Blackpool, Lancashire
The Julia Donaldson attraction sits on the promenade underneath Sea Life, and it is exactly what it sounds like: a soft play built out of the books. There is Deep Dark Wood adventure play and a separate soft play, a Room on the Broom toddler zone, a Gruffalo's Child sensory room, Zog's Dragon School challenge and a Snail and the Whale seaside area. It is built for children under 10, and it shows.
Tickets start at £12 per child and £5 per adult, booked online for a timed slot. At busy times you get 90 minutes inside on a wristband. Adults can only come in with a child aged 14 or under, which keeps it firmly a family place. Socks are compulsory for everyone, and the building is cashless.
It is sold as a combo with Sea Life upstairs, from £18 per child, and you have seven days to use the second half. That is the sensible version for a rainy Blackpool day: fish in the morning, soft play in the afternoon, and nobody has to walk more than a few metres.
What it costs: Standard entry from £12 per child (1 to 14) and from £5 per adult, pre-booked online for a 15 minute entry slot. Under 1s free but still need booking. Adult + Toddler ticket £9 for one adult and one child aged 2 and under, Monday to Friday in term time only. Clubhouse + Sea Life combined from £18 per child online. Tickets can be rescheduled free up to 24 hours before.
The Clubhouse marks 25 years of Room on the Broom with a Halloween dance party and the chance to meet Witch. Costumes encouraged. It is included in normal admission, which is from £12 a child.
Worth knowing: Built for under 10s. Adults cannot visit without a child aged 14 or under.
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