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 on site. 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.

    There is very limited street parking Monday - Saturday, on Sundays you will find most of the surrounding roads are permit free.

  • 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 local 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.

  • 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 works best 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 a great baby area 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.

    We ask that you stick to a ratio of 1 .3 adults per child. So for example a party of 12 children we would allow a max of 16 adult, for a party of 15, you could have 19.

  • We do not permit any outside food or drink to be bought into our venue with the exception of a birthday cake and Prosecco for the adults. You may also order adult Pizza through us, this will be charged at cost with a £2 per pizza supplement.

    If you are bringing drinks for 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 exclusive parties your entertainer can set up in the main play space, however for non exclusive parties your entertainer will need to set up and stay in the party room as we will have other children in the play session.

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

    If you need any ideas on entertainers just add a note to your booking and we will send over our list of locals we love!

  • 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.

    We have speciality coffee from Climpsons, delicious locally supplied pastries and a great selection of snacks.

  • Nope, we do all that! We just ask that you take any excess food/drink 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.

    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 an exclusive party booking (13 children or more) you can bring a sensible amount of Prosecco. 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.

    You can not bring alcohol for Non exclusive parties.

  • Of course!

    Exclusive parties - if you have a specific playlist let us know beforehand, otherwise we will play one for you.

    Non exclusive parties - we will provide you with a speaker you can connect to and play within the party room, we will play our regular music in the play area.

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