Kids Soft Play: Your Ultimate Guide

There is not many things better in the world than watching our little guys explore the world for the first time. We get to sit there and experience life through them all over again. But when they are so small and are continuously learning to control their little bodies it can be hard to find the best play equipment for them to be able to confidently play independently. Wooden Play Structures are great and we have some incredible ones by the way! ;)

However they are typically be better suited for little humans that are at a minimum 24 months old. Even then it is highly recommended to have constant adult supervision, as there could be a fall or a hit on the equipment. But not to stress; This is where Gym Plus’ Soft Play Equipment comes in!

Our Soft Play Sets are specifically crafted to be the ultimate addition to any classroom, sensory room, gym, clinic, occupational therapy, preschool and of course your own home. We designed them especially to be the ultimate tool to facilitate exploration and development of multiple skills for babies. The benefits of Soft Play Gyms is vast to say the least, lets get into a few below:

• Cognitive Development

The heightening of a child's ability to think and reason, viewing this broadly this can be recognised in babies as they learn memory skills eg. recalling voices or recognising faces

• Social Skills

The ability to interact with others in various environments, particularly where

• Safety and Security
• Cause and Effect + Hand Eye Co-Ordination
• Motor Skills
• Spatial Awareness

To encapsulate all the points above soft play modules allow a brilliant educational sensory stimulation for our little ones. They are encouraged to problem solve in how they navigate the structures, whether it be through individual or group play. During this playtime on a mental level their cognitive development is strengthening through understanding of cause and effect, if they are participating in group play communication and social skills are simultaneously being developed, as navigation and sharing of the modules requires this.

On a physical level they can freely and importantly independently become in tune with their bodies as the soft nature of the apparatus’ allow parents/guardians to take a small step back to either do tasks around the house or engage with guest whilst the children can plan in a safe environment, where even a small harmless fall is a good learning experience. Through even happy accidents kids can become spatially aware as well as aware of the physical capabilities of their bodies.

At Gym Plus we have an extensive range of Soft Play Equipment. Various modules help facilitate various exercises and uses that allow our kids to explore their bodies. These modules can be divided into the the following categories.

Slides: Teach gravity, weight and texture through cause and effect exposure

Tunnels: Aid in facilitating an engaged core, through the crawling movements necessary to pass through the module. Great for gross motor skills, and helps engage balance as some tunnels can tend to rock. Cylindrical Tunnel modules can also be used as a training aid for various stretching exercises and back bends.

Arches: Similar to the above tunnels, arches allow for the development of gross motor skills, as they engage all parts of the body in the action for crawling arms, core, legs. This is particularly important for babies as it encourages a faster development.

Rollers: Can be stand alone, or come in a set of stacked Tunnel Tubes or our Tumble ‘n’ Roll Set. They aid in creating balance and development of core strength as well as the understanding of gravity.

Steps/Stones: Whether a its a climbing step module or detached stepping stones these devices help to improve the balance and co-ordination of your child, they are a vital in developing excellent motor skills

Beams: Similarly to stepping stones, beams are great for balance. Our Foldable Beams have an anti-skid bottom to eliminate any sliding and the dense foam is soft enough to not cause any harm yet dense enough were they can develop their skills.

Cubes: Incredible for climbing, but also our smaller soft play cubes are great to use for construction structures and development of fine motor skills, whilst also learning about gravity when things ultimately… fall.

Mats: For maximum safety and comfort, we recommend placing something beneath your little persons gym space. The MEMAX Mats are a great choice and will give you the peace of mind when your child plays.

Ball Pits: Gym Plus has a variety of ball pits, detached as well as in a set such as our Baby Playroom Climber. They are the ultimate tool for activating sensory learning in a safe environment and allows for motor development. Ball pits are great to include at home as well as in a group setting as they can foster group play and help build upon crucial skill development of social and emotional behaviour management.

At this stage, you may be thinking - Okay well that sounds great, but why should I choose Gym Plus? There are a few other options on the market what makes us so special?

The great thing is that there are quite a few reasons!

First of all, we are committed to making the best products for you at the best prices. We truely care about all of the products that we sell but even more care goes into designing products for your babies! Yes you heard that right - we design our products taking everything into careful consideration to ensure it is safe, useful and beautiful!

Here is a little breakdown:

The types of foams are important - if you are keen to learn more or why read this blog:  How to choose the Right Foam Density? A Complete Overview.

Our competitors typically take 2 routes, using foams that are too soft and therefore not enabling the modules to do what they are supposed to ei. steps that can not be stepped/climbed on as they are too soft. Or using a foam that is too dense claiming it to be durable. This is not necessarily right, it all depends on the quality of the foam used. We have developed our soft play equipment to sit within the happy medium. Soft enough the not cause any harm and whilst also being dense enough where their physical skills can be developed.

Additionally between various soft play equipment on the market the cover material can vary. At Gym Plus we use our outstanding REL material (reinforced engineered leather), we take quite a lot of pride in this cover. It’s smooth touch makes it a great choice for our little ones, whilst the reinforced underside allows for no compromise on the durability.

Now that was a lot of information, but we hope it was educational and useful in helping you choose the right products.

Ok take me there!! - Soft Play

Need more convincing?

Contact Us and let us do the rest ;)