If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know I’m a big fan of a play café. We’ve done Lollipop Lane in Selby a fair few times, and when I heard Pocklington had its own version opening up, I was keen to get there. We went today — my son and I met a friend and her two-month-old. It’s a good halfway point between us, which is probably why I’d never been to Pocklington before. Really lovely morning.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Also – sorry the pictures aren’t great! I rushed to take some before the children filled the place as I didn’t want to take photos with kids in!
What Is Boffy’s Play Café?
Boffy’s Play Café is Pocklington’s first play café, a bright, calm play space for young children with a café for the grown-ups alongside it. It’s role-play based rather than a soft play, which for me is a big selling point. It’s not loud or overwhelming, just a really nice space where children can play imaginatively while you actually sit down and enjoy a coffee in peace.
The name comes from the owners’ daughter, who they nicknamed Boffy. She’s always loved imaginative play and role play, and the café grew out of the idea of creating somewhere they kept wishing existed. It’s a sweet backstory and you can feel it in the place — it’s clearly been made with a lot of thought.
It’s the kind of place that’s perfect for a rainy day, a morning catch-up with a friend, or any time you need somewhere your little one can burn some energy while you sit down.
Sessions and Booking
Boffy’s runs timed sessions, which keeps it from getting too crowded and means you’re not elbowing through a full soft play to find a seat.
Monday to Friday:
- 9:15am – 10:45am
- 11:15am – 12:45pm
- 1:15pm – 2:45pm
Saturday:
- 9:30am – 11:00am
- 11:30am – 1:00pm
- Private hire from 2:00pm
Sunday: Closed
Walk-ins are welcome if there’s space, but booking in advance is recommended to guarantee your spot. They accommodate a maximum of 30 people per session, so it can fill up. Each child over six months is £6.80, adults are £3.80, and babies five months and under are £1. All children must be accompanied by a responsible adult throughout the session.
If you need to move your visit, you can rebook from your original booking date — worth knowing if plans change.
Baby Boffy’s
Baby Boffy’s is the dedicated space for the youngest visitors, designed for babies from newborn to 18 months. It’s calm and cosy with baby-friendly toys, soft textures and gentle sensory play — exactly the kind of environment where a very little one can explore safely at their own pace without bigger toddlers charging around them.
Bigger Boffy’s
Bigger Boffy’s is the main play area for children up to six years old. It’s imaginative play based — role-play stations, dress-up, reading nooks — all the things that are great for this age group because it gives them the chance to practice their language, communication, and lots of other skills children learn during role-play. All while having fun!
My son went straight in and didn’t really come out again until we had to leave. It’s not a massive play space, but that’s part of what makes it work. It’s the right size for young children — contained enough that you can actually see where they are, but with enough going on that they don’t run out of things to do. My son is small for his age and is easily spooked and pushed about by bigger kids. He is quite sensitive-natured and isn’t the type of boy to run about and bang into things, so this type of play is great for him.
The Café
The café menu has hot drinks, cold drinks and food for both children and adults. They cater for allergens too, which is always worth knowing. I had a coffee and it was great. My son had crisps and a fruit pot, though if I’m honest he was having too good a time to stop and eat much. I’d planned to order him more food but he kept coming to find me, eating a crisp, and running back in again.
They serve full food as well as snacks, so if you want a full lunch stop rather than just a coffee and a bite, the café menu covers that.
Parking
There’s plenty of free parking at the West Green Car Park nearby, which is a short walk from the café. We had no trouble at all parking this morning.
A Little Extra Thing Worth Knowing
They also sell handmade crochet toys, which as someone who crochets myself I found very cute. Really lovely quality and the kind of thing you’d actually want to buy rather than just glance at. Worth a look before you leave.
Would I Go Back?
Yes, and soon. It’s a really well thought-out play café and exactly what Pocklington needed. The split between Baby Boffy’s and Bigger Boffy’s works well — it means it works for different ages and stages without the two groups getting in each other’s way. My son loved it, my friend found it genuinely relaxed enough to enjoy with a newborn, and the coffee was good. That covers all the bases.
If you’re looking for a play café in the East Yorkshire area, Boffy’s is well worth the trip.
Boffy’s Play Café 2 Railway Street, Pocklington, York YO42 2QZ Mon–Fri: three sessions from 9:15am; Sat: two sessions from 9:30am; Sun: closed Child (6 months+): £6.80 | Adult: £3.80 | Under 6 months: £1 boffysplaycafe.co.uk
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