Days Out | Indoor Play Centres In Manchester

Over the last few months we have visited lots of indoor activity / play centres, however there are three in particular that little J has said are his favourite. All completely different but all based around in and around Manchester so I thought I would share with all three.

Total Ninja

My friend visited here earlier on in the year and after watching her videos little J decided this is where he wanted to go as a treat for his birthday. We didn't have a party, we just went as a family and we had so much fun.

Total Ninja is the worlds largest Ninja Training park. It's indoors so perfect for any weather and although we had seen videos we were still not sure what to expect.

Ninja Academy is perfect for those over 4 years of age however it can be enjoyed by all.

It's ideal to book online as it is slightly cheaper just £10 per hour rather than £12.50 on the door. One hour was more than enough time for us to enjoy all the activities and obstacles available.

They suggest you arrive 20 minutes before your timed slot and on arrival you have to sign a disclaimer to basically say you will use all equipment safely etc.

We booked early morning on a Sunday and it wasn't too busy.

Once your session begins you are free to explore and take on the many obstacles including

Climbing Wall

Foam Pits

Giant Airbag

Jump Tower

Spider Wall

Sea of Doors

Rotating Logs

Little J, Big J and John got stuck right in and they absolutely loved it. As a spectator it was nice that I could follow them round as there was lots of space for me around the sides and also places to sit.

Watching them all attempt the rotating logs gave me so many laughs, it was so funny. Not just watching the boys but also others who thought they would be able to get across but failed miserably right at the beginning.

I never felt it was overcrowded or dangerous at any point. I know in places like this kids can become boisterous but I felt like there was plenty of staff keeping the kids in check, especially those who had no adult supervision.

Planning Our Visit

Located in Trafford Park, Manchester.

Total Ninja opens 10am every day. We decided to head to the park for the 10am slot in the hope it wouldn't be as busy as it would later on in the day. We were right.

Price is £10 per person for 1 hour or if you do not book online it's £12.50

Appropriate footwear must be worn, no slip on shoes or flip flops.

Gloves are available priced at £5 per pair.

Suitable for ages 4 and up however the air bag does have a height restriction. You must be a minimum of 1.25m to use this obstacle.

There are vending machines available for drinks and snacks or a cafe with viewing platform.

All 3 had a great time and it was nice to hear little J say instantly that he wanted to return as soon as our time was up.

For more information visit Total Ninja

Inflata Nation 

A few weeks ago we were given the opportunity to visit Inflata Nation a huge indoor inflatable theme park. We showed little J the photo gallery online and he couldn't wait. He was so excited. 

When we arrived we had to sign a disclaimer form which we took to reception. The boys were given a wristband and told to take off their shoes. At this point you cannot see the inflatables so little J was bursting with excitement and couldn't wait to see what was around the corner.

The boys got in the queue until their timed slot began, once the rope was lifted there was a stampede of children and adults running towards the huge inflatables.

I was viewing from an upstairs platform which had a small cafe however it didn't open for the duration. There is a larger cafe downstairs that you can buy drinks and snacks from and you can take upstairs.

The inflatable is like one huge bouncy castle however it has lots and lots of activities including

The Inflata

Inflata Wall

Inflata Duel

Inflata Race

Inflata Bubbles

Inflata Drop

Inflata Hoops

I'd say it probably took the boys a good 10 minutes to get the feel of the inflatables and the activities available but then they were whizzing from one activity to another.

Their favourites were definitely The Inflata and Inflata Drop. Both are slides and they did look lots of fun.

Little J also just enjoyed bouncing on the Inflata Bubbles and was happy jumping and waving at me encouraging me to watch how high he could bounce. 

Planning Our Visit

Inflata Nation has two locations at the moment, Cheshire and Manchester. Although we are closer to Cheshire we chose Manchester.

It's open daily
 Mon-Fri 12pm-9pm
Sat-Sun 9am-9pm
School Holidays from 10am weekdays.

It's advised you book in advance to avoid disappointment. We booked 10am on Sunday and it was busy, the 11am session was very busy!

Prices are
 £5.95 for under 4's (there is a lovely little bounce park for toddlers only)
£9.95 for 4 and over.

This is for 1 hour. You can purchase another hour for just £7. (1 hour was definitely enough the boys were sweating)

It's advised you were long sleeved tops and pants as obviously you could get friction burns on your elbows or knees, however the boys wore shorts and t-shirts because it was so hot both inside and out.

The cafe is a reasonable size offering hot and cold drinks and snacks.

The boys absolutely loved their visit. It was so much and perfect for kids and adults. Little J has already told all his friends about it and cannot wait to return during the school holidays.

More more information visit Inflata Nation

Kick Air

John and little J attended an event at Kick Air last week. Kick Air is an indoor freestyle park with lots of activities on offer for all ages.

As this was an event John and little J arrived at 6pm. It was quite quiet however after speaking to a member of staff, John found out it is extremely busy most of the time.

After signing a disclaimer they were ready to enjoy the new feature at Kick Air, WallJam.

WallJam is a football skills challenge which is used by footballers all over the world. WallJam is brilliant for helping little ones and adults alike learn how to aim at a particular point and use the right level of power and accuracy to hit the target. The target you are aiming at lights up and you have a timer to hit it before the target moves. Lots of fun and there is also an electronic scoring system where you can see how you have compared to other players in the day. Little J loved this.

As well as the WallJam feature there is RoboKeeper. He moves from side to side trying to stop you from scoring. This was a big hit with Little J. The staff can alter the ability of the keeper which is brilliant so it isn't so tough for younger players and not so easy for older ones.

As well as the Kick Zone there is also Air Zone which features all your trampolines. Little J loves bouncing fun so enjoyed trying to get to new heights whilst enjoying the Air Arena.

There is also basketball, dodgeball and total wipeout to enjoy too.

As I usually spectate and I didn't go to this event I cannot tell you much about the viewing platform or cafe  however we are planning another visit soon so I will definitely update this post.

Planning Our (Future) Visit

Kick Air is located just by the Manchester Arena, Manchester.

It's open weekdays 11-8pm and weekends 10-8pm

After speaking to staff they have recommended very early on a Sunday morning when it is still busy but just not as busy as later on. He gave the impression its a little bit manic so please do keep that in mind.

From looking at the website you are charged per zone you wish to play in.

Air Zone is £10 per hour
Kick Zone is £10 per hour
however if you wish to buy a crossover ticket that is £13 and allows you to use both zones for one hour however limited availability.

Jump socks must be worn at all times and are charged at £2 per pair.

I am looking forward to visiting this Summer. I know little J is excited but also big J wants to go and see what it's like especially the Kick Zone

For more information you can visit Kick Air

Lots of great indoor play centres to choose from. Hopefully we will be visiting more around the North West soon so do keep an eye on our blog for more recommendations.

Michelle

We were invited to Inflata Nation and Kick Air for the purpose of a mention on our blog. Any thoughts or opinions are our own.