For Zachary's birthday this year, we decided to treat him to a day out. After much debate about whether he would or would not go on the rides at a local theme park, we decided against wasting our money and opted for a different choice. Our destination was Weymouth. We had been to the Sea Life Adventure Park here a couple of years ago, so knew that it was a brilliant day out. We were going with more people and another child this time, Zac's little brother.
The Sea Life Adventure Park is situated very close to the beach. There is a car park outside, which can get pricey if you are staying the whole day so make sure you do take some change with you. The great thing about this though, is that not only could we visit the Sea Life Adventure Park, but there was other attractions too to look at, such as SandWorld and Go Karting. There is also a separate cafe that you can go into. The beach is then a short walk from the carpark, should you wish to visit.
The Sea Life Adventure Park is a little more expensive compared to other, smaller ones but it is well worth the ticket price. You also get a ticket to go to the Weymouth Sea Life Tower, which is a walk down the beach or a little train ride away. We didn't do this, but would love to hear from anyone that has as our tickets are valid for up to a year after for this attraction.
Once inside the park, my little boy's eyes lit up. There is so much to see and do there. Naturally, with child in toe and post baby bladder, the toilet was the first stop. What I didn't realise was just how many this park had, which is really handy when you have small children. The park is set up into 13 stages and on entrance, the children got a booklet each which they had to stamp as they went around the park. They loved carrying these little booklets around with them and really got into the spirit of the challenge. It made sure that you got to see everything there too, as there is a lot to see. The adults were given a map too, so that you could find the buildings in the order listed in their book, although the Sea Life Adventure Park was laid out in such an easy to follow lay out.
So, our first adventure was to go over the bridge that was above a very scenic river with lots of flowers and into our first building. The buildings were all laid out really well, some darker than others but all spacious. They were full of amazing sea creatures to look at and facts were spread out around the buildings, as well as a description about what were in the tanks. What was really great, was that it also highlighted the fantastic work the Sea Life Adventure Park does with wildlife conservation and you are able to help participate with this by giving to charity. Although my small boys didn't care much for the facts, it made the adults visit more enjoyable as you can never stop learning.
The stages that needed to be stamped were;
1. The Harbourside; this was one of the more simpler buildings but had lots of fish to look at. A great intro into what the day was going to be about.
2. The Ray Lagoon; One of the smaller buildings, but it had a massive tank that you walked around and got to eye up some rays. It was great, as the boys were very reluctant looking at the tanks in the first room as they didn't quite get the idea that the fish couldn't get out and harm them, so by this room, you really got the chance to show the children that they couldn't be harmed but how fascinating it was to watch the sea life swimming around. After this, the children really got into our visit.
3. The Rainforest; I remember this room being really hot but there was so much room decor that really added to the feel of the experience in this room.
4. The Nursery; This was a lovely room where there were some very unusual Sea Horses to look at.
5. The Rockpool; The rock pool is based outside under cover. It has Sea Life staff there to help guide you through the rock pools, giving you a chance to touch and look closer at the sea life creatures and star fish. It was a great little break after looking through 4 fairly dark rooms to then be outside and have something more interactive to do, although my boys got a little scared so we moved on. For older children though, this is a brilliant part to the park.
6. The Shipwreck; This was another building you entered and was quite fascinating as you got to spot shipwrecked items in the tanks. The best part about this room though for us was the chance to see an octopus and some jellyfish in a colour changing tank. This was probably one of my favourite buildings.
7. Penguins; This was Dylan's favourite part. It is outside, but if you go on a rainy day, there is an area that is sheltered in which you can view the penguins swimming under water. Then you can go up and have a look at them posing and playing at the top. This again made a welcome break from what we had viewed before as it was something we could see interact on land and something a bit bigger for the children to look at.
8. The Turtle Sanctuary; The boys loved watching the turtles in the tank, they all looked so different and there was plenty to look at. At the end of this room, there is a staff member ready to take a picture of the family against a green screen which again is something fun and interactive to do on your visit and makes a great memento to take home.
9. The Ocean Tunnel; This leads straight on from the turtle sanctuary, so you don't leave this building to get to the tunnel. On the lead up to the tunnel, there are some brilliant viewing windows and some fun facts to line the room. The tunnel itself was Zac's favourite stage of his visit, it had some huge creatures to look at, including sharks, turtles and rays! It really is brilliant in there and has a great atmosphere.
