Review: Wonder World Soft Play Glasgow

No photos as they wouldn't let me take any.

"...too cold to play ball. So we sat in the house. We did nothing at all. So all we could do was to Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! And we did not like it. Not one little bit...."
That was Boy Three and I at home one miserable afternoon just before Christmas. So before the Cat could arrive and hang up his hat we decided to seek a little excitement. 

Fortunately, Glasgow has a new place to go on a miserable afternoon. Hurrah. A new soft play called Wonder World opened its doors in Middlesex Street, Kinning Park, Glasgow. 

First impressions are very "wow". Floor to ceiling murals are impressive. 

Boy Three couldn't wait to get his shoes off and get going onto the soft play apparatus.

As he headed off into the matrix he posed for a moment so I could snap a photo on my phone. However, before I had time to click a member of staff appeared at my side and said: "No flash photography."

"What?"

"No photos. They aren't allowed."

"There should have been a notice."

"We make announcements on the Tannoy quite often."

"Oh."

By which time Boy Three had vanished. Have you noticed that with soft play? It's impossible to keep an eye on your offspring and just when you start to feel rising panic as you fruitlessly scan the equipment you child turns up behind you. 

I tweeted @WonderWorld10 to ask why they have such a Draconian policy on photography. "We introduced the photo policy based on the feedback that some parents prefer it," came the reply. 

Maybe some do prefer it, but I think an absolute ban enforced with such enthusiasm is going to get a few backs up - not least mine. We parents don't like to be told what to do, particularly when there's no good reason for it. 

However, annoying photo incident apart, Boy Three and I spent an enjoyable couple of hours at Wonder World. 

We liked:

The food was good and homemade. 

There is a lot of interesting equipment to play on. 

It's big enough for grown ups to go with their kids - Boy Three and I spent far longer than I had anticipated exploring without either of us getting bored. 

It's warm and clean. 

There were plenty of attentive staff. 

We didn't get rushed out when our time was up. 

The balls that whizz up tubes. 

The space rocket mountain. 

Plenty of on-street parking.

We liked less: 

I couldn't find the code for the free wifi (Why not put it on the receipt?)

Inside the play equipment you can't hear what the Tannoy is saying. 

Slot machine cars - we've already paid to come in and bought food and drink. It's the soft play equivalent of sweeties at supermarket checkouts. 

The plastic hand grips on the space rocket mountain - hard on a soft body that's sliding down. (Why not run a couple of thick ropes down the front of it so more children can climb without getting stuck in a queue?)

Conclusion

In spite of the photography policy and the slot machine cars, we'll be back to Wonder World Soft Play for the good food and well thought-out play equipment.