Soft Play and Rainy-Day Places Near Dulwich

For soft play near Dulwich, families with under-5s mostly use the two Apple Tree Children’s Cafes, on Peckham Rye and opposite Brockwell Park. The ArtPlay Pavilion at Dulwich Picture Gallery takes children under 8. For a big padded frame, the nearest are Peckham Pulse and Brixton Recreation Centre. Every entry was checked against the venue’s own website on 27 October 2026.

Prices change and sessions sell out in the school holidays, so check before you go.

Play cafés and play spaces in Dulwich, Peckham and Herne Hill

Apple Tree Children’s Cafe, Peckham Rye

The second of Apple Tree’s two play cafés sits opposite Peckham Rye Common. The café’s own site describes it as a play café for under-5s, “created by a mum of four and former primary school teacher”, with a climbing frame, a role-play area and, at this branch only, a sensory room for babies and toddlers. Sessions last 90 minutes, four times a weekday, and cost £8 a child including the booking fee; a baby under six months goes free with a paying sibling. Tuesday and Thursday sessions from 11am to 12.30pm are for under-2s only. Membership is from £45 a month. Open Monday to Friday 9am to 4.30pm and Saturday 9am to 12.30pm; Saturday afternoons and Sundays are for private parties. Rated 4 for hygiene (FSA, 10 October 2025). 134-136 Peckham Rye, SE22 9QH.

Apple Tree Children’s Cafe, Herne Hill

The original Apple Tree, on Norwood Road directly opposite Brockwell Park and about five minutes’ walk from Herne Hill station, the café says. It runs to the same rules as the Peckham Rye branch: under-5s only, 90-minute sessions at £8 a child, online booking, a climbing frame, a role-play area and coffee and food for parents. Its under-2s session is on Wednesdays from 11am to 12.30pm. The same hours apply: Monday to Friday 9am to 4.30pm and Saturday 9am to 12.30pm. The café says it is cleaned after every session. Rated 5 for hygiene (FSA, 10 June 2025). 27-29 Norwood Road, SE24 9AA. Call 020 8678 0366. Book at appletreelondon.com.

ArtPlay Pavilion, Dulwich Picture Gallery

The gallery’s newest building, designed by the architects Carmody Groarke, stands in its Sculpture Garden. The gallery describes a “fully air-conditioned immersive play space” for babies, toddlers and children under 8. Four zones, Earth, Sunlight, Water and Wind, turn paintings from the collection into a slide, swings and soft shapes for climbing and resting. The activities are by the play specialists HoLD Art Collective. Sessions run every day between 9am and 4pm, including sessions for 0 to 2s and relaxed SEN/D sessions; every child must be with an adult. The gallery’s sessions page lists £9 a child, and an ArtPlay Club gives five visits for the price of four. Gallery Road, SE21 7AD.

Peckham Pulse Leisure Centre, Peckham

Southwark Council’s own leisure service, Move Southwark, runs Peckham Pulse. It says the centre’s soft play has “slides, ball pits and plenty of space to climb” and is designed for children up to 8 (Move Southwark). Pre-booking is required and children must be supervised by an adult. The price shows when you book. Soft play birthday parties for ages 5 to 12 are from £165.40 for an hour and 45 minutes. The centre is open 6.30am to 10pm on weekdays, 7am to 6pm on Saturdays and 7am to 10pm on Sundays. There is no parking; it is a short walk from Peckham Rye station, and buses 12, 36, 37, 63, 345 and 363 stop nearby. 10 Melon Road, SE15 5QN. Call 020 7525 0486.

Bigger soft play a short trip away

Family Leisure Zone, Brixton Recreation Centre

Active Lambeth’s Brixton soft play is “a colourful, multi-level indoor soft play” with slides, tunnels and an agility course, on level 1 with lifts. It is unusual in taking ages 0 to 16, so older siblings can play too; under-16s must have a responsible adult. An hour costs £8.05 for an under-4, £10.30 for an under-8 and £12.60 for ages 8 to 15, plus £2.40 for each extra supervising adult. Socks are compulsory (£4.10 at reception if you forget). Walk-ins are welcome when there is space, but booking guarantees a slot. The café on the same floor is rated 4 for hygiene (FSA, 27 January 2025). 27 Brixton Station Road, SW9 8QQ. Call 020 7095 5100.

Soft play, Crystal Palace National Sports Centre

Better, which runs the centre, describes its soft play as having an under-2s zone with a twin-lane slide, ball pool, rockers and magnetic cubes, plus a main frame. The same page gives the age limit two ways: “up to 11 years old” in its introduction and “7 years and under” for booked sessions, so check when you book. Sessions are 60 minutes, and each child’s ticket includes one supervising adult. Open 9.30am to 5pm on weekdays and 9am to 5pm at weekends, term time and holidays alike. Socks for everyone, no food in the play area. The Brown and Green café next door is rated 5 for hygiene (FSA, 4 September 2025). Ledrington Road, SE19; Crystal Palace and Penge West stations.

