Thanks to Bethanie from Girl About Northumberland for this Castle Mania Soft Play Review.
Whether you like it or not, chances are if you are a parent soft plays are going to become part of your new normal. A soft play we like to visit is Castle Mania in Amble. Here’s why…
Location and opening times.
Castle Mania is a soft play based in the harbour village of Amble. Situated just off the road leading into Amble’s centre and along from Druridge Bay, it is perfectly located for a rainy day out or to host your child’s birthday party.
Located on the Coquet Enterprise Park, there is free parking on site. Use postcode NE65 0PE.
Term time opening times and prices.
Monday – Friday:
- For your little crawlers (up to 18months) check in between 10-11am for just £2. This lasts an hour and is the best time to visit if you have a baby who is just starting to crawl/walk and explore.
- Toddler sessions between 10-3pm for under 4’s. Price for unlimited play £4.50
- After school sessions check in between 3-4pm. Priced at £6 per child, this includes 1 hour 30 minutes of play AND a free meal. You must ring and pre-book this session.
Weekends and school holidays:
Open 10am with last check in at 3pm.
If you are looking for places to visit nearby, I recommend Low Hauxley Nature Reserve which is FREE, has pushchair friendly routes and bird hides and a small natural play area.
What to expect from your visit.
Upon entering the soft play, you are welcomed into the reception area which is secured by two gates. You must be buzzed through meaning children can’t easily escape out of the soft play area.
After signing in, make your way to a table and then release the kids into the soft play jungle.
With three large frames including ball pits, four slides, ride on toys for toddlers, football/basketball court, bouldering wall and rope bridges, there is something for everyone. You can easily fill in a morning or afternoon here, so is a great place to meet up with friends.
One of the highlights of Castle Mania, is that it is suitable for all ages. With an area dedicated to young babies who are perhaps starting to crawl and explore the world around them, a toddler section with small slide and ball pit, up to the area for bigger kids with three big slides, ball pit, climbing wall and football court.
This is perfect if you are visiting with children with a bit of an age gap between them. For example, I can explore the toddler area with my one-year-old, while my five-year-old whizzes up and down the big slide and my eight-year-old heads to play football. From my viewpoint in the toddler area, I can keep an eye on everyone, and nobody is compromising their play.
There is a café offering the usual hot and cold drinks, a menu with toasties, jacket potatoes, kid’s meals etc. again all located in the same vicinity so you can keep an eye on everyone.
It feels a lot lighter inside compared to other soft plays we have been to, the only dark areas being as you walk under the play frame. It is worth mentioning there are stairs climbing up to the biggest slide. This is great for the kids who just want to go on the slide again and again, just make sure to keep an eye on little ones.
New Gaming Den at Castle Mania.
- 10 TVs
- 5 XBOXs
- 5 PS4
- 100s of Online Games
- Up to 10 Players
The hire charge is £150 for 1.5 hours or £190 for 2 hours. Packages with food are also available (see image below).
Parties at Castle Mania.
Like with most soft plays, there are dedicated party rooms for the children to eat their food in after having a good play and run around.
Themed parties are available at Castle Mania and prices start from £9.95 per child. This typically includes:
- 1 hour play.
- Hot meal and dessert.
- Party invites.
- Jugs of juice.
- Party bags.
- A return pass for the birthday child.
There is a requirement of a minimum of ten children (so great for those whole class parties) and the party typically lasts 1 hour 45 minutes in total.
They also offer a disco or football party and new for 2022 is a Glow Party. Both options also include the food and party bags but are priced slightly higher at £10.50 per person.
It is worth mentioning, that whilst visiting the soft play may fill many with dread, it can have its benefits too. There is the social interaction, sharing and turn taking (possibly the best place to practise this!) and is a place for parents or grandparents to meet up and have a coffee.
Soft play centres are secure meaning children can run around without you worrying about them getting lost or escaping out the front door. Since the pandemic, soft plays, like everywhere else, must follow strict cleaning regimes and can limit the capacity if need be.
There is a website for Castle Mania but I recommend checking their Facebook page for the most up to date information and announcements: https://www.facebook.com/CastleManiasoftplay/ or call 01665 714888
All prices and times correct of January 2022.
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