Sundown - anyone been?

[jakethepeg]

My son is 4 on 2nd May (Friday) and dad and I are off work to take him out for the day. Was planning to go to Digger Land near Castleford but its closed on 2nd May! Typical.

We often go to seaside, Sea Life Centre, the Deep, farms etc so wanted to take him somewhere a bit different. Saw Sundown on the internet and it looks good, just wondered if anyone had any reviews, its about 90 mins away from us (we're in Yorkshire).

Thanks a lot

We're in Yorkshire too. It's a great day out.. my DSs (7 and 3) both love it.

I would advise - get there early, (poss for opening?) and head straight for the tractor ride to avoid queuing for it. The queues aren't THAT bad, though - don't let me put you off!

I would picnic - don't fancy the look of the "chicken nuggets" style food and cafe. There is an indoor play centre if you're caught out in the rain, but it really is a dry-weather place!

My kids' best bit is not the rides, but the interconnected houses they can crawl/climb/work their way through - prepare to crawl with them if needs be! (cos once they go in, you don't always know where they're going to come out - so at 4 yo, you will prob need to accompany him - hope one of you is agile!)

They love the HUGE sand pit play area too. Dry sand, so we don't bother with buckets any more - they love the slides in there.

HTH

Awww... I'm almost talking myself into taking them, next week!

Tis good, and there is a lot to do for a boy aged 4!

Deffo take a picnic, and there are sheltered picnicing tables if it rains

and if it does rain, there is a lot to do under cover.

Mined loved going, it isn't cheap, but you can spend a whole day there with no problems

We're in Yorkshire too and had a fantastic day at Sundown with DD (then 3) last summer.
Would also advise taking food - we hadn't and as suspected Mme Cellophane it was distinctly dodgy!!!
Rides great for this age group, lots of playgrounds, sand area with slides etc lovely. DD especially liked the houses designed for fairy tale characters, eg 3 bears house.
I'd forgotten how good it was till reading your message, Mme Cellophane.
Think we'll be watching for a good day to go when DP is off - think DD2 (10 weeks) is poss still a bit young!!!!
Have a great day if you go jakethepeg!

I went 5 years ago when DD was 3 and had a fabulous day - live too far away now, but would go again if I'm over that way

Another plus - it probably feels as big as Disney to a 4yo, but it's pretty small - so you can comfortably leave your picnic in the car then one of you walk back to get it (just have your hand stamped so you can get back in!)

Thanks a lot everyone, it sounds fab, wish I was going sooner!

I just have to hope for a lovely warm dry day now!

Cheers!

They will enjoy it, probably - ours did - but be warned it's utter misery for parents.

If you ask me it's a bloody cheek to charge for adults to go in at all as there is nothing for them to do other than meekly follow their excitable children round. (Big fat hairy deal.) And yet you have to go in with them. See what they did there?? At most playcentres you pay just per child, and it's acknowledged that the adults will probably pay their way by getting a cup of tea or six.

It is now £34 - THIRTY FECKING FOUR QUID - for a family of four. Just stop for a minute and ask yourself what else you could do for that kind of money.

There are museums up and down the country which are FREE and actually have something enjoyable and enriching for YOU to see as well.

I found the place shabby, depressing, chav-infested, culturally impoverishing, dull and soulless. The cafe is over-priced, hideous, full of whingeing little gits and smells of putrid processed food. After the fifth near-identical "ride" and the hundredth sinister animatronic model with a barely-audible sound tape, I was just about ready to go and stick my head in an oven.

I'm sure other people loved it, though