List Of Soft Plays In Chesterfield 2025
Last updated 15th April 2025
Written by Abbie Coleman, a local mum of two based in Chesterfield and Edtor for MMB Magazine and Ey-Up Derbyshire Kids.
Table of Contents
Chesters Den (In Chesterfield FC)
SMH Group Stadium, 1866 Sheffield Rd, Chesterfield S41 8NZ
Bus: Yes, you will find lots of buses go past the Chesterfield FV Stadium, including the X17, 50
The only soft play that is located in a football stadium! Chester’s Den is a soft play based in Chesterfield Football Club. This is a smaller soft play area with slides and rope swings, and there is also a particular sensory room with sensory play equipment at the bottom level of the play frame. There is even a mini basketball/football court on the second floor of the play frame. There is a small café onsite as well. Plenty of car parking and accessibility by bus help it make our list of best soft plays in Chesterfield for younger children.
We always treat ourselves to breakfast, which has fantastic and tasty value.
They have toilets just outside the soft play area, where you must release the door and buzz to get back in. The toilets are great; they are child-size, so they are fab for toilet training. So, they are a firm favourite in our top soft plays in Chesterfield.
Open 9am to 6pm Monday through Saturday and from 10am to 4pm Sundays. Additionally, they offer dedicated time slots for neurodiverse groups and private parties for full facility rentals.
Age: The play area is for those aged 12 and under
Cost: The usual price is for children under the age of 2 £3 and children aged 2 and above £5.50
Baby-changing facilities and a breast-feeding-friendly venue
Chesters Den Soft Play In Chesterfield FC Grounds Website
Jiibee Land (Clay Cross) (The most raved about online by mums)
It is owned by two mums who envisioned how soft play should be! Jilbee Land is a medium-sized soft play centre suitable for children up to 10 years. It includes a younger soft play area for babies & toddlers so they can play safely and make new friends. They have ride-on cars and a larger play frame for older children. Keep an eye on what’s on the page for many extra activities, including baby sensory, tummy time, and much more for little ones.
Contact the soft plays in Chesterfield for further information, including pricing, opening times, special events, birthday parties, party packages, and party rooms.
The reviews on this play centre from other mums online and on Facebook are outstanding, and we are excited to add it to our soft play in Chesterfield list.
Open: Monday – Friday 9.30am-6pm Saturdays 10am-5pm Sundays 10am-4pm
Cost: 1 year and over £5, Under 1’s £1, No charge for adults
Website: Jilbee Land Soft Play Website
Sugar Snap Play – Launched In October 2023
The Glassworks, 388 Sheffield Rd, Chesterfield S41 8LF
Facebook Page: Sugar Snap Play
“A Montessori style stay and play!”
This is a great new venture and style of new soft plays in Chesterfield fits a market gap for those with young babies as well as pre schoolers. It’s not your standard soft play, and you know what? That’s so refreshing, I wish it had been around when Eliza was smaller.
It also allows connecting with other mums with babies you usually wouldn’t see at your usual soft play. I am so excited about this venue and can not wait to visit. We have already been in contact with the fab and friendly team, and it seems this is one of the few places doing something different.
They will be doing messy play sessions, each with a different topic. It’s a really great place for babies and toddlers to explore, learn, and build on key skills and cognitive development.
They have worked hard to make it a truly inclusive haven for all kids, including those with special educational needs (SEN). One of the things they are working to deliver is offering SEN mornings in the future. They have set up a special sensory room complete with those mesmerizing fibre optic lights. During these sessions, soothing music will play, and the group sizes will be kept small so it doesn’t become too overwhelming.
They are also working hard on supporting healthy habits for kids’ food choices, which is a positive in our book!
Little Monkeys – Large Play Frames
(Ok, technically Matlock, but it’s so close we had to include it in our top soft plays in Chesterfield as great for slightly older kids!)
Darwin Forest, Two Dales, Matlock DE4 5PL
I love this place. It’s great for toddlers and older kids, and it’s huge! It’s based in the Darwin Forest. If you’ve got little ones aged 0-3, you’re in luck. It has a separate area just for them, complete with ball pits, interactive play equipment, and a slide. So you can be sure they can play with kids their own age.
With such a range of soft play options, older kids can let loose and explore to their heart’s content. They’ll be climbing heights, navigating nets, swinging on ropes, bouncing on trampolines, crawling through tubes, and zooming down slides. Kimi’s favourites have always been the big slide and the football zone.
It’s an adventure-packed paradise that promises endless entertainment and peace for a good hour!
Open: Daily from 10am – 6pm. Closed Monday
Age: Suitable for children under 1.45m or 4ft 9 inches in height and aged under 11.
Cost: The children’s entry fee for park guests is £3.50 (Weekdays) and £4.50 (Weekends) for a two-hour play session. Adults and babies under 12 months are free. There is no need to pre-book.
Lock Keepers Brewsters Fayre (By Sainsbury’s Rother Way)
Tapton Lock Hill Off, Rother Way, Chesterfield S41 7NJ
Please note it recently changed opening hours to 12 noon, so double-check before you go.
