Pop-up soft play sessions in community halls

Parents and carers of babies and toddlers, and playgroups looking for a regular indoor activity.

Ticket price per child or family per session, term passes, and extra private party bookings on weekends.

• Setting up and packing down equipment
• Organising bookings and timetables
• Marketing through local parent groups
• Friendly, calm manner with young children

• Public liability insurance that covers children's activities in hired venues
• Hall hire terms, including what insurance and safety checks the venue requires
• Check Working with Children Check requirements for you and any helpers, as these vary by state
• Equipment safety and cleaning between sessions, and keeping to age limits and supervision rules
• Carrying and storing bulky equipment, which usually needs a van or large car and storage space
• Uneven numbers across the week and in school holidays, so don't count on full sessions at first

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around $6,000 to $25,000, depending on how much portable equipment and matting you buy, plus transport and storage. This is a lower-cost way to test demand than leasing a venue.

Check public liability insurance that covers children's activities in hired venues, and each hall's hire terms, including insurance and safety checks. Also check Working with Children Check requirements for you and helpers, equipment safety, cleaning, age limits and supervision rules.

Estimated monthly revenue is typically around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on how many sessions you run and how many families attend. Numbers can be uneven across the week and in school holidays. Many operators start at around 10 hours a week.