I was really excited to be invited along for an early viewing of the new soft play at Yarnton Home & Garden with my little one when it first opened. We became regulars over the years and it’s always been super clean, bright and airy.
Situated in Yarnton Home & Garden (previously knows as the Yarnton Garden Centre), Yarnton Magic Garden has taken it’s inspiration from nature. The space is drenched with light and there’s an outdoor and gardening theme running throughout.
With an upper age limit of 10, I’d say it’s most suited to up to 8 max. My eldest is almost 8 and he’s starting to grow out of soft play unless it’s the really massive ones like the Riverside Hub or Sprouts at Millets.
There’s a mid sized multi level frame section in muted greens and several routes to traverse to reach two sets of slides. One smaller double green slide is great for little ones and the curly wurly white one for speed demons. I went down it a few times with my then almost 3 year old and he loooooved it. It’s mostly padded but the structure is made from wood so kids running at full pelt around corners might need to be careful.
Little ones who aren’t ready to go climbing yet have their own area with soft play shapes and a mini slide. They’ve also added in a sensory style area with glowing bubble tube and soft mats in a darkened area.
My son spent ages with the new friends he made in the ‘garden shed’. It’s got a squidgy see saw which I haven’t seen at any other soft plays, pretend rocks and massive soft play garden tools.
There’s one little red wheelbarrow that all the kids were drawn too and I can imagine they might need a couple more when they open to the public. Around the back of the ‘shed’ are drain pipe runs and balls to feed into them.
At the other end of the soft play is a great outdoor camp station perfect for imaginative play. The country play kitchen is lovely with lots of wooden utensils, a tent, swinging hammock (I was tempted to curl up in there for a nap) and tepees.
The soft play at Yarnton Home & Garden has developed over the year. I love the addition of the quality toys, perfect for toddlers.
One thing I also loved was all the space around and there’s lots of seating capacity whether you’re having a bite to eat from the Magic Garden Cafe or just want to chill out on a sofa.
The weather was gorgeous on our most recent visit and the garden area was a hit. It’s got artifical grass so no worries about getting muddy and a selection of diddi cars and building blocks.
Yarnton Magic Garden Soft Play Sessions
These are the latest session times (Jun e2024) but do check their website before visiting and as it’s popular, I’d recommend booking ahead.
Monday – Saturday | Session 1: 9.30am – 11.30am
Session 2: 12pm – 2pm Session 3: 2.30pm – 5pm |
Sunday | Session 1: 10am – 11.45am
Session 2: 12.15pm – 2pm Session 3: 2.30pm – 4.15pm |
Parking & Facilities
There’s a great big free car park and there are toilets and changing facilities within the soft play so you don’t need to go in and out to the garden centre when the need arises.
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