Address: 10 Morton Crescent, Fence Houses, Houghton Le Spring, DH4 6AD
I visited here with my sister, my nephew Harvey (1) and my son Leo (9 months).
Sophie, the owner of Woodland Play Patch, was friendly and welcoming with a smile when we got there. I noticed there is a gate at the entrance so little ones can't get out onto the street too which is good when you have toddlers who run around so much it's hard to keep track on them 24/7!
(Image provided by Woodland Play Patch)
And even though it was busy (there was a mums social session on when we were there too), Sophie still made time to come and chat to us and some of the other visitors.
There were lots of different toys and play equipment for little ones, from climbing frames, role play areas, lots of little tables with wooden blocks, dinosaurs and other wooden toys to play with. It's good to have tables like this at different heights to suit babies who are sitting and/or crawling as well as toddlers. And even those with certain additional needs who may need things at different heights to hold onto or sit at. Sophia, my niece would have benefitted from the height of some of the play tables.
There was also a baby area with lots of toys for sensory and motor skills development. All of the toys and play features were wood, which is great for being more sustainable. It is all set up in an open space so your little ones can play in any area as they please and you can see them easily too.
Both Harvey and Leo loved exploring it all, it's perfect for their ages. Leo is at the sitting stage and he still found plenty to explore and play with and that were a good size for him. And Harvey is walking quite confidently and there was plenty for him to explore and climbing equipment to try out too. I think even if we came a few times they still wouldn't have explored everything as there's a good amount!
Food and Drink
There isn't full kitchen facilities due to the size of the building so hot food options are limited to toast/crumpets/bagels (breakfast type options). There were enough cold options for lunch like sandwiches, fruit platters, scones etc so I think Sophie has tried to offer as much as possible with the facilities available. There were also crisps, snacks and sweet treats on the counter.
I personally found the choice limited for Leo as he doesn't really eat a lot of fruit or bread yet. He is going through a phase of preferring warm purĂŠed food rather than feeding himself so I would have preferred to see some other warm options. I did ask Sophie about this and she is more than happy for you to bring baby food in and it can be warmed up. For some, I'm sure the options are more than sufficient for lunch.
Sophie was very helpful and knowledgable in providing dairy free options in Harvey's kids lunch deal which included a sandwich with dairy free spread, pom bear crisps, mini pack of jammie dodgers (instead of a cheese string I believe), a juice carton and an orange.
The cold and hot drinks options were good and there were some yummy sweet treats if you wanted to treat yourself. I'm trying to cut down on sweet snacks so avoided these on our visit as nice as they looked!
One thing I did find slightly uncomfortable was the tables and seating we sat at were sticky. They are wooden picnic tables and when letting Sophie know about this she did advise they are due a varnish, so this may be the reason for feeling this way. It was a nice seating area though and close enough to the play area but so you could still sit and relax too.
(Image provided by Woodland Play Patch)
Harvey enjoyed his lunch pack and we enjoyed our cappuccinos, and the cheese scone I got was fresh and tasty.
You can also help yourself to free fruit and free water refills which is a great thing to offer I think :)
Parking
It is located on a residential street with no car park so you would just need to park on the street or down a side street, just making sure not to park in private parking spaces. There are clear signs for this. We managed to find a space down the side street with not much difficulty.
Toilets and accessibility
There is a unisex toilet and there is also a seperate disabled toilet and baby changing, but during our visit the disabled/baby changing toilet was out of order which Sophie advised is working on getting fixed. Sophie has set up a temporary baby changing corner in the play area, which we didn't find ideal and did cause a slight smell unfortunately (as expected with nappies), but I think Sophie has done what she can in the situation and hopefully this won't be for long. There is a small step to get into the building and the layout of the play area I feel would make it difficult for a wheelchair user to get around. Sophie did mention that she can assist wheelchair users to get into the building so will try to be accommodating to everyone if you wish to still visit as a wheelchair user.
Summary
I think if you want somewhere with plenty for babies and toddlers to explore whether they enjoy climbing, building, sensory toys or role play then this place has it all and has fantastic toys and play equipment! And a lovely friendly owner too.
I do feel it's not the best for accessibility (mainly due to the step and layout, not the toilet being out of order as this is temporary), however you would need to make your own decision on this from the information provided. I also feel it's not the best for choice of food when it comes to warm options, but as mentioned for babies you can bring your own to be warmed up so this is good to know and Sophie has aimed to provide a solution to this. And if these things don't directly impact you then its definitely worth visiting, the owner is lovely and the little ones will definitely have fun!!
Other info and booking
There are also various sessions offered to help with social isolation in parents, such as the mum and dad socials and talk n walk sessions, which I think are a great idea! During the holidays there are usually special events put on too. Follow Woodland Play Patch on Facebook for further information and any updates at https://www.facebook.com/woodlandplaypatch
All sessions must be booked. You can book at https://www.woodlandplaypatch.co.uk/
*I have raised anything I observed directly with the owner that I feel may impact someone's visit, so this is more just to make you aware prior to your visit so you can make an informed decision.
(Ad-Gifted Visit)
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