The term soft play speaks for itself. It is a type of sensory play where children interact with soft textures and toys, enriching their sensory experiences. Unlike traditional toys, soft play setups are lightweight, versatile, and designed to let kids use their imagination while staying safe.
What Is Soft Play?
A home soft play area refers to any play environment designed with padded, foam-based equipment covered in soft, durable material. What is soft play at home? It can be part of a sports corner or play space equipped with soft elements. This may include foam cubes, blocks, mats, pillows, or individual soft toys such as balls, cubes, and other components.
Key Features of a Soft Play Set Up
A home soft play environment has the following characteristics:
-
Absolute Safety. Foam filling makes the equipment soft and impact-absorbing.
-
Flexibility. Blocks and mats can be rearranged into endless play setups. You can add new elements and combine them however you like – you can’t go wrong. It will always look stylish while creating countless opportunities for children’s activities.
-
Durability. High-quality covers and mats are easy to clean and last for years.
-
Aesthetic Appeal. Neutral or stylish colors allow the play zone to blend beautifully into any home.
Types of Soft Play Equipment
What is soft play equipment, and what can you choose for home use? A soft play area can be created from simple items you already have: soft rugs, plush toys, and cozy materials. With a few additional elements, this space becomes more organized, interactive, and versatile.
Cubes and Blocks
Colorful Foam Building Blocks can be used for building, stacking, or even as seats. Combined with Foam Block Covers, they offer even more options. Covers may be individual or connect several blocks into a gym mat or a large soft mat. They are easy to remove, wash, and put back on, making them a smart choice for any play space.
You can also add Foam Cubes to the soft play set up. Choose any number of them, and use them in a variety of ways (below, you will find options for activities with such elements).
Mats can be spread out for gymnastics, rolling, or crawling. They can also be placed under a slide for a safe landing, beneath a climbing wall, a Swedish wall, Indoor Monkey Bars, or any other structure – ensuring safe play and training. This makes them a universal choice that will be useful in a child’s room for years to come.
Cushions
Climbing Arch Cushion – an element that enhances any soft play area. It can be used instead of a mat or together with one, and it’s a great addition to Montessori structures.
-
Wooden Baby Rocker with Cushion – can serve as a small arch or a rocker-balance toy with a soft cushioned base.
-
Montessori Climber with Accessories – a set that includes a comfy cushion, a tent, and several climbing frames, creating a versatile play corner that combines active exercises with calm activities.
-
Montessori Climbing Gym with Cushion – a similar set without the tent, but with a tied-on cushion that attaches to the arch, transforming it into a cozy rocker.
Benefits of Soft Play for Kids
What is soft play for kids? Above all, it’s a wonderful space for play and relaxation. A place where kids can lie down, sit, play with toys, crawl, roll, or do whatever they enjoy. Having a soft play area at home gives children many benefits:
-
Sensory Experience. The main advantage of having a soft play setup at home. Kids can interact with soft materials in different ways: squeezing, tossing, stacking, or sorting by color and size.
-
Physical Development. Supports gross motor skills through active movement. Encourages safe tumbling, climbing, and jumping.
-
Social Skills. Promotes cooperation when building or playing together. Teaches sharing and turn-taking in group games.
-
Cognitive Skills. By building towers and forts or creating playhouses with blocks, children develop creativity and problem-solving skills. Safe play in a soft zone also helps them explore cause-and-effect, such as when pushing over a tower of cubes and watching it fall.
-
Confidence. Soft play builds confidence as children explore physical challenges without fear of injury. It’s stress-free play for both kids and parents, creating a safe space for independence to grow.
Soft Play Set Up at Home
Creating a soft play area at home doesn’t require a huge space. A corner of the living room, a children’s room, or even a playroom can easily be transformed using soft materials.
Choose a soft play setup with a gym mat. The same mat can also be used to create a safe zone near climbing frames.
Add a few blocks or cubes that hold their shape well. You don’t need too many – just consider the available room space and your child’s actual needs.
Use blocks as furniture – chairs, tables, or even a little “reading nook.” This can also serve as a calming corner where your child can “catch their breath” and manage emotions.
The Best Soft Play Activities
What activities can you offer when setting up soft play at home? In fact, there are plenty! They can be sporty exercises, fun and dynamic games, or calm and creative activities. Here are a few examples you may enjoy:
-
Dry Pool. Fill a regular inflatable kids’ pool with cubes for safe “diving” and jumping. A dry pool can also be filled with balls, but cubes are often the safer and softer option.
-
Foam Block Jenga. Everyone knows the rules of this game, which makes it a perfect family activity! Stack blocks like giant Jenga pieces and take turns pulling one out. The player whose tower falls loses.
-
Foam Bowling. Line up blocks like bowling pins and knock them down with a kids’ ball.
-
Building Challenge. Let your imagination run wild and create a fort, castle, or even a soft chair from blocks and cubes.
-
Sorting & Throwing Games. Perfect for the youngest ones. Sort cubes by color or gently toss them to each other for active fun.
-
“Hot Potato.” If kids are playing together, or you join in as a family, toss colorful cubes to each other instead of a ball. The challenge is to pass it quickly without holding it for too long.
Gymnastics and Movement Ideas with Soft Play
There are plenty of exercises kids can do on their own or with parents in a soft area, using individual elements as extra equipment.
-
Rollovers on Mats. Encourage safe somersaults and crawling. A mat is perfect for these activities because it provides a safe base.
-
Balance Walk. Line up blocks to form a “soft balance beam.” It’s better to place two or even three blocks side by side so that even if your child loses balance, there is space for a safe, non-injurious fall.
-
Jumping Practice. Let kids practice safe jumps even without a trampoline – a soft mat is enough to strengthen leg muscles and release energy.
-
Morning Gymnastics with Soft Cubes. The child places a cube on the floor in front, stands with feet shoulder-width apart, bends down to lift the cube overhead, then bends again to put it back down.
-
Gentle Stretching. It’s much easier for kids to touch their forehead to their knees while sitting when their feet rest on a soft block. This makes the exercise safer and more beneficial.
Whether your child is building, tumbling, or just relaxing, a soft play set up provides endless opportunities for growth, creativity, and joy.
