Family Day Out at Play Factore in Manchester

Play Factore, in Manchester, describes itself as the ‘UK’s leading indoor family entertainment arena’ – and it’s certainly no ordinary play centre. For a start, it has a laser tag room and a virtual reality experience, among other awesome play equipment.

We were keen to explore the attraction for ourselves, and to see if it would keep our son and his cousin occupied for a few hours. Here’s what we thought…

Our verdict

If the idea of visiting another play centre has you reaching for the earplugs, don’t worry, this one is rather different.

Yes, it is noisy (isn’t anywhere where large numbers of children play together?). But Play Factore is far from your standard, run-of-the-mill play centre.

We travelled to Manchester with our eight-year-old son Ewan and his 13-year-old cousin, Fin. The venue wasn’t well sign-posted. However, it didn’t take us too long to find the car park and the entrance to Play Factore, beneath the prominent Chill Factore building, in Trafford Quays Leisure Village.

At the till, we paid for our admission, plus extra so Ewan and Fin could each have a go at the zip wire and the virtual reality experience. Unlike most other play centres, adults are also charged for entry, which adds to the bill. We paid £51.70 to cover entry for two adults, two children, plus one turn for each child on the zip wire and the virtual reality experience. At this price, Play Factore is more of a special treat than somewhere to meet up with friends every few weeks.

After entering the arena (my wallet considerably lighter), the two boys quickly pulled their shoes off and dashed off to explore.

Now that Ewan and Fin are older, there’s no need for us to chase after them through the rabbit warren of play equipment. But once they were inside the colossal equipment, we didn’t have a clue where they were. Thankfully, they reappeared from time-to-time to plead for sweets, drinks, ice creams etc.

One of the main attractions is a huge, wavy red slide, which is only for children aged five and over (to look at it, you can see why!). Ewan and Fin tried it out, and Ewan told me afterwards that he felt it was a bit too fast because he bumped his bottom and scraped his foot.

They both loved the virtual reality experience in which they used the WePlayVR pod to enjoy an intergalactic adventure. Back on Earth, Fin talked about how ‘real’ it felt – so that’s a clear thumbs up.

The zip wire was also a big hit. It was quite something to see Ewan and Fin (and other children) flying across the arena, while us grown-ups sipped tea and coffee below.

But probably their favourite part was the laser tag arena. All four of us had a go, seeing who could score the highest. Then Ewan and Fin made some friends, formed teams and competed with each other.

The on-site restaurant has plenty of choice. Ewan and Fin picked hotdogs, while we opted for filled bagels. Later, Ewan enjoyed an ice cream, too.

Before we knew it, our two-and-a-half hour play session was over and it was time to go. The two cousins could have quite happily spent longer enjoying the activities, and for £51.70 I think each session should be at least three hours long. But all in all, we had a fantastic time. Summing up the outing, Fin said: “Everything was amazing.”

About Play Factore

Play Factore has been designed to provide families with an active indoor play centre to play in together. The arena houses the largest play frame in the UK, as well as the tallest standing indoor slide in Europe. It also features an indoor laser tag arena, go-kart track, zip wire – and the biggest toddler area in the UK.

Where is it?

It is situated underneath the Chill Factore building in Trafford Quays Leisure Village, less than four miles from Manchester city centre. It is near the intu Trafford Centre, just off the M60 motorway at junction 10.

Satnav address:
Play Factore
Trafford Way
Trafford Quays Leisure Village
Manchester
M17 8DD

How much is it?

Play Factore operates peak and off-peak admission.

Peak entry prices:

• Under six months, free
• 6-11 months, £1.95
• 1-4 years old, £8.95
• 5-16 years old, £12.95
• Adults, £3.95
• OAPs, £1.95

Peak entry information:

• Peak times include weekends, bank holidays and all school holidays.
• Facilities available: giant play frame, interactive toddler play area, laser tag arena and electric go-karts.
• Also available: zip wire at £3.95 per go and virtual reality experience at £5 per go (both subject to availability).

Off-peak entry prices:

• Under six months, free
• 6-11 months, £1.95
• 1-4 years old, £6.95
• 5-16 years old, £9.95
• Adults, £3.95
• OAPs, £1.95

Off-peak entry information:

• Off-peak times include term time, Monday to Friday.
• Facilities available: giant play frame, interactive toddler play area and electric go-karts.

When is it open?

Play Factore is open seven days a week, from 10am to 6.30pm. It’s closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Things to note:

• All children must be accompanied by a responsible adult at all times.
• There are more than 300 free parking spaces, including dedicated disabled parking bays.
• Admission is for a maximum of 2.5 hours. The management reserve the right to charge a late exit fee (charges available upon request).
• Children aged four and under aren’t allowed to use the laser tag arena or the big red slide.
• The zip wire is only available for children aged six years and older.
• Adult supervision is required on the electric go-karts.
• In order to avoid potential friction burns, it’s advised to wear clothing that covers the arms and legs.
• Adults and children must wear socks at all times.
• The toddler play area is strictly for children aged under 5.
• Adults can only play on the age-applicable equipment according to the children they accompany.
• A child aged under five must be supervised by an adult when using the go-karts.
• Play Factore holds monthly indoor soft play sessions for children aged six months to 16 years with all types of disabilities and special educational needs (SEN and SEND).
• Only food and drink purchased from Play Factore may be consumed on the premises.

Play Factore’s virtual reality experience:

• There is a minimum height restriction of 1.25 metres.
• Parents are allowed to play when accompanying their child.
• The virtual reality experience is only available during peak times.

To find out more about Play Factore click here or call 0844 824 6030.

Review by: Colette Warbrook

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