Soft Play Inspection: Daily Pre-Opening Checklist and Records
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Quick answer: A daily soft play inspection is a 10 to 15 minute visual check before the first child plays. Walk the whole area and check covers for splits, foam pieces for movement and gaps, netting and fixings, the ball pit for debris and broken balls, the floor and matting, exits, and cleanliness. Write the result on a dated checklist, close anything that fails, and record what you did about it. Daily checks sit alongside more detailed periodic and annual inspections; they don't replace them.
"What should we check every morning?" is one of the most practical questions we get at Soft Play Market from soft play centres, nurseries and venues with a play corner. This guide covers the daily pre-opening visual check: what to look at, how to record it, and what to do when something fails. If you're looking for the standards themselves, see our guide to soft play safety standards in the UK.
What are the levels of soft play inspection?
BS EN 1176-7, the part of the playground equipment standard that covers installation, inspection, maintenance and operation, describes three levels of inspection. Enclosed soft play structures in centres are covered by BS EN 1176-10, and operators commonly use the same three-level approach:
| Level | Who does it | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Routine visual (daily) | Trained staff member | Look and feel for obvious hazards, damage, debris and cleanliness before opening |
| Operational (periodic, often weekly or monthly) | Trained staff member or maintenance lead | More detailed check of wear, fixings, netting tension, stability, moving parts |
| Annual main inspection | Competent independent inspector | Full assessment of the structure, foundations and compliance, with a written report |
How often you do the operational check depends on use and on the manufacturer's instructions. This is general guidance, not legal advice.
What should a daily soft play inspection check?
- Covers: splits, tears, worn patches, exposed foam, loose stitching, open zips or velcro.
- Foam pieces and padding: pieces that have shifted and left gaps, padding that has slipped off posts, squashed foam that no longer cushions.
- Netting and barriers (enclosed frames): holes, loose ties, frayed cords, gaps that could trap a head or finger.
- Fixings and frames: anything loose, protruding or sharp; missing caps on bolts.
- Slides and climbing pieces: surface damage, steps secure, the run-out area clear.
- Ball pit: foreign objects (coins, hair clips, food, socks), cracked or dented balls, enough balls for cushioning, the base and walls intact.
- Floor and matting: mats joined with no trip edges, nothing wet or slippery.
- Cleanliness: no spills, sick or rubbish left from the day before.
- Exits and access: emergency exits clear, gates and doors working, nothing stored in walkways.
- Signs: rules and age-limit signs in place and readable.
How should you record a daily inspection?
A dated checklist with one line per item and a pass/fail column is enough. Each record should show:
- The date and time of the check, and who did it (initials).
- Each item checked, marked OK or not OK.
- For anything not OK: what was wrong, what action was taken (closed, removed, repaired, reported) and by whom.
- A sign-off that the area was safe to open, or which parts stayed closed.
Keep the sheets, paper or digital, for as long as your insurer or company policy asks. If there's ever an accident, a consistent inspection record shows that you had a working system.
What should you do when something fails the check?
- Close the affected piece or section before children arrive. Remove loose items; tape off fixed ones.
- Record the fault on the sheet.
- Decide whether it can be fixed in-house (a loose velcro strap, a cracked ball) or needs a repair or replacement.
- Only reopen once it's fixed, and note the fix on the sheet.
Covers with splits are one of the most common daily findings, because exposed foam can be bitten off and can't be cleaned properly. Replace or repair them rather than taping over.
How do you check a ball pit properly?
Run your hands and a rake or scoop through the pit, especially in corners, where lost items gather. Remove anything that isn't a ball. Pull out cracked, split or squashed balls, which have sharp edges. Check the depth is still enough to cushion children. Over time balls get lost and broken, so many centres top up regularly; we sell bulk 7cm balls in boxes of 750, from £142.50 a box.
Who should carry out soft play inspections?
Daily checks can be done by any staff member who has been shown what to look for, ideally the same few people so they notice changes. Give them a written checklist, a short training session and the authority to close equipment. The annual inspection should be done by a competent independent inspector who can provide a written report. Your insurer may have its own requirements, so check your policy.
What is soft play testing?
People usually mean either the annual independent inspection of an installed structure or the testing of equipment to a standard (such as EN 71 for toys or BS EN 1176 for play equipment). Daily checks are not testing; they're visual inspections.
Does a nursery play corner need daily inspection?
A quick daily visual check of covers, ball pit and floor is good practice for any setting with soft play. For loose foam pieces, it takes only a few minutes. Wipe-clean soft play sets and ball pits make the check simpler because damage is easy to see.
How does inspection fit with a risk assessment?
Your risk assessment should list inspections as one of the controls. See our guide to writing a soft play risk assessment.