The soft play area at Yarnton Home & Garden in Oxfordshire had a refurb a few years ago and is now called The Magic Garden. There’s a reason behind the name – it’s got a garden theme. It’s significantly bigger than a lot of garden centre soft play areas such as the one at World’s End Nursery. This review of The Magic Garden soft play was written when some covid restrictions were still in place. That means some elements were different from normal.
Even pre-covid I seem to remember they operate on a session basis and pre-booking was advised.
The under 2’s area
By the door there’s the under 2’s area. There’s some small soft play shapes, some rockers, a little slide and some games on the wall. The ring wall around the area is quite low so I did wonder how many mobile little ones make a run for it!
The main play frame at The Magic Garden
The main play frame at the Magic Garden is designed to look a bit like a tumble-down garden shed. It’s suitable for ages 3-10 years according to the website. TBH I think that’s a bit too old. It’s not particularly big and I think Middle Child (9) would be bored. Also the gaps between levels are small. Not just in the odd place, but in an awful lot of places. Most of the time the kids are trying to clamber through 12 inch gaps. I whacked my head a couple of times. Even Smallest Child hit her head in one section (which they’ve padded because clearly she wasn’t alone).
Most of the time you’ll see adults joining in on a play frame. Not here. I squeezed myself up to the top but I only saw one other adult on the frame. For large parts of the frame an adult cannot sit up straight. When I did a review of Ruby & Red’s in High Wycombe I mentioned how small that was, The Magic Garden at Yarnton takes that to a new level. Don’t get me wrong though, the kids had a great time, it’s just that I couldn’t get in there with her. If you’ve got confident kids who ditch you at the first opportunity you’ll be fine. Apparently Smallest Child now falls into that category, if they past two trips to soft play centres is anything to go by. Sob.
Tunnels and slides
There’s lots of cool tunnels on the main play frame. The bottom tunnel is a bit like a tube of piping and it has pipes up to the tunnel above with a window above which is quite fun. There’s also a little rope bridge hidden in there. You’ll find two slides at The Magic Garden soft play – a bumpy slide and a really good tube slide. This one is pretty fast and has some pretty sharp twists in it.
The garden shed
This bit is so cool and Smallest Child was drawn to it as soon as she walked in the room. There’s a see-saw, several foam garden tools (which were a BIG hit), and a nest swing. As I mentioned this review of The Magic Garden at Yarnton was written whilst covid measures were in place. That means a big element of the garden shed was missing. Normally there’s lots of balls in the “pond” behind the garden shed with drain pipes for them to go down. There’s also a wheel barrow to put them all in. We spent a lot of time here – it’s really good fun (even without the bits that are currently packed away).
Campfire and kitchen
What Magic Garden would be complete without a soft play version of a campfire and outdoors kitchen? There’s a teepee with light tube in the middle for the fire. Smallest Child and her new best mate loved the massive stone cushions which were stacked and re-stacked and re-stacked again. The Magic Garden had been open for a while before we went over to explore. There were lots of foam rocks which I think might have been around the teepee fire but I’m not sure!
The outdoors kitchen didn’t have any of the normal kit that is in here. Normally you’ll find play food, pots & pans and utensils here for the kids to use. This whole area is quite unique and it’s brilliant (particularly once the props come back).
Cleanliness
One criticism you’ll often hear of soft play centres is that they’re dirty. I cannot see anyone making the same complaint about The Magic Garden at Yarnton Home & Garden. Every area was immaculately clean – I was genuinely impressed.
There’s lots of seating for the adults, and an impressive variety of it. There’s benches, sofas and table & chairs. Any they all looked clean too. There’s also a decent cafe (with cakes!).
Our The Magic Garden at Yarnton Home & Garden review
This is a really good little soft play for younger kids. Realistically I would say that ages 2 – 7/8 would have a great time here, as long as they’re happy to play alone. Whilst the kids are happily playing you’ll be quite comfortable on the sofas enjoying a cuppa. The Magic Garden at Yarnton Home & Garden has several really unique soft play elements to it. If the play frame had a bit more space between levels it would be perfect.
Personally I object to charging for adults to come to something like a soft play. Adults have to be there and they won’t be getting involved. It’s just a personal gripe though.
Admission cost
Off-peak charges range from £3.50 – £7 per child. £1 per adult. Peak charges are £5 – £8.50. You can book your tickets here.
Parking / How to get there
Parking – Free parking on-site
Address – Sandy Lane, Yarnton, Oxfordshire. OX5 1PA
Toilets
On-site including baby change
Food
Own food not allowed. Cafe on site for drinks and snacks.
What else is there to do nearby?
You’re just around the corner form Blenheim Palace!
Hi, I’m Vicky. My husband and I live in Aylesbury with our three children; a 14 year old son, an 12 year old son and a 6 year old daughter. I (mostly) love spending time together as a family. We visit all kinds of places and we’re quite happy to drive a fair distance for a decent day out. A few years ago I decided to set up Free Time with the Kids as a way to share our experiences of these family days out.
You’ll find the essential information you need to know before your visit that can be surprisingly hard to find out. Where do I park? How much will it cost me to get in? Are there any discounts available? Are there loos? Can I take a picnic or get food? My aim is to be your go-to guide for all your free and cheap family days out across Bucks, Beds, Oxon, Herts & slightly beyond. I really hope you find the reviews helpful. If there’s anywhere that you’d recommend please get in touch contact@freetimewiththekids.com or get in touch via Facebook
