From first conversation to opening day: how we design and install your play area
Building an indoor play venue isn’t just about the equipment. It’s about creating a space that works commercially from day one — attracting families, generating repeat visits, and making every square metre earn its keep.
The Play Company is a UK indoor play builder that handles everything from concept to completion. Whether you’re converting an empty warehouse into a multi-attraction family entertainment centre, adding a new play zone to an existing leisure venue, or completely retrofitting an underperforming space, we manage the entire build process in-house from initial design, complete manufacture, installation, and handover.
No managing multiple contractors. No coordination between a designer, a manufacturer, and a separate installation team. One partner, from the first conversation to opening day.
Trusted by leisure centres, holiday parks, family entertainment centres, farm parks, and venues across the UK. Every project is different however, every process starts the same way: with a conversation.
STEP 1: We take a deep dive into your space
Before we talk products, we talk space. Every great play area starts with a thorough understanding of the building it’s going into — and no two venues are the same.
Whether you invite us for a site visit or share your floor plans with us remotely, we must be able to look at:
- Floor area and usable footprint (in both square metres and square feet)
- Ceiling heights, a critical factor for multi-level structures and trampoline parks
- Load-bearing capacity, access points, fire exits, and existing infrastructure
- Natural light, acoustics, and ventilation
- How the play area will integrate with the rest of your venue
This stage is entirely free and without obligation. We’re not here to sell you something that won’t work, we’re here to understand what will.
A standard single-level soft play structure needs a minimum ceiling height of around 3 metres. Multi-level frames and trampoline parks typically require 5–6 metres.Â
We’ll tell you exactly what’s possible in your space and help you maximise every square foot.
STEP 2: We understand your budget and timeline
We believe in transparent conversations about money from the very start. There’s no point designing your dream play area only to discover it’s out of reach, so we have an honest discussion about investment at the earliest possible stage.
Commercial indoor play projects vary significantly in scale and cost. As a general guide:
- Compact soft play installations from around £25,000
- Mid-scale projects (500–1,500 sq ft) typically cost £60,000–£120,000
- Large multi-level or multi-attraction venues from £120,000 to £240,000+
We’ll also talk through realistic timelines, from the design sign-off to installation day. Most projects take between 8 and 16 weeks. We’ll map out a programme that works around your opening dates, your season, and your operational commitments.
If budget is a consideration, we can also explore phased approaches by building out your attraction in stages to spread investment over time without compromising the end vision.
STEP 3: We discuss the age ranges you want to appeal to
Who are your guests? The answer shapes everything — from the height of your frames to the choice of equipment, the theming you choose, and the revenue you can expect.
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We design play areas for every audience:
- Toddler and under-5 zones; low-level, sensory-rich, soft and safe
- 5–12 adventure play; climbing frames, slides, ball cannons, interactive elements
- Teen and adult-friendly attractions; ninja courses, trampoline parks, strike arenas
- Inclusive and sensory play; for venues committed to accessibility
The right mix depends on your venue type and your visitors. A holiday park with family short-breaks needs a different blend to an urban leisure centre serving local communities. A farm park attracting school trips has different requirements to a family entertainment centre competing with cinema chains.
We’ll understand and help you define your audience clearly and design something that keeps them coming back.
STEP 4: We explore themes and branding opportunities
A play area that looks like every other play area is a missed opportunity. Theming and branding are what make your venue memorable and what makes children grab their parents’ sleeve and beg to come back.
At this stage, we explore:
- Bespoke themes: jungle, space, pirate, woodland, fantasy, sports, and beyond
- Brand integration: incorporating your venue’s colours, logo, and identity into the design
- Character and narrative environments that create an immersive world
- Colour palettes and material finishes that are both visually striking and commercially durable
You’ll see your vision come to life before a single bolt is tightened. We create detailed 2D and 3D concept renders and CAD drawings so you can walk through your play area digitally, make changes, and sign off with total confidence, even before manufacturing begins.
Our design process is unique and industry-leading in the indoor play sector. By utilising an in-house design team, we can reduce the time from initial discussion to a signed-off design.
STEP 5: We decide together what play products are right for you
This is where your play area really takes shape. Drawing on everything we’ve learned about your space, budget, audience, and brand, we’ll work with you to select the right mix of attractions.
The Play Company designs and installs the full spectrum of commercial indoor play:
- Soft play frames and structures: modular, bespoke, or themed
- Trampoline parks: from compact freestyle zones to large-scale performance parks
- Ninja warrior courses: obstacle-based challenges for all abilities and ages
- Commercial inflatables: high-throughput, high-impact attractions
- Strike arenas and interactive play: technology-led experiences that drive repeat visits
- Sensory play areas: calm, inclusive spaces designed with specialist knowledge
We’ll advise on the revenue potential of each attraction, the throughput you can expect, the staffing requirements, and how different elements work together to create a compelling visitor experience not just a collection of equipment.