10. The Wetlands; This is an outside stage, which is basically a big pond with wildlife there. We unfortunately didn't get the full experience as some work was being done. However, we went on a sunny day and it was lovely to walk over the bridges and paths around the wetland and enjoy the sunshine, atmosphere and fresh air.
11. The Seal Sanctuary; This was much more than first meets the eye. So, to start with you stand on a platform and can look down at the seals having a swim about in their big tank, then you can be led down into a room. This had 2-3 stages in itself, with a brand new inside rock pool area and a room dedicated to electricity. Once out of here you can then go around the corner to a sheltered viewing area, in here you can watch the seals frolic about in the water peacefully. There are a couple of buttons you can press to realise some bubbles into the water, which is a great and fun idea for children. It really is a tranquil place when you can sit down casually and have a look at some beautiful creatures swimming about.
12. Crocodiles; This stage is a water ride! Which because of the children being too frightened, we didn't go on, but you could still see the crocodile as you walked around the outside of the ride. This would be so much fun for older children, and yet another brilliant and interactive stage.
13. Otters; The final stage couldn't be cuter as you can sit and feast your eyes on some adorable otters having fun. They seemed to be so interested in having visitors.
The Adventure Park had so much more to offer than just these stages too. There was the photo booth in which you could have a look at any snaps you feature in that day. There was also some attractions such as hook a duck and an area dedicated to some rides suitable for different age groups. The best surprise of the day was that these were included in the price. There were a few amusements you could pay for, like the grabbing machines and little ride ons you find in shopping centres. There were several areas you could sit, enjoy the sunshine and your day out, rest on benches, fuel up and just take the day leisurely, with brilliant scenery.
There was a snack area you could grab some food in the amusement park section. The other place to get food was back in the entrance, next to the gift shop. There is also a snack shaft which is based by the splash fountain area, but on the day we went, it wasn't open. The food itself was delicious. One area you could get sandwiches and more snack like food but we opted for the other restaurant/ cafe which served delicious burgers, nuggets, chips, etc. This food was much needed after such an active day.
The best part of the Sea Life Adventure Park, has to be the fountains area. There are 3 outside changing huts you can get your kids into some swim wear, then there is such a fun large area in which they can run about under some fountains. A short distance from this is a fun looking paddling pool with a slide in the middle and a barrel that chucks water down, unfortunately and the only flaw to the trip was that this was shut, (due to the rubbish summer we are having so far so blame the rain). Still, Zac had so much fun splashing about here. This was the best part to his day. Next to all this fun is even more interaction with a sensory garden for smaller children and an adventure play trail that finishes with a slide. My children enjoyed both.
This was such a great place to go and the gift shop had some brilliant souvenirs to take home. In the gift shop, you can go and hand in the booklets that the children had been stamping at each area and they got a badge to take home, which they loved.
Before we left, we got the kids to choose their favourite parts and we went back and visited them. If we had had longer, we probably would have done the whole park again! It is definitely worth a visit, so if you are ever in the area then please do go have a fun filled family day out.
Next door the the Sea Life Adventure Park were more attractions, like big slides, a train, etc, but we only had time for one so we decided to go to SandWorld. The friendly staff member made us a good deal on our tickets and in we went, into a big world full of incredible crafted and detailed sand sculptures. We were given two tasks, one for the children and one of the adults. The children had to count how many dinosaur signs they could see on the way round for a chance to get some sweets at the end, and the adults had a questionnaire to fill in. The answers were carefully hidden amongst the information plaques in front of each sand sculpture so was a great informative, factual afternoon again.
This years theme was A Life in Earth. There were so many amazing, creative sculptures to ogle at. SandWorld had a cafe, an area for older children to create amazing colourful sand art. There was an area older children could also create their own sand sculptures using special tools. There was also some playtime for toddlers, as there was plenty of sand, cars, play house and sand play items to play with. Although this only took us about an hour, (including play time) it was a brilliant place to check out while we were in Weymouth. So I do recommend it. Again there is a little gift shop here, should you wish to pick up any items.
