A new Little Kingdom has opened in Armagh city – and it holds the key to unlocking your child’s imagination.
Owned and managed by husband and wife team, Katie and Stuart Patterson of Treehouse Softplay Centre in Lurgan, Little Kingdom is the third children’s entertainment centre to enter their portfolio alongside their smaller, party-inspired centre, Hive.
The newly remodelled centre opened this week in the Carrickhill Industrial Park unit that was previously occupied by Tiny Village on the Ballycrummy Road.
While Katie says it was already a “great space” the pair have undoubtedly put their own Treehouse-inspired stamp on the centre transforming it into a fresh, new, explorative play space with role-play at it’s heart.
Speaking to Armagh I, Katie explained the move: “The opportunity to take the unit became available and Treehouse has been open a year now so we had itchy feet and we were ready for the next project.
“It’s a space for learning”, said Katie. “We have tried to incorporate as many activities as possible.
“Role play is such a big part of education now. Our son is five now and we are even amazed when he comes in here about how imaginative he can be. For him to come in here and get the experience of being a vet or in a rocket for example, you can just see how it unleashes their imagination.”
Whether your little one dreams of being a farmer, horse-rider, firefighter, shopkeeper, vet, prince or princess the Little Kingdom’s eight, individual, themed playrooms will allow them to live out every version of their dreams all under one roof.
Their dream for their new venture is to see it become a hub for the community where everyone feels at home. This is something Katie has no doubt they will achieve alongside a team of staff members she describes as “absolutely incredible”, “so friendly and welcoming”.
Fun for less
As parents, the duo are acutely aware of the cost of children’s activities and, as such, they make no secret of their desire to make family fun affordable.
Added Katie: “One thing we are very focused on is the cost of living crisis. If you’re paying for something you need to be paying for something that’s worth the money.
“We hate nothing more than going into somewhere and paying high prices and not enjoying it or not getting what you think you’re going to get so we made here as affordable as possible.”
And they aren’t just precious about the pockets of parents and guardians. For Katie and Stuart, the Little Kingdom experience is just as much about the adults as it is the children.
While the little ones have fun playing pretend, adults are welcome to get in on the action or to take the time to relax with a coffee and traybake in the cafe area situated in full view of the playrooms and softplay mat.
“Our traybakes are of a really high quality and they are homemade in Northern Ireland,” said Katie. “We also have gluten free options which are notoriously more expensive but we didn’t want to pass that increase on to the consumer so our traybakes are all the same price whether they are gluten free or not.”
Open seven days a week, the Little Kingdom is ideal for young explorers who have found their feet right up to age seven or eight. Non-walking babies are also welcome to enjoy the softplay mat in the centre of the playrooms.
Sessions run from 9.30am – 11am, 12pm – 1.30pm and 2.30pm – 4pm. Walking children are permitted entry at £7.95 and non walking children at £5. The cost of entry includes one parent per child with additional adults entering at £2. A discounted childminders rate is available for registered childminders who produce their registration certificate when attending.
As with Treehouse, the pair will be introducing a monthly pass in the near future which will see regular playtime become even more affordable.
While they will attempt to accommodate all walk-ins, pre-booking is recommended – reserve your space today via Little Kingdom’s Facebook page.
Birthday parties, events and more!
Little Kingdom can’t wait to celebrate your special day in style.
Birthday parties can be held within a public session allowing party guests a full hour and half of play followed by half an hour in their dedicated party space.
All party food is served in their famous ‘picnic cars’ for that extra-special treat!
Exclusive hire is also available for larger parties which guarantees a private play experience for the duration of your stay.
Prices start at £13.95 per child or £300 for exclusive hire based on 15 children attending.
On the run up to Halloween Little Kingdom have a full weekend of events planned including visits from princesses, several famous faces and animals from Jurassic Arc Encounters!
And, for Christmas they are expecting a visit from Old Saint Nick himself with each of their playrooms to be festively decorated for the season.
Keep up to date with all their latest events and activities on Facebook.
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