Pippatopia
BEST FOR
Ages 0-7
ENTRY
from £2.50
SETTING
Indoors
BUGGY FRIENDLY
Yes
What it’s like
Roleplay café for under-sevens with a salon, a supermarket and a hospital corner, sold in tight 90-minute sessions.
This one's built entirely around pretend play. Little kids get a salon, a supermarket and a hospital to potter about in, and there's a café area for older siblings to sit and watch or join in. It's aimed squarely at ages 0 to 7, so a nine-year-old cousin is going to run out of things to do fairly fast, and the site is upfront that the spaces just aren't designed past that age.
You're booking a 90-minute slot, not a wander-in-whenever visit, and they mean it: turn up more than 5 minutes early and you'll be waiting outside, and overstay your session and you're eating into the next family's clean-down time. Entry is £11.95 for a child up to 7 with one adult in, extra siblings under 7 are £9.45, and an over-8 sibling tags along for £3.50. Bring a pre-walker along free, or an adult with just a pre-walker gets in for £5.95. It adds up if you've got three kids of different ages, so it's worth totting up which combination you actually need before you book.
Food is café-only. You can't bring your own snacks in (baby food's the one exception), but there's a proper menu covering breakfast, lunch, sweet treats and drinks. There's free parking on site plus a council car park a minute's walk away, buggies have plenty of room to park up, and the whole place including the café is accessible with a lift.
The one to watch is the booking policy: it's non-refundable, and if your toddler wakes up with a temperature the morning of, you need 24 hours' notice to reschedule or you lose it. Booking online is the way in; walk-ins aren't promised even if you're passing.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- 0 to 7; older siblings have the café area but not much else to do
- Booking
- Book online in advance. Walk-ins not guaranteed, call ahead
- Parking
- Free on site, plus on-street and council car park less than 1 minute's walk away
- Food
- Café with breakfast, lunch, snacks, sweet treats and extensive drinks menu
- Pushchairs
- Lots of room to park buggies on site
- Parties
- Exclusive Use Party (2 hours, Sat-Sun 11am): £450 up to 20 children, max 30 playing + 60 total
- Sessions are strictly 90 minutes; overstaying eats into the next group's changeover time
- Bookings can't be refunded, only rescheduled with 24 hours' notice
- Own snacks aren't allowed in, though baby food is fine
- Play spaces suit 0 to 7 only, so older siblings are better off in the café area
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
£11.95 gets a child up to 7 in with one adult. Extra kids under 7 are £9.45 each, an over-8 sibling is £3.50, and pre-walkers go free. Extra adults are £2.50.
Do we need to book?
Yes, online and in advance. Walk-ins might be possible but they can't promise it, so it's a gamble if you haven't booked.
How long is a session?
90 minutes, and they want you out promptly at the end so they can reset for the next group. Turn up no more than 5 minutes early or you'll just be stood waiting.
What's the age range for the play spaces?
0 to 7. The site is clear the spaces aren't set up for older kids, so an 8 or 9-year-old will be better suited to the café side of things.
Can we bring our own food?
Snacks or packed lunches, though your own baby food is fine. There's a full café menu instead, breakfast through to sweet treats and drinks.
Is there parking?
Free on-site parking, plus on-street spaces and a council car park under a minute's walk away.
Can I bring a buggy?
Plenty of room to park it up once you're in.
Is it accessible for wheelchairs?
There's a lift, an accessible toilet, and the café and play spaces are all step-free.
What if we need to cancel or change our booking?
Bookings are non-refundable. Reschedule with at least 24 hours' notice or you'll lose the slot.
Do you do birthday parties?
Two options: a Play & Celebrate party at £18.95 a child for up to 10 kids, or an Exclusive Use hire at £450 for up to 20 children over a 2-hour slot on weekend mornings.
Are there changing facilities?
Three of them, in the men's, women's and family room, all stocked with spares if you've run out of nappies or wipes.
What are the opening hours?
9:30am to 3pm every day, with an extra after-school slot from 4pm on Thursdays in term time.
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