If you think all soft play centres are noisy, sticky, stress-inducing places then think again - Little Giggles has set out to change all of that!
Like most parents of young children, I've been to a lot of local soft plays but even though it had been recommended to us countless times, we'd never got round to visiting Little Giggles before. Thanks to Socialight, we finally got the chance to go this week but did it live up to the hype?
Little Giggles is based in Yate, just on the edge of north east Bristol. It's part of a leisure complex with a huge car park, where you can park for free for up to 4 hours. If you're travelling by public transport then there's a bus station just across the road, making it super easy to get to.
Our first impressions of Little Giggles couldn't have been any better. As we stepped through the door we were greeted by a cheery member of staff who was happy to answer our questions and made us feel really welcome. The admission process was quick and easy and within moments the boys were running off to play.
Despite being busy, I was really struck by how relaxed and friendly the atmosphere was inside. A group who were getting ready to leave offered us their table and I felt confident that our shoes and coats would be safe there as I went off to join the boys.
The play area itself was clean, bright and fully air conditioned (which was an absolute godsend, especially once I was running around with the boys!) Along with its modern pink, blue, white and green colour scheme, this gave the whole place a really fresh feel and made for a welcome change from the dark, stuffy soft play centres we're used to.
I'm one of those people who's quietly terrified of getting stuck in a soft play (I blame that episode of Peppa Pig!) so you can imagine how happy I was to find that the whole play area was really open and spacious, making it easy for me to get in and join the boys while they played. Better still, the whole place was all on one level so if your children are a little bit older and more independent then you can sit back and relax in the cafe area while still being able to see them. This was easily one of my favourite things about Little Giggles and left me wishing that all soft play centres were laid out like this!
There were so many other things that made our experience at Little Giggles totally unique. Being a family run business with years of experience in working with children, it's clear that they know exactly what kids (and parents!) need.
All of the play equipment is designed to develop both confidence and gross motor skills so, as well as being active, children are constantly learning (without even realising it!) as they play.
Yes, that's right – there were rides too! All of them lit up, sparkled and spun around, inviting the boys to explore different ways of interacting with them. I was surprised to find that the rides moved on their own too, which was great as it meant that Finley was able to play independently while I played with Jacob - multitasking at it's finest!
Speaking of juggling two kids, it can be tricky to find places that appeal to 2 year olds as much as 5 year olds, so seeing them both enjoying themselves in equal amounts was a rare treat!
Little Giggles is designed for ages 0-8 years. There's a fairly strict maximum age limit but from our experience I would say it's best suited to children between 1 and 6 anyway. For younger visitors, there's a baby area with a play house, ball pit, foam shapes, huge bouncy pillow and a sensory wall. Jacob liked taking a break from the faster pace of the main area and spending some time in here, which worked out pretty well as it was right next the biggest indoor bouncy castle I've ever seen! Finley loved letting off some steam on this and, again, it was perfectly positioned for me to be able to keep an eye on both boys while they were doing different things.
In terms of other practical facilities, there was also a child sized toilet (as well as an adult sized one, of course!) which Finley was amazed by! Next door was a separate baby change room which we found to be very clean, bright and roomy. Downstairs was a HUGE buggy park - we didn't need to use this on the day but I did notice that it stopped the seating area upstairs from getting too cluttered.
All of these little touches made our first visit to Little Giggles a really comfortable one. We all had so much fun (which is saying something, coming from someone who usually spends the summer holidays trying to avoid going to soft play!) In fact, we were there for nearly 4 hours, which I think is the longest we've ever spent in a soft play (and even then I struggled to get the boys to leave!)
I've got a feeling that this will be the first of many visits to Little Giggles and with loads of special evening events coming up, including night glows, Nerf fights and character meets, there's plenty to keep the boys coming back for more!
If you'd like to visit Little Giggles too then make sure you plan ahead as entry prices can vary depending on the time of year and the age of your child. At the time of writing, entry for non-members is:
Under 1's - £2.00
Over 1's - £4.50
Over 2's - £6.50 off-peak (Mon-Fri, Term Time)
Over 2's - £7.50 peak (Weekends and Holidays)
These prices may seem a little more expensive compared to other soft play centres but, as previously mentioned, Little Giggles isn't like any ordinary soft play and we found the overall experience was totally worth the price. If you're local then it's also worth considering their membership deals as these give you discounted entry on each visit.
For more information and an up to date price list, head to the website: littlegigglesbristol.com
Disclaimer: Our admission to Little Giggles was kindly gifted to us by Socialight, in exchange for social media coverage and an honest blog review. We were offered complimentary lunches during our visit but paid for our own travel. All views expressed within this post and across social media are our own.
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