Lollipop's Playland & Cafe Croydon (Vic)

“What a great play centre! The pirate ship carnival ride was definitely the stand out! The kids meals were well priced. It was so busy, we got the last table (weekend). We took a 5yo & 2.5yo. They loved it. They have lots of specials on & free entry days. We stayed for about 2 hrs. We will be going back. Would definitely recommend.”

“I’m not sure what the requirements are to manage a play centre but what ever they are, I’m positive this place would fail just the basic safety standards. Deflated jumping castle lying on the floor with cords and extension leads around it, not taped down. Nor was it blocked off so kids couldn't access that section. Equipment was torn and the balls were squashed or had dried up food or hair stuck to them. Now I wasn’t expecting fine dining, red carpet upon arrival or for anyone to babysit my 3 year old. But I do expect a clean space to play, safe equipment and an adequate number of staff to keep the venue safe. There’s a difference between messy and dirty, this venue is not up to scratch. Only two team members on, one appeared to be the manager who was running from one counter to the other, overwhelmed and frustrated. The young girl behind the counter was also managing the kitchen looked no older than 16, under the pump and overly stressed. Kids were crying, or screaming out for attention from their parent/parents who were all sitting on their phones. One girl ran past me with blood coming from her mouth and not a single staff member could be found. Now I’m not saying it’s the company’s responsibility, it’s our responsibility to care for our child whilst we are there, but on the off chance someone is hurt, the staff should be readily available to assist anyone who needs help. I don’t believe the bare minimum is being met, such as basic first aid training for all team members. No Daily safety audit checks on all equipment, and rostering requirements aren’t being met each day. 2 people on to run a venue with approximately 50 kids and adults is just not enough to maintain a safe space. I’m not a helicopter parent by all means, I do follow my child into the play ground and watch him at all times, and this time I’m glad I did due to the amount of safety hazards i witnessed. I can look past some things, like food left on a table from previous family’s, a few squashed balls or the occasional bully we encounter on the playground but I can’t accept tripping hazards, unsafe climbing equipment and poor safety standards. The owner needs to put some money into the business or sell it to someone who can afford to run the place. Following a similar ratio requirement like Child care would be beneficial for all.”

“This place is an absolute a mess. No clean tables anywhere!! We had to clean our own just to sit down. Only two staff on during a busy time, so food and drinks took forever, and they even paused café service for 5 - 10 minutes just to catch up. Seriously? Kids were running wild with zero supervision, and people couldn’t even leave because staff have to unlock the exit. We saw families stuck at the gate waiting while staff ignored them. It felt completely disorganised, loud, stressful, and just not worth the money. If you're looking for a relaxing place to let your kids burn energy, this is not it. They need more staff, more control, and way better systems. Total disappointment!!”

“This place is unsafe, very dirty and has no staff to ensure safety. The toilet had literal poo wiped on the outside of the toilet bowl. The toddler area had big kids in it and that area had a number of unsafe elements in it. There was no staff to ensure safety/rules across the whole center and the play equipment was tired/worn down. The owners don't care about this place at all apart from collecting your money. Avoid”