Jane's Midlife Journey

Nova Artsplaycafe is a small cafe with a play area and art station for children. You can just turn up and play. In addition, it offers a range craft sessions for both children and, occasionally, adults.

Note: The cafe is currently closed until further notice, while the owner deals with legal issues.

How to get to Nova Artsplaycafe

The cafe is in the main road in Southbourne, Seabourne Road, 2.5 miles west of Bournemouth along the A35.

By Bus

Buses no 1b/1c and m2 stop at Darracott Road, a 2 minute walk away.

Access

There is flat access to the cafe.

Parking

The nearest car park is at Woodside Road, a 3 minute walk away. Parking costs £1.40 for one hour or £1.90 for two hours. Further details can be found here.

Opening Times

The cafe is usually open daily from 10 am, closing at 5 pm during the week (4 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 pm on Sundays).

Price

Entry to the cafe and play area is free. There is a charge for some of the activity sessions.

Suitable for age

The play area is suitable for small children. Orla enjoyed her visit, although at almost 2 year old, she was the oldest child there, and I would say it was more suited to slightly younger children. The activities range in suitability, with most aimed at children, but a few adult events.

Details

We visited on a regular day with no additional sessions on offer. There is a play area one side of the cafe with a selection of traditional wooden toys, musical instruments, building blocks and books. Orla’s favourite was the chalkboard wall, where we created our own masterpiece.

To the rear is an area for drawing and painting, where Orla enjoyed doing some art.

Events

There are a few regular events held weekly as follows:

Tuesday	El Recreo Spanish Stay & Play	10 am – 11.30 am	£4
Thursday	El Recreo Spanish Stay & Play	10 am – 11.30 am	£4
Friday	Baby Sensory	10 am	£3
Sunday	Daddy’s Coffee Morning	10 am – 12 pm

Additional extra events, such as junk modelling and needle felting, are held from time to time. Forthcoming activities may be found here.

Food & Drink

The micro cafe sells drinks and snacks, mainly bagels. The cakes looked nice, but as they were displayed together, were not suitable for allergy sufferers, so I couldn’t try one.

The children’s menu had a range of reasonably priced drink options. Orla had a baby cino, which cost £1. They also a range of snacks and children’s grazing platters (£4).

Toilets/Changing Facilities

There is no toilet. If you need to change a nappy, there is a changing mat hanging on the wall which you can use.

• Updated: September 2025

For more inspiration on things to do in and around Bournemouth with young children, check out my 101 Things to do in Bournemouth with Babies and Toddlers here.