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Soft play prices are back up after the summer VAT cut, now a campaign wants the tax scrapped for good

Soft play prices are back up after the summer VAT cut, now a campaign wants the tax scrapped for good

Indoor play campaigners want VAT cut to 0%, arguing it could make soft play and family days out more affordable.

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Ruairidh Pritchard

Published: October 5, 2026 at 4:43 PM

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If soft play is one of your go-to options for rainy weekends, after-school energy burning or simply getting everyone out of the house, you may have noticed that the summer saving on admission prices has now come to an end.

VAT on eligible indoor play admissions was temporarily reduced from 20% to 5% between 25 June and 1 September 2026 as part of the Great British Summer Savings scheme. The standard 20% rate now applies again.

But the Association of Indoor Play (AIP), which represents hundreds of indoor play centres, is campaigning for children's indoor play admissions to be permanently zero-rated for VAT. Its Parliamentary petition is now nearing 60% of the 10,000 signatures needed to trigger a Government response.

How much difference could 0% VAT make to soft play prices?

For parents, the key question is what removing VAT could actually mean at the till.

AIP gives the example of an indoor play admission costing £12 including VAT at the standard 20% rate. If the VAT saving were passed on in full, it says that admission could fall to £10.

That doesn't mean every £12 ticket would automatically become £10. Individual venues set their own prices, and AIP's proposal is specifically about the VAT charged on qualifying admissions.

But its survey of operators suggests some families did benefit when VAT was temporarily reduced over the summer. According to AIP, 84% of venues responding to its survey reported reducing prices in some form, while 67% said they passed on all or part of the admission saving.

Why campaigners want VAT on children's indoor play removed

The campaign is being led by the Association of Indoor Play, which argues that making indoor play more affordable could give more children access to places where they can be active and socialise, particularly when outdoor play isn't practical.

Maria Cantarella, CEO of the Association of Indoor Play, says the summer reduction showed that VAT changes can translate into better value for families.

This summer’s VAT reduction gave indoor play venues the opportunity to offer families better value, and our survey shows that many responding operators did exactly that.

Maria Cantarella, CEO of the Association of Indoor Play

AIP commissioned child development specialist Dr Amanda Gummer and FUNdamentally Children to review existing research on indoor play earlier this year. The review found that indoor play venues can support physical activity as well as skills including problem-solving, managing risk and social development.

Dr Gummer said: “Indoor play has not always been taken seriously enough. This report shows that these venues play an important role in helping children develop key skills for school and everyday life. They offer active, engaging experiences that many children might not otherwise have access to.”

What are soft play operators saying?

For many parents, indoor play has an obvious practical appeal too: it gives children somewhere to run around regardless of what the British weather is doing.

Mark Whittington, a dad of three and owner of DJ's Play, which operates three indoor play venues, is among those backing the petition.

Family days out can be expensive, and removing VAT from indoor play would help venues keep prices down. Play is such an important part of childhood.

Mark Whittington, owner of DJ’s Play

What happens next?

AIP is asking for general admission for children and accompanying adults at qualifying indoor play facilities to be permanently zero-rated from 1 April 2027.

The organisation estimates that the change would have a gross annual cost of around £51 million, although it says that figure is subject to validation with HMRC.

Its petition is currently nearing 60% of the 10,000 signatures required for a Government response. Under the Parliamentary petitions system, petitions reaching 100,000 signatures are considered for debate in Parliament.

For now, there has been no permanent change to the VAT treatment of indoor play admissions, so parents shouldn't expect an automatic reduction in soft play prices.

To support the campaign, you can view and sign the Parliamentary petition here.

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Authors

Ruairidh PritchardDigital Growth Lead

Ruairidh is the Digital Lead on MadeForMums. He works with a team of fantastically talented content creators and subject-matter experts on MadeForMums.