Best Indoor playgrounds in Australia

Went here today- kids had fun but left semi traumatised as there was an interactive zombi shooting game in the ball pit which they were scared of- very inappropriate for a children’s play centre. The gate for the under fives section was also very problematic as it was an easy to undo latch so kids 4+ were able to open and just let the younger kids out constantly. if these issues were addressed I think it could shape up to be a great centre.
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Indoor play in Melbourne winter is always going to verge on the manic. This place was not too bad. The main play maze/ climbing thing was big and perfect for my 7yo. He loved the steep plastic purple side and yes giant inflatable slide. The separate little kids area was a bit bare - a smaller side was the center of the action. Everything was clean, staff were visible and responsive, coffee was ok. Will return!

Came In today with my daughter and the guy working was just a top bloke great friendly service will be back.

Overall was good for our toddler to run around. We arrived late afternoon and they had closed the kitchen already which wasn’t ideal. Staff were friendly. It’s a tight space and a lot of older kids playing in the toddler / younger kid area.

This place is very big and super spacious for kids to play but it's easy to get lost somewhere. I liked the original name (chipmunks) but the new name is alright.

Really deteriorated, seating is poor, no food for familes, potato chips, and a fridge full of alcohol, an absolute embarrassment to Mandurah

Our daughter loves this place and we visit regularly as it is a great way to keep active, learn and develop. The ballpit and huge inflatable slide are always a hit. The staff are great and the food is pretty good too.

Toilet facilities are disgusting, dirty, water on the floor, smelt like mould. Way too crowded. Not worth the $17 won't be back.

Great childrens party venue! With enough variety for kids of all ages.

No Air conditioning so it's a sweat box. Owner was very rude to my child, didn't realise we were standing in the play area watching him the whole time as is autistic. He came shouting at my son after he accidentally knocked another Child over when coming down a slide. We had to tell him to back off.

Cleanest play centre I have ever been to. No broken torn equipment. Bathroom immaculate! Well done!! Staff so friendly

As a mum of two I have been to many play centres!! After recently moving interstate I can safely say this is one of the best experiences we've had. It was clean, well run, lovely staff and genuinely seemed happy to be there. All round fabulous centre. Highly recommend

What an amazing experience, came here to celebrate my daughters birthday, not a planned party just me and my daughters and I'm blown away with how amazing the customer service was as well as the facilities they had to offer here. So much to do which made it so amusing to both my girls, the staff made my daughter feel so special for her birthday. The place was also felt very clean.

We held our daughters 7th bday in Carrum Downs playcentre last year Nov 2023. First, I've got issues with the number of guest, but I won't go on to detail anymore. Just want to give 10/10 A+++ unbeatable customer service that the Funtopia Carrum Downs have provided us. We are 5 minuted drive away from a famous playcentre, but we chose a 20 minute drive to held my daughter's bday party because of 3 things:
1. As I mentioned "the customer service". These guys are very friendly, approachable and first time I encounter that they provided solution in the problem instead of saying "NO" to their customer. That proves me that they are looking after their customers and treat each one a VIP. They can be Nasty to me because of my guest issues but they didn't. They were professional and provided solutions to make sure everyone can attend. Also, very busy day... but every staff is attentive with their guest, they tired but not snobbish or stress looking people. They still smile and help you with whatever you need.

2. FOOD. Delicious amazing food! We have been to many playcentres but this one provides like a cefe playcentre. Delicious! Also, everyone was surprised with their food party package. Most of the time, in the playcentre menu, it's just Sausage rolls, medium size pizza, veggie spring rolls... they have delicious party food package that you can choose. I under estimate their food and we were left with so much left overs. Thank goodness that we are allowed to give it to our guest without even paying for the food containers/boxes. Everyone enjoyed their foods!

3. The facilities. We chose climb party for my daughter. It was long enough and everyone who participated enjoyed it and have so much fun. Huge play area for toddlers, little mini car ride for kids. Other indoor playground facitlities. The toilets are clean and no fouly smell even during the busiest days it was well maintained clean by the staff.

The only downside for me, the number of tables to sit and the number of hours we need to stay in the room and on the table during the party. Reducing the time allowed to stay in the party room and on the party table outside only shows how much customers want their service. I would suggest if you plan to have a bday party in this playcentre, choose the afternoon time around 3pm onwards so you can stay in the party table (outside the party room) for a longer period of time because very rare a kids party will start at 3pm..

