Yorkshire

15 Indoor Play Centres In Yorkshire Perfect For Rainy Day Fun

By Alexis Wilson-Barrett
28.11.22

Looking for indoor play centres in Yorkshire?

Trying to find a way to entertain the kids on a typically British wet and miserable afternoon can be an arduous task! When inquisitive young minds seek stimulation and little legs need to burn off an excess of seemingly endless energy, weekends and school holidays can be a nightmare. Torrential rain and bitterly cold Yorkshire winds are enough to deter even the hardiest of individuals from visiting local parks but indoor play centres are fantastic alternatives. With a plethora of play equipment and, more often than not, space for parents and grandparents to relax with a hot drink, these family-friendly attractions can be an absolute God send to bored children and frustrated adults and provide the best rainy day activities.

There are countless indoor play centres in Yorkshire offering fun-packed adventures away from the elements that the whole family can enjoy. We’ve compiled this list of the best indoor play centres in Yorkshire so that next time you’re seeking somewhere for an impromptu day out with your little cherubs, you’ll have a few places to consider…

Indoor Play Centres in North Yorkshire

DIG

indoor play centres in yorkshire — Image: DIG

Address: St Saviour Church, St Saviourgate, York YO1 8NN
Tel: 01904 615505

Kill two birds with one stone and take your little ones to DIG in York where they will have a great time and learn about York’s fascinating Viking past. Best suited for children between the ages of five and twelve, this hands-on archaeology-themed visitor attraction was created by the people behind one of the most famous museums in Yorkshire – Jorvik Viking Centre.

At DIG, children are given the opportunity to become ‘trainee’ diggers by delving into four specially created excavation pits, each based upon real-life digs that have taken place in the city. Using child-friendly tools, they’ll dig through sand to unearth replica artefacts from Roman, Viking, medieval and Victorian times. A fun and interactive way to introduce your children to history! For little ones, the fun doesn’t stop there as DIG also has a lovely little play area for children under 5.

Web Adventure Park

Address: Clifton Gate Business Park, Wigginton Road, York YO32 2RH
Tel: 01904 692221

If you haven’t been to Web Adventure Park already, then we highly recommend that you go! It’s one of the best places in Yorkshire to go with kids. With extensive outdoor and indoor play areas, an animal zone and 12 brilliant fairground rides, there’s plenty to keep them entertained. Although many of their best-loved facilities are outdoors, there’s still a significant amount to do on those wet and windy days.

Older kids can test their agility on the brand new ninja course whilst younger children let their imaginations go wild at the Buggington role-play village which features a veterinary centre, DIY store, shop and cosy cottage. Of course, there are also the obligatory giant slides which are always a hit. Babies and toddlers are well catered for too with a sensory play area. A brilliant day out with kids, whatever the weather!

Thornton Hall Farm

Address: Thornton-in-Craven, Skipton BD23 3TS
Tel: 01282 841148

Thornton Hall Farm Park is one of the most popular family attractions near Skipton and, although it’s predominantly a working farm attraction, there’s plenty to do inside. They’ve always had an indoor play area (at least for as long as we’ve been visiting) but they upgraded it this year to make it bigger and better than ever! In the main barn, you’ll find slides, climbing areas, go-karts, toddler role-play and a dedicated area for babies and toddlers to play away safely from the bigger kids.

For hungry families, there’s a brilliant diner serving hot and cold food plus drinks and snacks. If you prefer, you can take your own picnic – there are plenty of tables for you to lunch at, close to the main play area. It’s definitely one of the best things to do in Skipton and it is rapidly becoming one of the most popular indoor play centres in Yorkshire.

World of Their Own

Address: 17 Hornbeam Park Oval, Harrogate HG2 8RB
Tel: 07542 280856

World of Their Own is a unique and utterly brilliant new addition to Yorkshire’s long list of family-friendly attractions. This immersive indoor play centre in Yorkshire features a cleverly designed Wild West themed role play village with an adjoining cafe saloon and fairytale ice-cream parlour. Young imaginations will be ignited to a whole new level as the mini streets are explored and the toys and dressing-up gear are taken advantage of. A wonderful experience that you won’t get anywhere else in Yorkshire!