A short walk from Chester’s Den, if you go under the pathway, you come up to the other side of the lock and a popular Brewster’s Fayre. There is also a small outdoor play area and a soft play on site, and the soft play is separate from the pub, giving you a secure environment while the children run around. It is a fair-sized play area that allows even the older children to burn off some energy.
Brewster’s is adding more fun activities to this play space, including messy crafts and rhythm and rhyme sessions for children under 4. You can have your hot or cold food in the play area or finish your play and sit in the family pub area for quieter surroundings for your main meal with the whole family. That’s why it makes our list of soft plays in Chesterfield.
Do check opening times. A few times we have been, they have been closed or late opening. There’s also a height limit, so I would say any 11-year-old may struggle to be allowed in.
Open: every day, 12pm – 7pm
Age: For kids up to 145cm
Cost: £4.50 per child. Kids can participate in the fun activities and spend 90 minutes in the soft play area. Well worth a mention in our top soft plays in Chesterfield listings.
Healthy Living Centre (Staveley) Leisure Centre Based
Barlow Rd, Staveley, Chesterfield S43 3XR
This is based within Chesterfield Borough Council leisure centre and has a huge play frame and five floors soft play zone with tons to entertain the children, including a mini climbing wall, ball pool, wave slide, and helter-skelter. The play zone is not supervised, so you must stay in the area, but plenty of seats allow you to sit and watch the children in a safe environment in a large seating area. It’s not a café area but just tables and chairs and some vending machines so you could bring your own lunch or treats. There are plenty of ways to burn off all that excess energy.
Open: Monday to Friday: 9am to 8pm. Weekends: 9am to 6pm
Age: A separate area is available for under 4s. Height restriction is 148cm.
Cost: Two hours of fun in our play zone (Healthy Living Centre). £1.50 for babies under one year old, £2.65 for babies from 12 to 23 months, £5.30 for children from 2 to 10 years old (or 148cm in height), £4.20 off-peak special – for under 5s on school days, between 9am and 3pm
Website: Healthy Living Centre Staveley Soft Play Zone Website
The Jungle Play Centre (Old Whittington)
Foxwood Rd, Chesterfield S41 9RF
Catering to babies up to children the age of 11 or 4ft 10, there is plenty for all the children to get involved in. It’s a great way to tire them out and let siblings enjoy some quality time playing together. Giant slides, a ball pit, and so much more within a massive 3-floor play frame keep even the older ones entertained.
Website: The Jungle Soft Play Centre Chesterfield Website
Tiny Town (Barlborough) Creative Play With A Mini Town
5 Tally’s End, Balborough, Chesterfield, S43 4WP (Free parking). They also have another centre in South Yorkshire.
This is Eliza’s favourite spot. She loves the tiny town play centre.
Regarding something different in encouraging imaginative play, rather than a traditional soft play venue and a lovely relaxed environment, Tiny Town’s play centre stands out with the unique features of a play village and its many different shops. It is the perfect place for your little one to have a great time!
It is precisely what it says: a tiny town where your little ones can get creative and let their imagination run wild. From the farm yard, faraway forest, mini market, theatre, or even a construction site, there are lots for your little one to get involved in, in all the different areas for play creations galore! There is also a café on site for all your and your little one’s needs.
We love the post office, sorting all the letters out, not to mention the garage and whizzing around on the cars with the outer ring road. You need to book ahead with the online booking system, but it’s a lovely, calm environment even in term time. The food is full of some great homemade cakes. Our favourite is the sponge cake with the icing and rainbow sprinkles—it reminds me of school!
It also has a nice little element with the tidy-up song at the end of your session time before the next group enters. Plus, there is a sensory play area and a baby area.
Open: Monday to Sunday, 9.30am – 11am, 11.30am – 1pm, 1.30pm – 3pm, 3.30pm – 5pm
Cost: £6.95 per child (1 free adult for each child), Parent & Baby £3, Additional adults £2.50, Non walkersare free with a paying sibling
Website: Tiny Towns Chesterfield Website
Dobbies Soft Play (Barlborough)
4 High Wood Way, Barlborough, Chesterfield S43 4XN (Free wifi available)
Dobbies in Chesterfield are close to Tiny Town, about a 15-minute walk that’s easy enough to do door-to-door. Although there is a garden centre, they also have a great little soft play centre. So is certainley worth a mention in our soft plays in Chesterfield list.
Baby soft play areas are for 0 – 2 years, and the central area is for 3 years to 8 years. They advise booking ahead for your soft play sessions as they can get quite busy. Also, check out Little Seedlings, a great little club to teach little ones gardening!
Top Tip: We always go to look at the fish and buy a bag of food so we can feed them in the open tanks. It’s Eliza’s favourite thing to do, and the cafe area just outside the soft play area has some lovely food.
