Indoor Play Centre in Clayton

• Walk in any day

  No booking needed for casual play — turn up Monday to Friday 9am–5pm or weekends 9am–4:30pm.

• A cafe worth staying for

  Barista coffee, breakfast, wraps, Turkish rolls, shakes and frappes while the children play.

• Birthday parties from $279

  Princess, Dinosaur and Under Water rooms for eight children, or premium Disco and Baking rooms at $369.

An indoor playground built for Clayton families

Happy Hippos sits on the Princes Highway in Clayton, right between Clayton Road and Springvale Road, which makes it an easy stop for families from Clayton South, Notting Hill, Huntingdale, Mulgrave and Oakleigh. The centre is purpose-built for play: a multi-level climbing structure, big slides, the Bubble Bay ball pit, Sky Climbers climbing zone and a separate soft play area just for crawlers and toddlers.

Because everything is under one roof, it works whatever the Melbourne weather is doing. Parents can sit in the cafe with a view of the play frame, and children can move between zones at their own pace. Entry covers the whole day, so you can pop out for lunch or school pick-up and come back.

Entry prices and opening hours

Monday–Friday entry is $9.99 for children 1–2 years and $11.99 for children 2 years and over. On weekends, Victorian school holidays and public holidays it is $11.49 and $13.49. The mothers group discount is $8.99 per child during holiday periods and advance booking is essential. Crawlers 12 months and under and adults are free, and grip socks cost $5.50 a pair.

We are open 7 days: Monday to Friday 9am–5pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am–4:30pm, and public holidays 10am–3pm (please check availability).

No booking is needed for casual play, but you can buy entry tickets online before you arrive to skip the reception queue.

A proper toddler area

Under-3s have their own gated soft play space with low platforms, gentle slides and sensory panels, away from the bigger kids. It is a favourite with mothers groups from across Clayton and Glen Waverley, who meet here mid-week when it is quieter. Weekday mornings before 11am are usually the calmest time to visit with little ones.

Birthday parties in Clayton

Our most popular party rooms — Princess, Dinosaur and Under Water — are $279 for eight children and include full-day play, a 1.5-hour private room, a dedicated host, three kids menu food items, fries, chips, cordial and water, and complimentary small coffees for the birthday child's parents. Premium Disco and Baking rooms are $369 with two hosts. Extra children are $27.90 each in popular rooms and $37.90 each in premium rooms, including food and entry, and there is no limit on adults.

Parties run on a fixed schedule so rooms never overlap, and every booking has a 30-minute clean-up buffer between groups. Customised decorations are available on request.

A cafe parents actually enjoy

The cafe serves barista coffee, breakfast, wraps, Turkish rolls, adult meals with chips and a 600ml drink, Kids Happy Meals from $9.95, plus milkshakes, frappes and ice creams. Dairy-free milk is available. It is the reason many Clayton parents choose us for a mid-week catch-up.

Plan your visit