Having a Pant-tastic Summer with Spongebob Squarepants!

In my last post I wrote about the challenge of keeping kids entertained at home during the Summer holidays, but what if you want to take a trip out? Not all activities have to cost the earth. For example our local shopping centre Westfield Derby runs kids events throughout the summer, all of which are free! For some of the events, such as craft activities you just turn up on the day. For others (like character meet and greets) you need to obtain a timed wristband from the concierge desk on the morning of the event. Westfield operate shopping centres throughout the country so it’s always worth checking out the website of your local mall to see what’s on.

We toddled along to Westfield Derby yesterday to meet SpongeBob Squarepants in the flesh/sponge. As you might imagine all my children were very excited at the prospect of meeting SpongeBob in ‘person’, so they prepared a short selection of jokes to share with him. Jokes such as:

Why did the hamburger cross the road? To Ketch-up with the fries!

Why did the Octopus cross the road? To get to the other tide!

Knock Knock! Who’s there? Fish! Fish who? Bless you!

That’s some comedy gold right there!

SpongeBob wobbled about in appreciation (his nose spun in circles!) before pausing to take a photo with the kids.

They all received a sheet of small SpongeBob stickers from NickToons, where SpongeBob is having a ‘Pant-tastic Summer’ on the channel everyday from 9am. See Nicktoons.co.uk for details.

As we left SpongeBob gave them all a larger sticker so they could proudly display their visit to the world!

For More information

For more wonderful events ranging from indoor shows through to craft activities visit Westfield Derby online.

Or you can contact the Westfield team on Twitter, or through Facebook.

SpyZone – Gulliver’s Kingdom Matlock Bath

I was recently asked if I would like to review the brand new SpyZone at Gulliver’s Kingdom in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire. With three little budding spies I was more than happy to agree.

SpyZone

For energetic kids with big imaginations, enter the hidden headquarters of Gulliver’s Spy Zone, the base-camp for budding secret agents!
Fun, adventure and action packed challenges await you on a unique journey of discovery and surprise!
As a spy apprentice you will combine skills with thrills as you scramble through secret shafts from one spy challenge to the next, all against the clock!
You will learn to steer a steady hand, crack codes and dodge security lasers as you train to become a top spy!
Only then will you be ready to set off on an undercover top secret mission…
Whenever your country needs you…
Whenever the time comes…
SpyZone

Debrief Room - SpyZone

I’ve never visited Gulliver’s Kingdom before (despite several pleas during my own childhood) so the only idea I had about the site was from reviews I’d read online. Many are quite scathing about the site’s location (on a hillside), however the SpyZone is located by the car park and before the actual theme park, so no steep climbs. We visited on the hottest day of the year so far, fortunately I chose to wear shorts (the SpyZone is not the place for skirts!) The kids were all very excited as you might imagine, which does add an extra pressure for the attraction (living up to expectations).

Inside the building you are greeted by ‘Secret Agents’ who take your tickets and ask you to wait in a comfy lounge while your training is prepared. This is also where the parents of older kids can wait while their children train (under 10s must be accompanied by an adult in the SpyZone). There are lockers to store your handbag etc, take advantage of these as you will be climbing and crawling.

Next you are invited through to a debrief room where a head spy explains the training ahead. Everyone is fitted with a bag containing gadgets such as blacklight torches, bug detectors, pens and paper. Once everyone understands the rules you are sent through a small tunnel where you climb up a shaft and into your first training room.

spyzone

Listening to audio instructions

The basic premise is that you enter 8 training rooms, each with code words that need to be cracked. In one you must send teammates into a tunnel while you jump about pressing symbols (never touching the floor) and the kids in the tunnel shout back the letters you have cracked. In others you must scan the room for bugs (finding one reveals a codeword) or flip switches on a reactor.

Obviously this is very much a kids attraction but forget the kids…. I had a wonderful time!! So did my husband, it’s sort of like playing a cross between the Crystal Maze, Jungle Run and Knightmare (remember that one!) Teamwork is essential, so is speed (each room has a time limit) and it’s just seriously good fun! So if your kids are over 10, find a younger child to take to give yourself the excuse to go as well!

