Lanky Bills - A whole lot of fun (Lanky Bills Soft Play Centre (England))

Member Name: mum2boys82

Product:	Lanky Bills Soft Play Centre (England)
Date:	08/09/08 (135 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Layout, food

Disadvantages: Can get busy at times

Lanky Bills is soft play centre in Langley Mill, Nottingham. It is for children from crawling age to around 11 years old.

Opening times and prices
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Monday - Thursday 9.30am - 6.30pm
Friday - Sunday 9.30am - 6pm

£3.50 per child during the week during term time, £3.95 per child at the weekend and during school holidays, this entitles you to 2 hours of play (if it is quite they do not usually enforce the 2 hour play time but during school holidays and at peak times expect to be asked to leave after 2 hours). There is a special rate for children who are just crawling which I think is around £2 per crawler.

For just £2.75 there are toddler groups mon and friday 10-12 and wedesday 12.30-2.30.

They also run an OFSTED approved after school and school holiday club.

Visit www.lankybills.com for more information.

What is there?
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Lanky Bills is found in a large warehouse type building on an industrial estate in Langley Mill, from the outside you can't really tell what waits inside for you!

When you enter you need to sign your child/ren in with details of date of birth, address etc. You then hand over your child/rens shoes and are given a keyring with the number of the cubby hole your child's shoes are stored. You will also be given a piece of paper with your expected departure time.

There is a security gate that can only be operated by the staff to allow access in and out of the soft play centre (except in cases of emergency where an over ride button is provided).

When you get through the gate you will see the coffee/snack bar behind you, an area of tables and chairs directly in front of you and the play equipment around the 3 sides of the walls, this means that the tables and chairs are kind of in the middle of the play area which means you can almost always spot your child and they can see you too!

There is an area for 0 to 5 years which has a small slide, soft balls, lots of soft play equipment and lots of room to run around. Then an area for over 5 years, which if it is not busy all the kids play on, there is a bigger slide, tunnel slide, rope bridge, ball pit, lots of running around room with tunnels etc. There is also a dance room and a small little tykes type play house for the little ones.

All in all you can spend a good few hours getting to know the routes your kids take around the play equipment.

You mentioned drinks and snacks?
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They cater for most eventualities here. You can buy coffee, tea, hot chocolate, soft drinks, fruit shoots for the kids etc. They also sell crisps, sweets and chocolates as well as proper meals if you wanted to have lunch there. The prices aren't too bad and the range of food on offer is good, things such as baguettes, soup, jacket potatoes and pastas on offer all for under £5.

Do they do parties?
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As with most soft play centres they do parties to suite most people. You can hire the entire centre from £225, or you can hold parties for just a few children for a price per head including food, drink and a gift for the lucky child. They also hold laser storm parties and jewellery parties for older children.

Would you recommend it?
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I think this is one of the better soft play centres we have been to, although it is not the biggest it is laid out so that you can see your child for most of the time they play which is really reassuring if there are lots of older children and you are worried about them being knocked over etc.

The food served is really good and the staff are always helpful, although not always looking happy (to be honest with that many screaming kids around you all day long I can't say I blame them!).

If you are in the area on a wet day then it is definitely worth a visit.

Summary: Give it a go on a wet day.