Condoms in the ball pit & the biggest day for pick-ups & boozed parents – the dirty truth behind soft play centres
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MENTION a trip to a soft play centre and parents’ eyes widen in horror. The ear-splitting screeches of over-excited tots, harsh fluorescent lighting and bland food make it any sane mum or dad’s idea of hell — so spare a thought for those who work in one.
![[Our anonymous mole knows first-hand what might be going on behind the scenes at your local play gym]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/NINTCHDBPICT000869255219.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
With 60million visits a year nationwide, business is booming. But one soft play worker, who agreed to be our anonymous mole and spill the beans on the industry, says children can be the least of the problems. Our insider began working in a play gym as a teenager and was so horrified by the bad behaviour of squiffy parents she opened her own centre in the South East, boasting a strict no-booze policy, a decent cafe and a thorough cleanliness policy.
![[Parents would often get drunk and ditch their kids at the play gym]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/drunk-teenager-glass-white-wine-869275252.jpg?strip=all&w=719)
But she knows first-hand what might be going on behind the scenes at your local play gym. Here, she reveals all. MY first job when I was 17 was in a soft play area adjoining a pub, and the job description should have included “nightclub bouncer”. Parents would come along to get drunk and ditch their kids. The rule was they had to stay with their child but they were far more interested in getting back to the pub.
![[Even condoms have been found in the ball pit during the clean-up]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/portrait-man-woman-looking-shoulders-869255401.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
They would have drunken arguments with us and other parents, usually when they were asked to actually look after their own kids. Our closing time was 6pm and by then parents had often been drinking since noon and were paralytic. Often we had to call the police because they weren’t safe to take their kids home.
![[Parents are so exhausted that they often fall asleep while keeping an eye on their child]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/closeup-beautiful-female-backpacker-tourist-869279484.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
