Antz In Your Pantz Review

I'M convinced the builders working on the house next door to mine are solar powered. Rather like my heat rash, they only come out in the sun and like my heat rash, they're incredibly irritating.

The centre's sole purpose is to provide a safe and exciting environment for kids to play and they have achieved this unquestionably. 

I shouldn't criticise, after all they've turned up. But having endured the sound of hammers and drills on sunny days, today they've thrown a spanner in the works. It's not sunny and they're hard at work, radio on, hammer in hand and lips puckered to whistle an inane tune.  I have to escape.

What better place to go then a play centre; one incessant noise factory to another. Great idea, genius.

Antz in your Pantz play centre is on an industrial estate, a short walk from Timperley Metrolink station. There are some parking spaces at the front of the building but I can imagine these get filled quickly on busy days or private parties.

Entrance is gated and playtime cost varies according to the age of your child: Under ones £1, under threes £3.95 and three plus £4.95.  Adults don't have to pay, which makes a refreshing change.

The centre is spacious and clean,  if a little tired looking. A cafe and large seating area look onto the play space which is put into zones again according to age.  Each is jam-packed with 'fun' to suit its specified group.

Babies have tons of toys and the walls and floor are padded to ensure crawling - and falling - doesn't hurt. 

The ones to threes area has slides, bridges, a rocket shaped tunnel and car area which proved very popular judging by the gridlock forming around the car wash.

The three years plus area is larger still, with a huge slide, cannon ball game and football area.  There's also a go-kart circuit and the latest edition to the centre, Zoomerz roller disco.

There's an adult and childrens menu in the cafe.  The kids menu offers light bites like the sandwich boxes which included fruit, yogurt and a juice (£3.75), crowd pleasing mains (from £2.99) and there's also baby food  available (£2). The adult menu consisted of paninis, wraps, toasties, sandwiches (from £3.95).

The centre has many parent and child groups and also caters for private parties.

A lady with her two grandchildren plonked herself down at a table beside me.  Red faced, she turned and gasped  “I'm too old for this”. Funny, I was just thinking the same thing.

The centre's sole purpose is to provide a safe and exciting environment for kids to play and they have achieved this unquestionably. 

If I had to find fault, I would say that the space is very dark which, combined with the Disney music, could send a person stir crazy.  That said,  play centres are predominantly about the kids and if they love it, I love it too.  It certainly saved my house from an afternoon of toddler demolition.