Round Up: Soft Plays in South London

What to do with kids when the weather is frightful and it’s cold outside? Here’s a rundown of indoor soft plays in South London. 

In the winter I always struggle to find suitable places to take Lady Yeya on cold and rainy days. Well, there are always museums, but if you are looking for a soft play centres, here is a short run down of my favourite soft plays in South London. 

Apple Tree Children’s Cafe, Herne Hill

A brainchild of a local southeast London mum, Apple Tree Children’s Cafe is a dedicated soft play space for Under 5s. Conveniently located near Herne Hill station, Apple Tree is ideal for those dreary days when the playground is too damp to enjoy. We love going for a leisurely walk around Brockwell Park before settling in at Apple Tree Cafe for a soft play session. Then we usually go for lunch at one of the many wonderful eateries near the station such as The Florence to make it a nice family outing. 

The soft play area is small, but a perfect place for young children between 24-36 months. Come along with some mum friends and enjoy coffee and cake whilst the kiddos burn off some energy crawling through tunnels or climbing on the frame. Parents will always have a full view of the children in the soft play area from the cafe so you can sit back and relax with a hot cup of tea. 

A new location opened in Peckham Rye (October 2021) that we have yet to visit. A 90 minutes play session (9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm) costs £6.50 per child. It is best to book sessions in advance. 

Herne Hill, 27 Norwood Road, London SE24 9AA (Herne Hill station) 
Peckham Rye, 134-136 Peckham Rye, London SE22 9QH (Peckham Rye station)

Adventure Play Zone, Bellingham Leisure Centre, Bellingham

I have spent many hours with Lady Yeya and her friends at the Adventure Play Zone located at the Bellingham Leisure Centre. It is a big soft play space with a three-tier soft structure and three side-by-side red slides running down the middle. This Adventure Play Zone is ideal for children up to 9 years old as they can run riot. There are also dedicated areas for under 2s and a suitable play area for under 4s. It’s a great place for kids to burn off some energy whilst using their problem-solving skills to get around various apparatus. Each soft play session is 60 minutes, bookable via the Better app.

Bellingham Leisure & Lifestyle Centre, 5 Randlesdown Rd, London SE6 3BT (Bellingham station) 

Soft Play, Sutcliffe Park Sports Centre, Eltham 

My former nanny raves about this soft play and I can see why: it’s new, bright and spacious. There is a three tier climbing frame with a tree house, play house, and mini trampolines. It is easy for parents to engage with the kiddos on the climbing frame as the gaps are wide enough. A great energetic space for young children. Sutcliffe Park Sports Centre also has a climbing wall and a skate park which is great if you have pre-teens in tow. Refreshments are available at the cafe. The sports centre is surrounded by the Sutcliffe Park Nature Reserve so you can also enjoy a leisurely stroll to feed the ducks, have a picnic, and stop at the children’s playground before heading home. Each soft play session is 60 minutes, bookable via the Better app.

Sutcliffe Park Sports Centre, Eltham Road, SE9 5LW (Kidbrooke station)

Bertie & Boo Adventure Island, Balham 

We were invited to Bertie & Boo for a birthday party recently. It is one of the gorgeous soft plays in south London with three rooms of adventure fun. With a pirate and nautical theme, Bertie & Boo is perfect for young children. The main soft play area has small tables for kids to enjoy some snacks or participate in arts-n-crafts together. Pre-walkers can enjoy the mini slide and soft climbing blocks. Preschool kids can burn off energy on the pirate ship play structure and enjoy a disco party in the back room thanks to the Sonos surround speakers. There is a main cafe for parents to chill-out and socialise over coffee, cake and prosecco. In short, Bertie & Boo is spacious, clean, well-laid out and heaps of fun. 

205-207 Balham High Road, SW17 7BQ (Balham tube or Balham station)

Diddy Dinos, Crystal Palace

A former nursery located on the edge of Crystal Palace Park, Diddy Dinos is a lovely space for under 5s. It has an expansive outdoor garden with sunken trampolines, built-in slide, sand pit, play houses, and even a chicken coop. Inside, Diddy Dino is organised by thematic “zones” from the home corner, choo-choo trains, and a reading corner. There is a small area for babies which is great if you are attending with an active toddler and baby. We have attended both birthday parties and play sessions at Diddy Dinos and it is great fun. 

With beautiful Crystal Palace Park at your doorstep, we always like to stroll around the boating lake to see the famous dinosaurs and a cafe break at Brown & Green Life. 

27 Crystal Palace Park Road, SE26 6UF (Crystal Palace or Penge West stations)

You may also want to check out soft plays inside museums: 

Ahoy, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
Mudlarks, Museum of Docklands, Canary Wharf
Play Zones, Transport Museum, Covent Garden