That was our exhausting, active, informative, fantastic, brilliantly fun, family day out. I couldn't recommend going to the Sea Life Adventure Park enough. While you are there, check out SandWorld,as the craft and talent that goes into the sculptures is insane so go and support them too.
Have you ever been here before? What did you like about it? Have you got any places to recommend for us to check out? Pop a comment below, I'd love to hear from you.
For more daily doses of parenting highs and lows, follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
The Sea Life Adventure Park is situated very close to the beach. There is a car park outside, which can get pricey if you are staying the whole day so make sure you do take some change with you. The great thing about this though, is that not only could we visit the Sea Life Adventure Park, but there was other attractions too to look at, such as SandWorld and Go Karting. There is also a separate cafe that you can go into. The beach is then a short walk from the carpark, should you wish to visit.
The Sea Life Adventure Park is a little more expensive compared to other, smaller ones but it is well worth the ticket price. You also get a ticket to go to the Weymouth Sea Life Tower, which is a walk down the beach or a little train ride away. We didn't do this, but would love to hear from anyone that has as our tickets are valid for up to a year after for this attraction.
Once inside the park, my little boy's eyes lit up. There is so much to see and do there. Naturally, with child in toe and post baby bladder, the toilet was the first stop. What I didn't realise was just how many this park had, which is really handy when you have small children. The park is set up into 13 stages and on entrance, the children got a booklet each which they had to stamp as they went around the park. They loved carrying these little booklets around with them and really got into the spirit of the challenge. It made sure that you got to see everything there too, as there is a lot to see. The adults were given a map too, so that you could find the buildings in the order listed in their book, although the Sea Life Adventure Park was laid out in such an easy to follow lay out. So, our first adventure was to go over the bridge that was above a very scenic river with lots of flowers and into our first building. The buildings were all laid out really well, some darker than others but all spacious. They were full of amazing sea creatures to look at and facts were spread out around the buildings, as well as a description about what were in the tanks. What was really great, was that it also highlighted the fantastic work the Sea Life Adventure Park does with wildlife conservation and you are able to help participate with this by giving to charity. Although my small boys didn't care much for the facts, it made the adults visit more enjoyable as you can never stop learning.
The stages that needed to be stamped were;
1. The Harbourside; this was one of the more simpler buildings but had lots of fish to look at. A great intro into what the day was going to be about.
2. The Ray Lagoon; One of the smaller buildings, but it had a massive tank that you walked around and got to eye up some rays. It was great, as the boys were very reluctant looking at the tanks in the first room as they didn't quite get the idea that the fish couldn't get out and harm them, so by this room, you really got the chance to show the children that they couldn't be harmed but how fascinating it was to watch the sea life swimming around. After this, the children really got into our visit.
3. The Rainforest; I remember this room being really hot but there was so much room decor that really added to the feel of the experience in this room.
4. The Nursery; This was a lovely room where there were some very unusual Sea Horses to look at.
5. The Rockpool; The rock pool is based outside under cover. It has Sea Life staff there to help guide you through the rock pools, giving you a chance to touch and look closer at the sea life creatures and star fish. It was a great little break after looking through 4 fairly dark rooms to then be outside and have something more interactive to do, although my boys got a little scared so we moved on. For older children though, this is a brilliant part to the park.
6. The Shipwreck; This was another building you entered and was quite fascinating as you got to spot shipwrecked items in the tanks. The best part about this room though for us was the chance to see an octopus and some jellyfish in a colour changing tank. This was probably one of my favourite buildings.
8. The Turtle Sanctuary; The boys loved watching the turtles in the tank, they all looked so different and there was plenty to look at. At the end of this room, there is a staff member ready to take a picture of the family against a green screen which again is something fun and interactive to do on your visit and makes a great memento to take home. 9. The Ocean Tunnel; This leads straight on from the turtle sanctuary, so you don't leave this building to get to the tunnel. On the lead up to the tunnel, there are some brilliant viewing windows and some fun facts to line the room. The tunnel itself was Zac's favourite stage of his visit, it had some huge creatures to look at, including sharks, turtles and rays! It really is brilliant in there and has a great atmosphere.
10. The Wetlands; This is an outside stage, which is basically a big pond with wildlife there. We unfortunately didn't get the full experience as some work was being done. However, we went on a sunny day and it was lovely to walk over the bridges and paths around the wetland and enjoy the sunshine, atmosphere and fresh air.