Overall, we will still recommend this place and still the best playcentre in Melbourne.

Wow ! Blown away by the spectacular experience my daughter had tonight 🙂 Zana was so patient, encouraging and positive during the climbing session. What an absolute asset to your play centre. We will definitely be back. Our daughter had a great time. Thank you as well to the 2 wonderful supervisors that we're also extremely helpful and friendly 😊

All the staff was great, always checking on us if everything is okay and if we need anything but the best is our party host "Jack The Officer". He was very attentive to the needs of the kids and even to us, adults. He was the best and because of that my son had the best birthday ever, according to him. All his guests had the best time also. Thank you for a wonderful party. We will definitely come back next year. 🫡 to Jack.

Not been but looking online for somewhere to take 4 kids on a boring Sunday. $17 entry is ridiculous. Not going

We celebrated my son’s 8th birthday here, we had the neft party. Was brilliant, kids had a fantastic time. Such a great venue

Fantastic service. My son had a ball for his 5th bday.
The owners were so flexible and friendly. Made it very easy and smooth for all details of our booking! Thanks for a great day!

Went here with my 3 kids and 2/3 did the climbing thingy. Sooo good! Staff were amazing. Bloke in the pic I’m attaching was fantastic with the kids and didn’t come across as “this is just a pay check”. It was awesome to see! Praises to him!!

Only reason for my 4/5 star is the pricing for food. Kinda high for me. But still an awesome day. Manager on duty was an English guy whom was also friendly and extremely accomodating.

Had my sons 7th birthday here today. He had the BEST time with his friends. Very reasonable price. Great service. Definitely recommend for energetic little kids.

My twin boys celebrated an 8th birthday at FrankstonIndoor Sports &Inflatables venue on Sunday and all I can say is it was fantastic and the staff are great also.
Would recommend to family and friends in the future.

Had our sons 4th birthday here and cannot recommend them highly enough. The staff were on point. So helpful and lovely to deal with. So grateful for helping our 4 year old have the best party ever. Plenty of food, endless fun for the kids and clean facilities. Thanks so much!!

Their airconditioning didnt work. They continued to stay open for birthday party.

The heat was excessive that all the kids were red in the face

Great party for my son who was turning 10. Lots of inflatables to burn off initial excitement energy, followed by good quality hot food, then into the Nerf arena they went. All parents have given positive feedback about the party too. Very happy with the quality and great time had by all kids

Our first time at Funtopia Carrum Downs and what a stellar place it is! Absolutely bananas the amount of people there were but the venue is so well-run, you didn't notice it as much as other places.
ZANA & DEAN were especially phenomenal at what they do and how they engage with all the children climbing & parent onlookers. I felt the kids were in safe hands and also having a blast. These young gentlemen are a great asset to Funtopia.
Entry & menu items are on the pricier side but I did feel it was a more premium children's entertainment venue & a 3hr session offered is a good amount of time.
Will happily return!

We had my son’s 4th Birthday there! It was fantastic. The price was very reasonable, and the customer service was wonderful!
Would definitely recommend a children’s party!
😀

Had a great day with grandkids there. Both kids were exhausted after a few hours, lots to do. Alex and Dean were great with assisting and guiding and encouraging the kids to have a go at the various climbs in the climbing area. Will visit again sometime.

I went there with my twins on a Thursday morning and had a really good time.
The place is amazing for little toddlers, so many different areas to explore, they love the big ball pits and also ride on cars and hop on horses. Positive experience, highly recommend!

Absolutely love new management! Always go above and beyond. Have been here before but this time was sooo much cleaner, absolutely lovely staff and were so accommodating both times I went to book my kids birthdays very last minute. Can’t recommend them enough!

Our son had his 8th birthday party here - a Nerf Wars party. It was fantastic. The kids had a ball, all nerf guns and goggles provided. The staff were wonderful and ensured everything ran smoothly. We were able to bring in our own cake and extra food. Parents were also appreciative that siblings could join in for a small entry fee, and that they could relax with a coffee. It was my most stress-free kids party so far - highly recommend 😁

Great facility, The staff are very helpful. Also Good setups for kids' parties.