To ensure a comfortable and entirely safe experience for little outlaws, World of Their Own restrict how many can play at one time so booking is essential. The experience lasts 2.5 hours which gives preschoolers ample time to explore the ‘ol Wild West Play Village and Fairytale Ice-Cream Parlour. They’ll also get a meal choice from the Little Outlaws menu and a drink.

Indoor Play Centres in West Yorkshire

Xscape Yorkshire

Address: Colorado Way, Castleford WF10 4TA
Tel: 01977 664794

If you have children of different ages then this one should be high up on your list of things to do in Yorkshire! Xscape Yorkshire houses a number of fun attractions so you’re bound to find something to suit everyone. There’s glow-in-the-dark adventure golf, indoor climbing, trampolining, a multi-level laser zone, a cinema, ten-pin bowling, a soft play centre, indoor skiing, and a Funstation which hosts all your favourite seaside and carnival games.

There’s so much to do at Xscape Yorkshire that choosing just one or two will be an insurmountable task. You’ll undoubtedly want to keep returning to try out the rest! Once the children (and adults) are sufficiently worn out, end your day with a meal at one of their many food outlets including Domino’s, Nandos, Frankie & Benny’s, Taco Bell and more.

Ninja Warrior UK

Address: Ramshead Approach, Seacroft, Leeds LS14 1NH
Tel: 0113 831 4849

This is one of the best indoor play centres in Yorkshire for those with a competitive streak! Inspired by the hit TV show, Ninja Warrior UK in Leeds houses fun-packed obstacle courses and inflatable areas designed to provide adults and children over the age of 4 with an incredible couple of hours of competitive, physical fun. Have parent vs child races to see who can complete the obstacles in the fastest time or simply allow siblings to test their strength and agility by tackling courses at their own pace.

All the courses are suited to children over the age of four only and those under 12 must have adult supervision. Little ones don’t have to miss out on the fun though! Ninja Warrior UK Leeds is home to the Mini Ninja soft play which is exclusively for children aged 0-6.

FUNZY Inflatable Theme Park

Address: Leisure Exchange, Vicar Lane, Bradford BD1 5LD
Tel: 01274 307130

We visited FUNZY earlier this year and had an absolute blast! That hour spent bouncing and clambering around this incredible inflatable theme park is one that none of us will forget in a hurry. We had so much fun but were all absolutely shattered once we had finished. The inflatable course measures a whopping 15,000 square feet and features a giant open bounce area with a surrounding inflatable obstacle course.

Duck, dive, climb and slide your way around and then, if you’re anything like me, land face-first into a ball pit and require help getting out! Honestly, this one was so much fun and there’s plenty of seating at which you can relax and catch your breath afterwards. There’s a snack bar too so you can refuel on hot dogs, slushies and more.

Playhive at Stockeld Park

Address: Wetherby Road, Wetherby LS22 4AN

As if Stockeld Park wasn’t amazing enough, they’ve enhanced their already superb offering by building and adding a mind-blowingly good play area. Not only is Playhive one of the biggest and best indoor play centres in Yorkshire, but it’s also one of the largest in the whole of Europe! Stockeld Park does outdoor adventure remarkably well so the new addition to one of the most popular family-friendly attractions in Yorkshire was bound to be incredible.

Most indoor soft play centres tend to look quite similar and offer the same kind of play equipment but an awful lot of creativity and expertise has gone into creating one at Stockeld Park that is like no other. There are four interconnected play worlds of space, air, jungle and sea comprising high-level walkways, spiral slides, interactive games and much more. A magnificent hub of imaginative play that will excite both children and adults.

Indoor Play Centres in South Yorkshire

Big Apple – Play City

Address: Old Sheffield Road, Rotherham S60 1DE
Tel: 01709 372229

Although we strongly advise you to never visit when nursing a hangover, soft play centres are excellent places to visit on rainy days and this one is particularly brilliant. The play equipment at Big Apple Play City is vast with rope bridges, climbing platforms, super slides, obstacles, ball pits, inflatables and much more. It’s so extensive, in fact, that this soft play centre can accommodate children up to the age of 14. Of course, there’s a separate area for toddlers where they too can indulge in physical and imaginative play safely.

If that’s not enough to kill an hour or two, then kids can have a whizz around on go-karts or partake in a friendly game of indoor football. All that exertion is bound to result in hungry tummies and Big Apple Play City has an American-themed diner too so you can fill up on burgers, wraps, salads and treats.