11. The Seal Sanctuary; This was much more than first meets the eye. So, to start with you stand on a platform and can look down at the seals having a swim about in their big tank, then you can be led down into a room. This had 2-3 stages in itself, with a brand new inside rock pool area and a room dedicated to electricity. Once out of here you can then go around the corner to a sheltered viewing area, in here you can watch the seals frolic about in the water peacefully. There are a couple of buttons you can press to realise some bubbles into the water, which is a great and fun idea for children. It really is a tranquil place when you can sit down casually and have a look at some beautiful creatures swimming about. 12. Crocodiles; This stage is a water ride! Which because of the children being too frightened, we didn't go on, but you could still see the crocodile as you walked around the outside of the ride. This would be so much fun for older children, and yet another brilliant and interactive stage.
13. Otters; The final stage couldn't be cuter as you can sit and feast your eyes on some adorable otters having fun. They seemed to be so interested in having visitors.
The Adventure Park had so much more to offer than just these stages too. There was the photo booth in which you could have a look at any snaps you feature in that day. There was also some attractions such as hook a duck and an area dedicated to some rides suitable for different age groups. The best surprise of the day was that these were included in the price. There were a few amusements you could pay for, like the grabbing machines and little ride ons you find in shopping centres. There were several areas you could sit, enjoy the sunshine and your day out, rest on benches, fuel up and just take the day leisurely, with brilliant scenery. 
There was a snack area you could grab some food in the amusement park section. The other place to get food was back in the entrance, next to the gift shop. There is also a snack shaft which is based by the splash fountain area, but on the day we went, it wasn't open. The food itself was delicious. One area you could get sandwiches and more snack like food but we opted for the other restaurant/ cafe which served delicious burgers, nuggets, chips, etc. This food was much needed after such an active day. 
The best part of the Sea Life Adventure Park, has to be the fountains area. There are 3 outside changing huts you can get your kids into some swim wear, then there is such a fun large area in which they can run about under some fountains. A short distance from this is a fun looking paddling pool with a slide in the middle and a barrel that chucks water down, unfortunately and the only flaw to the trip was that this was shut, (due to the rubbish summer we are having so far so blame the rain). Still, Zac had so much fun splashing about here. This was the best part to his day. Next to all this fun is even more interaction with a sensory garden for smaller children and an adventure play trail that finishes with a slide. My children enjoyed both. This was such a great place to go and the gift shop had some brilliant souvenirs to take home. In the gift shop, you can go and hand in the booklets that the children had been stamping at each area and they got a badge to take home, which they loved.
Before we left, we got the kids to choose their favourite parts and we went back and visited them. If we had had longer, we probably would have done the whole park again! It is definitely worth a visit, so if you are ever in the area then please do go have a fun filled family day out.
Next door the the Sea Life Adventure Park were more attractions, like big slides, a train, etc, but we only had time for one so we decided to go to SandWorld. The friendly staff member made us a good deal on our tickets and in we went, into a big world full of incredible crafted and detailed sand sculptures. We were given two tasks, one for the children and one of the adults. The children had to count how many dinosaur signs they could see on the way round for a chance to get some sweets at the end, and the adults had a questionnaire to fill in. The answers were carefully hidden amongst the information plaques in front of each sand sculpture so was a great informative, factual afternoon again. 
This years theme was A Life in Earth. There were so many amazing, creative sculptures to ogle at. SandWorld had a cafe, an area for older children to create amazing colourful sand art. There was an area older children could also create their own sand sculptures using special tools. There was also some playtime for toddlers, as there was plenty of sand, cars, play house and sand play items to play with. Although this only took us about an hour, (including play time) it was a brilliant place to check out while we were in Weymouth. So I do recommend it. Again there is a little gift shop here, should you wish to pick up any items. That was our exhausting, active, informative, fantastic, brilliantly fun, family day out. I couldn't recommend going to the Sea Life Adventure Park enough. While you are there, check out SandWorld,as the craft and talent that goes into the sculptures is insane so go and support them too.
Have you ever been here before? What did you like about it? Have you got any places to recommend for us to check out? Pop a comment below, I'd love to hear from you.
For more daily doses of parenting highs and lows, follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
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