The coaching team are also fantastic

Excellent venue with auto belay in a child friendly area.

I love Bayside rock climbing. Staff is always incredibly friendly and love to help when they can. Community there is very kind. I love coming here every week and having a great climb. Highly recommend climbing here wether it's for a birthday party, a family day activity or just because you want to! Rock climbing is now my favourite hobby and I love coming here and being greeted with smiling faces. Thank you Bayside Rock!!

To preface, this review is from the perspective of someone who climbs a lot as a hobby, and it is not from the reference point of a parent or caretaker or any other kind of customer. What I need or want will wildly differ from someone babysitting a group of kids from the sidelines and this review will not account for that point of view at all.

I've been climbing here 1-3 times per week for the past two years or so and I consider this one of the best gyms in Melbourne. The membership fees are very competitive, the staff members are so friendly, and they make killer coffees too. The route setting, particularly recently, has been excellent, and at the moment I feel like I want to jump on every climb in the gym. There's something for everyone, all the way from first-timers to people who are climbing hard grades outdoors, and plenty of everything to keep you entertained for quite a while. Depending on the day, the gym can get quite crowded, particularly after 6PM on weekdays, especially in the bouldering area. This is great for people who like company, maybe not so for people who would rather grind things out in peace.

Both the bouldering and lead climbing are great, and you won't find better roped roof climbing anywhere else in the city. The atmosphere, particularly in the bouldering area, is always exciting and welcoming. I also appreciate that there's a kilter board upstairs for the members, as not every gym has one.

The only downside to this gym is that it's only 12 meters tall which is a shame, but the routesetters have done a great job with what they've got. The roof climbs are nice and long though.

The new owners have done amazing at this place. Had my little ones 4th birthday the other day. Well done and thank you to the owners and accommodating us.

Special thank you to Lexi. She was incredible at being there for us and all the other people she was helping.

The play place for the kiddos was pretty decent. Our daughter enjoyed it. Remember to bring socks. Entry was quick. They take cash or cards.

Only one person in the kitchen, and one person serving. So the adults who were waiting for breakfast had to wait over an hour for a Turkish roll with smashed avo. They also forgot my wife's iced coffee when bringing the rest of the tables drinks.

The food was nice, but I feel that it's understaffed and suffering for it. If our food arrived at a reasonable time, we would have ordered more while our little one played. However it took so long it was getting close to nap time, and so we had to leave.

Overall good idea, but needs staff.

We didn't end up coming inside for a play. We drove around in circles for a very long time trying to find a car park. I would advise you do not go on a week day. It is in an industrial area and every park is taken.
Nevertheless, the lady on the phone was extremely bubbly. It looked a little dark inside with a lot of babies. It seemed to be targeted at toddlers and babies as it was not a very big area.

We hired out the venue for my son's 5th birthday. My son told me it was the best day of his life and all the kids said it was so much fun. The staff made it so easy and enjoyable. I could not of asked for a better day. All the staff were so accommodating and went above all my expectations. I can't thank them enough. I Highly recommend booking your child's party here.

Thank you again, we really appreciate all you did.

Watch out for tiny pieces of broken glass underneath it after Friday or Saturday nights.

Or broken equipment that's just.. left like that.

Great place to sit back have a coffee and watch the kids scale walls. They have tunnels too for kids who want to stay grounded, and a big climbing tower if they don't trust the harnesses.

I can not recommend this place enough!!! I just celebrated my daughters 2nd birthday here and Eve and her team were so accomodating, the party was absolutely magical and my daughter and her friends had the best time ever! The centre is clean, well looked after and most importantly FUN!! The whole team is so welcoming and nice and really gives a family feel to the place, we come here so often we feel like part of the furniture. Thank you Big Top, this is a party I’ll never forget ❤️

Well its cost 30 bucks cause they call it platium even thou the padding to keep kids safe is worn out its smaller than nerang they dont have as much stuff

Thank you to the amazing staff at Doodlebugs Indoor Play & Party Centre. From the delicious food, to the decorations, to the professionalism and smooth -carefree party. Ensuring we had everything we needed and wanted to make his day special.
Lexi, The party host was so fantastic from the get go. Entertaining all the children in the disco room then moving into the private party room serving food and cutting of his cake- whom was also made by the amazing staff member.
Highly recommend Doodlebugs for your party.
My son had the BEST 3rd birthday that we could have ever wished for.

