Although it’s the summer holidays I’m sure everyone is thinking the same thing, where has the sun actually gone. So if like me you are trying to find ways to occupy the children, not spend a fortune, keep dry and most importantly have fun, then check out the below.
We decided to spend the morning at Places Leisure in Camberley. Back in the summer of 2021 the Leisure centre underwent an enormous £22m renovation and we went along to explore some of the activities which they have on for children.
Facilities at the centre include a 160-station gym floor, a fully-immersive group cycling studio, three group exercise studios and a climate-controlled hot yoga studio. In addition to two swimming pools – a six-lane, 25m pool and a 20m training pool with moveable floor – the centre’s wet areas include a salt room, sauna, steam rooms and a relaxation area with heated beds and loungers.
The first session of the day was Active Play and Bounce which was run by Kelly (who I must say is incredible, she interacts with all the children playing games and has such a great energy around them. We also attended one of her other sessions here Pop Up Play Village Camberley and Woking.
Active Play & Bounce at Places Leisure Camberley
During Active Play and Bounce you can let your child run wild on the inflatable obstacle course! The inflatable adventure course has soft matting, soft play shapes, hoops and more. It is great for developing gross motor skills, social interaction, keeping active and most of all – having fun! Noah and Isabella loved the bouncy castle and especially the slide.
Set inside one of the main halls there is a lot of room for the children to run around and explore. There were plenty of ride on cars, scooters and bikes so they could enjoy this space and have as much freedom to practice their skills as they needed. Plus various balls to kick around, games to play and open space for that freedom to explore.
Places Leisure Camberley Swimming Pool & Splash Pad
We then decided to head off to the swimming pool, and unfortunately the splash pad was currently closed so we weren’t able to enjoy that during this visit. It did look like a lot of fun from what we could see, so will be heading back there soon to check it out. We headed to the main pool and had lots of fun there, in the water we’re foam floats which we were able to swim with, jump on and play with. We stayed for an hour in here and all enjoyed ourselves.
The swimming facilities were all very clean, the showers were lovely and warm so was nice to freshen up after our swim session. Also in the changing area the family cubicle was large enough for us all to fit in and comfortably get changed. If needed there was also hair dryer facilities too.
After these activities this morning we ventured downstairs to the in-house Costa where we grabbed that much needed coffee and a slice of delicious cake.
Places Leisure Centre Camberley Soft Play
Last on the list of activities for our adventure was the Soft Play. This consisted of a 4-storey play area situated within a large frame. There was also a separate area for the smaller children which had padded flooring, soft play shapes, and interactive shapes on the wall which they could play with.
There were numerous slides which varied in height, and was even a double one which we could slide down together. The layout was great as you had various ways to gain access to the next floor, and each floor had added extras too. We even came across mini trampolines set within the soft play itself.
The little ones managed to climb right to the top of the soft play to a bubble window where they could look down at me relaxing with my coffee. There were lots of obstacles to crawl under and over, and each way you turned there was a different tunnel or rope bridge to climb across.
There was also some ball shooters where we could be at the top of the play frame and shoot the balls down towards to the floor below us, this provided lots of fun. We also found a spinning pole where Noah and Isabella were able to sit on it and spin around as fast as they could.
There is only 1 way in and out of the soft play so it is easy to keep an eye on your children. Plus there is seating and tables at the bottom from where you can sit and watch the children playing and having fun.
We had a fantastic time here and only tried out a couple of the activities which they had on offer. There are so many other classes and sessions that they really have thought of something for everyone.
