I went for the first time the other day and I was surprised how dirty and unclean it was. In the under 3 section there was thick dust and muck under the chairs and the toys where old and sticky. There were plenty that needed replacing. It was also to hot in there and I won't be returning again at all.

We've visited many times over the past 5 years, and had two birthday parties here. This is one of the BEST run businesses that I've ever dealt with - many business owners could learn a lot from these people. Their customer service is great. The play centre is extremely well designed, having separate party areas for tables, a separate area for children under 3 years old. It has always been clean when we've visited, and I've seen staff go around regularly to clean up. The food/drink on offer is great - extensive range of everything for kids and parents/care givers. Rare Bears - you get 10/10 from me! Keep up the great services and facilities!!

Approximate cost: $40.00

This is a really nice playcentre that is cleaner than most. They don't have a ballpit which i'm happy about (breeding grounds for germs) and the layout is really good. The under 3 section is brilliant...lots of things to climb and ride and hide. The prices have gone up which makes it a bit painful to take two kids ($9.90 for under 3 and $10.90 for overs). Its definitely not worth it if you are only going for an hour! They do have a new membership option ($12.50 for a year) that brings each visit down $1. they also have half price Mon-Wed 3.30-5pm along with other specials. I plan on only using it at the half price time to make it worth it. We had a great 1.5hrs there yesterday and bought a bowl of chips and a bottle of water to share all for $7 which i thought was great!

Approximate cost: $10

The kids always have a nice time here (5yo and 3yo). There is an under 3's section that has plenty of toys/equipment and a larger section for older kids. The kids can be entertained for up to two hours. The price is very steep however and by the time you pay for 2+ kids and potential drinks/snacks at the cafe it ends up a very expensive excursion (food is not allowed to be brought into the centre).

Approximate cost: $11 + per child

Good selection of toys/ activities for the kids (love the bouncy castles!), it is free for under 1's, so the price of $9 after 1 was a bit of a shock.
Wouldn't recommend going there on a rainy day as it can get packed and the service slows down considerably, but on a standard day the service is fine and it's not too busy. Good place for a mothers group etc to meet up.

Approximate cost: $9

Great facilities, toilets were clean, staff friendly, the play area was clean and staff were on to table as soon as people had finished to clear them, Staff were super friendly and helpful and although $9 is a bit steep, there was no time limit so we stayed 4.5 hours. Coffee is pretty good too.

Approximate cost: $9

We have been going to rare bears for about 6 years, and it is always clean and well maintained. The kids have a ball, although I am not like many other adults who say that they find it a relaxing way of catching up with a friend over a coffee. This place is mayhem, it is pretty much always busy and sooo noisy. The temperature control is also not great, it is either really hot and the kids are sweating from running round like mad things, or quite chilly. It is quite hard to get a convenient park too, so keep that in mind if you are trying to get there for a party, you will need to allow extra time. The coffee and food are good, the parties always well run and it is one of the best of it's type, (can you tell I'm over play centres?)

Upfront - I am not a fan on these places. I would rather kids be outside at a real park. But if you need to go here, this playcentre is OK. It was clean enough and the staff were friendly. $9 seems a bit much but I guess you can stay as long as you want/can stand.
BIG PLUS: their tea is served in a pot and is loose leaf!
HUGE MINUS: Can't take your own food. As you can imagine, the food is fast and nasty.

Approximate cost: $9

This centre is fabulous, I can't praise it enough! We've been regular visitors for 6 years and my daughter has held two of her birthday parties there. Its always clean, bright and cheery and the food is much better than most - with fresh fruit platters, home made baked goods and fresh sandwiches as well as the standard fried fare. The new owner is friendly and approachable (just like the last two) and although its not a particularly cheap day out, its still cheaper than many activities.

My visit there today was 6 hours long and cost $51 including 2 child entries, lunch, hot and cold drinks and ice creams. If I'd taken them to the movies I'd have paid more than that in ticket price alone, for less than two hours entertainment. Instead I got to sit and gasbag with my friend while the kids had a fabulous time and got lots of good exercise. What more could you want?

Rare Bears is a great place for parents to relax and have a coffee while the kids go crazy, the staff are very friendly and accommodating and the coffee and food is great. One of my favourite places to take the kids because it means i dont have to run after them all day!!

Approximate cost: $9.00