Do Parents Secretly Love Soft Play?

We’re delighted to share a post on the 360 Blog from parent blogger and mum of two, Laura. Laura writes a family and lifestyle blog, Dear Bear and Beany, sharing her life with her husband and their two daughters. Laura writes about everything from the ordinary moments, to the adventures they go on as a family. She has a love for interiors, and shares the journey of turning their house, into a home. To read more from her visit her website below. 

Do Parents Secretly Love Soft Play?

As you scroll through social media, you will often come across a post from a parent commenting about how they are off to soft play ‘hell’ today and I think we’ve all said that at some point in our life. 

But, do we secretly love soft play? I mean they are always full of parents, so surely we can’t hate them that much. I know on those cold, wet days I’ve been grateful to have somewhere to take the children, that is warm and serves a nice hot coffee.

As much as we would love to have dry, warm days, every day, the reality is we don’t. Often the thought of spending another day cooped up in the house, can make those the hard days of parenting. To have somewhere to go, meet a friend, let your child burn off that excess energy is a god send. 

For many years as a parent you find yourself squeezing through the smallest of places as you follow your toddler around. Wondering what your life has become and seriously panicking that today is the day that you might actually get stuck! 

But, then you see their little faces light up, as they master the slide for the first time or dress up as a firefighter and declare it the best day ever and you think it’s all worth it. 

Then they get a bit bigger and more independent and over time soft play becomes your friend. As you no longer have to follow them around, but can sit and watch them. Giving them a wave, as you chat to your friend about the latest phase your child is going through, begging them for the answer. You even get to finish your coffee whilst it’s hot…..I know, this is a gift! 

What I really love about soft play, no matter what age my child is. They are safe! If you’ve got more than one child, and they are both off in different directions it’s a comfort to know they can’t get out and end up in the car park. Yes, they might wander into the big kids zone, and show you what a dare devil they really are. But they call it ‘soft play’ for a reason, it’s soft. 

You may even find that you love it so much, before you know its lunchtime and thankfully a lot of places now, including 360 Play, serve well balanced meals and pick your own lunches for children. There is no need to have a panic last minute, quick kids its lunchtime time to leave, which is often met with shouts of ‘I don’t want to leave’.

Yes, on a cold rainy day you may find that everyone else has the same idea as you and they are busy. But, soft play is a cheap day out and just think you will be rewarded later with either a brilliant nap from your toddler or a nice early bedtime from your child. There is no better reward!

Do you secretly love soft play? 

Links 

Website https://www.dearbearandbeany.com/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dearbearandbeany/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dearbearandbeany/

Twitter https://twitter.com/dearbearandbean

 

A New Term for Classes at 360 Play Stevenage

The children are back to school next week and it’s a new term for our pre-school and baby classes at 360 Play Stevenage so we thought we would let you have a taster of what we have on offer.
Book onto one of the taster sessions for our classes and have free entry to enjoy our centre afterwards.
Places are limited so book quickly.

Follow the Facebook links to message the class organisers and book your place.

Reading Fairy
https://www.facebook.com/readingfairynorthherts/

Monkey Music
https://www.facebook.com/monkeymusicbaldockhitchinandwelwyn/

Tiny movers
https://www.facebook.com/tinymovers/

Signing Company
www.facebook.com/SigningCompanyMonique/

Mama Baby Bliss  CANCELLED
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009809288590

Moo Music
https://www.facebook.com/moomusicshl/

 

360 Play and Puddleducks – working together

Puddle Ducks teaches children, from birth to 10 years, to swim independently, beautifully and confidently, and to love and respect the water. We teach essential life skills and water safety to over 19,000 babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers and primary school children across the UK, every week.

Classes are packed full of fun – watch as your little one develops into a confident swimmer without even realising they are learning to swim! We recognise that every child is different; our expert teachers individually tailor activities to suit your child’s ability and confidence levels. We often see children achieving their 10m award before they start school.

Teaching water safety from a young age is also core to our classes. Babies as young as six months start to learn water safety and personal survival skills, and our school aged children also learn life-saving skills. Every term, we hold pyjama parties – not only to put these skills into practice, but also to have lots of fun!

Our highly qualified teachers are passionate, professional, nurturing, fun and loved by our swimmers. Our innovative programme, incorporating bespoke songs and rhymes, has been developed over 15 years and is continually evolving. Swimming taught by experts…that’s the Puddle Ducks difference.

Puddle Ducks West Berkshire was established in 2013 by Jacqueline. It has not taken long for the Puddle Ducks word to spread locally and classes are now being offered in Reading, Bagshot, Frimley, Yateley & Odiham. We can’t wait to see you there soon!

