Our Day at Twinlakes Theme Park

Last weekend we used up our final #StayPlayExplore family pass for Twinlakes Theme Park (we also visited Twycross Zoo and Conkers). We’d never been before, and actually hadn’t even heard of it before we got our pass, so we were keen to find out what was there.

First up, we visited the Red Rooster Farm area, and I loved the idea of the bridge for the goats to trip trap over…

They also have pig racing there, but we’d just missed that when we arrived – would have been fun! Once the animals had all been checked out, the kids were off eager to explore elsewhere..

They found a sandpit area with diggers, where they played for quite some time..

Next up, it was Little Man’s first rollercoaster ride..

He loved it, but only when it went fast and dipped! He is so like his sister, the pair of thrill-seekers, and as you can see from her face here, she was waiting for it to get more exciting and dip! Boo and I then went on the pirate ship, before we moved on to the train ride, which takes you round the park. It’s a few minutes journey, and has a recording sharing with you all abut Twinlakes and encouraging you to spot nature around you as you travel. The kids always love a train ride, and this one was comfortable and there was plenty of room for pushchairs.

There’s a fabulous splash play, though it was quite chilly when we were visiting, so we gave this one a miss! But how good does it look?! Boo enjoyed watching the bucket at the top there, as it fills with water and tips over splashing everywhere every few minutes.

Boo then found a zip-wire that she was reluctant to leave!

We looked round at the Creepy Critters, a reptile house, had a pit stop for snacks, and then moved on to the Action USA Zone, where we stayed for quite some time. There are go-karts, bumper boats, an assault course, sand play and a fabulous play area called Prairie Pete’s City, full of little buildings to explore and play equipment. I loved it, let alone the kids!

At the end of the day, there was just time for the falconry centre, where Little Man delighted in shouting ‘owl’ and ‘eagle’ at every bird! And we then fit in a few more rides over at the Excalibur Adventure Zone, which also included more play areas, indoor and out, and a big castle to play knights and princesses in.

So it turns out, that there’s a lot there to do there! It’s not a huge place, and it’s not like the big theme parks, but for younger children, there was plenty to do and more.

To be honest, I was less impressed with the facilities, as everything felt a little tired. The first food outlet that we went to didn’t take card payments (never popular with the kids after they’ve seen you pile their food up on the counter!), and in the second, the queues were long, the service not great, and for reasons I still haven’t fathomed the food that I ordered wasn’t available as it was no longer on the menu – despite it being on the menu! The children ended up with sandwich boxes there which were absolutely fine, though I’d say that if we went again, we’d take a picnic to avoid the whole meal situation! The toilets and baby change areas could also do with a facelift and checking more frequently, in my opinion.

Amenities aside, it is a really fun day out for families. The amount and range of play areas for the kids had them delighting, queues for the rides were short, which was impressive on a Saturday in August, and I think the variety of activities that they have on offer is brilliant. The kids literally ran from area to area (and all areas are quite close together, too, so no long walks with the children, and it’s all fairly flat so easy with a pushchair) giggling with glee and gasping as they discovered the next set of equipment or rides to make use of! We really enjoyed it, and it is definitely good value. Lots of fun!

We visited Twinlakes as part of our Stay Play Explore pass. For £109, a family of four can stay at a 4* hotel in Leicestershire (fabulous! I’ll share in the next few days), and choose to visit 3 great attractions from a list of 5. There are other breaks available, too, for family adventures, theme parks, and adults gourmet breaks, amongst others – take a look, they’re fab!

Disclosure: We received a Stay Play Explore Family Fun Break FOC for the purposes of this review, but as ever, all words and opinions remain my own. 

Sharing is caring!