The RAF Museum

The RAF issued a strict, competitive tender to the leading soft play manufacturers in the UK to design them a brand new indoor soft play for their museum in London. In 2025, Play Creations successfully won the tender by introducing the RAF to the concept of transforming a softplay into a plane!

The vision for the soft play was to create an inclusive space for both babies aged 0-3 and then the larger softplay for ages 1-8. Following the win of the tender, our dedicated design team collaborated closely with the team at the RAF museum to ensure the soft play design fit the standards of the building and Play Creations uniquely creative approach to indoor playgrounds.

We conducted a site visit to capture the vision from the tender, ensuring the aviation themed soft play would captivate families and complement the museum. After a detailed building survey and lots of collaborative feedback, we developed on the initial design brief to create a perfected indoor soft play area that is tailored to the needs of the RAF Museum and their customers. We ensure the soft play receives ongoing maintenance and is crafted by our expert team of designers using premium, UK sourced materials.

As all of our soft play installations use a specially designed robust steel-frame to preserve and length the lifespan of our frames. Our voluminous softplay blocks are made with a timber frame, encased in a layer of commercial grade foam and topped with PVC vinyl. For these blocks, it allows their lifespan to be lengthened and ensures the foam doesn't sink over time.

This, in turn allows our customers such as the RAF Museum to get and maintain a perfect softplay for as long as possible with lower future maintenance costs. It aligns with our sustainability goals and our dedication to keeping our customers from spending more than they expect in the longer run.

We collaborated closely with the team at the RAF Museum to manufacture a soft play that balances functionality, safety and standard compliance and the play equipment's durability. Once the main framework which ensures these features are met, then do we start further designing the visual aspect to make sure that the final layout provides a diverse range of softplay zones to promote physical activity and exploration. With a dedicated toddler zone in mind, a secure sensory zone for infants was designed.

However, we didn't want the toddlers to miss out on the large play structure and aviation theme so we designed a smaller softplay plane to keep them immersed in their dedicated area. Sensory features such as an LED Light Tube and Infinity Mirror were added to engage the sensory aspect of the toddler zone and keep them entertained through proprioceptive play.

The main obstacle for the soft play design was the room height. With not much ceiling height the softplay couldn't be tall and had to fit beneath the low-hanging rafters. With this in mind, our design team worked tirelessly to ensure that we'd still be able to incorporate the plane. Although it worked well for the design (as planes don't tend to be tall!) These limitations did mean that the soft play was restricted to a younger audience. The finished softplay installation created an engaging softplay space which was delivered in a timely and cost effective manner. The striking softplay stands out and fits well with the overall theme of the museum. Successfully delivering all the required outcomes and satisfying the RAF's project specification. The high-energy, interactive play equipment provides an inclusive space where children can play safely in a unique setting.

Some key features of this indoor softplay included:
• The Softplay Plane in the toddler zone, designed to keep the little ones engaged and interacting with the equipment.
• A hidden Vortex Wheel, to stimulate sensory input and challenge a child's balance and co-ordination.
• Two Tube Slide's to encourage active movement and a fun way to leave the aircraft.

The plane also has a control panel based off a real plane's one that they can interact with to encourage roleplay and interaction across the equipment. These features are crucial to ensure that the softplay is immersive and the kids can use their imagination to explore. Play Creations has engaged in a strong relationship with the RAF Museum, supporting them with ongoing softplay maintenance to ensure that the soft play facility remains safe and fully operational. The completed soft play installation reflects the goals and brief of the tender, along with the RAF Museum's vision of a modern, design-forward softplay environment. The softplay equipment successfully combines active play with sensory engagement, using standout features such as the Vortex Wheel, LED Infinity Mirror and Softplay Plane to create a unique experience for its customers.

Our lifetime and 15-year warranties on structural components provide a long term peace of mind for the RAF Museum, ensuring that we remain as sustainable as possible to ensure that the entire product doesn't need replacing and can be easily maintained.

Packed to the brim with standout features, this venue offers an unmatched visitor experience and highlights our soft play design team's unique capabilities of blending custom design with functional durability, delivering all of this on a strict time schedule and within the softplay project's budget.