bubbling away in the corner. My husband made some noise about getting rid of it recently and I freaked out - donāt you dare touch my fish!
How often do you have to change out the water? Would love to get one of these for my kids but canāt be bothered changing the water all the time and scared one of them tips it.
Literally never. It was a special water - carbonated maybe? We ordered a few bottles off Amazon (the box told us what it needed - just canāt remember now exactly what it was). But have never needed to replace it in that four years weāve had it. Iām pretty sure Iāll still have it bubbling away here when my son is all grown up haha.
Just checking, you're talking about the tube with the fake plastic fish, right? Not like a vertical fish tank with live fish? š
(Wanted to note that Reddit wouldn't let me post my comment until I'd added the little fishy. Okay Reddit...)
Just checking, you're talking about the tube with the fake plastic fish, right? Not like a vertical fish tank with live fish?
Just checking, you're talking about the tube with the fake plastic fish, right? Not like a vertical fish tank with live fish?
Just checking, you're talking about the tube with the fake plastic fish, right? Not like a vertical fish tank with live fish?
Just checking, you're talking about the tube with the fake plastic fish, right? Not like a vertical fish tank with live fish?
Ours is only 8 months so we might have some good use out of it yet but what about using it as a nightlight?
What fish tube do you mean?
Like a bibbl fish tube? If you goggle it it'll give you a pretty good idea.
Rent a set for a week or so (lots of independent party providers can offer you a good deal after a bit of a haggle). Watch the novelty wear off after a few days and be thankful you didn't spend money on buying it!
We got our kids a soft play sofa for Christmas. They were 3.5 and 18 months old at the time. They still use it everyday to make slides, tunnels etc and they sit on it to watch tv.
My husband was concerned they would get bored of it quickly but they didn't. We're really happy that we bought it :)
That's great to hear! What kind of sofa is it? I was thinking more on the lines of a few geometric pieces like a block a triangle and some steps, but something like a sofa does feel more versatile.
This is the one we bought. https://theluxurynurserycompany.co.uk/collections/soft-play-couch/products/copy-of-soft-play-sofa-2
It is definitely versatile. It's most often propped up on the sofa and used as a slide or scattered around the livingroom and used for jumping around on (so the crocodiles don't get us š¤£)
My Dad has some these brick things at his house and my son loves them - hours when he was smaller but still enjoys at 3. But itās at Grampaās so still novelty? I did get him a Little Tikes slide when he was 1 for inside (weāve got big rooms) and heās over 3 now and still loves it. He uses it every day. We also have a folding cube thing with the 3 sections - it can fold out be a small mattress or up into a cube or folded into a V shape - he loves climbing around that (itās from Loaf and so not bright and ugly so I donāt resent the space it takes!) We also got a pickler triangle. We often combine them into sort of āobstacle coursesā. If you have a sensory seeking small toddler with a lot of energy to burn and a bit of space, I think creating safe spaces to climb is a really really great idea.
Kids get too bored of stuff at home and donāt use them after awhile. I considered it for my LO but decided against it as it would just be a waste of money
Not me but someone I know had one. It seemed similiar to garden play equipment in that it was incredibly exciting at first but then became incredibly boring to the kid who actually lived there.
We avoided it as we don't want stuff that requires space.
My friend got a ball pit, steps and slide for her son she had it about a year and struggled to sell it on after. She realised they needed the space and her then 1yo was becoming less interested.
Don't do it.
We just pull the sofa cushions off and have a tunnel from IKEA for days where I cba and my now 3yo has a burst of energy. You can also buy a cheap 3 ring paddling pool and ball pit balls for around Ā£15.
Smyths sell a box/step thing that's about Ā£20. It's large enough to be stood on (to see out of the window), used as a seat, jumped off, etc. Would highly recommend.Ā Also a tent and tunnel set that you can pop up/down is another good one.Ā
Apart from that, I'd steer clear and just go out for soft play.Ā
I have a pikler triangle instead. It collapses down so we can store it behind the couch (we have a big gap between one of the walls and the couch).
We also have the slide and the arch for it. The arch is bulky and hard to store but the slide is easy.
Honestly best thing we have for my daughter. She started using it when she was around 8 months. Sheās 3.5 now and still uses it. When she gets bored we put it away for a while then bring it back out.
If I remember, from a quick look I did in the brief window we considered buying some, they are really pricey, as well as being massive. I can't imagine having one at home would be as much fun or exhausting for the kids
We went for hard play instead lol and got a Pikler triangle. It's really fun and although our boy is only 1 I know kids that are four that still use theirs all the time.
For soft play we just chuck the sofa cushions around or bring the garden cushions indoors lol
Iāve also got a pikler triangle and ramp/slideā¦ my son is an amazing climber now and still uses it before bed every night at 2.5!
We have one that is a square block, a slide and some steps with a triangle for support. It cost just over Ā£100. We bought it for my eldestās birthday because it was 2020 and we were stuck in lockdown so we couldnāt go to soft play. However, itās one of the only toys thatās still going (eldest is almost 5). Itās a stage for performances, or the seating for an audience. the kids (have a 3.5yo as well) use it to make an obstacle course round their bedroom or play the floor is lava, or push cars down. My eldest is also into gymnastics, and it's great for learning how to forward and backward roll down the slope of the slide, or practice a headstand. However, it all packs into the space between the bottom of her bed and the bedroom wall, so it isnāt in the way.
