A Day Out at Hobbledown Heath

Over the Easter Holiday, we wanted to make the most of the reasonable weather – so we decided to go to an outdoor adventure park! Hobbledown Heath is a new adventure park with tons of different indoor and outdoor play areas, actors pretending to be fairies and magical creatures, live animals to look at, and lots of places to explore. We went when they had a word-related scavenger hunt on as well, with letters posted up – which was very fun. It’s easily a place that you can spend an entire day out at, and we could have totally spent more time there then we did!

Outdoor Play Parks

When we went to Hobbledown Heath, there was so much more to do then I had first thought. The area is made up of dozens of different play parks, all with different themes, interactive areas, and so many ways to play pretend! The first one we went too was a water-related boat type thing, with a bunch of different systems and pullies that were extremely entertaining. Filling up buckets and watching the water rush through tubes into the next area – trying to complete these circuits were so much fun.

Another play park was a giant building, where you could make your way through small doors into a kitchen-like area, pretending to make food or be locked in. These little roleplay villages are so much fun, though not very easy for adults to make their way into – but maybe that’s the point. There were plenty of the traditional slides and swings that we’ve seen at tons of parks, but also big cages leading from fantastic buildings to another, which you can climb through. There was just so many different play parks – and they were very well spaced out. If you have children that love play parks, this is probably the best place to take them.

Unexpected Features

Now, along with these different play parks, there were two major outdoor features that we just have to mention. We’ve been to places previously that have the giant, trampoline-bubbles bursting from the ground. Hobbledown Heath had two of these, which ours really loved to jump on and enjoy. As we had previously played a lot on this, we didn’t spend much time there, but it’s a really enjoyable way to bounce around. Kai, Amelia and Robin were really interested in an area nearby these bubble-trampolines, which looked like giant water splats. The water splats were filled with water, allowing you to bounce, slip and slide around without getting wet. Now, we spent probably two hours on this area, going to the one a bit further along when the first one filled up with kids playing. The texture and coolness of the area made for a new experience that all three of our children really enjoyed. I hope that more places get these water splats, because they are really quite fun!

Animals at Hobbledown Heath

It’s worth noting that a few of the animal walks close at 4pm, something we did not know at the time. We didn’t spend a lot of time looking at the animals, because we had spent so much time playing at the various play parks. There were a lot of the classic animals we have seen at zoos – owls, big birds, ponies, capibaras and llamas, but there were also types of bulls as well. The animals we did get to see where all walking around in their areas, seemingly enjoying the sunshine while we were there. There is plenty of signs and learning material about the animals there as well. I do feel we could have seen more animals if we knew about the paths being closed – but that just means we will need to visit again!

Indoor Soft Play

Much like the outdoor play parks, the indoor soft play is over the top! There are three different soft play areas, which all provide a different environment for children to play in! One of them was actually crocheted, creating a cocoon to climb through and play around with, with a giant swinging ball in it for playing on! Another was a more classic soft play area, with a large slide, which was quite tall. A third area had interactive places – little games that can be played, buttons to push, and stuff like that. There is a small cafe here that sells normal foods like in most soft plays, and there are plenty of seating. Much like the rest of Hobbledown Heath, this place has fun decorations as well!

We really enjoyed our time at Hobbledown Heath, and totally could have spent an entire day there. We went during the springtime, when the temperature was still ropy outside, but now with the heat and summertime coming – I feel it’s the perfect time to check out Hobbledown Heath, especially with the water features and so many fun outdoor play areas to enjoy! I know we will be back this summer.

You can check out our other Days Out to see what else we’ve been up too!