Frequently Asked Questions

Parties

How long is a party on The Playbus?

Parties last for an hour and a half as standard. If you wish to extend this, you can add extra time for £30 per half hour on the booking form.

How many children can come?

The play area in The Playbus can accommodate up to 25 children. However, it may be difficult to fit more than 18 in the eating area, especially the older ones (most of the seating is one long bench, so it depends how big the children are!). If the children will not be eating on the bus, then this won't be an issue, of course.

What age range is The Playbus suitable for?

Parties are for children aged up to 8 years old. Younger children should have no problem getting around the bus on their own from 3 years old, but we are happy to have under-3s aboard too if there is someone to help them get round if necessary. Younger or older siblings are welcome, but remember the hirer is responsible for the supervision of all on board. The older ones need to look out for the little ones and remember that their rushing around could be a bit overwhelming for them!

How much does it cost?

See the booking form for our current prices. We ask for a 50% deposit within two weeks of booking, and the balance by the week before the party. Payment can be made via the Payments page of this website by credit or debit card or PayPal. If you prefer, you can also send a cheque, made payable to The Playbus, to the address on your booking confirmation.

Do you cover my area?

We are based in Thornbury, near Bristol. We cover quite a large area, which roughly extends from Gloucester in the north to Bristol in the south, and Newport in the west to Tetbury in the east. There is an extra distance charge of either £30 or £50 for some of the postcodes we cover. Click here to check your postcode.

What about Milton Keynes?

Not any more, unfortunately! We were originally based in MK when we started up The Playbus in 2005. However, we moved to Thornbury towards the end of 2006 and, after a brief period of returning to MK at weekends, moved The Playbus down to its new home at New Year 2007.

Do you have any other Playbuses elsewhere in the country?

Not at the moment, though there are a few dotted around that belong to other people. You could look at this list on the National Playbus Association website to see if there is one near you.

If you fancy operating a Playbus yourself (and as long as you're not too close to us!), we also convert buses - please contact us if you would like to discuss us converting a bus for you.

Can we hire The Playbus to take us to our school prom?

No, sorry. The Playbus is no longer a bus - we don't take any type of passengers anywhere.

Corporate hire and events

The Playbus is available for hire for your events, anywhere in the country. Carnivals and fairs, promotional events, school fêtes, wedding receptions are just some examples of the kind of thing we get up to when we're not doing birthday parties! We have an hourly rate (including travel time), but we're open to negotiation depending on the exact nature of the event - call us to discuss.