NEW AND EXCITING TECHNOLOGY
Play is such an exciting industry to be a part of because there is always something new and exciting just around the corner. At House of Play, we’ve over 25 years of experience in everything from soft play (which is where it all started back in 1994!) to the latest VR equipment such as the Virtuix Omni. We’re inspired to create and develop quality play products that spark the imagination of our (and your!) customers and keep them entertained and inspired over and over again.
As leading experts in the indoor entertainment industry, we’ve seen a lot of trends come and go but we’ve always been at the forefront of where the industry is headed thanks to the experience, knowledge and passion of our team. This is what we see happening for the rest of 2019 and the future!
FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT CENTRES (FEC’s)
FEC’s are the driving force behind the growth of the leisure entertainment industry with no sign of stopping any time soon. Like a supermarket to a traditional food market in groceries, FEC’s are a departure from ‘traditional’ leisure facilities such as gyms, swimming pools and even libraries and have the advantage of offering multiple forms of entertainment, all under one roof. Whilst what exactly may be present at an FEC can depend on everything from the size of the building to the needs of the community, by diversifying attractions to customers, this gives incentive for repeat visits and custom as they have multiple reasons to return another time, vital for growing any business. Ideally, FEC’s will become hearts of their respective communities and are a great way to relax, enjoy and socialize whilst providing the peace of mind that the security of larger facilities gives, especially to families.
At House of Play, we’ve got a lot of experience supporting new FEC’s by being a single supplier of multiple attractions, from soft play to trampoline parks, ninja warrior to virtual reality thanks to our wealth of manufacturing know-how from our base in Doncaster. This makes it easy to start your FEC dream with us or alternatively, to add additional attractions to your site in order to attract new customers and separate you from your competitors. We don’t supply ‘cookie cutter’ attractions at House of Play, everything we design and manufacture is custom-made with care with the ability to theme however you want from deepest oceans to outer space.
USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN INDOOR PLAYGROUNDS
As technology increasingly becomes part of our daily life, it is only natural to see that spill out into play. As a result, emerging technologies are fantastic additions to any indoor entertainment facility (big or small) by offering extra dimensions to what you can offer your customers and are a sensible investment to your business. These include cutting edge attractions such as the Virtuix Omni, a first-of-its-kind multidirectional treadmill that offers no motion sickness and a plethora of games, keebee panels which allow children to interact with touchscreens to play games with an educational twist as part of their play or High-9 panels designed to test reaction speeds and bouncing abilities on trampolines.
These technologies are much more affordable than perhaps you might think and we can supply any solution to complement your existing equipment at House of Play to find a product that is right for you. Even small changes such as offering free wi-fi or charging points for phones could make a big difference to your business and should be considered for your future growth as customer expectations continue to rise from their leisure facilities!
BLEND OF EXERCISE AND PLAY
No matter what your age, keeping fit is important and should be fun at the same time as having benefits for your physical and mental health. One emerging trend is for equipment that is entertaining to use without feeling like exercise. This is especially important for children as both childhood obesity and collective screen time continues to increase.
The continuing growth and demand of FEC’s and the soft play industry in particular shows that this is an excellent solution for providing a leisure solution for children but this is continuing out to adults as soft play that is suitable for people to relive their childhood to becomes increasingly prevalent. Even small adaptations can easily be made to most sites such as balancing beams and podiums to trampoline parks which can help attract customers – and are a lot more fun than the gym! This blend of exercise and play also encourage the growth of children’s social skills such as teamwork which will help them further in life.
ROLE PLAY
Imagination is a key aspect of play. The act of pretending can teach children a wide variety of skills, especially social and emotional ones as these needs are as important to cultivate as physical activity to develop healthy people. Role play rooms are becoming increasingly common as not only are they relatively inexpensive to run, they can be easily altered, adapted and changed as the occasion requires which again, is key for returning customers especially in seasonal periods such as Halloween, Christmas or Easter. It is also very easy for parents to get involved and bond with their children during this type of play – who doesn’t love dressing up and pretending to be somebody else?
Role play has an education aspect as well. For example, by playing in a firefighter themed room, this can teach children how to properly react in the event of a fire and what they would do. By exposing children through play to a wide range of scenarios, this helps prepare them for the future.
SENSORY THERAPY AREAS
As awareness for people with sensory needs continues to increase, equipment and facilities that can accommodate these needs are more in demand than ever. House of Play can help design, develop and equip sensory therapy areas which can either excite and stimulate or calm and sooth, depending on the needs of the individual. By engaging the senses, this can help with emotional and mental health. Research is overwhelming in its support of the advantages of sensory therapy and play with sensory equipment and thanks to our extensive knowledge of the industry and our team of in-house experts, we can support either the development of a dedicated sensory room or the integration of sensory therapy areas into your existing business.
If you’re interested in learning more about sensory, you can read our beginners guide to sensory play.
To find out more about how House of Play can help your business or potential project grow, please contact us on 01302 846876 and one of our friendly team members will be happy to help.