Little Role Play Town Essex, Southend-on-Sea

Our Story

“I’m Holly, the mother of a beautiful 2-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old sausage dog, as well as the owner of the newest little role play town in Essex, Southend-on-Sea”.

Role Play Centre Essex, Southend-on-Sea

A Welcoming Space for Play & Connection

Little Play Village started out as just a ‘what if?’ idea when I first had my daughter. I remember discussing it with other mum friends – ‘How amazing would it be if we had somewhere welcoming and baby/pram friendly, where we could sit and have cup of coffee (and cake, of course) whilst our little ones could play safely without the noise and sticky floors of standard soft play centres’.

I would meet up with my NCT group regularly with the babies to catch up, swap tips and grab a coffee on the go. But we quickly discovered there wasn’t anywhere local that could accommodate 7 mums with 7 prams/car seats, so we stuck to walks outside, which was great until the classic British weather set in and we were left scrambling for ideas on where to go.

Role Play Centre Essex, Southend-on-Sea

From City Commutes to Creating Little Play Village

I returned to work in London after maternity leave and soon realised my heart was no longer in the long commutes and office way of working. That was the final push I needed to turn my idea into a reality.

We opened Little Play Village in November 2024 with the purpose of creating a safe space for babies, small children and their grown-ups to grab a coffee, catch up over cake and allow their little ones to explore an imaginative role play village without feeling like they are disturbing others with prams blocking the way or disturbing other customers. From the experience I have had with visiting local soft plays and ‘child-friendly’ cafes, I wanted to create something different, more inviting, more educational and have tried to think of the small details which make a difference, and create a place people can really enjoy.