I tried the new £1.8million indoor soft play attraction at Butlin’s – my kids were obsessed with four floors to explore

BUTLIN’S Bognor Regis opened its brand-new £1.8million Skyline Gang-themed softplay attraction in time for the Easter holidays – and we were among the first guests to try it out.

This 26ft-tall, four-storey playframe can fit up to 200 youngsters, while the seating area offers welcome respite to 100 tired parents at a time.

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The bright colours, reflecting the bubbly characters of the Butlin’s Skyline Gang, proved a huge hit with my smallest boy, who loves their energetic song and dance routines.

My tweens were fans of the tall twisty slide that they could travel down together.

I loved that my three boys, aged 12, ten and five, could all join in, thanks to the 1.7m height restriction on the section aimed at juniors.

It’s been a fair few years since my eldest was under the 1.5m limit at the old softplay that snakes its way behind the stage in the Skyline Pavilion.

Visiting the Skegness sister site just before Christmas, even my middle son was too tall for the softplay, although he loved the amazing outdoor Skypark nearby.

Next time we head to Butlin’s, no doubt I’ll have a fully-fledged teen in tow, so it was lovely to let him be a kid for just a little while longer.

The Butlin’s team is on hand to make sure only youngsters who are the right height can go in each section, keeping the smallest guests safe in their own space.

I’ll always have a soft spot for the previous softplay in the Skyline, where I could keep one eye on the stage and the other on the kids playing while enjoying a glass of wine and a show.

But moving the play structure into a self-contained space away from the hustle and bustle of the pavilion works better for lots of families, as it’s easier to control the environment and adapt noise levels for those with special sensory needs.

On the weekend we visited, there was a pre-bookable quiet hour for neurodivergent families, switching off moving lights and background music.

The old playspace is still there for the time being and was open for a couple of hours in the evening, so my boys got to say goodbye and thanks for the memories.

The puppet theatre has also been rehoused next to the new softplay and a quieter arcade area is now in its old home.

Every time we visit Butlin’s there’s something new.

With one eye to a future full of teen boys, we also tried the £15m PlayXperience, enjoying neo games, the batting cage, techputt adventure golf and the VR-cade.

As with all the best bits of a Butlin’s break, this new venue brings kids and adults together, with a firm focus on fun for all ages.

And for the first time, you don’t need to be a guest or a day visitor to check out this state-of-the-art facility.

With escape rooms, digi darts and laser tag among the immersive activities, you can book a birthday party or night out on some Thursdays throughout the year.

With the Skyparks at Skegness and Minehead and now the new softplay at Bognor, keeping the kids busy on your Butlin’s best-of-British break has never been so easy.