Sea Life Adventure Park

The Sea Life Adventure Park in Weymouth has so much to offer for a fun packed, family day out. Only minutes from the beach and crazy golf it's a lovely place to visit while in Dorset.

Unfortunately for us the weather was horrendous when we arrived! We ended up completely soaked through within minutes but that didn't ruin our experience - there are activities to enjoy both outside and in and the staff were polite and helpful.

Upon arriving we were provided with scratch off sheets for the Mini Mes to use on the quiz trail around the park. There are question boards at each area and you scratch off the panel on your sheet to match the correct answer. You then receive medals at the exit which is a great incentive to keep little ones learning and a lovely gift to go home with! 

I like attractions where the Mini Mes can interact with animals and learn while having fun so this was ideal. First up we stopped off at the Interactive Rock Pool. The member of staff there was very informative and assisted the children (and adults) who wanted to touch star fish and crabs. The Mini Mes loved finding out facts about them and handling them and I got in on the action too!

We next headed to the Bay of Rays. This indoor area has a platform where you can stand above the tank to view the rays from. It was nice to see them swimming about from several angles and there are lots of information boards to learn about the animals.

Shark Reef was probably the Mini Mes favourite part of the day closely followed by the Walk-through Ocean Tank. This dark enclosure has a variety of viewing windows to watch the fish and sharks swim by. Jamster in particular loved being up so close to 'scary' creatures. The colours were amazing!

We visited the other indoor areas including the Turtle Sanctuary and Nursery and Breeding Centre and then moved on to the outdoor sections like the Seals, Otters and Penguins when the rain had eased off a little. You can watch a variety of the animals being fed throughout the day. 

None of the outdoor activities were really suitable as the rain and hail poured down but I imagine on brighter days these are fantastic! There is Adventure Island which is filled with rides and machines, Crocodile Creek water ride to enjoy and also the Splash water play area. 

The day we chose to visit was part of Timmy Time week (Jamster is a big fan) but unfortunately due to the rain he didn't make an appearance while we were there (his wool would have been drenched I imagine!). There were other themed activities including clay modelling and Timmy Time DVDs being played undercover which made the trip extra special for little ones.

Despite the weather I do feel that this adventure park has lots to offer and it is far better than the alternative Sea Life Centres that we have visited. On drier days you could spend practically a whole day at the park as there is a big restaurant to stop off for lunch and snacks too and a large gift shop for souvenirs.  I would advise that you book online in advance as it is considerably cheaper (£13pp).

You can find out more about the Sea Life Adventure Park on their website: http://www.visitsealife.com/Weymouth/ or click below to purchase tickets.

*We received free entry to the park. The views given are our own*

Farmer Palmer's Farm Park

Farmer Palmer's Farm Park is situated in Poole, Dorset and is perfectly designed to suit children up to the age of 8. With events planned throughout the day and lots of interaction with animals we were certain to have a fantastic time.

There were lots of helpful staff at the entrance so queues moved quickly and we soon headed outside with our map and schedule in hand. The layout is great; plenty of room for prams and not much walking for little ones to get to the next section to play. The restaurant, kiosk and toilets are quite central so they're never far away and there are even lower sinks for little ones to use and a hand cleaning station outside.

We started off with pig racing. Everyone seemed to love picking which of the four pigs they thought would win and there was plenty of cheering when they came running along the track to the tray of food!

Next up the Mini Mes were keen to head to the play area. With play houses, swings, slides, climbing apparatus and more there was lots to keep them entertained. With a sand floor there was always a soft landing which is ideal for little ones.

11.15am is the first bottle feeding session so we popped next door to the barn ready to feed the goats. Despite there being lots of children and only a few bottles everyone had a turn! It was fantastic that staff ensured bottles were passed around so every child got to feed an animal, even if only for a few seconds, so there were smiles all round.

The restaurant opposite was very tempting so we headed there next for lunch. With a varied hot and cold menu there was lots to choose from and plenty of seating including high chairs for those that require them. Meals were reasonably priced with a child's lunch box containing sandwiches, crisps, a drink, yogurt and raisins costing £3.25.










Just after eating there was pony grooming so we lined up to get involved, both of the Mini Mes were eager to take part. We then had a go on the pedal go karts (which were great as adults could join in too!) and had some fun inside at Straw Mountain where there were plenty of hay bales to play in and a variety of slides.

At 2pm there was the deer safari with an additional charge, £1 for children over 2 and £2 for adults, but it was well worth the small fee. The tractor trailer ride is an experience in itself but getting to stop and feed deer was wonderful. The driver was very informative, ensured everyone had plenty of food to feed the animals with and he passed around some antlers to look at too.

At this point we decided to begin our journey back to camp, after a well needed drink and ice cream. Apart from what we enjoyed there is the opportunity to hold guinea pigs, watch cow milking, bottle feed baby deer (additional charge) play on the bouncy castles and in the sand and water area and explore the maize maze and woodland walk. It truly was a lovely day out and with a family ticket (2 adults 2 children) being priced at £28.50 it's definitely good value.

To find out more about Farmer Palmer's Farm Park you can head over to their website

*We received free entry to Farmer Palmer's Farm Park in return for a review. The opinions are our own*

Saturday Caption #SatCap

When I say 'cheese' or 'smile' the first attempt often involves silly faces and this was one of those moments. Do you have a funny or witty caption for the faces pulled by the Mr, Jamster or Minxy while camping in Dorset? You can add your comments below.

Head over to Mammasaurus for more fab photos to caption or to link up your own snaps.

Have a great weekend!

My reasons to be happy

My reasons to be happy

I have that warm, fuzzy feeling at the moment. The one where you smile to yourself when no one is around and feel all happy inside. Life seems to be good and I'm feeling happy as I have lots of holiday related reasons to make me cheerful this week!

Family Holiday

We went away last week to Dorset and had a lovely time. We camped at a really nice site called Newlands with two pools, shop, bar, restaurant and lovely facilities. While there we visited the Sea Life Adventure Park in Weymouth and also Farmer Palmers.

Summer Holiday

It seems to be flying by but we are having an amazing time. Bar our family holiday we have had so much fun with bike rides, baking, crafts, cinema trips, festivals and more. I'm enjoying working through the Bucket List we made mid July and keeping track with scrap books too.

Couple Holiday

The Mr and I have 4 child free nights while the Mini Mes go to their dad next week so we are having a break with the poochie camping. We aren't sure where we are heading yet in England but possibly Matlock Bath again (we went a few years ago) or similar. Somewhere we can chill out and enjoy the scenery.

What has made you smile this week?

Project 366, 210/366 - Camp Bestival

We were at Camp Bestival today at the beautiful Lulworth Castle in Dorset. I'm so pleased that the weather remained warm as it really helped to make the day superb. We enjoyed some performances on stage from Mr Tumble, Dick and Dom, The Gruffalo, Shrek and Minxy's favourite, Rizzle Kicks. Here is Jamster in his cape and mask he made at the free craft tent.