Visit our website here

In Car Safety Centre partnership with 360 Play

In Car Safety Centre have proudly been at the forefront of children’s car safety since 1983. We are an independent child car seat specialist with three locations in the UK and Ireland – Milton Keynes, Essex and Belfast. 

70% of children’s car seats are either inappropriate for the child, incorrectly fitted or incompatible with the car. This is due to lack of awareness and knowledge. We wish to change this in the hopes it will mean less children who are killed and seriously injured on our roads. We pride ourselves in being a fully independent company, who advise, explain and demonstrate our products in order to help parents make an informed choice about their child’s car seat. Our staff do not have ‘sales targets’ to meet, and we will never suggest moving your child to the next seat if the one they have is still perfectly suitable. Our aim is to find the perfect seat for your situation, not to make a sale. We also offer a fantastic after sales service meaning that you can come back to us at any time to have your seat re-fitted, or contact us at any point with questions and concerns. We want you to feel confident in the seat you have chosen. 

If you are unable to come in store to avail of our fitting and advice, you can purchase many of our products online. We aim to be ‘responsible’ both in-store and online. You will notice that when you make a purchase online, we ask for certain information that will allow us to confirm, using our knowledge and experience that the seat you have chosen is suitable for your child, and for the vehicle it will be used in. Our newly redesigned website offers lots of useful safety information to answer all of your questions, and hopefully make the world of car seats a little less confusing.

We are delighted to be partnering up with 360 Play. We want to spread the word on car seat safety and make safety fun. Some of you may also know that we are specialists in additional needs car seats and products, so we are excited to get involved in 360 Play’s SEN evenings where we can help with expert advice. We are really looking forward to this partnership.

Redditch’s First Parent & Toddler Fayre is a great success with local families and local businesses.

Located in the heart of Redditch at 360 Play Town, the region’s first Toddler and Parent Fayre on 14th  May was a great success with over 20 local businesses taking part. 

Leading Local Family Entertainment centre 360 Play Town hosted the region’s first Parent Toddler Fayre putting local families in contact with great companies and organisations across the region who provide everything from support classes to bespoke keepsake gifts.  On the day over 200 local families came to see what this region has to offer young families with children, or those about to have children.   

The event allowed free access to 360 Play Town  for the morning so the children could play while parents got the chance to see what support organisations exist in their area and what great local companies serve this market.  Sarah Cox who holds Hartbeeps classes at the centre on Thursday mornings said “This was an amazing venue for this great event. We loved meeting everyone today and doing our sessions every week. Hartbeeps has a new home on a Thursday”

360 Play Town Centre Manager Gary Allan “This was a great opportunity for local families to try out informative classes and workshops and to enjoy our great facility, and we are so pleased so many organisations got involved” 

There was all the usual 360 Play Town fun to be had too making it a great day out for young families and a great introduction to the centre for first time visitors. At 360 Play Town you can enjoy a wide range of activities for children, from babies and toddlers, right up to the age of 12 and all of the activities included are designed so that adults can join in the experience too. In addition to our multi storey play frame which features slides and ball zones, visitors can enjoy unlimited rides on our musical carousel, messy play activities and our 360 Street role play area.

Duncan Phillips Founder and managing Director “We are so proud to be part of the Redditch community and following the success of this day we are definitely looking to make it a annual event.  Thanks to all the businesses that came along and we look forward to welcoming back all the families that also attended.”  

Here is what some of the businesses taking part said about the event,

Sarah from Blossom Keepsakes said “I’m so glad I booked into this event. I’ve had a lot of interest in my raised impressions and 3D casting keepsakes. I was given a great spot to display my work and was able to take hand and foot impressions on the day. The staff were very helpful and supportive and the whole event had a lovely vibe”

“This was such a great idea! It’s so nice to see local businesses being promoted” Clair Clark, Freya Grace Boutique

Vikki from Mini First Aid who hosted a demonstration on the day said “It has been great to meet lots of parents and grandparents today and talk about why it is so important to learn first aid. We are really looking forward to coming back to the centre for our First Aid session for 3-6 year olds “

360 Play in the School Community

Did you know that what your kids do after school can affect what they do at school? Research shows that regular physical activity contributes to better academic results, improves concentration , helps development and helps to protect against negative behaviours such as bullying.

 

At 360 Play we are passionate about giving children and their families the chance to enjoy active, creative and engaging play. 10 years ago when everyone was embracing screens and phones and gaming, we decided to go back to basics and that’s how 360 Play Milton Keynes started the play revolution – no screens, no electronics, just play.  Our modern lives means that children don’t get the chance to play out as we did  and the after school period is often a sedentary time for them as their parents may tend to keep them indoors in a safe place instead of running around outside when they really need the chance to unwind after concentrating in the classroom all day. Our centre provides a safe and secure environment where they can do just that – whatever the weather.

