What age is Little World of Play aimed at?
Little World of Play will appeal to both toddlers and children up to around 7 to 8 years old. Children aged 10 and above are classed as adults and aren’t allowed to play in the play areas. All children under 10 must be booked in as children.
We have 3 play areas.
1. Our imaginative play area is aimed at children that we class as ‘Steady Walkers’ i.e they are ready to explore and pretend to be whatever they want in our town be that fireman, doctor, police officer, shopkeeper and so on or even want a boogie at their own little sized disco.
2. Our softplay area is for all children under the age of 10.
3. Our smaller baby area is for 2 year olds and under.
What is a ‘Steady Walker’ and/or ‘Non-Walker’?
All children are different and that’s why we don’t have a pricing system that looks purely at age.
A ‘Steady Walker’ is a child that can clearly walk without any help and is ‘steady’ on their feet. We feel that once they are at this stage then they will really get the benefit out of the imaginative play area as they can motor around our town and play with anything in any outlet. They will also want to zip around the softplay frame as well!
A ‘non-walker’ is any child that is over 6 months of age that is either crawling or has not yet mastered the art of walking. They may be able to take a few steps but if they are not ‘steady’ on their feet and can’t walk without you being a few feet behind then book them in as a ‘non-walker’.
If your child has a condition that means they are either in a wheelchair, have walking aids or another way of moving around then we tend to go by their ‘development age’. If you have any queries then drop us a Facebook message.
PLEASE NOTE - Non-walkers and children under 6months can only be booked in as part of a group with a ‘Steady Walker’. Our venue is not primarily aimed at non-walkers, however we do realise you may wish to bring them along with an older child.
Where is Little World of Play?
We are on Cuddyhouse Road between Kingseat and Cowdenbeath in Fife.
If you are using satnav or google maps we don’t come up automatically but you can either enter our postcode, KY4 9PT or try entering Cowdenbeath Recycling centre as they are on the opposite side of the road from us.
Do you have a car park?
Yes - we have a dedicated car park right next to our building so even on a rainy day you only have a short walk to get inside.
As with most places, LWOP does not accept any liability for any thefts or damage caused whilst parking in our car park. We also advise you that whilst we endeavour to grit the paths and parking bays into our facility during winter that entry to and from the car park is at your own risk. We advise you to take care at all times be that driving or walking into/out of our facility.
Do you have wheelchair access?
Little World of Play is based within an old building, but we have done our best to make it suitable for wheelchair users. We have designated disabled parking spaces, but our doors are not automatic. If we can be of any assistance to you then please message ahead in advance and we will do our best to help you.
We do allow wheelchairs into the imaginative play area. The only thing we ask and will help with, if necessary, is to wipe down the wheels prior to entry into the play area.
Can you get to LWOP by public transport?
Yes, we recommend the app Moovit to find out how to get to us by bus or train. When you load it up all you need to enter where you are coming from and enter our postcode – KY4 9PT and then it will give you options to choose – by car, by foot, by bus or by train!
Do I have to book?
Yes. We have reduced the number of ‘play spaces’ available since Covid and we cannot guarantee that you will be able to enter without a booking, (especially at weekends, school holidays/in-service days and rainy days!).
We also have school and nursery bookings during term time which may mean that we are closed some days to normal entry. If you use our booking system it will always show you what availability we have on any given day once you enter how many children, etc.
What is Little World of Play's refund/cancellation policy?
Bookings are non-refundable, however if you contact us at least 24 hours prior to the start of your play session we will reschedule your booking at no extra charge.
How safe is your online booking system?
We use TakePayments as our payment provider. This is a well-known payment service provider in the UK and one of the main reasons we chose them was for their security protocols rather than choosing a lesser known provider which we felt might be a concern to our customers.
When you reach the payment screen you are on a secure TakePayments payment gateway server. Little World of Play does not get to see or hold your card details and we only receive confirmation that the payment has been successful.
You will receive two emails after booking. One from the payment provider confirming payment and then a booking email from Little World of Play confirming your details such as how many steady walkers, adults for what day and session, etc. (Please check your junk and spam folders as they can often go there.)
If you don’t receive either email then it is possible that the payment has not been processed. Please contact us if that is the case via email or Facebook Message.
I haven’t received an email – am I booked in?
You should receive 2 emails - 1. from the payment provider confirming payment and then 2.from Little World of Play to confirm your booking details, (please also check your junk and spam folders as they can often go there).
If you don’t receive either email then it is likely that the payment has not been authorised and your booking has been unsuccessful.
If in doubt drop us an email or Facebook message.
I've booked, how early should I arrive?
We recommend that you don't arrive more than 5 minutes before your scheduled session as you will not be able to access Little World of Play or the cafe before the start of your play session.
Some people were surprised at this prior to covid but this has always allowed us to clean and reset the imaginative play area so that when you do come in at the start of your session then it’s the same experience no matter what session you book.
