Soft Play, a global leader in innovative and safe children’s playground equipment, presents Mountain America Jurassic Jungle, a multimillion-dollar, six-storey, dinosaur-themed indoor play area at the Thanksgiving Point indoor and outdoor farm, garden and museum learning centre in Lehi, Utah, US.
This new interactive and immersive playground, the result of a partnership between Soft Play and Thanksgiving Point, allows guests to explore, play, and imagine life in prehistoric times.
While exploring the climbing arena, kids will complete tasks monitored by a digital wristband. They will progress through lava chambers, tackle puzzles, and ascend the volcano’s peaks, all while being mindful of the dinosaurs nearby. Guests can launch food into a T-Rex’s mouth, slide down a giant Titanoboa snake, and find safe paths to avoid other dinosaurs.
Safe and engaging play spaces
Soft Play was launched in September 1984 and has consistently redefined the idea of indoor “soft” play by establishing new benchmarks for safety, design, and customer interaction. It has developed over 40,000 playgrounds globally, reaching an estimated 2.6 billion children.
“The introduction of the Thanksgiving Point build, our largest single site project to date, is the perfect one to celebrate how far our company has come in the past four decades,” says Rich Albright, Soft Play’s vice president and general manager. “When completed, it will be among the most technologically advanced, creatively envisioned, daringly safe playgrounds ever constructed, becoming a must-visit destination for kids and families from around the region.”
Soft Play was established in Charlotte, North Carolina, by Grant Strawcutter and Neal Crites, with the goal of creating indoor play spaces featuring popular elements such as slides, tunnels, and climbers, all equipped with padded surfaces for safety.
Early designs focused on minimising falls and injuries, leading to the development of unique “play-in” equipment, a revolutionary approach that became an industry standard. Successful modular play units at establishments like McDonald’s and Chuck E. Cheese established Soft Play’s reputation for providing safe, adventurous play experiences and customer loyalty. The brand’s equipment now appears in diverse enterprises, including Simon Properties, Merlin Entertainment, SeaWorld, and Chick-fil-A.
“I’m filled with pride knowing that the vision we had back in the early 1980s when we had a lot of ambition grew into something much larger and more sustainable than we ever imagined,” says Strawcutter. “I’m a kid at heart and love to play, so I had a lot of fun building and growing Soft Play. It’s an honor being part of the foundation that still influences play spaces around the globe where some of the best childhood memories are made.”
Soft Play continues to grow and innovate
In 1996, PlayPower, the largest playground equipment manufacturer globally, acquired Soft Play. This acquisition enhanced its manufacturing and operations, enabling it to meet global demand. Today, Soft Play-designed environments combine excitement with safety, offering adventure-filled, enclosed spaces that thrill children while giving parents peace of mind and an alternative to screen time.
“Soft Play has a remarkable origin story,” says Albright. “Two persistent founders with a great idea who refused to take no for an answer, eventually talking McDonald’s into giving them a shot. Now look where we are 40 years later, designing imaginative play experiences not just for restaurants and retail environments, but for major tourist destinations like the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and – soon – The Mountain America Jurassic Jungle at Thanksgiving Point.”
Soft Play is positioned to support its core business while also expanding into growing trends like healthcare, themed venues and single/multi-family developments.
It is developing innovative STEM and STEAM solutions through play and immersive ‘Phygital’ experiences that blend technology with physical activities, creating dynamic new playscapes. It will partner with PlayPower brands to integrate Soft Play products into outdoor and aquatic settings. Recognising space constraints, Soft Play offers versatile products.
“The future is bright at Soft Play, where we’ve always been about more than just selling play equipment,” adds Albright. “We truly believe in creating environments and experiences where families can come together, children can enjoy themselves and businesses can thrive. We plan to lead the way in the play business for the next 40 years and beyond.”
Last year, Soft Play shared details of how it is assisting customers in repurposing vacant IMAX theatres. A successful space exploration project Planet Play at Kennedy Space Center in Orlando, Florida, marked Soft Play’s initial entry into this market sector.