 

360 Play isn’t all about soft play, it’s a family entertainment centre with something for everyone.  We realise that even children in the same family are very different so we have designed a wide variety of activities to suit all and as its one entry price for everything, children can choose what they want to do in a safe environment and then change their mind and try something different.

 

We now have seven centres ranging from 12 000 sq ft to 28 000 sq ft housing 360 Street, dodgems, a musical carousel, soft play frames, sports arenas, table tennis and table football. 360 also hosts classes and has an in-house messy play area with a schedule of activities linking to the Early Years Foundation Stage of learning. Some of our centres have harnessed climbing attractions and some have outside areas containing climbing, paddle boats, role play houses and a big favourite, a giant sandpit.

 

360 Street role play is a massive part of our back to basics philosophy. Role play is so key to a child’s development – they watch, they copy, they learn.  We provide the safe environment to explore, to learn risk without risk. Luigi’s Pizza parlour, Vets ‘n’ pets, Twirl’s boutique and Twizzle’s Garage are just a few of the street brands now familiar to customers at 360 Play.

 

As a local business we are proud to support our community and so we decided to give local schools the chance to visit us for a play session after school free of charge. This is a great opportunity for children to rediscover the centre and enjoy spending time with their friends and for some to experience what we have to offer for the first time. We are thrilled to be welcoming them along for our 360 Play in the Community School Days.

 

This week we have been welcoming children to our centre in Milton Keynes and we have been delighted to speak with parents who understand and share our ethos and enthusiasm for active play.

‘This has provided me an opportunity to bring my child here where I wouldn’t have been able to afford to do so before. Thank you’  Kylie Bates – Rickley Park School

‘Good idea for the kids to spend time with friends they don’t usually see out of school.’ Ceri Tyers – Rickley Park School

‘Really good idea, kids have had so much fun! Great idea for SATS week too. Thank you’  – Parent from Chestnuts school

360 Play Stevenage is excited to announce a collaboration with locally based company, Fundamentally Children

We’re going to be teaming up with Fundamentally Children and the Good Toy Zone to bring some exciting new events to visitors. The first part of this new partnership will see three play days beginning on 19th June showcasing Good Toys in the centre, with the Good Toy Zone team on hand to promote play and talk to parents about the benefits of the products.

Dr Amanda Gummer the MD and Founder of Fundamentally Children said “We are delighted to be working with such an exciting partner who shares our approach to play and child development. We’re thrilled to be able to offer even more play opportunities to children visiting 360 Play with our Good Toy Zones and play days.

The centre itself features a host of attractions and activities for families, including a multi-level play frame featuring ball showers, ball zones, slides and more, a carousel, dodgem track and 360 Street creative play zone incorporating individual play units such as a fire station, supermarket, pizza parlour, vets and dressing up boutique.

“We are excited to be working with Fundamentally Children, a company that shares our ethos when it comes to engaging children in active, creative and stimulating play” said Managing Director Duncan Phillips. “We look forward to providing more opportunities at 360 Play for children and their families to enjoy play time in our safe and secure environment.”

Make sure you are following on Facebook to find out more about our play days.

Another Basildon First in its 70th year, 360 Parent & Toddler Fayre is a great success with local families and local business

Hosted by Local Family entertainment centre 360 Play, the regions first dedicated Toddler and Parent Fayre was a great success with over 35 local businesses taking part and many over 600 local families attending.

Leading Local Family Entertainment centre 360 Play hosted the regions first Parent Toddler Fayre putting local families in contact with great companies and organisations across the region who provide everything from child development classes to bespoke birthday cakes and even mermaids.  On the day over 600 local families came to see what this region has to offer young families with children, or those about to have children.   

The event allowed free access to 360 Play Basildon for the morning so families could play while also seeing what support organisations exist in their area and what great local companies serve this market. The In Car Safety Centre said “We’d like to thank 360 Play for the opportunity to attend this great event. It has been very beneficial meeting lots of local parents and carers to discuss car seat safety.”

Among the stalls 360 Play also showcased some of their toddler classes. Kelly from Sing and Sign which takes place at the centre on Fridays said “What a fantastic family focused event, bringing service providers and Essex families together. We’ve had lots of interest in our new classes here, met lots of friendly faces and best of all, had a good time. Thank you 360 for hosting a wonderful event”

Moo Music stall holders

The classes on offer weren’t just music and movement. Karen from local company Sounds Right Phonics was on hand telling visitors about their Thursday morning classes at 360. “I’ve had so much fun meeting lots of children and parents and sharing local classes”

360 Play Centre Manager Ricki Melly “This was a great opportunity for local families to try out informative classes and workshops and to enjoy our great facility.  We are so pleased that so many organizations got involved, we are now 3 years old here at 360 but its great we have seen so many new faces who have not experienced 360 play before, we look forward to welcoming them all back over the next few months”

