The best soft play centres in London

Spread across 30,000 square feet, Kidspace in Croydon is one of the biggest indoor play centres in the whole country. All sorts of areas and activities are available for the little ones to explore and enjoy, including the Toddler Village – a tot's paradise for playing, climbing, and more, including a soft play zone. You can book themed kids' parties here as well. The Romsford branch of Kidspace offers similar adventures but in a slightly smaller venue.

For a fantastic family outing in North London, Inflata Nation promises fun for everyone. This vibrant inflatable park offers excitement for all ages, from bouncy slides and ball pits to challenging obstacle courses. There's also a dedicated mini inflatables zone for little ones under four, including a soft play area. The venue is great for kids' birthday parties, with party packages available to make celebrations extra special.

Found across the UK, the Flip Out indoor adventure parks are best known for their trampolines, but gentler amusements are offered here as well. They specialise in creating fun and safe indoor play centres focused on soft play for all ages, offering exciting environments for kids to explore. The soft play areas are padded with foam, reducing the risk of injury and allowing children to engage in activities that challenge their abilities.

Gambado in Chelsea bills itself as the UK's top play and party centre. The kids' amusement park offers a range of attractions, including a play frame, dodgems, carousel, arcade games, and soft play for toddlers, with many areas designed for both children and adults to enjoy together. The venue also hosts themed parties like laser tag or slime parties, with options for day tickets and discounted annual passes available.

Jungle Monkeyz provides indoor soft play fun for adventurous toddlers at its centres. Guided by Alex the Monkey and his Dad, kids can explore their vibrant home, with a three-level play frame suitable for ages 0-10. Babies can relax in the dedicated zone while toddlers dive into the soft play area. Older children can enjoy an action-packed adventure featuring slides, trampolines, ball pits, tunnels, and more, while parents relax in the welcoming café. The Pinner location also includes an immersive, actor-led experience for the whole family to enjoy together.

Discover Children's Story Centre in Stratford is a one-of-a-kind attraction for kids. Focused on sparking creativity and encouraging storytelling, the centre offers two floors of immersive indoor play areas, including imaginative Story Worlds where children can let their creativity flow. Welcoming kids up to 11 years old, it provides sensory light displays and tactile cave spaces for the youngest visitors, while older children can craft their own stories, explore hidden ships, perform with puppets, and engage in many other activities.

A museum dedicated to maritime trade might not sound like the most kid-friendly place, but London Museum Docklands is actually home to one of the best family galleries in the country. The Mudlarks Gallery features different interactive play areas where little ones can learn about life in the docks by driving a DLR train the soft play area, moving cargo with wheelbarrows, and more. The gallery is suitable for kids up to 8 years of age.

Among other spaces, the charitable Sherriff Centre in West Hampstead features a soft play area distinguished by the beautiful setting of St James' Church. There's a baby section where the littlest ones can enjoy a ball pit, sensory mirror, and soft puzzles, while kids between two and ten years can climb and explore the juniors' section. On select nights, they host after-hours soft play in a relaxed settings, with parents able to grab a drink from the bar as the children play.

Children will love this indoor soft play area in North London, cleverly connected to a vintage double-decker bus. The bus also serves as an unusual venue for hire, perfect for a birthday celebration, where children can freely explore the vehicle without worrying about real passengers. The Ding Dong Fun Bus also features a café offering treats such as pizza and other refreshments.

Cloud Twelve is a family-friendly wellness and lifestyle hub in Notting Hill. The elegant venue features a Kids Club area with a bespoke playground, designed to stimulate learning and creativity in children aged 0–11. Kids can explore the various experiences together with their parents or on their own, under the watchful eyes of trained assistants. A range of family wellness services, nutritious snacks, and other mindful features are offered as well.

Dedicated to presenting the history and role of the British Army, the National Army Museum in Chelsea features thousands of fascinating exhibits, from artefacts such as Lawrence of Arabia's robes to present-day vehicles and other equipment. The museum also house the immersive Play Base, where kids can try out the soft play assault course, climb an Army truck, prepare food for the troops, and more.

The vast Waltham Forest Feel Good Centre, one of the biggest such centres in the entire city, offers a range of facilities and classes for visitors of all ages. Under-3s can have fun in the indoor soft play area with a bespoke maze of ball ponds, slides, climbing frames, and sensory equipment, while older kids can challenge themselves with active play in the extreme play zone spread across four floors.

Camden's space-themed amusement park features a number of attractions for kids of all ages, including rides, vending machines, fairground games, and more. There's no shortage of entertainment for older children, but toddlers can get in on the fun too. There's a fun and safe Gymboree with a soft play area the little ones can explore while their older sibling have the run of the place.

Poppets Stores feels like it was designed specifically with Islington in mind. This family-oriented café and shop offers a thoughtfully curated range of stylish baby clothing, toys, and home goods. The inviting café area, with both indoor and outdoor seating, provides a relaxed spot for parents while keeping the kids occupied. They run regular soft play sessions, and even produce their own range of homemade baby food.

Rainbow Soft Play & Café is an indoor play centre in North London, often regarded as a hidden treasure nestled within Bramley Park. With a welcoming and family-friendly vibe, the space boasts secure soft play facilities, plenty of seating, and a café offering freshly made food and refreshments. The venue also provides various party packages with customised menu choices to accommodate all dietary preferences, including vegetarian and vegan options.

Oxygen Activeplay parks across the UK provide a wide range of engaging activities designed to keep children entertained while letting them burn off extra energy. Guests can explore thrilling features like interconnected trampolines, parkour-style obstacle courses, climbing walls, inflatable zones, and more. For younger visitors, there are dedicated soft play sections, and the centres frequently run sensory play sessions tailored for babies.

The Brixton Recreation Centre offers diverse facilities to support an active lifestyle, including fitness studios, a sports hall, a steam room, and a swimming pool for. Families can enjoy the specially designed Family Leisure Zone, catering to all ages with fun physical activities such as an interactive agility course, and indoor soft play area, clip 'n' climb walls, and more.

This colourful bar is London's premier destination for wild adult soft play parties. Inspired by “Alice in Wonderland,” the themed bar features eye-popping decor and includes amusements such as arcade machines and interactive games. The adult soft play area is spread across three floors, and there are plenty of drinks available to fuel the excitement, including alcoholic slushies.