We also take pride in cleaning the café area and toilets, etc so that you also get a nice clean table and hopefully a more pleasant experience for your session. We have obviously updated our cleaning procedures further in line with covid guidance.
Can I stay after the SESSION for a coffee/some food?
Unfortunately not. We need the time in between sessions to clean and reset ahead of the next session.
We close our café for food at least 20minutes before the end of each session so there should be ample time for play and food. (We have tweaked our session times between 90mins and 2 hours to try and offer more flexibility.)
Can I request/reserve tables?
We’re sorry but we don’t have the administration capacity to support this and even during Covid restrictions when we allocated tables based on the size of the group, this received a mixed response. Tables are therefore available on a first come, first served basis. (As with most venues, we do not have a table that enables you to see your child in every space of our venue.)
If you are booking a play for your child and their friends then we suggest you arrive promptly to be able to get tables side by side.
Can I leave my children to explore for themselves?
Any Steady Walkers that are under 3 years old cannot go into the imaginative play area unsupervised as there are small props that could be choking hazards.
You are responsible for your children at all times whilst in Little World of Play and whilst our staff will intervene if they see unruly or inappropriate behaviour it is your responsibility to know and see what your child is doing at all times.
Can I bring my buggy/pram into LWOP?
Yes, we have plenty of space inside the building where you can leave it by the exit or sit it by your table.
You are not allowed to take your pram or buggy into the imaginative play areas. The only exception is for wheelchair access.
Can adults enter the soft play frame?
It is preferred that adults limit their need to go into the softplay area however they can enter the play frame to help and supervise children. However please remember that the play equipment is designed for young children so you will be responsible for any breakages if you are found to be inappropriately using the equipment.
Are children able to exit Little World of Play unnoticed?
The entry and exit of children and adults to our building is strictly controlled.
Adults are not permitted entry unless they are accompanying a child.
All fire exits are also alarmed, so if one is opened then a siren is activated and our staff will immediately know what has happened.
Only members of staff can let people in and out of the building.
Can I bring my dog into Little World of Play?
We do allow guide dogs in however as some children can have either rational or irrational fear of dogs then we do not allow any other types of dog entry, (this includes therapy dogs).
What facilities are there for babies?
As mentioned before we do have a small play area for 2 year olds and under. We charge a lower rate for any child over 6 months but not yet walking i.e. non-walkers however you cannot book a non-walker or baby without a steady walker.
We also provide a good number of high chairs and have baby changing facilities in every toilet, (female, disabled and male as well as even a baby changing room in our waiting area!)
If you forget nappies or wipes, don't worry just let us know as we generally keep a few in stock.
We can provide jugs of hot water for heating baby food jars and pouches however due to health and safety reasons we do not heat up any food in our microwaves. (We have also minimised the amount of electrical equipment in the customer areas and do not have microwaves or other appliances in that area)
Do you serve food and drinks?
We have a cafe that provides a selection of great coffees, teas and cold drinks as well as toasties, paninis, soup, sandwiches, cakes and so on, (check out our menu page).
We do cater for most intolerances and we have an allergen matrix for your reference, (again check out our menu page) however please let us know if you still have concerns.
We kindly ask that all hot food orders are placed at least 20 minutes prior to the end of the play session. Hot food orders will not be taken after that time.
Are we able to bring our own food/drink in to LWOP?
As we have an onsite cafe you are not permitted to bring your own food on to the premises, with the exception of baby food and formula, or any food required for medical/allergy reasons.
Please note that due to health and safety reasons we cannot microwave any baby food in our kitchen. We can provide jugs of hot water for food pouches/jars, etc to be heated.
We understand that some children will have special dietary requirements and to avoid embarrassment if you have brought your own food because of this then please let the superviser know who will be able to advise if this is acceptable.
We are a small family business and rely on the purchases from the café to not only help pay our operating costs but also keep our entry price at a reasonable level versus other facilities.
It’s my childs’ birthday, can I bring in a birthday cake?
We also get asked about whether our food policy applies to bringing birthday cakes in as well and unfortunately it does. We do offer birthday party packages and include the birthday cake presentation and cutting up of the cake as part of the package however this is all done in a controlled manner/environment. (We had intially allowed cakes to be brought in when we first opened however this quickly became a health and safety headache as candles were being lit up in the main café area which posed a fire risk as well as sharp knives being brought out for the cutting of the cake – again another health and safety risk)
Do you accept debit/credit card payments in the cafe?
For your convenience we accept most major credit and debit cards, (either chip and pin or contactless). There is no minimum spend.
Do you do parties?
Yes we do. Please take a look at our ‘Parties’ tab on our website for more information.
Why don’t you have someone manning a phone?
We are a small family run business and we want to keep our costs and prices down so we promote people to contact us via our Facebook page or email address, (which also allows people to contact us out of our opening hours)
We operate quite differently from the likes of softplay providers as we have always had a booking system which shows what availability we have.
We will endeavour to contact you as soon as possible but as we can get messages at all times of the day and night and we are often in the venue please bear with us as it may be a few days before we get back to you on some queries.