We have launched a campaign to raise funds to help refurbish our soft play area. After so many years of use, it needs a great deal of updating and refurbishing.  

The soft play is an essential resource for children with additional needs and it must be well maintained to ensure that it can be used safely. 

The children who come to Markfield love our soft play area and, for some of them, that is the highlight of their visit.  

Our target is £5,000 and you can help by donating and/or sharing this link Markfield – Refurbish soft play for children with special need (givingishuman.co.uk) 

It is easy to donate – just follow the link above and click on the button at the bottom of the page that says, ‘donate now’. You can also watch the video where Ian McCarthy, our Family Team manager, talks about our campaign. 

Soft play can be immensely beneficial for children, especially autistic children, and children with additional needs.

Some of the key benefits are:

  • Physical development – soft play provides a safe and controlled environment where children can engage in physical activity. Soft cushioned surfaces and padding allow children to crawl, climb, slide, jump, and navigate their way through soft obstacles without the risk of injury that might be present in a traditional outdoor play area. This helps to build strength, coordination, and balance, and can even improve gross motor skills. 
  • Emotional Expression – soft play offers an outlet for releasing feelings in a healthy, supported way. Hitting padded walls or jumping into ball pits allow children to safely work through big emotions like excitement, frustration, or anxiety in a nurturing environment. It helps children build confidence, independence, and self-regulation skills. 
  • Cognitive Development – Children are exposed to new and challenging environments, which can stimulate their minds and help them learn and explore. Matching games, shape sorters, exploring colours, and puzzles, all help to build cognitive skills.  
  • Understanding the world – Children with autism have difficulty in communication, turn taking, and reading facial expressions which can impact their understanding of their environment. Soft play helps to break down those barriers, as all children are using the same equipment but can do so in different ways. During play they need to navigate the ball pool or go down the slide with other children. With support they can work on these social aspects and have fun with, and alongside other children. 
  • Sensory development – The variety of textures, colours, and sounds that children encounter in a soft play environment can help to stimulate the senses. This can be particularly beneficial for children with sensory processing disorders, as it can help them to better process and interpret sensory information. 

Please visit our page, donate and share!

Markfield – Refurbish soft play for children with special need (givingishuman.co.uk) 

The team at Markfield and the children really appreciate your support.