Soft Play and Rainy-Day Places on the Wirral

For soft play on the Wirral, most families end up at Bubbles World of Play on New Brighton prom, which takes children up to 11, or at the council-run Active Zone at Bidston Sports and Activity Centre, the cheaper option for under-8s. Jumpin Josephs in Bromborough adds trampolines and a soft play area. When it rains, Eureka! Science + Discovery at Seacombe is the big indoor day out. Every entry checked against the venue’s own website on 27 October 2026.

We have not visited these places for this guide, and nothing here is a review. Each entry sets out what the venue publishes: ages, prices, session lengths, opening hours and house rules. Hygiene ratings come from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and apply to the venue’s café or kitchen. It is half term this week, so check before you go and book where the venue asks you to.

Soft play and trampoline centres

Bubbles World of Play, New Brighton

Bubbles calls itself “one of the biggest indoor play centres for kids aged 0 to 11 in the UK”, with more than 30 world-themed zones, among them a Sydney Harbour Bridge, a Wild West foam ball cannon zone and a squeaking penguin maze, its own site says. There is a gated baby and toddler area for under-3s and a role play town for ages 1 to 5, with a garage, shop, vets and a police station with its own jail. Only children aged 11 and under, and under 4ft 10in, can play, and socks must be worn.

On school weekdays a child aged 3 to 11 pays £8.50 and can stay all day unless it is busy; at weekends and in the holidays it is £14.50 for a two-hour session. A toddler aged 1 to 2 pays £6.50 off-peak or £12 peak, and an adult £2.50 or £3.50. Free members save 50p a ticket, the price list says. In term time it is closed on Monday and open 9.30am to 6pm Tuesday to Sunday; in the holidays it opens daily, 9.30am to 6pm. Book ahead for weekends and holidays, when it is busiest from 11.30am to 2pm. Parking is free; the car park is locked at 6pm. New Brighton station is a five-minute walk. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 22 April 2026). 20 Marine Point, Kings Parade, CH45 2PB (the venue gives CH45 2HZ for sat navs).

Active Zone, Bidston Sports and Activity Centre

The council’s Active Wirral centre in Bidston has a soft play area for ages 0 to 7 over three floors of “slides, obstacles, climbing, tunnels and open play areas”, plus a baby and toddler area, its centre page says. Under-1s are free. In term time a 90-minute session for ages 1 to 7 is £4 on weekdays (9am to 5pm) and £8.35 at weekends (9am to 4.30pm); in the holidays it is £8.35. Older children have Tag Active, a three-floor arena for ages 8 and over, at £10 for three 20-minute games. On Wednesdays from 4pm to 6pm there are SEN sessions capped at 20 children in each area: £6.50 for soft play, £8.50 for Tag. Adults stay in the Active Zone, where there is a café. From Monday 26 October to Sunday 1 November the Active Zone admits pre-booked tickets only; book online or on 0151 606 2010. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 2 May 2025). Valley Road, Bidston, CH41 7EJ.

Jumpin Josephs, Bromborough

Jumpin Josephs has “19,000 sq/ft of trampolines”, with a bouldering wall, a large air bag, a foam pit, a football area, a jump tower and a soft play area, its own site says. Weekend open bounce costs £11 for an hour, £13 for 90 minutes or £15 for two hours. In term time, Tots Time for children aged 4 and under runs on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10am, and on Wednesday from 10am to 2.30pm, at £5 a child with parents free. There is an after-school deal of two hours’ bouncing and a child’s meal for £7.99 from 4pm to 6pm, and an SEN session on Saturdays from 9.45am to 10.45am. In the school holidays it opens daily from 10am to 5pm. It is closed on Mondays in term time and on bank holidays. Bouncers need trampoline socks, from £2.50 a pair, and should arrive 15 minutes early for the safety briefing. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 10 June 2025). 2 Caldbeck Road, Bromborough, CH62 3PL. Email Jumpinjosephs1@outlook.com.

Rainy-day trips

Eureka! Science + Discovery, Seacombe

Eureka!’s Wirral science centre is inside the Seacombe ferry terminal. Its visit page says the first ticket comes with a free annual pass. Booked online, it costs £16.95 for anyone aged 3 and over and £7.45 for a toddler aged 1 to 2. Babies under 1 go free, but every member of the group needs a ticket. On the door it is £18.95 and £9.45, subject to space. It is open 10am to 4pm every day this half term. In term time it closes on Monday and Tuesday and opens 10am to 3pm Wednesday to Friday and 10am to 4pm at weekends. You can eat a packed lunch in the indoor seating, or use the Discovery Café next door in the terminal, open 10am to 4pm. The café is rated 5 for hygiene (FSA, 4 April 2025). The pay and display car park costs £3.50 for three hours. You can also take the Mersey Ferry from Pier Head, the getting here page says. Victoria Place, Seacombe, CH44 6QY.

