What do a police station, a coffee shop and Zoo have in common? I’ll bet you didn’t guess soft play at Bubbles World of Play, at Marine Point in New Brighton!?

We spent an action packed Saturday afternoon going wild and checking out every nook and cranny of the new and improved Under 5’s Role Play Mini City, which is now even better than before.

For those who’ve not visited yet, Bubbles World of Play consists of a huge play frame for under 12’s, the newly gated under 5’s section and a dedicated piece of the action for babies and toddlers.

A colourful seating area curls around the play areas with wall mounted cctv type screens from inside the play areas that allow parents can keep a beady eye on their little ones having fun, at all times.

Having visited before (and my three age 10, 4 and 1 absolutely loved it) we were keen to see what changes the Bubbles staff had implemented.

My four year old flung her shoes off and headed straight for the Bubbles mock Coffee shop for a catch up over a soy latte (with an extra shot) with a little girl she met in the queue!

This really is like a mini city. Watching this age group at play is absolutely fascinating, more so because as a parent you can either get involved (apparently I’m too slow at serving and wiping tables to work there…harsh) or sit back and watch from the seating area knowing your little ones are safe from the bigger kids tearing around.

I was quickly abandoned in favour of building a life-size igloo, again with a bunch of kids we met five minutes before.

I think simply putting a mesh fence and gate around this wonderfully interactive section, has in fact built a sense of community among these little people, as they all worked happily together on big tasks, not to mention the two triumphant dads who high-fived each other when they finally lifted the roof on!

It’s no surprise that Bubbles World of Play has been shortlisted for two Liverpool City Region Tourism awards. The first awards is Large Visitor attraction of the Year and alongside nominees such as The Albert Dock and The Beatles Story, it goes to show just how much of a great experience is on offer for families.

Despite visiting on a super busy Saturday afternoon, there were plenty staff members on hand from booking at reception to keeping the café waiting times down and the hyped up party team ushering excited party-guests to their feasts.

The second award is Tourism Stars of the Year, specifically the Bubbles Party Team who entertain and enthral children from the moment they check-in to when they leave happy and laden down with goodies.

Bubbles World of Play is entirely centred on a great family experience and it shows in the form of educational play frames, adequate health and safety measures and a team of brilliant staff.

We’re keeping everything crossed for a Bubbles double whammy win!