There is no minimum age for soft play, and most babies start getting something out of it once they can sit up unaided or have begun crawling, usually somewhere between six and nine months. Before that they are mainly there for the colours, the noise and the other children, which is not nothing, but it is not worth planning a morning around.
This guide is the practical version: what it costs, when to come, what the baby zone actually is, what to put in the bag and how long to stay. Fun Street is the air conditioned indoor soft play on the upper level of Silverburn Shopping Centre, Barrhead Road, Glasgow G53 6AG, open every day from 10am to 6pm, with free parking and directions here.
Is my baby too young?
Almost certainly not, but the frank answer depends on what you are hoping to get from the visit.
A baby who can sit up unaided will play. They will reach for blocks, pat at a ball pit, watch older children and get tired in a satisfying way. A baby who is crawling will do all of that plus cover ground. Both of those are proper visits.
A baby under about four months is coming along for the ride. The lights, the colours and the sound of other children are genuinely stimulating, and plenty of parents bring a small baby because an older sibling needs somewhere to burn an hour and a half. That is a good reason. Coming specially, for the baby alone, is usually not.
What it costs, and the number that surprises people
Entry is per person, and the price steps up sharply with age. A session lasts one hour and thirty minutes and includes every area of the centre.
| Who | Weekday | Weekend |
|---|---|---|
| Adult, 13 and over | £1.99 | £2.99 |
| Baby under 6 months | £1.99 | £2.99 |
| Infant, 6 to 12 months | £5.99 | £7.99 |
| Toddler, 13 to 35 months | £9.99 | £14.99 |
| Child, 3 to 12 years | £10.99 | £15.99 |
The number people do not expect: one adult and a baby under six months is £3.98 on a weekday. That is less than most soft play centres charge for the coffee. With an eight month old it is £7.98. It only becomes a real spend once you cross into the toddler tier at thirteen months. Everything is listed on the prices page.
The baby zone, and why separation matters
The single thing parents of babies worry about is a seven year old at full speed coming through the space their child is sitting in. It is a fair worry and it is the reason a lot of first visits go badly somewhere else.
The baby and toddler area at Fun Street is separated from the main play frame rather than tucked into a corner of it. Padded floors, soft blocks, a ball pit sized for small people and low equipment they can pull themselves up on. Older children are not passing through it.
It is also within sight of the seating, which matters more than it sounds. You can put a coffee down from Erina’s Kitchen and still see them. The full layout of the centre is on the soft play page.
A baby who is not being climbed over has a completely different visit.
The air conditioning, and babies who cannot cool themselves
Fun Street is Scotland’s only fully air conditioned, climate controlled soft play centre. For most visitors that is a comfort point. For a baby it is closer to a safety one.
Small babies regulate their own temperature poorly, which is why a stuffy play barn in July ends with a red faced, miserable child twenty minutes into a session you paid for. A steady temperature across the whole building removes that variable. It works the other way in February too, when the problem is draughts rather than heat.
When to come, and when not to
Weekday mornings, shortly after we open at 10am. That is the answer for almost every family with a baby. It is the quietest part of the week, the tickets are cheaper, and it sits before the lunchtime nap rather than across it.
Work backwards from the nap rather than forwards from your plans. A baby who is due to sleep in forty minutes will not enjoy a play session, and neither will you. School holidays and weekend afternoons are the busiest times, which is fine for a confident crawler with an older sibling and less good for a first visit. If noise and heat are a particular issue for your child, our guide for families with additional support needs goes further.
What to pack
| What | Why |
|---|---|
| Socks, for you as well | Everyone entering the play areas wears socks. It is the one rule people forget, and it applies to adults on the mats |
| Soft, stretchy clothes | Leggings or a babygrow. Nothing with a stiff waistband or a sharp zip that digs in while they crawl |
| Milk or baby food | Older children and adults eat from Erina’s Kitchen, and you are welcome to bring your own for the baby |
| Nappies and wipes | There are spacious baby changing facilities on site, but bring your own supplies |
| A spare top for you | Ball pits and shared drinks. You will need it more often than they will |
How long to stay on a first visit
Less than you have paid for, and that is fine.
A session runs an hour and a half. On a first visit, most babies have taken in as much new information as they can handle in about an hour. There is no prize for using the whole slot, and leaving while they are still enjoying themselves is what makes the second visit easy.
Get down on the mat with them. Take your shoes off, sit in the space rather than beside it, and let them come back to you between explorations. The parents who have the best time are the ones who treat it as somewhere to play together rather than somewhere to supervise from.
What we would not tell you to do
- Do not build a morning around a baby under four months. They will sleep through most of it. Come when an older child needs the space.
- Do not come straight after a feed. Rolling, crawling and being lifted in and out of a ball pit is not what a full stomach wants.
- Do not book a weekend afternoon for a first visit. It is the loudest, busiest part of the week and it is the worst possible introduction.
- Do not skip the socks. You will be sent to buy a pair, and it will happen at the exact moment the baby is ready to go in.
When they are older and you are looking at the frame rather than the mats, our guide to the toddler zones picks up where this one stops, and the Paisley guide covers getting here from Renfrewshire.
Frequently asked questions
What age can a baby go to soft play?
There is no minimum age. In practice most babies start getting real value from it once they can sit up unaided or have started crawling, which is usually somewhere between six and nine months. Younger babies still enjoy the colours, the movement and watching other children.
How much is baby soft play in Glasgow?
At Fun Street a baby under six months is £1.99 on a weekday and £2.99 at the weekend, and an infant of 6 to 12 months is £5.99 and £7.99. Adults are £1.99 and £2.99. So one adult with a baby under six months is £3.98 on a weekday. A session lasts an hour and a half.
Do adults have to pay to come in with a baby?
Yes, everyone entering needs a ticket, but the adult price is the lowest one on the list at £1.99 on a weekday and £2.99 at the weekend.
Is there a separate area for babies?
Yes. The baby and toddler area is separated from the main play frame, not a corner of it, so older children are not running through the space. It has padded floors, soft blocks, a small ball pit and low equipment to pull up on, and it is in sight of the seating.
What is the quietest time to bring a baby?
A weekday morning shortly after we open at 10am. It is the calmest part of the week and the cheapest, and it falls before the usual lunchtime nap rather than across it.
Can I bring a pram inside?
Yes. The aisles are wide enough for prams and Silverburn Shopping Centre is fully accessible with lifts to the upper level, where Fun Street is. Parking at Silverburn is free and there are directions on the How to Get There page.
Can I bring my own baby food and milk?
Yes. Older children and adults eat from Erina’s Kitchen, the on-site family cafe, and you are welcome to bring your own food and milk for a baby.
Do babies need to wear socks?
Yes, and so do you. Everyone going into the play areas wears socks, adults included. It is the rule people most often arrive without knowing.
How long should a first visit be?
A session is an hour and a half, and most babies have had enough new information after about an hour on a first visit. Leaving while they are still enjoying it makes the next visit much easier.
Is Fun Street too hot for a small baby?
No. It is Scotland’s only fully air conditioned, climate controlled soft play centre, so the temperature stays steady across the whole building. Small babies regulate their own temperature poorly, which is exactly why that matters more for them than for anybody else.