Soft play, Streatham Ice and Leisure Centre

Active Lambeth’s soft play page lists two frames at Streatham. An animal-themed frame for ages 0 to 7 sits by reception, next to Mz B’s Café. Upstairs, a bigger frame for ages 0 to 8 has a web climber and tumble towers. An hour costs £4.65 for an under-3 and £5.65 for ages 3 to 7. Adults have to stay in the soft play zone rather than sit in the café, and socks are compulsory. Active Lambeth says sessions fill up at weekends and in school holidays, so book online. The café is rated 5 for hygiene (FSA, 6 January 2026). 390 Streatham High Road, SW16 6HX.

Cozy Joy Café, Penge

A family café with an indoor play area of toys, books and games and a garden, its play page says. Play sessions last an hour and a half, starting at 9.15am, 11am, 12.45pm and 2.30pm, Monday to Saturday. A session is £4.95 a child and covers the play area and the garden. There is no booking: pay at the counter and go straight in. It is a play café for younger children rather than a climbing frame. We could not find Cozy Joy on the FSA register under its name or address. 17 Wordsworth Road, SE20 7JF. Open 9am to 4pm, Monday to Saturday.

Rainy days beyond soft play

Horniman Museum and Gardens, Forest Hill

The museum and gardens are free. The Horniman opens daily from 10am to 5.30pm, and its café from 9am to 5pm. The Aquarium charges: £3.50 a child aged 3 to 16 and £6.50 an adult, £15.20 for a family of four, free for under-3s, and £2 tickets for people on Universal Credit (aquarium page). The Butterfly House opens 10.30am to 4pm. Volunteers run touch tables of handling objects in the galleries, Tuesday to Saturday. The museum’s own notice says both bus stops outside are closed because of burst water mains, so allow for a walk from Forest Hill station. 100 London Road, SE23 3PQ.

Peckham Library

A free option for under-5s. Southwark Council lists Rhymetime for ages 0 to 4 on Mondays in term time from 2pm to 2.30pm and on Fridays from 10.30am to 11am. There is also a baby and toddler session on Tuesdays in term time from 11am to noon, and Bookstart on Wednesdays in term time from 10am to 11.30am. Older children have a Saturday craft and colouring club from 2pm to 3pm and a Family Games Zone on the second Thursday of the month. The library opens 9am to 8pm most weekdays (10am on Wednesdays), 10am to 5pm on Saturdays and noon to 4pm on Sundays. Dulwich Library is still closed for refurbishment. 122 Peckham Hill Street, SE15 5JR.

How we chose

These are the soft play and indoor play places families around Dulwich search for. We chose them on what can be checked: each venue’s own published ages, prices and rules, FSA hygiene ratings for the café, and how easily families from SE21, SE22, SE24 and SE15 can reach them. Every price and time comes from the venue’s own site on 27 October 2026. We left out venues we could only find on listing sites, with no website or booking page of their own giving current times or prices. Barnardo’s soft play at the Triangle in Crystal Palace is also out: its service page and booking page no longer load.

Run a place that should be here, or spot something that has changed? Email newsdesk@dulwichtoday.co.uk.

For more locally, see things to do in Dulwich, what’s on in Dulwich this month, October half term in Dulwich, our guides to Dulwich playgrounds, walks near Dulwich, Dulwich cafes and brunch, and the Dulwich business directory.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the nearest soft play to Dulwich?

The closest are Apple Tree Children’s Cafe on Peckham Rye (SE22) and on Norwood Road opposite Brockwell Park (SE24), both for under-5s, and the ArtPlay Pavilion at Dulwich Picture Gallery for children under 8. For a full soft play frame, Peckham Pulse Leisure Centre has one for children up to 8, and Brixton Recreation Centre has a multi-level one for ages 0 to 16.

How much is soft play near Dulwich?

Apple Tree charges £8 a child for a 90-minute session, and Cozy Joy in Penge £4.95. At Brixton Recreation Centre an hour costs £8.05 for an under-4, £10.30 for an under-8 and £12.60 for ages 8 to 15, plus £2.40 for an extra adult. Streatham Ice and Leisure charges £4.65 for an under-3 and £5.65 for ages 3 to 7. Peckham Pulse and Crystal Palace show their prices when you book.

Do I need to book soft play in Dulwich?

Mostly, yes. Peckham Pulse says pre-booking is required, Apple Tree asks you to book online, and Active Lambeth says Brixton and Streatham fill up at weekends and in school holidays. Cozy Joy in Penge is the exception: no booking, you pay at the counter.