Spyzone

Launch Control

As for the kids, they all loved it. My daughter did have one ‘moment’ in a corridor full of laser beams where she froze in the middle terrified of setting off an alarm. Quick as a flash a Master Spy appeared and helped her through (I really appreciated the attentive nature of all the staff). This was perhaps my least ladylike moment as I hopped, limboed and scrambled across the floor 🙂 My youngest (4) was un-phased by the laser beam corridor, so it’s not a given that your child will be scared.

SpyZone

Scanning for bugs

When you finish your training you embark on a daring mission to save Queen and Country. I would tell you more about this mission, but I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but you’ll be leaping and code-breaking aplenty trying to disarm a bomb.

When you finish you give in your Spybook (where you recorded your codewords etc) and receive your final score. We managed Secret Agent status, hurrah!

Would I recommend SpyZone?

It’s probably no surprise that I would! We all had a wonderful time and it’s so different from your average attraction. There’s something quite magical about entering a world you can normally only find on TV. Plus I think it has a secret educational benefit:

  • They have to practise teamwork
  • They are decoding and spelling words
  • They must listen attentively to instructions
  • Read extra instructions
  • Write down codewords
  • Plus the physical aspect of crawling and climbing

I should also mention the wonderful staff who were friendly, patient and genuinely seemed to enjoy their work and helping kids have fun.

Could it be improved in anyway?

No, although I hope they will update the codewords and/or rooms periodically so that we can visit again in future and have just as much fun. It would be a real shame if it was a one time attraction. Perhaps posting up on the web when changes happen so parents can check before a return visit.

As I said earlier skirts/dresses are a no no really. You need to visit being prepared to climb, crawl and generally scramble about.

Finally…

The Kids gave me their own review scores (with Spy names of course):

Agent Ninja – 10/10 because it was very exciting and when I grow up I’d like to build my own SpyZone

Agent J – 9/10 because little kids might get scared (although ours didn’t!)

Agent Storm – 10/10 because it was really fun and great

Agent Little – 10/10 because I loved it!

Details

SpyZone is open all year round after school, at weekends and all school holidays.

It costs from £7.95 per junior spy.

SpyZone is included for Gulliver’s Gold Passport holders.

For full details and to book click on the SpyZone website here.

Abi Day Gulliver's Kingdom

We also popped into Gulliver’s Kingdom after the SpyZone (the child in me was pleased!) and saw dinosaurs, bobbed about on water rafts and rode runaway horses. The site is indeed steep, so if you have a pushchair start at the top and work your way down. However a themepark especially for kids (and those of us who don’t love massive rollercoasters) is a wonderful idea. We had really good fun and would be happy to visit again (perhaps on a slightly cooler day).

The Great Lord of the Rings Cake Off!

A weekend spent at home can quickly become boring if you don’t have any activities or projects with which to occupy yourself. My husband and I found ourselves in just such a situation a few weeks ago. Rather than spend a weekend in front of the television, I challenged him to a cake off! The rules were simple, we would both make a cake and decorate it on a chosen theme and then let our friends vote for the winner.

After watching the recent Hobbit film we decided on a Lord of the Rings or Tolkien theme. Both cakes were mini cakes (so they could be eaten quickly and therefore keep their freshness).

I chose to make a Hobbit Hole, the cake was baked in a pudding basin and carved to give the shape. I was really quite pleased with it 🙂

My husband (the ambitious fellow that he is) chose to make Minas Tirith, it was constructed of multiple layers of mini brownie cakes, then covered in icing.

We put the photos onto our personal facebook pages and let our friends and family vote for a winner. The results crowned…..

My Hobbit Hole victorious!

It was a hilarious way to spend a weekend and basically a free activity as we had everything we needed in our cupboards.

So if you find yourself slipping into boredom one weekend how about challenging a friend or family member to your very own cake off or bake off. You can even do a challenge with a group of friends, or perhaps in aid of charity. Not forgetting that it doesn’t matter who wins as everyone gets to eat cake!!