Easy to spot from the main road, and with a reasonable sized car park, though I can imagine on a weekend it might be difficult to find a space. The reception staff were very friendly, pointing out where toilets and baby changing could be found and giving us a loyalty card. DD is now 18 months old, and we paid £4.
First impressions were very good: clean and well maintained, though to be expected given how new it is. There were lots of tables in the centre of the building, with a small cafe counter at one end. Sandwiches were under £5 and hot drinks were around £1.50-£2. Along one side there was the toddler section, and at the other end of the building, a play structure for older children.
First impressions were very good: clean and well maintained, though to be expected given how new it is. There were lots of tables in the centre of the building, with a small cafe counter at one end. Sandwiches were under £5 and hot drinks were around £1.50-£2. Along one side there was the toddler section, and at the other end of the building, a play structure for older children.
The toddler section included standard soft play features, such as a two lane wavy slide, soft padded steps and a roller. There were also various soft shapes, including some animal ones large enough to sit on, and a ball pool. Adding something different, the toddler area also included a balloon 'room', using fans to waft balloons around an enclosed space, for the children to chase and catch, and a small bouncy castle.
The area for older children featured a large ball play cage, with goals at each end and a basketball hoop. There were inflatable footballs as well as large heavier tennis and basketballs, and plenty of them. The soft play structure for older children featured a tall multi lane wavy slide, and a twisty tunnel style slide. This area was smaller than expected however, in certain areas it seemed like it was waiting for more features to be installed. The route up to the slides was so difficult to navigate for adults, with extremely small spaces to pass through, that I only took Baby up there once.
Finishing the offering there there was a small corner with a toy kitchen and some toys like trucks and diggers, as well as two ride on machines requiring additional payment.
The ball cage was a huge success. Baby's friend loves to play with footballs, and Baby also enjoyed kicking them and chasing the balls around. This area was large enough that even with numerous toddlers and preschoolers in there that it didn't feel crowded at all.
Baby and her friend also thoroughly enjoyed the balloon area, the balloons were just slow enough for them to have a chance of catching them, though I would always recommend very close supervision when playing with balloons, given the risk of suffocation should they pop. It's clear that Circus Play have tried to come up with some unique offerings and with the balloon area they seem to have succeeded. The bouncy castle was a big hit with Baby too, though her friend wasn't so keen, and no under 5s are allowed on the bouncy castle.
In the toddler area, both the ball pool and the slide were very popular with all the children in there, with many clambering back up for another go on the slide as soon as they reached the bottom.
All in all, the toddler section is great, with the different sections available really holding their attention. The section for older children however didn't really have enough to keep them entertained, and so the bigger children were tending to gravitate towards the toddler section too. With such a large building it's a shame that they didn't devote a bit more space to actual play equipment. In places the safety mats had moved, leaving gaps which little feet could trip on, and the safety barrier in the toddler section wasn't fixed, so when leaned on, fell over a couple of times. I would take Baby back again as the offering for toddlers is diverse, but once she outgrew the toddler section I feel she would be better catered for elsewhere.
Key Facts
Month of visit:
March
Weather for visit:
Irrelevant
Is it pushchair friendly?
Access to the buildings is, yes, but obviously pushchairs aren't allowed on the play equipment.
How are the baby changing facilities?
Baby changing is in the disabled toilet
What about somewhere to feed?
Plenty of seating in the middle of the room.
Is it worth a visit?
Yes, particularly for toddlers.
Baby's highlight?
The balloon space.
Unit 1, 115 Manchester Road,
Ince,
Wigan,
WN2 2AB
http://www.circusplay.co.uk
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