Dear London Mums,
I need to share something with you that has genuinely upset me and I hope it will move you to action too.
When my son was very young, I spent countless rainy London days at indoor play centres. Like so many of you, I bundled him into the buggy, dodged the drizzle, and found sanctuary in those bright, noisy, wonderful spaces where he could run, climb, explore and just be a child. It was a lifeline. A place where he could burn off energy, make friends, and where I could breathe for a moment with other parents doing the same.
What I didn’t know then, and what I only discovered recently, is that every time I paid for him to play, part of that money was going straight to the Government in VAT.
Children’s indoor play is taxed at 20%
Let me put that in perspective. A £12 play session contains £2 of VAT. If you have two children, that’s £4. Three children, £6. Every single visit. Every rainy day. Every school holiday. Every birthday treat.
And here’s what makes my blood boil: children’s books are zero-rated for VAT. Children’s clothes and shoes are zero-rated. Most basic food is zero-rated. But children’s play, the very thing that keeps our kids active, healthy, social and away from screens, is taxed at the full standard rate.
When I found out, anger grew inside me. How can this be right? We are constantly told to get our children off screens, to tackle childhood obesity, to support their mental wellbeing. Yet the moment we try to do exactly that by taking them somewhere designed for them to run, climb and play, the taxman takes his cut.
This is why I am supporting the Association of Indoor Play‘s campaign for 0% VAT on children’s play.
The indoor play industry is relatively new. Our VAT system was simply not designed with it in mind. This is not about saving businesses, it’s about keeping play affordable and accessible for families like ours. It’s about recognising that play is not a luxury. It is fundamental to childhood.
The campaign has already gathered over 3,000 signatures on a Parliamentary petition. They need 10,000 to trigger a Government response and ultimately 100,000 for the matter to be debated in Parliament. They are so close, but we need thousands more parents to add their voices.
We now need 5,000 more signatures to get this crucial debate in front of our MPs.
Will you help? It takes less than a minute.
SIGN THE PETITION HERE: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/777837#main-content
Please share this email with your friends, your family, your school WhatsApp groups, your work colleagues, anyone who cares about the importance of play for children. Every signature counts.
This is timely. Just this summer, the Government temporarily reduced VAT to 5% for children’s leisure as part of the Great British Summer Savings scheme. If it was worth doing then, why should it simply return to 20% now?
We parents in the UK should unite. We should protest. We should make our voices heard on behalf of our children.
Let’s show the Government that we believe in play. Let’s demand fair treatment for families. Let’s get this debate to Parliament.
Thank you for your support as always, it is very much appreciated.
With love and determination,
Monica Costa
Editor & Founder
London Mums Magazine
P.S. Please forward this to anyone who cares about the importance of play for children. Every signature brings us closer to change. Thank you.
SIGN THE PETITION HERE: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/777837#main-content
London Mums Magazine is proud to support the Association of Indoor Play’s campaign for 0% VAT on children’s indoor play admissions.
Monica Costa founded London Mums in September 2006 after her son Diego’s birth together with a group of mothers who felt the need of meeting up regularly to share the challenges and joys of motherhood in metropolitan and multicultural London. London Mums is the FREE and independent peer support group for mums and mumpreneurs based in London https://www.londonmumsmagazine.com and you can connect on Twitter @londonmums
