When you take your kiddos to a play center that’s geared toward children, you expect the environment to be safe. That’s why one mom was horrified when she took her children to an indoor play center for a birthday celebration, and made an odd discovery. While playing in the main playground area, her 6-year-old boys allegedly found a knife.
The mom took to social media to warn other parents about the scary incident, which occurred on July 6, 2025. That day, the mom took her kiddos to Bella’s Wonderland in Southport, Australia, to celebrate her daughter’s 4th birthday. Unfortunately, the birthday celebration didn’t go as planned.
“What was supposed to be a magical day quickly turned into something deeply disturbing and dangerous,” the mom, Tiani Palmer, wrote on Facebook. She explained that while her sons were playing in the main playground area, they found “a large butcher’s knife hidden down the side of the mats inside the play structure.”
Understandably, the mom was “shocked” and horrified. But when she informed staff members about her sons’ dangerous discovery, they “seemed unbothered and claimed it wasn’t even one of theirs.”
A day after the birthday celebration, Tiani tried to call the play center to speak to a manager about the issue. The person who answered the phone told Tiani that their manager was sick and would follow up later. At the time of writing her post, the mom still hadn’t heard back. “I never heard from her,” the mom claimed. “I even followed up with an email — still nothing.”
Of course, the knife itself was horrifying. But the mom was also disgusted by how the play center handled the situation. “For the price you pay to host a birthday party at these types of places, you would think your child would be safe and it’s a safe environment,” she wrote. “My daughter’s birthday could have ended in absolute tragedy. I’m beyond disappointed — and honestly disgusted — by how this situation was handled.”
She ended up reporting the incident to the police. According to News.com.au, the play center also reported the scary find to the police department. However, a Queensland Police Service spokesperson said officers had not determined how the knife ended up at the play center.
On the Bella’s Wonderland website, the indoor play center is described as “a magical space for kids to play, explore, and imagine, while families come together.” It calls it “a safe, enchanting environment.”
