Frequently asked questions

General

  • We can be found on Billet Road next door to the Co-op.

    The closest station is Blackhorse Road. We are served by two buses - 158 and W11 and are a 10 second walk from the North Countess Road bus stop. We are also a short walk from the Billet Roundabout bus stop

  • We do not have customer parking. Public transport is great in the area and we have a bus stop right outside. If you do need to drive to our venue please plan accordingly and allow time to find parking, try using an app like Just Park t find local parking spots.

    There is very little free to use street parking Monday - Saturday, on Sundays you will find a good portion of the surrounding roads are permit free.

    Please plan your journey and parking plans ahead of your visit or use public transport as we do not refund or change sessions due to an inability to park.

  • We welcome everyone for takeaway coffee (or sit and have your coffee perched on our bench or at our shared table). The main seating area and adjoining play space are reserved for the kids and accompanying adults that are booked into play session.

  • We serve speciality coffee from Climpsons and have a great selection of artisan pastries supplied by brilliant bakery suppliers. We have a food menu, you can find here and a wide range of adult and children's snacks. We also stock a handpicked range of soft drinks including Kombucha's, cold pressed juices and craft sodas.

    Please not we do not allow outside food and drink (with the exception of water or baby milk) to be consumed on our premises.

  • Well now, E17 spoils you!

    Walking distance - Cheney Row Park, Lloyd Park and The William Morris Gallery, Greenleaf Park, Big Penny Social and a whole host of breweries on Beer Mile.

    A short bus ride (but still in E17) Gods Own Junkyard, The Pumphouse Museum, Crate St James

    Like shopping? Try Pavement in The Village, Yeet on Forest Road, Glow on Hoe St and a whole host of great charity shops in Walthamstow Central (don't forget The Salvation Army just by Lloyd Park)

Sessions

  • We have three or four sessions per day, 9am, 11am, 1pm and if the 4th session is on it will start at 3.00pm.

    Please check the days session timings on the booking page. You can book via our website here

  • We would always recommend booking in advance especially at peak times (Fri,Sat,Sun and our 3.30 session on most days). We hate turning people away (we hate seeing the kids sad faces), but if the session is full or feels too busy we wont be able to accept walk ins.

  • We do not allow visitors to bring outside food onto our premises unless you have a party booking, that includes cakes. If you would like to book a party you can explore our packages here .

  • I'll be honest we are still working out the sweet-spot. We will usually stick to no more than 38 bodies (ideally made up of 15 children and their 15 adults and an absolute max of 8 extra adults).

    The space can feel very full if we have too many adults gathering in the play spaces and not using the seating area, so we ask where possible if there are two adults with 1 child you take it in turns to be on the carpeted area with them to keep the space more accessible.

  • Play session bookings are non-refundable and final, but you can reschedule as many times as you need, as long as it's 4 hours or more from the start of your session. If you miss the 4 hour deadline you will forefit your booking.

    If you are late for your session you can still join, just be aware that the session will still end at the same time and we will not be able to extend or let you straddle two sessions to make up time.

  • our space is for under 8's but our core age is 2-6, we think this age group really gets the most from the space.

    We have plenty of things to entertain babies such as a with baby gym, sensory toys, bassinet and books.

    And for older siblings (who are still welcome) we have a crate of puzzles, games and books to keep them entertained.

  • No, we welcome and encourage mixed ages in our spaces. We've seen some amazing interactions between our younger and older visitors.

    We do, however understand that some people prefer a calmer session with younger children and so we would recommend term time, day time sessions. We have also noticed the lunchtime session is slightly quieter.

  • Have a read of our rules of play and our terms and conditions for a comprehensive list.

Parties

  • Head to the party page on our website for more info or email bookings@ittakesavillageplaycafe.com to enquire about dates and book.

  • Our party times are set and cannot be changed unless it's a bespoke booking.

    If you need to reschedule your party to a different day, you can do this as long as it's done 14 days before the date of the party.

  • Our party lengths are set and and cannot be changed unless it is a bespoke booking and agreed before hand.

    We ask that your guests vacate the space promptly at the end of your party to help us get the space ready for the next session/party or closing schedule.

  • You can cancel your party, but we do not offer refunds so it's always best where possible to reschedule the date. Remember this needs to be done 14 days in advance.

  • We ask that you are considerate with the amount of adults you invite into the space. Our cafe is really the children's domain and is set up as such.

    The Whole village party is a max of 45 attendees with no more than 20 children.

    Exclusive sessions are a max of 36 attendees with no more than 15 children.

  • We do not permit any outside food or drink to be bought into our venue with the exception of a birthday cake and a small toasting amount of Prosecco for the adults (max 4 bottles) in Whole village bookings only. No alcohol or sot drinks are permitted.

    If you are bringing Prosecco for the adults, please be aware that we do not provide any cups outside of the children's table set up so you will need to provide these, you will also be required to take any bottles with you.

    We ask that you do not bring children's drinks - these will be provided.

    Food and drink should be enjoyed in the designated eating area only and should not be brought onto the carpet or into the play frame. We ask that the party host ensures that this rule is enforced.

  • Yes, for Whole Village parties your entertainer can set up in the main play space. Please ensure we are informed about the entertainer prior to booking them to ensure there are no issues.

    Entertainers are not usually permitted for Exclusive Sessions, but please enquire if you have a specific request.

    Please no messy play, confetti, glitter, face painting or animals!

  • Of course accidents happen and we totally get this, we would ask that you report any accidents and damage immediately so we can best assist or rectify.

    In the event that the accident or damage is caused by a breach of our terms and conditions we may seek to recover any associated costs.

  • Our cafe will remain open for the duration of your party for soft drinks and snacks, however our coffee bar last orders will be at 4.15pm. If you would like a Barista for the duration of your Whole village party you will need to book this as an add on.

  • We do most of that! We just ask that you ensure all balls are returned to the ball pit and that you take any empty bottles and party paraphenalia you bought with you.

    To assist with our turnarounds and avoid any potential extra charges, please start the clean up before the party end time to allow you vacate the space promptly.

    Please remove all decorations and table settings after Exclusive Sessions .

    If you need a little extra help, let us know and we can play our home time song 15 mins before the end.

  • If you have a Whole village booking you can bring a toasting amount of Prosecco (4 bottles max). You will need to bring your own cups for adult drinks as these are not provided and you must take your bottles with you. We also ask that you keep alcohol out of the reach of little hands and not drink from open cups on the carpeted area.

    No other alcohol or soft drinks are permitted.

    You can not bring alcohol for any other bookings.

  • If you have a specific playlist let us know beforehand and we will try to accommodate, otherwise we will play our usual playlists (they are pretty good!)

Events

  • Head to our create page where you will find information on all our events and workshops

  • Book through our website here

  • If you would like to explore the possibility of running a public event or workshop in our space please email bookings@ittakesavillageplaycafe.com