Harry's Play Centre in St Annes named among UK's top 10 best-rated venues

Harry's Play Centre in St Annes has been named the ninth best-rated soft play and indoor play centre in the UK, achieving an average Google rating of 4.94 stars from 223 reviews.

The ranking was compiled by baby essentials and Moses basket specialists For Your Little One, which analysed Google Maps listings for soft play and indoor play centres across the UK in October 2026. The study examined 798 play centres with at least 100 Google reviews, analysing a total of 351,531 reviews.

Trampoline parks, bowling alleys, arcades, farms and other attractions were excluded, alongside venues hosting only private parties and permanently closed centres. Harry's Play Centre received positive feedback from parents, with one review posted in November 2025 stating: "Great place for my toddlers to burn some energy off, they both love coming here."

Another parent wrote in November 2025: "Great play centre with lots of variety along with great food and service!"

How the UK rankings were calculated

Each venue was ranked using its exact average rating, calculated from the number of one, two, three, four and five-star reviews rather than Google's rounded score. Where venues achieved the same average, those with a higher proportion of one-star reviews ranked lower.

Reviews for venues at the top and bottom of the table were collected on October 19, 2026, and checked. Centres were excluded if most of their one-star reviews, or most of their overall reviews, were posted within the same month, or if they had fewer than three reviews in the previous two years.

The research aimed to prevent a single dispute or sudden influx of reviews from disproportionately affecting a venue's position. Across the UK, Pop In & Play ASN in Bridgeton, Glasgow, topped the rankings with 4.99 stars from 148 reviews. Rainforest Adventure Motherwell was ranked lowest, with 3.20 stars from 115 reviews.

The findings also showed that most families were satisfied with their local play centre. The average venue scored 4.33 stars, while only 107 of the 798 centres had an average below four stars. Smaller venues generally performed better, with centres receiving between 100 and 199 reviews averaging 4.40 stars, compared with 4.24 stars for those with between 500 and 999 reviews.

Dean Smith, director of For Your Little One, said: "Soft play is where a lot of families end up when the weather turns, especially with a baby or toddler in tow," said Dean Smith, Director of For Your Little One. "Google reviews are the closest thing to asking another parent, because every one of them is somebody's real day out.

"Many of the best-rated places are smaller play centres made for babies and toddlers, and parents keep mentioning the little details. It's worth reading the most recent reviews before you go, checking whether there's a separate area for under-twos and somewhere to leave the pram, and booking ahead in the holidays."

Harry’s update

Harry’s Play Centre recently posted an update on the Facebook page, explaining that they were officially closing for the next 3 weeks, clarifying that the closure is temporary rather than permanent.

“But don’t worry… we’re not going anywhere!,” the centre posted on socials. “We just wanted to say a MASSIVE thank you to all our wonderful families who have visited us, supported us and kept Harry’s full of laughter, smiles and happy little faces!

“Although closing our doors temporarily isn’t something we ever planned, we’re choosing to look at the positives! A little time to recharge, refresh and come back ready for lots more fun, parties and magical memories!

“A huge thank you to everyone for your kindness, understanding and continued support over the last few weeks. It really does mean the world to us. So, it’s not goodbye… it’s simply SEE YOU IN THREE WEEKS! We’ll be counting down the days until we hear those little feet running through our doors again!”