Management2 min
How to choose software for your play centre or nursery
Buying criteria without hype: floor operations, children's GDPR, multi-site and what to ask in the demo.
Searching “play centre software” returns everything: generic POS, party booking tools and spreadsheets in disguise. If your business lives on Saturday floor ops, the requirement list is different.
Questions before the demo
- Do you run wristband entry, time and desk payment?
- Do you need a family portal (signup, check-in, history)?
- Do you process children’s data under GDPR-style rules?
- Do you have or plan multiple sites?
- Must family alerts be traceable email/SMS, not informal WhatsApp?
Three or more yes answers mean a bar POS or birthday calendar alone will not be enough.
Soft comparison
| Criterion | Excel / notebook | Generic POS | Play-centre software |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wristband linked to child | Manual | Rare | Yes |
| Time + extras billing | Macros | Partial | Yes |
| Pickup alerts | No | No | Yes (email/SMS) |
| Children’s consents | No | No | Purpose-built |
| Multi-site | Painful | Sometimes | Unified panel |
More: Excel vs software and without Excel.
Red flags in demos
- Promising WhatsApp, fiscal invoicing or monthly subscriptions not shown in product.
- No distinction between family portal and operator panel.
- Demo is slides only.
Conclusion
Choosing software is choosing how every Saturday runs.
Want to see LudoSAFE at your venue?
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