I was invited last week to Knockhatch Adventure Park for a day out.
I’ve known Chris from https://1066local.com/ and he gave me a swift tour of the different areas. I had a look in a couple of new inside areas ready for the onset of autumn weather. The Lost World play barn looked great with dinosaurs everywhere (not real ones!). There is a huge set of crazy slides and lots of play areas for kids to clamber upon. It was a grey Thursday and some schools had not opened yet so it was fairly busy with a thousand people in the park limited by COVID-19 safety precautions. Some areas, rides and activities were closed but there was still a ton of stuff to do for kids and adults alike. On the safety front, lots of hand wash areas as well as hand sanitiser everywhere. As most of the park is outside and masks needed inside by adults and older kids inside, I felt very safe and looked after.
Next I had a wonder around and looked at the Owl Sanctuary and spoke to some friendly keepers. The varied species of owls are just some of the creatures that are on show and lots of educational information about their habitats, origins, what they eat and so on. They have kookaburras, cockatoos, meerkats, and I was delighted to be included in a secret special training session. I can’t say more than that, but the keeper that showed us around was very knowledgeable and friendly. I then had a look at the water slide “The Wave Runner”. No, I didn’t have a go but watched a few people including adults have a blast. As it was early and not much of a queue a couple of kids went two or three times! It pays to get to the park early!
There is so much to do there for kids.
I love that it is totally family orientated with activities for kids to do like; Jumping Pillows; slides; playgrounds themed as Pirate’s cove, Dragon’s castle, and a dinosaur area too. For the whole family there are themed mini golf courses, a rowing boat lake, mini quads and much more. There is the fantastic array of animals as mentioned but there are also raccoons, skunks, a farm petting area and a wallaby walk through. There is also conservation area and my favourite was the owl display where the birds flew around and one of the fab keepers explained everything interacting with the kids and putting on a great show. Of course the feathered stars took centre stage and were enthralling to watch in action.
Yes, I highly recommend going if you have a youngish family. They are open throughout the year but booking is required. For more info on their pricing, special events and special measures in place for everyone’s health and safety please go to https://knockhatch.com/
As a balloon artist, it has inspired me to create some of the animals I’ve seen at the park. I’m available for balloon deliveries, and live events as guidelines allow. Contact Danny for prices and availability for small events or balloon deliveries by calling 07947 013178 or email danny@dannytheidiot.com