Tenterden Leisure Centre's £2.6m refurb is complete: new PlayZone soft play from £4.50 and pool water play. Prices, rules and half-term sessions inside.
The £2.6 million refurbishment of Tenterden Leisure Centre is complete. Ashford Borough Council announced it on 2 October.
The centre on Recreation Ground Road is run by the not-for-profit trust Freedom Leisure. The council and Freedom Leisure paid for the work jointly.
It has taken longer than first planned. Freedom Leisure’s refurbishment page, still online, said work would start in October 2025 and finish with “a full reopening in February 2026”. Neither the council nor Freedom Leisure has said why it ran on.
What has changed
The council lists the new and upgraded facilities as:
- a new interactive soft play centre
- new water-play features in the pool
- a modernised cafe with more seating
- upgraded toilets and changing rooms
- refurbished exercise class and indoor cycling studios
Councillor Guy Pullen, the council’s Cabinet Member for Parks and Recreation, said: “I am delighted to see the new refurbishments completed at Tenterden Leisure Centre and it’s fantastic to hear of the extremely positive feedback from visitors.”
PlayZone: how the soft play works
The soft play is called PlayZone. According to Freedom Leisure’s PlayZone page, it has a sensory zone for toddlers and a multi-level play frame. It is for babies and children up to 12.
Children can also pay for an LED tag wristband. Tag points are hidden around the frame and scores show on screens. There are two 30-minute games: a points challenge and a slower treasure hunt. Wristbands can be topped up at reception and reused.
A few rules worth knowing before you go:
- socks must be worn in the soft play
- no more than two adults per family, because seating is limited
- sessions are paid in advance; you can pay at reception, but the centre advises booking
PlayZone sessions run every day, 90 minutes each, from 9am. These are the prices on the centre’s holiday activities page:
| PlayZone session | Price |
|---|---|
| Under 1 | £1 |
| Age 1 to 4 | £4.50 |
| Age 5 to 12 | £7 |
There are quieter SEN sessions with fewer children every Wednesday and Sunday, 1.30pm to 3pm, at the same prices.
Swimming prices
The pool’s pay-as-you-go prices are on the centre’s prices page. Peak prices apply from 3pm to 9.30pm on weekdays, and all day at weekends and in school holidays.
| Swim | Off peak | Peak |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | £8.90 | £10.50 |
| Junior or student | £4.80 | £5.50 |
| 60 and over | £5.00 | £5.80 |
| Family (2 adults and 2 children, or 1 adult and 3 children) | £21.20 | £23.00 |
| Disabled swimmer and carer | £4.65 | £4.65 |
| Under 3 | Free | Free |
Wave Rave sessions cost £8.50 and Toddler Splash £5.65.
October half term at the centre
The centre’s holiday programme runs from Monday 26 October to Sunday 1 November. That is Kent’s half-term week. Homewood School in Tenterden breaks up a week earlier, on 16 October, so Homewood families have a week before this programme starts. Our term dates page has every local school’s dates.
- PlayZone Halloween Rave: Friday 30 October, 6.30pm to 8pm, £6.50, ages 0 to 12. Fancy dress is encouraged. The tag band challenge is £5 extra.
- Super Soft Play: Tuesday 27 and Thursday 29 October, 1pm to 3pm, £6.50, with a bouncy castle and soft play blocks added.
- InflataFun: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2pm to 4pm, normal swim prices, no booking. The giant inflatable is for ages 8 to 15 and needs a swim test.
- Floats and Features: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 2pm to 4pm, normal swim prices, no booking.
What it means for you
If you live in Tenterden or the villages around it, there is now an indoor soft play in the town. A visit for one child aged 1 to 4 costs £4.50. Book online, on the Freedom Leisure app or on 01580 475014.
The centre is at Recreation Ground Road, Tenterden TN30 6RA. For the rest of the half-term week, see our October half term in Ashford page.
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