A soft play centre can be a great place to relax with a coffee while the kids run wild.
For some families, these play centres can not only be a great day out but are lifelines as an affordable place where kids can play and exercise.
They are also a place to catch up with your grown-up friends for a play date (although current local lockdown rules restrict meeting members of another household in any indoor setting) and in these times, it's nice to have that routine and familiarity.
But indoor soft plays across the country were forced to shut for months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
So when the government announced they could reopen in August, they had to adapt drastically to ensure they keep customers safe.
Centres were given a list of guidelines to follow including closing off some parts of the centres that could harbour germs like ball pools and sensory areas.
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They also have to provide additional hand sanitising stations and grown-ups must wear a face mask.
But how do the Covid-secure measures work in practice? I visited a soft play centre with my husband and little boy to find out.
Book before you go
I must admit, I was a bit nervous about going to a soft play centre for the first time since they reopened.
But as a birthday treat for my son, I decided we would see what it was like, and it was not what I expected.
Most centres prefer you to book before you go, so they can guarantee you a slot and keep an eye on numbers.
Before arriving at The Fun Factor in Maghull, I used the online booking system to book a session. The centre has reduced its capacity so it's preferable to book in advance.
We went to one of the free morning toddler sessions on a Tuesday and I was glad we booked because even though they do allow some walk-ins, a lady in front of us was turned away because they had reached capacity.
Remember your mask
When we entered, my husband and I were told we would have to wear masks to move around the centre, including on the play frame when supervising our just-turned-two-year-old.
We were allocated a table and were told if we were sitting down to eat or drink, we were able to remove our masks.
All the tables were spaced out and each table had a sign on to say if it had been sanitised ready for the next customers.
I did feel a bit overwhelmed at first by the number of people there, I didn't expect it to be so busy.
However, everyone, for the most part, was abiding by the rules and wearing their masks, and if they came too close I made sure to keep my distance.
Social distancing and hand washing
I went to order some hot drinks and food from the cafe and there were perspex screens erected along the counter between customers and staff, who were also all wearing masks.
There were also signs on the ground placed two metres apart to ensure you stayed socially distanced as you queued, although on a couple of occasions people crept a bit too close for my liking.
As I paid for my refreshments using contactless payment, I also noticed that throughout the play centre, there were automatic hand sanitising stations and hand sanitiser dispensers on most tables which my husband made good use of after coming off the play frame.
At the end of the play session, two Paw Patrol characters came out to the theme music to greet the children and of course, that's when social distancing went out the window a bit as the kids rushed to say hello.
Families are encouraged to stick within their household bubbles when visiting and as mentioned earlier, local lockdown rules mean you can't meet with members of another household in any indoor setting.
I felt safer than I thought I would
On the whole, I did feel comfortable and it was nice to see my little boy having a great time, climbing and sliding on the equipment which is sanitised regularly as part of a vigorous cleaning regime.
I would definitely go again but I do think that people need to be aware of there surroundings and make sure they maintain social distancing at all times for my own and their own safety.
I did feel safer than I thought I would and if it wasn't for everyone wearing masks, you would be mistaken for thinking this was an average day at a soft play centre before the pandemic hit.
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*Make sure to follow the latest government guidelines in relation to coronavirus when going out in public and visit the attractions' websites for advice on social distancing restrictions when visiting and opening times*