🎉🎉🎉🎉❤️

So awesome for the kids and food was really nice and the staff so lovely.

Doodlebugs is a great experience for little ones. It's so clean, the under 3's area is perfect for crawlers and toddlers. The menu is extensive with great kids options, tons of tables and seating. All the staff were so friendly, helpful and clearly understand kids and young families. There's even a little parents room for babies too. We'll be making this our regular go-to soft play centre!

Amazing for kids birthday parties.
These guys were awesome party hosts & the kids games and environment was such a vibe.
Everyone had an amazing time.

Always a great time here & highly recommend. I was happy to hear recently that the owners are mums that all have hospitality backgrounds, supporting the needs of other mums to connect to peers in a beautiful indoor space.

That’s affordable and served food & coffee.
Wishing you every success with such a great biz. 🩵💜💝

Just discovered this gem 💎!
Kids had a great time. And the coffee was great, and the food was all so reasonably priced (and yummy!). Think we might book our next birthday party here!

The place isn't huge but it has everything you need except for food. Would be lovely to include a cafe so parents can sit and chill. Also there is no sitting area and limited toilets if there is a huge group. No covered rooms to have events where some places have them these days. Also it was too cold inside but you will be sweating so it's fine if you are climbing but if you are waiting then I suggest you dress up as if you are outside (if you go on a cold winter day)

I asked the girl if she can let me 2 year old in as she was very excited and the girl said "No. I need to see you scanned the phone first." and I would understand as usually its asking about covid but this time it was just my details.
Not the first time the stuff is unpleasent and power playing here which makes me want not to come back ever again.

Great place to have a kids' party. Very friendly and attentive staff. The party room for our daughter's second birthday party looked absolutely fantastic!

Had our baby’s 2nd birthday at emf junior and it was a seamless process. Staff did everything. Very good communication. Great private room and entertainment. Staff organised a crocodile balloon to go with our theme so it was really special. Best thing…no cleaning up! All the other kids and parents had a ball…highly recommend!

Activities for children of different age groups and plenty of space for parents to sit.

Nice climbing gym and very nice staff! I went there to boulder. The boulder area is quite decent in size and there were a lot of challenging problems. I went on a Wednesday and it got a bit crowded after 5 pm.

Staff was very friendly and helpful. They answered all of my questions with a lot of insight and good advice. Would definitely recommend and next time I'm there I'll try out the top rope section.

My husband and I were very disappointed in the state of the toys/mazes.. the foam was coming apart and held together with zip ties, large chunks of foam were missing many places, the ball pit was almost empty, most nets had big holes, and everything was just incredibly filthy. It seems like nobody has cleaned this place since it opened. Almost didn’t want my little one touching anything. A real shame because it is huge and roomy with tons of seating and different play areas, but disappointing that it’s just not maintained at all. Would not recommend or go back. That said, our 16 month old, that doesn’t mind dirty run down toys, absolutely loved it here.

Fun place for the kids to spend a few hours. Quite hot inside so dress in cool clothing. Make sure you explore all the areas for different things to do.
We stayed in the toddler area and took pics there but there's a great jungle gym for older kids too.

Highly recommend for anyone considering a kids party.

I held my daughters 6th birthday party here and it was great. The engagement from staff during the planning was good, the facilities and food provided met my expectations and overall it was great value for money (we had 16 children attend). The staff allocated as party hosts on the day were fantastic and really made it a stress free and fun experience.

It's a great and quiet place, and children like it very much. Parents can eat and drink coffee at the nearby coffee shop, but I encountered many parents who followed the signs and couldn't find the place, because there are some hidden places, so just remember that it is close to Toymate, H&M and Crema👍

The playground was fun but it is turning old and things are breaking down. Some of the ball guns are not working. The climbing castle is very dusty I wonder if the higher floor have any cleaning at all. Many squished balls from the ball pit everywhere. The bottom of the ball pit is also very dusty.
Management would need to work on the hygiene.

Such a great place for little climbers. My 4 and 6 year old have a wonderful time. They love the caves! Such a great idea. They have lots of options to climb too. Great for strength and resilience. Awesome staff and some food and drink options.