This sounds fabulous. Would you mind sharing a link?
Itās this one here- although a bit more expensive now!
We have the sofa cushions, I got some stepping stone things from lidl for Ā£25, and Spotify the floor is lava song. Perfect š
Why bother when all of your furniture is already soft play toys?
We've got a little climbing frame (pikler triangle, slide, etc) which we get out every now and again for our son to play with. If we leave it up he doesn't use it after a few days, we have to store it away and then it's exciting again when we get it out.
Soft play isn't really a thing for that long - so unless you're planning on having loads of kids it'll not get a lot of use. They get bored of stuff quickly and by the time they're 3-4 soft play is done - so seems a lot of money and space for something that won't get loads of use.
Depends on the kid. Our 6yo still uses our soft play stuff daily, and we got it when she was about 18 months.
All you need is random bits of cardboard to have fun. The amount of times Iāve been chased round the kitchen island by a tiny child dressed in a giant box robot head is comical. Honestly kids donāt need lots of stuff they get bored of it. What they need is lots of playmates, invite people over or attend play dates as often as possible or go to a softplay where other kids reside for endless entertainment (and of course some upset when they are all struggling to share or want to do something different from the other)!
Sofa cushions is all you need for at home. We bring the cushions from our garden furniture in the house in winter and had years of endless fort building from those. So if you do get any soft play stuff just make it big floor cushions.
To add, a neighbour gave us a ton of plastic balls and we tried to recreate a ball pit at home with the paddling pool. Turns out you need thousands to do that, thatās what soft play gets our money š
My worry is the space. I'm careful with all the bulky baby and toddler stuff cause we currently live in a flat and are struggling for space. I also wonder how long it would actually be fun? I think soft play is fun because you go somewhere to play with others. When it's always there, it might not be as interesting?
The only thing I consider getting him is a wooden montessori rocker that you can also use as an arch, but that is really the only thing as I expect to be able to uninstall it and put away more easily than big bulky cushions.
Itās super expensive! Also after a point it becomes too small for them. Go to a soft play where they can find something age appropriate to yeet off.
My boy (1.5) has a small soft play at home because he loves to climb, weāve had it since around Christmas and heās not bored. I think heās going to outgrow it before he gets bored of it.
Not a chance unless you have a room in house you literally donāt know what to do with.
We have a pikler triangle with a slide, an ikea tunnel, ikea gym mat thing, and sofa cushions. Thatās plenty for days where the kids need to burn off energy indoors and all folds away pretty small.
I got one of those 4 piece sets (block, bridge, slope, steps) second hand for about Ā£40. They donāt get a huge amount of use as intended, but thatās because our house is tiny. We use the steps to help our toddler climb into bed, and the other bits are currently used as a toy table and to block gaps. She does absolutely love being able to move them around though
We got about four sets of blocks during the pandemic when our oldest was about 18 months and they have been massive value for money. They still get played with almost every day, and the children are 6 and 3 now. That said, 1) it was during the pandemic - I don't know if we would have done it if we'd been able to leave the house! And 2) we have plenty of room to store them when they aren't actively being used (stacked under the stairs). But yes, for is it has been totally worth it.
I had some pieces when my son started crawling and it was great for him to clamber and pull up on so was a hit for about 5 months. As soon as he started walking unassisted it didn't really get used and I sold it.
We have one of those modular sofas and my kids absolutely love it. They are very physical though and have a need to move their bodies, they also have fantastic imaginations. They very rarely sit and draw. It really depends on the child.
My niece has a ball pit in the house and absolutely loves it
I got a cheap second hand set of steps, some shapes and a ball pit that all fit together and it was brilliant when my son was learning to walk and crawl but he's not so interested now.
We've now split it up across his bedroom and the lounge until I can get myself together to sell it and it doesn't take up much space!
If you can find it cheaply, I would recommend it.
I got a small set from Debenhams for Ā£65 approx and it has worked well when first starting. Now we use it as little stairs to get on the beds š¤£
Suppose it depends how old your child is and how much you are thinking of getting. We got some small steps and a slide/ramp and it got really good use between 1-2. Now my son is a bit older we donāt use it as often but he does still enjoy it and pushes cars down the ramp etc. we also have it out in the garden on a mat and all use it for something to lounge against whilst heās playing! I doubt we will get much out of it next year though.
We have a small slide that we bought second hand.
I have a small soft play set with different shaped bits etc, my kids play with it sometimes but definitely have more fun at an actual soft play place š it's really just a bit of an eyesore in the flat tbh
I have a soft play room in our house. It's got the whole lot - padded walls and floors, slide, swing, ball pit, obstacle course etc etc. It cost Ā£Ā£Ā£ and my son is bored of it. Thankfully we have another baby on the way who can make use of it.Ā
Don't do it. Just go to soft play instead. It's good for you and your child to get out of the house.Ā