Soft Play in Sunderland and Washington

When the wind comes in off the North Sea, soft play is often the easiest answer for families with young children in Sunderland. The city and Washington between them have a good spread of options: leisure centre play frames run by Everyone Active, independent play centres with cafes and party rooms, a community-run soft play in Concord and a trampoline park with its own soft play sessions. This guide covers what each one offers, who it suits and the practical details worth knowing before you go. Prices change regularly, so we have left them out; check each venue's website for current rates.

Sunderland Aquatic Centre

The soft play at Sunderland Aquatic Centre, next to the Stadium of Light, is a two-tier structure with slides and a ball pool for toddlers up to around age eight. It is open daily from 9am to 7pm, which makes it one of the few options for an after-school or early evening session. Children must be supervised by an adult aged over 18 and must wear socks. The centre also runs exclusive soft play parties for groups of up to 50 children, and it is easy to combine play with a swim in the same building.

Best for: Families wanting a late-opening session or a swim and play in one trip.

Play World at Washington Leisure Centre

Washington Leisure Centre in the town centre runs Play World, a two-tier soft play with slides, a ball pool, tunnels and ramps for children aged eight and under. It is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6.30pm, Saturday 9am to 4pm and Sunday 9am to 6pm. A practical bonus is that food from the leisure centre cafe can be eaten in the play area, so lunch does not mean dragging children away from the frame. The centre also has a 25m pool and a learner pool with flumes.

Best for: Washington families who want a straightforward, leisure-centre soft play with a cafe.

Tumbles World, Millfield

Tumbles World is an independent play centre on Hylton Road in Millfield, with a soft play adventure area, a coffee shop and a party room. It also runs a programme of classes for young children, listed on its website. It is one of the easiest soft plays to reach without a car: Millfield Metro station is directly opposite and buses 10 and 20 stop outside. The website gives opening hours of 9.30am to 5.30pm daily.

Best for: Parents of babies and toddlers who want a soft play reachable by Metro.

The Fun Jungle, Washington

The Fun Jungle on Sulgrave Road in Washington is open every day from 9.30am to 7pm for children from birth to 12. Its multi-tier frames are split into baby, toddler and junior zones, so younger children are not competing with older ones, and there are electric ride-on bikes and an aqua blaster area too. A food menu covers meals and snacks, and there are party rooms for birthdays.

Best for: Families with a spread of ages, up to 12, who want separate zones and food on site.

Millie's Magical Garden, Concord

Millie's Magical Garden is run by the Washington Millennium Centre Trust in a converted sports hall at the Millennium Centre in Concord. It has a large Tree House frame plus separate baby and toddler areas for children up to 10. Sessions last 90 minutes, there is no pre-booking and payment is cash only, so bring cash with you. In term time, a Toddler Time offer runs on weekdays from 9.30am to 3pm. Opening hours are Monday to Thursday 9.30am to 6pm, Friday until 5.45pm, and weekends 9.30am to 4.45pm.

Best for: Families who prefer a community-run soft play and are happy to turn up without booking.

Super Tramp Sunderland

Super Tramp Sunderland on Ferryboat Lane, Castletown, is the city's trampoline park, but it also runs soft play sessions daily and a Tots Club for under-fives. Older children can move on to the main trampoline court, the airbag, the battle beam and tumble tracks, which makes it useful for families with a toddler and an older sibling. Everyone jumping needs a signed waiver, and the park asks visitors to arrive 30 minutes before their session. There is a cafe and a party offer.

Best for: Families with toddlers and older children who all want something to do.

Choosing a soft play

A few things are worth thinking about before you set off:

• Booking: the Everyone Active sites and Super Tramp take online bookings, while Millie's Magical Garden is walk-in only. In school holidays it is worth booking wherever you can.
• Socks: most soft plays ask children to wear socks on the frame, so pack a spare pair.
• Ages: the leisure centre frames are aimed at under-eights, while The Fun Jungle takes children up to 12 and Millie's up to 10.
• Parties: the Aquatic Centre, Washington Leisure Centre, Tumbles World, The Fun Jungle and Super Tramp all run children's parties, from exclusive hire at the Aquatic Centre to party rooms at the independents.

For more ideas when the weather is poor, see our guide to a rainy day in Sunderland, and for under-fives there is our guide to baby and toddler groups in Sunderland. Our families page brings together everything for children across the city.

Know a place we have missed? Get in touch.