There was all the usual 360 Play fun to be had too making it a great day out for young families and a great introduction to the centre for first time visitors. At 360 Play you can enjoy a wide range of activities for children, from babies and toddlers, right up to the age of 12 and all of the activities included are designed so that adults can join in the experience too. In addition to our multi storey play frame which features slides and ball zones, visitors can enjoy unlimited rides on our dodgems and musical carousel, messy play activities and our 360 Street role play area.  With both indoor and outdoor attractions, 360 Play is a year round destination 

Mermaids from Swim School

Duncan Phillips Founder and managing Director “We are so proud to be part of the Basildon  community and following the success of this day we are definitely looking to make it an annual event.  Thanks to all the businesses that came along and we look forward to welcoming back all the new families that also attended.”  

Here is what some of the other stall holders had to say about the event,

“Today has been very beneficial and it’s been great to meet local parents and promote our preschools, Hilltots, Little Teds and Briscoe Primary School and Nursery. Thank you for having us.” HEARTS Academy Trust

“What a fantastic event it has been! It was lovely to see so many familiar faces. Thank you 360 Play Basildon for a brilliant event” The Book Fairy

“What a great local event. Well organised and so informative with lots of great local companies. We’ve had a fantastic day.”  Shelley, Painted Peppermint.

Fun in Messy Play

Farnborough’s First Parent & Toddler Fayre is a great success with local families and local business.

Located in the heart of Farnborough at 360 Play, the regions first Toddler and Parent Fayre on 1st May was a great success with over 30 local business taking part and over 700 local people attending. 

Leading Local Family Entertainment centre 360 Play hosted the regions first Parent Toddler Fayre putting local families in contact with great companies and organisations across the region who provide everything from support classes to bespoke Birthday cakes.  On the day over 700 local families came to see what this region has to offer young families with children, or those about to have children.   

The event allowed free access to 360 Play for the morning so the children could play while parents got the chance to see what support organisations exist in their area and what great local companies serve this market.  Kathy Slater who holds Caterpillar Music classes at the centre on Friday mornings said “What a fantastic time we had at the amazing 360 Play Baby and Toddler event. It was an incredible turn out and we enjoyed sharing lots of Caterpillar Music fun with all the wonderful children and their families that came to our sessions. Puppets, props, bubbles and lights were all out in abundance with lots of happy little faces enjoying the benefits of music, movement and sensory!”

Among the stalls 360 Play also had local support groups for parents. Emma Collyer of BRAAIN said “It was really useful for us to be able to speak to some professionals and parents of younger children. We were able to advise on local coffee mornings & our support group meet up so they have the support from other people with children who have an additional need.” 

360 Play Centre Manager Mitch Holmes “This was a great opportunity for local families to try out informative classes and workshops  and to enjoy our great facility, and we are so pleased so many organisations got involved” 

There was all the usual 360 Play fun to be had too making it a great day out for young families and a great introduction to the centre for first time visitors. At 360 Play you can enjoy a wide range of activities for children, from babies and toddlers, right up to the age of 12 and all of the activities included are designed so that adults can join in the experience too. In addition to our multi storey play frame which features slides and ball zones, visitors can enjoy unlimited rides on our dodgems and musical carousel, messy play activities and our 360 Street role play area.

Duncan Phillips Founder and managing Director “ We are so proud to be part of the Farnborough community and following the success of this day we are definitely looking to make it a annual event.  Thanks to all the businesses that came along and we look forward to welcoming back all the families that also attended.” Goody bags

Here is what some of the businesses taking part said about the event,

“I just want to say a massive thank you for having me at your event today – it was awesome. The staff were lovely and so accommodating. The event itself was just amazing, a great marketing opportunity and friendly environment. If you do it next year I would love to come back!” Zara from Koala Kids Parties

Joanne from Blue Bear Bakery said “ What a fantastic event in Farnborough. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to meet so many people and businesses from the local community in one place, especially as my business is a new one The staff were really helpful and the atmosphere was such a friendly and happy one. Everyone I spoke to was really enjoying their day. “

Free Parent and Toddler Fayres in Leicester, Milton Keynes, Rushden Lakes and Stevenage

If you’re an expectant parent or have a baby or toddler make sure you don’t miss out on our free Parent & Toddler Fayres. Anyone attending can enjoy free entry into the centre from 9.30am-2.30pm. This is a great opportunity for local families to attend informative workshops, browse stalls from local businesses, find out more about local toddler classes and nurseries and so much more! There’s all the usual 360 Play fun to be had too making it a great day out for young families.

11th September at 360 Play Milton Keynes and 360 Play Stevenage

18th September at 360 Play Leicester and 360 Play Rushden Lakes

9.30am to 2.30pm