Outdoor Soft Play Hire

We have a policy to only supply our Soft Play to indoor hires, but we often get calls and messages asking if we can do outdoor hires. Here is are some of the questions we are asked and the answers to give you a full understanding why we do not hire our soft play outdoors….

Q. Do you hire your soft play outdoors?

A. In short …. NO! It often puzzles people why we do not allow our soft play to go outdoors when some other companies still allow it, so I thought I would go in to some more depth and explain why it is our policy to only do Indoor Soft Play Hire.

Hygiene

We visit many 100’s of gardens every year and most are lovely, and on the face of it look more than suitable for Soft Play. However, we can’t tell from one hire to the next if they have dogs, cats, foxes or other animals visit their gardens and with animals comes animal excrement. Most people are very good and clean up their gardens however, no matter how much you do this, unfortunately you can not 100% guarantee that there is no foul residue left behind, and we can’t vet every garden before we hire to it.

Although we could lay down a ground sheet, we could not guarantee that the soft play shapes would be kept on the mats or ground sheet, so this is one of the reasons we do not allow our soft play outdoors. We want our customers to book with us with the confidence that they are hiring good quality clean soft play.

Weather

Soft Play shapes are made of foam covered in pvc, and they are not designed to get wet. If the foam inside gets wet or damp, it can take weeks to dry out completely, and the longer it takes the more risk of the foam beginning to smell like damp washing.

Although customers insist that they will take the shapes in if it begins to rain, we have had incidents in the past when we can see that clearly this didn’t happen, and it can ruin the soft play pieces.

If the weather forecast is rain or showers on the day we could always cancel, which is something we would hate doing, however, on the other hand, with the unpredictable weather forecasts, we may cancel on the basis that it is suppose to rain and then it brightens up, but then it will be too late as our van is already out on deliveries and not always possible to go back to reload, so rather than let anyone down we would rather say no to our soft play being hired outdoors.

On a hot day with the sun beating down on the soft play shapes the pvc can get very hot which can be uncomfortable for young children or, in high temperatures it can burn the children.

Q. Can Soft Play go outside under a gazebo?

A. Sorry no. Gazebos are generally only 3 metres square and may have a gap at the bottom. Firstly, the shapes need a much larger area and would end up all over the garden and secondly, if it was to rain, the ground would still get damp due to the rain getting under the sides or, the gazebo not being completely waterproof.

Q. Can Soft Play go in a proper Marquee?

A. Yes. As long as it is an enclosed marquee and a solid floor we will allow out soft play in a Marquee. It can be kept contained and marquees are weather proof, so this will be fine.

Here at Rock It HQ we only buy the very best Soft Play equipment and we take good care of it. We want our customers to know that when they hire from us, they know that we have their safety and best interests in our mind. We will never put profit before safety and would rather turn bookings away than just hire out our equipment to just anyone and anywhere.

Q.Do you have any equipment that is suitable for Outdoor Hire?

A.YES we do. All our inflatables can go outside with just a handful that are not suitable in wet conditions, but that is clearly stated on the website. Most of our Bouncy Castles come with a rain cover or sun shade (depending on the weather), and are fine to hire outdoors. We also have a selection of Add On items and Giant Garden Games that can go outside.

But as well as the above, we are pleased to be the first company in the UK to offer our unique ACTION PLAY PACKAGES which are a great alternative to Soft Play packages and because of their construction are perfect for outdoor hire in rain or shine. Take a look at our NEW Outdoor ACTION PLAY Packages which can be hired indoors or outdoors and perfect for children around the 2-6 years.

If you have any questions about our Soft Play hire or Indoor Soft Play packages please CONTACT US or call the office on 01702 546615 where one of our friendly team will be able to help you.