Riverside Bowl and Laser Quest, New Brighton

Riverside Bowl on the prom has bowling “from £6 per person, per game” and a multi-level Laser Quest arena for up to 28 players, its own site says. Laser Quest games start every 20 minutes and last 20 minutes, safety briefing included. Its current offer is £7.50 for one game or £12 for two, the Laser Quest page says. Until 30 November there is an autumn deal of two games of bowling and a drink for £14 a junior or £16 an adult. It is open from noon to 10pm Monday to Wednesday, 11am to 10pm on Thursday, noon until late on Friday, 10am until late on Saturday and 10am to 10pm on Sunday. In the school holidays it opens daily from 10am until late. It has its own car park. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 16 September 2026). Marine Promenade, New Brighton, CH45 2JS. Call 0151 639 1238.

Port Sunlight Museum and Worker’s Cottage

The village trust’s museum tells the story of William Lever’s village for his soap workers. It has a recreated 1900s grocer’s shop, a huge model of the village, a “design your own Port Sunlight house” activity area for families and a 20-minute film, its museum page says. Next door, the Worker’s Cottage is set out as a village family’s home in 1913. A ticket for both is £8 for an adult, £5.50 for a child aged 5 to 16 or £24 for a family of two adults and two children. Under-5s go free. It is open daily from 10am to 4.30pm. The trust’s family page says there are toilets and baby changing at the museum, free parking in the village and a £2 seasonal trail pack sold at the museum. Sensory backpacks are available for visitors with additional sensory needs. 23 King George’s Drive, Port Sunlight, CH62 5DX.

Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight

Lady Lever is a free gallery in Port Sunlight village, run by National Museums Liverpool. National Museums Liverpool’s venue listing says it is open every day from 10am to 5pm until 1 November. In Wirral term time the gallery runs Art Play for toddlers and their carers on most Thursday mornings, from 10am to 11.30am, its events page says; check the dates before you go. A 2023 visual guide from National Museums Liverpool says it is step-free to the shop, café, toilets, family activity rooms and lift. The gallery is rated 5 for hygiene (FSA, 4 November 2025). Queen Mary’s Drive, Port Sunlight, CH62 5EQ. Gallery page.

Williamson Art Gallery and Museum, Oxton

The Williamson describes its holdings as “a diverse and nationally-relevant collection of arts and artefacts”, and has a café “serving meals and light bites all day”, its own site says. Its learning pages include Ancient Egypt and colour and pattern resources. It is open 10am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and on Saturday, and 10am to 9pm on Friday, with last entry 30 minutes before closing. It is closed on Sunday. The site lists no admission charge. The café is rated 5 for hygiene (FSA, 21 January 2026). Slatey Road, Oxton, CH43 4UE. Call 0151 666 3537.

Listed elsewhere but not checked

Activity for All at Arrowe Commercial Park in Upton is listed on family days-out sites with a three-tier soft play area, climbing walls and a high ropes course. Its own website was a “launching soon” holding page on 27 October 2026, so we could not check its prices or hours. The FSA rated its café 4 on 2 December 2025. Ring or check its social pages before you go.

How we chose

These are the Wirral’s indoor play centres and the indoor days out families search for, chosen because each one publishes its prices, ages and hours. We did not pick them on taste. Every entry was checked against the venue’s own website on 27 October 2026, and hygiene ratings against the Food Standards Agency register. We left out places whose current prices, hours or opening we could not confirm from the venue itself. Run a place that should be here, or spot something that has changed? Email newsdesk@wirralonline.co.uk.

For outdoor play, see our Wirral playgrounds guide and walks near the Wirral. For more ideas, see things to do on the Wirral, what’s on this month and our October half term guide. For somewhere to eat, see our Wirral cafés guide. For local businesses, try the Wirral business directory.

Frequently asked questions

How much is soft play on the Wirral?

At Bubbles World of Play in New Brighton, a child aged 3 to 11 costs £8.50 for a whole day on school weekdays and £14.50 for a two-hour session at weekends and in the school holidays, with 50p off for free members. Bidston Sports and Activity Centre’s soft play, for ages 1 to 7, is £4 on weekdays in term time and £8.35 at weekends and in the holidays, and under-1s go free. Jumpin Josephs in Bromborough charges £5 for its term-time Tots Time sessions for children aged 4 and under.

Do I need to book soft play on the Wirral at half term?

Bubbles strongly advises booking online for weekends and school holidays, as it can be full and cannot guarantee walk-ins. Bidston’s Active Zone is taking pre-booked tickets only from Monday 26 October to Sunday 1 November. Jumpin Josephs says its bounce slots get very busy and are best booked.

Where can children go on the Wirral when it rains, apart from soft play?

Eureka! Science + Discovery at Seacombe ferry terminal, Riverside Bowl’s bowling and Laser Quest in New Brighton, Port Sunlight Museum (free for under-5s), the free Lady Lever Art Gallery in Port Sunlight and the Williamson Art Gallery in Oxton.