Go Bonkers

About

Reviewers who booked a birthday here barely mention the play structure. What they write about is the host assigned to them, the same role appearing in account after account, holding the schedule together, bringing the food out and clearing up afterwards so that the parents get to attend their own child's party. One host family singles out the managers for confirming every detail before the day, during it and afterwards. On a page where several venues will sell you a party, this is the strongest evidence that somebody else will actually run it.

Open play is a quieter proposition. It is built for children under ten, with a multi-level structure, a village of themed playhouses and a separate zone for the under-fours, and it sits inside a shopping mall, which makes it an easy hour rather than a day out. Take the all-day pass over the hourly one if there is any chance of coming back, because it allows re-entry, and one parent filling a whole day between two airport runs describes using it exactly that way. The cafe is a real kitchen: pizza made on site, milkshakes, coffee, and massage chairs beside the seating.

One policy catches people out. Cake, decorations and presents are not allowed unless you have booked a party room, so an impromptu celebration at a table is not an option here. Grip socks are compulsory for children and sold at the desk if you forget them.