Play zones

The main structure

Three levels, roughly nine metres by six. Two tube slides, a rope bridge, a ball pit at the bottom of the wide slide, and a section of soft obstacles that the six-to-nine crowd treats as a race course. Maximum height 150 cm, which works out at most kids up to ten or eleven.

Socks are required, for everyone, including adults going up after a stuck child. We sell them for $3 if you forget, and people forget constantly.

The toddler room

Separate room with its own gate, soft flooring, a small climber, and a shelf of chunky blocks. Meant for walkers up to about four. It's the quietest part of the building and it's where we send families when the main floor gets loud.

One adult has to be in the room. Not nearby — in the room. This is the rule we repeat most often and the reason we've never had a serious injury in there.

What breaks and what we do about it

Netting wears at the corners, slides develop rough patches, and the ball pit needs emptying more often than anyone expects. The structure gets a full check every Monday and a certified inspection twice a year. If a section is closed off with tape, it's because it failed a check that morning, not because we're being cautious for the sake of it.

Busy and quiet