Play Pod

Having visited way too many soft play centres than is reasonably good for my mental health, I have become quite the connoisseur. Others like their brandy, or their fine wine, for me, it’s soft play.
Play Pod is set back from the Stratford Road and can be quite easily missed if you don’t know where to look. It’s quite close to Shirley Park. Check the website for exact location.
It’s much smaller than all the other places I’ve been to. I really like the fact that there is a special section for 18 months and younger. It has a stair gate to the access point and has plenty of soft things to crawl over, plus it includes the ubiquitous ball pit.
It’s possible to have a coffee (or in my case the usual hot chocolate) and sit right next to the space which allows you to keep an eye and have a little peace.
The bigger kids area is lots of fun too, with the usual tower frame allowing the children to go upwards as they play.
I have been there for a birthday party and as these things go, it was definitely better than the usual. The birthday pods are nicely decorated and everything is in a good, clean state. The thing I also liked is that after the children have eaten at the party they’re not allowed back onto the play area.
There’s a disco room too. It’s not open on Tuesday’s or Wednesday’s and as ever with these places it can get very busy at peak times like school and bank holidays, when it’s open 7 days a week.