What do you need to consider when designing a soft play centeR?

When designing a soft play center, there are many things to consider such as location, size, themed or unthemed, age range...Designing a playground that is innovative, fun for all ages, to keep families coming back is of great importance. Dreamland Playground can provide you with the best advice to make your business a success . Here are some tips when considering the design of a soft play centre that you may not have thought about.

1.CONSIDER THE WHOLE FACILITY (LAYOUT)

Any successful soft play business needs to think about the ‘flow’ of the building as a whole and the logistical needs of its customers. For example, baby and toddler areas should be closer to the toilet facilities at a centre as these will be used more frequently by customers or slides should face the seating area so parents can watch their children come down. Small touches like this will help customers feel comfortable, that the facilities are easy to use and keep them coming back.

 2.DESIGNS ARE ALSO FOR ADULTS

When thinking about setting up a soft play business, there is a temptation to focus on purely the needs of the children who will be using the equipment. However, it is adults that take them there in the first place. If a facility doesn’t meet the needs of parents or guardians – i.e. is safe with good visibility of the children playing inside, with good facilities – a café, toilets, clean etc. than a facility can have the best possible equipment mix for children but this will not be used and your business will not be successful.

3.SPACE IS IMPORTANT

Any good soft play design needs to consider what a frame looks like when it is full. Space is important to achieve this – parents want to be able to see their children during their play and whilst filling a design seems like something children would enjoy, it’s important to give them both a place to breath and calm down (after all, play is hard work!) but providing ample ‘free space’ also helps prevent accidents.

4.SEATING!

Seating is one of the most important parts of a soft play area. Parents want to be able to monitor their children and if there is not enough space for them to be comfortable, this will negatively impact on any business. However, as discussed in previous blogs, up to 50% of a soft play business’ spend can come from a café – if there is not enough seating then this cuts into the opportunity for any business to make more money.

5.COLOR AND THEME

One option would be to use bold primary colors — yellow, blue and red — if you want a simple design. These cheerful colors signify playtime and help stimulate a child’s imagination. Or, consider a theme. A themed playground can capture a child’s imagination even more than a stimulating color scheme. Kids like castles, jungles and pirates, for example — make a playground theme out of it! Keep consistent with your company’s color scheme and style when designing your playground. Think of ways you can incorporate a common theme, or include a company logo on the equipment. 

These are just a couple of examples of how Dreamland Playground think about design differently in comparison to others. If you would like to talk to our experts about how we can help you realize your soft play project, please email us directly.