The owner of a farm centre is aiming to reopen his soft play area in the New Year.
Indoor soft play areas across the region can now welcome back youngsters after Dumfries and Galloway moved into level one of the Scottish Government’s coronavirus restriction system last week.
But David McMiken of Ernespie Farm Centre, near Castle Douglas, says there is a lot of work to be done before that part of his business can reopen.
And when it does, it will look very different to the last time kids enjoyed it before March’s lockdown.
He said: “Although we are now in tier one, this is really just the start of the work
for us.
“We are a small family business and there have already been a lot of rules and guidelines we have had to meet for the other parts of the business.
“There is a lot we need to do – we need to look at ventilation, we will need more PPE and will have to implement a one way system.
“There are some things we will have to take out such as the ball pit and the soft animals – all the things that kids find fun.
“We will have to implement a booking system, people won’t be able to pitch-up and play and we may have to put a time limit on it which I don’t like doing.
“We are looking at opening it in the New Year – it’s come out just before Christmas so it’s not ideal timing.
“I’ve already had people asking and emailing about it. The guidance is always changing and it is different between England and Scotland so we are trying to make sure we are on the right side of it.
“My primary concern is for my staff who are coming in and out of the building every day.”
The Cocoabean Company at Twynholm is another popular attraction with an indoor play area and they are currently mulling over their options with an outside chance they could be open before the end of the year.
Director Hannah Beck explained: “We are considering reopening at the moment but the guidance is very strict for soft play, it’s even stricter than it is for the hospitality side.
“We are thinking it over and looking at how it is going to work in terms of numbers, the cleaning and the fogging.
“There is so much to do – we have had a lot of people asking about it but we are still thinking it over which is why we haven’t put it on Facebook.
“We are hoping for maybe December 27 but nothing is set in stone and we would need to do a trial run.”
