Children's Play Areas at Motorway Services
The following service areas have a children's play area, either indoors or outdoors.
Many motorway service areas built since the 1990s include a play area to help children let off steam. Play areas must be well maintained and kept well away from any traffic dangers, and as a result they are often removed at the earliest opportunity. As of 2022, they are no longer a required facility.
Moto trialled extensive soft play areas at Donington and Leigh Delamere. Other service areas have trialled other ideas, including small colouring areas at Moto sites, and board games at Welcome Break sites.
Motorway Services Online makes it easy to compare the suitability for children of different service areas. You can search for a service area, select a road, and then select 'Include: Outdoor Space'. This will detail the grass space and outdoor facilities at each service area, if there are any. Keep in mind that a grass verge may still be surrounded by traffic and not suitable for kids to be running around, but some grass is still better than none at all. More importantly, formal play areas will be highlighted on this list too.
If you would rather just see a list of service areas with children's play areas, they are outlined below, according to the information in our database.
Services With An Indoor Play Area
This section lists service areas with a formal play area that happens to be indoors. Small colouring tables aren't included.
Please note that some of these play areas may be on one side of the road only. For journey planning, you should use the formal search.
- Cairn Lodge (M74 at J11 and J12)
- Gloucester (M5 between J11A and J12)
- Leigh Delamere (M4 between J17 and J18)
- Rugby (M6 at J1)
- Stafford (M6 northbound between J14 and J15) (northbound only)
- Tebay (M6 between J38 and J39)
A-road Services
- Battlefield (A49/A53 north of Shrewsbury) (Wacky Warehouse)
- Bellshill (A725 at Bellshill)
- Bobbing Corner (A249 at Sittingbourne)
- Chippenham (A350 at Chippenham)
- Galley's Corner (A120 Braintree Bypass)
- Hayle (A30 at Hayle)
- Polegate (A27/A22 at Polegate)
- Rheged Centre (A66 between Keswick and the M6)
Northern Ireland
- Lisburn (M1 between J3 and J6)
Ireland (Rep. Of.)
- Athlone (M6 between J7 and J8)
- Castlebellingham (M1 between J15 and J16)
- Gorey (M11 between J21 and J22)
- Kilcullen (M9 between J2 and J3)
- Lusk (M1 between J4 and J5)
- Junction 14 Mayfield (M7 at J14)
- Wicklow (M11 at J14)
Services With An Outdoor Play Area
This section lists outdoor climbing frames at service areas. Please note that some of these play areas may be on one side of the road only. For journey planning, you should use the formal search.
- Baldock (A1(M)/A1 at J10)
- Beaconsfield (M40 at J2)
- Cardiff West (M4 at J33)
- Cherwell Valley (M40 at J10 and A43)
- Chieveley (M4 at J13 and A34)
- Cobham (M25 between J9 and J10)
- Gloucester (M5 between J11A and J12)
- Hilton Park (M6 between J10A and J11) (southbound only)
- Hopwood Park (M42 at J2)
- Lancaster (M6 between J32 and J33)
- Leeds Skelton Lake (M1 at J45)
- Peterborough (A1(M)/A1 at J17)
- Reading (M4 between J11 and J12) (westbound only)
- Rivington (M61 between J6 and J8)
- Rugby (M6 at J1)
- Sedgemoor (M5 southbound between J21 and J22) (southbound only)
- Stafford (M6 northbound between J14 and J15) (northbound only)
- Winchester (M3 between J8 and J9)
A-road Services
- Bankhead (A92 near Glenrothes) (in McDonald's)
- Battlefield (A49/A53 north of Shrewsbury)
- Beccles (A143 and A146 at Beccles)
- Bellshill (A725 at Bellshill)
- Bobbing Corner (A249 at Sittingbourne)
- Cambridge (A14 at J24 and J24A)
- Cawledge (A1 at Alnwick) (at both The Hogs Head Inn and McDonald's)
- Chelmsford (A12 at J19)
- Chippenham (A350 at Chippenham)
- Colchester (A12/A120 at J28)
- Forthview (M90/A90 at J1A)
- Galley's Corner (A120 Braintree Bypass)
- Hayle (A30 at Hayle)
- Jubilee (A2 between Canterbury and Dover)
- Kilmarnock (A77 Kilmarnock Bypass)
- Liphook (A3 between Hindhead and Petersfield) (northbound only)
- Minster (A299 by Kent International Airport)
- Penhale (A30 between Bodmin and Redruth)
- Skewen (A465 eastbound at Skewen) (eastbound only)
- Spalding (A16/A1175 near Spalding)
- Spaldwick (A14 westbound at J18) (westbound only)
- Sutterton (A16/A17 junction) (at McDonald's)
- West Wellow (A36 north of M27 J2)
Northern Ireland
- Lisburn (M1 between J3 and J6)
- Templepatrick (M2 north-westbound between J4 and J5) (north-westbound only)