The goal is never just to fill your space. It’s to build something that performs commercially and gives your guests a reason to keep choosing you.
Our design process is unique and industry-leading in the indoor play sector. By utilising an in-house design team, we’re able to reduce the time from initial speaking to a signed-off design.
STEP 6: We plan the spaces that surround the play
The play equipment is your headline act, but the spaces around it are where the real commercial magic happens. In a well-planned venue, food and beverage alone can account for up to 50% of total revenue. This only works if the café, seating, and viewing areas are designed as part of the same experience.
At this stage, we look beyond the play frame to consider:
- Parent and guardian viewing areas: comfortable, well-positioned, with sightlines across the play zone
- Café, catering, and F&B areas: positioned to capture maximum dwell time
- Party rooms and birthday party facilities: high-margin, bookable spaces that drive advance revenue
- Reception, admissions, and flow: how guests enter, pay, and move through your venue
- Toilets and changing facilities: close to the play area, easy to manage
- Storage, staff areas, and operational requirements
A common industry benchmark is to plan roughly one-third of your total floor space for play, one-third for seating and F&B, and one-third for ancillary areas. We’ll challenge that ratio if your venue calls for something different, and we’ll always help you think about the numbers behind the design.
STEP 7: We design, manufacture and install
Once the design is agreed and signed off, we move into production. Everything we make is built to order and designed specifically for your venue, to your brief.
Design and technical drawings
Our in-house design team creates detailed technical drawings and manufacturing specifications. You’ll receive 3D renders for visual sign-off, plus full CAD drawings for structural review. We work with your building management or structural engineer if required.
UK manufacture
We manufacture our equipment here in the UK to the highest quality standards. Every component is built to meet UK and European safety standards, including EN 1176 and EN 1177 for indoor playground equipment and BS 8409 where applicable.
Professional installation
Our experienced installation teams handle everything on site. Delivering, assembling, and commissioning your play area with minimal disruption to your venue. We’ll agree an installation programme that works around your operational calendar.
Safety sign-off and handover
Before we hand over the complete attraction / attractions, your play area undergoes a full safety inspection and independent check. We provide all the documentation you need to operate with confidence, including inspection records, maintenance guidance, and staff training on daily safety checks.
A typical project timeline, from design approval to installation completion:
- Design and technical drawings: 2 weeks
- Amendments to design proposal: 2 weeks ( if required )
- Manufacturing: 2–4 weeks
- Installation: 2–4 weeks ( depending on scale )
- Safety sign-off and handover: included
STEP 8: We're with you long after opening day
Opening day for yis the beginning, not the end, of our relationship. Commercial indoor play equipment needs regular maintenance to stay safe, compliant, and looking its best — and we offer the ongoing support to keep yours performing at its peak.
Our aftercare services include:
- Annual maintenance contracts: scheduled inspections and proactive servicing
- Professional deep cleaning: specialist cleaning of soft play foam, fabric, and structures
- Repair and component replacement: fast turnaround to minimise closure time
- Retrofit and refurbishment: refreshing or upgrading your existing play area without full replacement
- Seasonal additions: expanding your offering as your venue grows
A well-maintained play area is a safe one, and a safe play area keeps your insurance, compliance, and reputation exactly where they need to be.
Book Your Free Consultation Today
Tell us about your venue and we’ll start mapping out what’s possible. No obligation. No hard sell.
Just a straight conversation about your project.Â
Frequently asked questions about commercial indoor play equipment installation
The cost of a commercial indoor play area depends on the size of your space, the complexity of the design, and the mix of attractions you choose. As a general guide, compact installations start from around £25,000, mid-scale projects typically range from £60,000 to £120,000, and larger multi-attraction venues can be £120,000 to £240,000 or more.
The best way to get an accurate figure for your venue is to start with a free consultation — once we understand your space and your brief, we can provide a detailed design and quote.
For most projects, you should plan for around 8 to 16 weeks from design sign-off to installation completion. This typically includes 2–3 weeks for design and technical drawings, 6–10 weeks for manufacture, and a few days to a couple of weeks for installation depending on the scale of the project.
We’ll agree a detailed programme with you at the start so you can plan your marketing, staffing, and opening around a firm timeline.
Yes, entirely.
Our initial consultation, whether that’s a site visit, a video call, or a conversation over the phone is completely free and without obligation.
We won’t push you towards a decision before you’re ready, and we won’t recommend anything we don’t genuinely believe will work for your venue.
We work with all types of venues.
New builds, existing buildings, refurbishments, and retrofits.
If you already have a play area that’s looking tired or underperforming, we can assess it and advise on the most cost-effective way to refresh or upgrade it, without necessarily starting from scratch.
Retrofit and refurbishment projects are a significant part of our work.
