Round the Twist Benton Soft Play Review

Thanks to our guest writer Jennifer for this review of Round the Twist Soft Play. Over the Jennifer.......

When it comes to indoor entertainment centres, Round the Twist is definitely at the top of our list. The venue proudly holds the title of the largest soft play in the North East, and has undergone vast improvement works in 2021, which saw the addition of several new attractions.

You can find Round the Twist in the North Tyne Industrial Estate, opposite Asda in Benton.

Unit 28

Bellingham Drive

North Tyne industrial Estate

Whitley Road

Benton

NE12 9SZ

Palmersville metro station is approximately a 10-minute walk away, or if you are driving there is a free car park on site.

The current opening hours are:

Mon- Thurs- 9am-7pm

Fri- 9am- 8pm

Sat- 10am- 8pm

Sun- 10am-7pm

Bookings can be made online, or walk-ins are accepted outside of the Xmas period (please check with the venue for the most up to date visitor information & prices).

Typically, peak prices are £3.50-£10.50 per child and Round the Twist is one of those soft plays where you have to pay (£1) per adult too.

Check prices, more info and book here: http://roundthetwist.net/

Soft play

The main soft play frame is suitable for ages 4 and over, under 4s are allowed on, but must always be accompanied by an adult. So, as you can probably imagine, you have your general mix of older children running around in a sugar fuelled haze, and the occasional grownup nodding and smiling in solidarity as they contort themselves into some very unflattering positions.

Once you resign yourself to the fact that your dignity will almost certainly be lost amongst the brightly coloured pvc, joining in the experience is actually pretty
good fun. The frame is multi-level, with a football/basketball pitch at the back. There are several slides, including the infamous yellow drop slide - definitely one for the more adventurous child!

The smaller frame is suitable for ages 4 and under and is also a really good size. I find that often soft plays don't have much for the younger toddlers who are ready to explore, but are not quite ready for the madness of the main frames. Round the Twist fills this void.

There are multiple levels with lots to explore, including a large ball pool, and a tube slide which twists and twirls all the way from the top level.

You will also find a mini soft play area for under 2s inside Twistville. It is a lovely space with a small ball pool, interactive musical walls and a ball blower. The floor is completely padded, perfect for those wobbly walkers.

Crazy golf

A new addition to the centre is the 9-hole crazy golf course, which is also included in the entry price. Before entering a member of staff will give you an appropriately sized club, and a golf ball in a colour of your choice.

The course is suitable for the whole family; however, you may wish to consider how hard it is to see a dentist at the moment before you let your younger child loose with the metal clubs; they can be quite enthusiastic with their swings.

The course is well thought out, with a range of different holes. My personal favourite part is the glow golf; a dark room lit by brightly coloured neon lights- think 90s rave vibe.

Twistville

In a quieter corner, you will find Twistville; another fantastic new addition to the centre, suitable for under 5s. Inside you will find two very impressive sensory rooms. One is space themed with a luminous light tunnel and sequin embellished textured walls, and the other (which was unfortunately out of order on our most recent visit) is an ‘under the sea’ adventure.

Round the Twist Benton Soft Play Review - role play area

My kids love sensory rooms, and these ones definitely got the ‘wow’ of approval from them both. If you are visiting with a child under 18 months, ‘Treasure Baskets’ containing sensory items are available to rent for free from reception.

These are a lovely way to enhance your little one’s experience, and to make you realise you wasted £100s on baby toys when your child actually gets more enjoyment from a wooden spoon.

Twistville is also home to the much loved ‘Little People Village’; a children's role play area featuring a mini construction site, vets, shop and kitchen with many interactive features. Each area is well designed, with plenty of themed costumes and props to enhance the experience. Role play centres are an attraction in themselves, so to have entry included in

your ticket price is a real bargain!

Food & drink

Round the Twist serves a range of food and drinks, at prices you would expect for this type of venue. Orders are placed at the counter and then you are called back to your table by tannoy when your food is ready (so you don’t have to miss a moment of fun).

For the littlest of guests, there is a finger food platter which is perfect for weaning babies who aren't quite ready for a full meal. Or alternatively, selected children’s meals can be lightly blended.

There is also a milkshake bar which is a big hit with little people and their grown-ups alike, and fresh homemade cakes and treats are available each day.

(Menus correct as of Winter 2021/22)

Round the Twist Benton Soft Play Review - food menu

Round the Twist Benton Soft Play Review - children's menu

Racing cars

Under the main soft play frame, you will find the racing track. This activity is not included in the entry price, and costs £1 per ride (cash only). There is a choice of electric vehicles which allow you to channel your inner Lewis Hamilton (no safety cars here!).

The cars have bumpers around them so they can be crashed into each other, and some have 2 seats which is ideal for younger children who need an adult to ride with them.

Christmas at Round the Twist

We recently attended the 2021 Christmas event at the centre. Our ticket price included all of the usual attractions, plus some festive activities and a visit to Santa’s grotto.

Now I have to be honest, in theory the activities were all fantastic, but logistically the event was not very well managed. In fact, we spent over an hour of the 2.5-hour event queuing (including 20 mins outside in the cold car park).

Once in, we were given a golden ticket with different stations to visit in our own time, plus a time slot to visit Santa in his grotto. The activities included decorating a gingerbread man, writing and posting a letter to Santa in a magical talking post box and creating a Christmas decoration. For sessions which ran during school hours, staff also provided Christmas themed tuff trays for pre-schoolers to explore in the sensory rooms.

Santa’s grotto was a fun experience, and the kids really enjoyed it. We were ushered through a tunnel by a friendly elf, where we were then greeted by 3 robotic reindeers who had the kids giggling with their Xmas songs and festive chat. Next, we were led to a young Geordie Santa’s cosy living room, where he chatted with the children and asked them what they would like for Christmas.

Round the Twist have a ‘no photo policy’ in place, so if you wanted to capture the magical moment when your child asked Santa for a gift that you have definitely never heard them mention before, you had to pay £7 for a ‘professional’ picture. Santa gave the kids a small, wrapped present each (a jigsaw and some slime) and on the way out they were also given a selection box by the elves.

Despite the Hermes-esq logistics, we did enjoy the event overall. All the children were given a sweetie cone and a bag of magic reindeer dust to take home with them which was a nice touch and seemed to prevent any ‘time to leave soft play’ tantrums. I think we will be regular Round the Twisters for many more years to come,