Open: Monday: 9.15am – 4.45pm , Tuesday: 9.15am – 4.45pm, Wednesday: 9.15am – 4.45pm, Thursday: 9.15am – 4.45pm, Friday:9.15am – 4.45pm, Saturday:9.15am – 4.45pm, Sunday:10.30am – 3.30pm
Cost: A few walk-ins are available daily, but space cannot be guaranteed. Baby age range: 0 – 2 years. Main area age range: 3 – 8 years
Cost: £3
Website: Dobbies Soft Play Chesterfield website
Koccoa (Chesterfield Town Centre)
It is based on Beetwell Street, right in Chesterfield’s town centre. This is one of the newer soft plays in Chesterfield before Sugar Snap Play’s opening in October 2023.
* I have listed Koccoa as it is in Chesterfield town centre; however, it’s not for us; on the four occasions we have been and had interactions with the owner, it hasn’t been a great experience, either over the tannoy speaking to the children or parents or in person and this also seems to be reflected online for others. However, the young girl who works in the soft play centre is lovely and helpful, so this does not reflect the staff. I suggest making your own decision, which is why we have included the venue on the list of soft plays in Chesterfield.
The venue was fully refurbished for a new play centre. It has a large play frame, trampoline, and a great, quiet play area separate from the main structure.
There are some push cars outside the play area, but they don’t tend to look at the traffic light, so watch your toes! There are also a few little arcade-game-style machines for the older children to get toys from. There is also a smaller separate room before the buzzer for younger children to play in. The play area has a buzzer door lock for extra security for the children’s safety, and there is a team to help you with any questions.
There is a food and drinks menu, and they certainly have a dessert bar for an indulgent treat, making it a dessert venue and a soft play area. Look out during school holidays for special deals, especially for young children; they often have offers. The final entry in our soft plays in Chesterfield listings.
Our Top Picks For Chesterfied Soft Play Spots
When I moved to Chesterfield with my little boy, I couldn’t find a list anywhere to let me know of all the soft play centres or indoor play areas in the area local to me.
Now that he has gotten older and I have my little girl, it was the perfect time to update our list of soft play centres in Chesterfield and the ideal places for you and your little ones to have a great day out. There have been a few changes and new additions to our best place for a premier children’s soft play experience!
Looking further afield, check out our top soft plays on the Derby list, or why not our top pubs in Chesterfield with play areas.
As with most soft play venues, you cannot usually bring your own food, so do let the venue know if you have any dietary requirements. Booking ahead is required for smaller soft plays in Chesterfield like Tiny Town and Sugar Snap, so always check ahead so you won’t be disappointed.
Personally, with Eliza, who is four years old, we love Tiny Town role play centre and Sugar Snap Play as our top go-to play place. Kimi, when he was seven years old, loved Little Monkeys as it really let him play like older kids with so much to do and such a huge play frame for a softplay centre.
While soft play areas might not always be the first choice for mums looking to spend their time, they can be an absolute game-changer, especially on dreary days or after when the weather isn’t great.
I have put together a full list of soft plays in Chesterfield, complete with recommended age ranges, pricing details, and offerings. So, whether you’re seeking a place for active play or a venue for an unforgettable birthday bash, you’ll find it all right here. Most of the venues below also offer a party centre venue, which can be a great choice for toddler birthdays. Let’s dive in!
As with all our indoor play area and family listings, please check with the venue online or by phone to confirm details as things are changing all the time from bank holidays to a special event or booking that could be taking place can be taking place and we would hate for you to be disappointed.
Let us know if we have missed an indoor play centre near abbie@mmbmagazine.co.uk.
🎉 Why Soft Play Centres Are Great for Toddlers
1. Physical Development
Toddlers need to move constantly — they’re little energy machines. Soft play helps with the following:
- Gross motor skills: climbing, crawling, sliding, balancing with all those obstacle courses.
- Coordination: navigating obstacles and different textures.
- Strength and stamina: especially after a long winter stuck indoors!
2. Safe Risk-Taking
They get to explore in a space that’s:
- Padded and safe for tumbles.
- Age-appropriate — most have toddler zones where they’re not being bowled over by 8-year-olds. It’s the perfect combo of independence + safety.
3. Social Skills
Even if they’re playing near other kids (hello, parallel play), they’re:
- Learning to take turns (eventually!).
- Watching and copying.
- Getting used to shared spaces prepares them for preschool/nursery life.
4. Sensory Play
Many soft plays include:
- Bright colours
- Mirrors
- Ball pits
- Sensory boards or padded musical panels
- All are fab for developing toddler senses and keeping their brains busy.
5. It’s Weatherproof
Let’s be honest — British weather isn’t always toddler-walk-friendly. Soft play is a sanity saver:
- Rainy days? Covered.
- Cold snap? Sorted.
- Blazing heat? It’s air-conditioned bliss.
6. Time Out for Parents
Whether you’re working from your phone, chatting with another mum, or just grabbing 10 minutes with a coffee, soft play also gives you a bit of space. And if you’re a working mum balancing days off or part-time hours, these pockets of downtime are gold.We hope this list of Soft Plays In Chesterfield was of use to you especially during those rainy family days and helps you choose your own perfect places for your days out!
# Soft Plays In Chesterfield