Uproar! Play Barn

Address: The Yorkshire Hive, Hurst Lane, Auckley, Doncaster DN9 3HQ
Tel: 01302 535057

Adjacent to the fabulous Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster is a free-admission shopping and entertainment centre named The Hive which has recently added a brilliant Jurassic-themed play barn. It has all been designed brilliantly to give kids an immersive play experience and a memorable day out.

During a Jurrasic jungle adventure of climbing and exploring, kids will encounter a roaring T-rex and an explosive volcano slide plus get to design their very own 3D interactive dinosaur. It is next door to Yorkshire Wildlife Park, but entry to Uproar! is not included in the ticket prices. This must be booked separately but you get a very reasonable two hours of playtime.

Flip Out

Address: St Sepulchre Gate, Doncaster DN1 1SW
Tel: 01302 595010

Flip Out is a HUGE indoor play centre in Yorkshire offering fun for the whole family! There are loads of Flip Out venues scattered around the country so you’re likely to have heard of them already. However, this one is the only Flip Out venue in Yorkshire so it’s well worth adding it to your school holidays itinerary.

Kids and adults alike can run, leap and explore to their heart’s content at this fun-packed adventure park. There are a variety of packages available so you can choose to pop in for an hour of play after school or book a family pass for unlimited all-day play.

Tiny Town

Address: Ryton Road, North Anston, South Anston, Sheffield S25 4DL
Tel: 01909 563539

Familiarise your preschool children with the world around them and allow them to immerse themselves in an hour or two of imaginative play at this beautifully created role-play village near Sheffield. The unique mini village was created by people who possess vast amounts of experience in early years learning so expect lots of engaging activities. The imaginative play possibilities are endless with the village including a construction site, mini market, theatre, beauty salon, farm and faraway forest.

This provides a brilliant and budget-friendly day out for young children. There’s an onsite cafe at Tiny Town too which provides light bites like toasties and sandwiches in addition to cakes and drinks. A lovely way to spend a rainy afternoon!

Indoor Play Centres in East Yorkshire

Mega Fun at Jack In The Box

Address: Annie Reed Road, Grovehill Industrial Estate, Beverley HU17 0LF
Tel: 01482 880091

Mega Fun is the biggest indoor play adventure centre in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The main area comprises three floors of play equipment suitable for children up to the age of 12. There’s a 4-way wavy slide, mega drop slide, interactive game floor, dual sky glide, large ball pool, pirate cave and much more so more than enough to help them burn off all that surplus energy.

In addition to the main play area, there’s a lovely little role play area for children under five and a miniature play zone for those under four featuring all kinds of fun activities. Food and drink are also available onsite from their cafe area which offers menus of both hot and cold food.

Funstation

Address: Unit 50C, St Stephen’s Shopping Centre, 110 Ferensway, Hull HU2 8LN
Tel: 01482 778144

Now, we’ve briefly mentioned the Funstation at Xscape Yorkshire but there’s also a standalone one in Hull offering the same plethora of fun games and activities. At Funstation in Hull, you’ll find mini bowling, laser tag and, of course, a superb range of carnival games the whole family can play and enjoy. They operate a unique cashless system at Funstation so there’s no need for those heavy pockets full of loose change. You simply load your provided Funsation card at the kiosk and swipe or tap to play the games.

A big selling point for this one is the tickets! Just like the amusement arcades at seaside resorts and holiday parks, the games dispense tickets that you can exchange for prizes before you leave. A day of indoor fun AND a souvenir to take home!

Jump Inc

Address: Block A, Flemingate, Unit 1, Beverley HU17 0NQ
Tel: 0330 088 2267

Jump Inc is 20,000 square feet of inflatable fun in Beverley. This urban playground features one of the UK’s first ever double deck inflatable AND the biggest ball pool in the UK. As far as inflatable parks go, this is one of the best around and will provide you and your children with an endless amount of fun.

If the enormous slides, bouncy obstacles and squishy play sections aren’t enough to tempt you, then why not check out the recently added trampolines, tumble tracks, zip lines and reaction walls? There’s a great viewing area for those who want to watch the fun but would prefer not to join in and there are plenty of refreshments and tasty treats available from the onsite cafe.