EDIT: Decided to revisit this place as its under new management.
The menu is better but it's still not great. Poor service.
I stood at the counter 3 times and the young girl was no where to be seen. There were only 2 other families in there so it wasn't like she was busy.
I took my daughter to the change room and she fell through the change table, lucky I was able to catch her.
Don't waste your time going here.

This play centre is so run down and a sest pool for germs. The floors are disgusting, the toys in the toy room are so old, they look like they've never been cleaned and the room itself was filthy. The soft toys were so ewww brown and had various kids sucking on them.
The actual play area itself was so old, rundown, unclean and held together in places with cable ties, some of the padding was falling down. I didn't enjoy being there and refused to buy the kids food there as it seemed so unclean, unless they upgrade the place I won't ever take the kids back. I really miss places like Abrakidazzle.

Good because its free, easy, safe and located in a shopping mall. Might no be the biggest but why anyone would complain about a free activity are unappreciative people

Recently had my daughter's birthday party here, and it was great. Lang was great at accommodating to my visual ideas which were different to their usual parties so I thank him & the team for that. The team helped us set up and it all turned out amazing. The food was all made fresh and taste delicious!! The platters are all so great for value. Thank you for helping us host this party. We all had the best time!

If I could give this venue a rating of 0 I would, it was a complete disappointment in its entirity.

Over the weekend visited BigTop Playhouse for my god-daughters 3rd birthday and was met with a continual level of disappointment and frustration for the service my friend paid for. This party cost my friend over $800 and included extras she paid for like a balloon garland, costumed character and additional food platters.
When arriving at the venue we were met with dirty tables and chairs, tilting theme display which was completely unsafe, used table cloths and also only approx 5 themed plates and napkins with the rest of the settings replaced with an alternate themed plates, cups and napkins from a different childrens program.
I think one of the biggest disappointment was the balloon garland that was purchased as an extra for $120 per the advertised images and was nothing more than 4 individual balloon bunches that could have been done by anyone (photos attached).
Reusable cups that our children were given were dirty and looked to have not been properly washed and had been braisenly given to patrons.
The venue was completely understaffed and guests of our party were left to fend for ourselves in a private party room with a costumed character. We had to ask random patrons and their children to leave the room so that our kids could enjoy the costumed character that was paid for our party. This should have been something the staff should have been doing. I even had to ask to take over the music in the room for the kids as completely inappropriate music for children was being played.
We even had to help escort the lovely girl in the costume out of the room safely as the one staff member who was in the room with us left after I took over the music.
The food which was purchased additionally for $100 was nothing more than frozen party packs from your local shopping centre. If we were allowed to bring our own food in I can assure you it would have been much more enjoyable.
The actual playground space was completely run down with multiple sections of the play area held together with duct tape and zip ties and covered in a thick layer of dust.
When my friend sent a complaint to the owner on the same day, raising all these concerns it took over 38 hours for her to respond and was met with no remorse or explination for this service.
All in all it left a sour and dirty taste in our mouth and I know I am not the only one to say we would never recommend this venue to anyone looking to celebrate their childs special day.
Absolute disgrace.

My daughter takes her children here and said it was Wonderful.

Amazing place. Great for toddlers ! So many different areas to play so it's not over crowded. Ball pit with gym course, sensory pit, slides, car track. Amazing. Would be great if it offered a full Cafe.

Kids had a great time playing here. All the equipments are relatively new and clean. It’d be perfect if there were a little cafe for parents to enjoy coffee while watching and toilets inside.

Nice place for young kids....They have beach volley ball court and table tennis tables for adults....

This is a small free playgym on L2 of chermside shopping Centre. Unlike many other shopping centre playgrounds they have 2 sections - one for kids under 4 and one side for older kids. There is also a floor projector game set up. There is a small cafe in viewing distance of the playground.

Our fave play centre. Great <5s area with video slippery slide and waterfall slide. Nice and clean. Friendly staff and the home made dumplings are really delicious. While it looks small on entry, it is set up really well. In the 5+ area, there’s an interactive video ball pit (which the parents always love too!), lots of fun fixtures in the climber. The inflatable super slide is great, and the younger kids love the roller slide.

Needs quite a lot of work but a nice little addition to Pacific Fair. It would nice to see this become a permanent fixture and really elevated like Chermside, Northlakes and Westfield Coomera. It’s located near Commonwealth and Westpac Bank just outside of the old area.