A new rainforest-themed soft play area is opening in Solihull with plans to cater for toddlers, older kids and parents too. Rainforest Rascals is moving in to the old Capricorn blinds shop in Shirley’s Parkgate centre.
The unit off Stratford Road is soon to be refurbished into a soft play jungle, with sections for under-threes and overs, a small gaming zone for tweens and grown-ups and a role play area for toddlers that can then be hired out for parties on the weekends.
There will also be a little café on-site, with plans to serve all-day brunches and pizza alongside hot and cold drinks, ice creams and milkshakes. Owner Nilesh Pandit, who goes by Neil, said Rainforest Rascals will fill a gap in the market in Solihull, where he says families with children over the age of three are currently underserved.
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“I think the area is dying for something like this,” he said. “There are other soft plays locally but us parents are suffering with overpriced or poor facilities, good spaces with bad food or the other way around. We plan to revive soft play and our focus is not just on the children, but the parents too, who tend to go to a lot of soft play places and not have much to do. This will be different.”
Adults and older kids will be able to pay separately by the hour to use the gaming area, which will contain a flat screen TV and arcade games, while the soft play areas have been designed to keep younger kids entertained, so they ‘don’t just get bored after half an hour’, said Neil.
Rainforest Rascals is moving into the old Capricorn blinds shop
(Image: Emily Chaplin/BirminghamLive)
“We want to make this a community space with things like a mummy fitness club by hopefully linking up with the Gym Group or a local nail place so mums can drop the kids off to us when they go,” he added. “We’re also looking to set up a date night so parents can leave the kids with us for a few hours on a Saturday night, and themed days like an RnB brunch with a DJ, so parents can bring the kids and have fun.”
It’s hoped that Rainforest Rascals will be ready to open in time for the Easter holidays. Visitors can expect to pay £9.99 for a weekend session and less on weekdays, while childminders and nannies will be offered a discount.
Neil is also looking for spaces to set up further soft play areas in the West Midlands, specifically around Sutton Coldfield and Merry Hill.