active play


Indoor play


Indoor play centres can play a significant role in tackling childhood obesity and inactivity, says the British Association of Leisure, Parks, Piers & Attractions (BALPPA).


TYPICALLY viewed as a treat or somewhere to go when the weather is bad, indoor play centres are not usually considered facilities that successfully engage children in physical activity, but they should be. With more than 1,100 sites across the UK, these venues provide a potential resource to support the fight against childhood obesity and inactivity. “Indoor play centres have come a long way


since they sprung up 20 to 25 years ago,” says Janice Dunphy, managing director of Web Adventure Park and chair of BALPPA Family Entertainment Centre Association (FECA). “The bigger brands opening back then were


attached to pubs and restaurant chains. There were small and included a few slides and a huge ball pool. Things have changed considerably over the last two decades and the original style of play barn would never survive in today’s market.” Despite the changes, the general perception


of indoor play centres has not altered however. “Parents bring their children to soft play


centres, but rarely consider the benefits. If parents actually used the equipment with their children - which we allow in my centre - they


Adventure Park in York. Facilities at the venue’s Creepy Crawlies indoor play centre include one of the biggest four lane Astra slides in the country, separate play zones incorporating baby and toddler areas, sports arena, disco area, ball canons and a giant play frame. “Having spent 10 years as a teacher, I love


investigating deeper into play, particularly in my centre. And as the chair of an association representing indoor play, I’m very aware of the struggle members have with filling their venues during warmer weather and asking for an appropriate entry fee to reflect the investment in their centre. I knew the only way to assist with this was to get some facts and evidence about the value of a visit to a centre,” she says. Two research programmes were


commissioned – one to evaluate the impact of indoor play on physical activity and another to investigate how indoor play affects children with developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD). Commonly known as dyspraxia, the condition affects physical co-ordination and causes a child to perform less well than expected in daily activities for his or her age, and appear to move clumsily. The condition is thought to be around three or four times more common in boys than girls, and sometimes runs in families. Evidence suggests that nearly five per cent of children have DCD.


36 pactfacilities.co.uk


would have more understanding of how physically challenging it is,” says Dunphy. To prove the point, Dunphy commissioned


York St John University to study the physical benefits of indoor play at her centre, Web


The DCD study was carried out over a


number of weeks with a small sample of children, while the physical activity research was conducted over a few weekends among a larger sample of children visiting the centre. In both cases, accelerometers were attached


to the children, measurements taken and the children took part in a post-play questionnaire. The children played for two hours and readings were taken after that period. Both studies showed the benefits of indoor


play with children using the facilities meeting or exceeding the government’s recommended daily target for physical activity. The findings were true of all children who were studied, regardless of age, ability, size, gender or level of fitness and also whether they were playing alone or with friends. “The research uncovered something really


important – enjoyment. Children really enjoyed what they were doing. The children were not aware that they were exercising - they were playing. When it was pointed out it was great exercise, some even said they didn’t like sport or PE,” says Dunphy. For the DCD study, Lois Addy, senior lecturer


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