We review Sundown Adventureland, near Retford
REVIEW: Being the only one in the office who hasn’t yet been to Sundown Adventureland, either as a child or with children, I jumped at the chance to go for the first time this weekend.
As a theme park aimed at the under 10s, my children Isla, 9, and Rory, 6, were just about the right age to enjoy it — and enjoy it they did.
On a beautiful sunny day, we set off up the A1 to Retford and upon arrival, felt like we had stepped into another world with the fantasy themed entrance.
We immediately headed for the frontier town-themed Shotgun City area, which had many imagination-inspiring children-sized shops and buildings for the kids to get lost in, before we gave the first of the rides a go on the Rocky Mountain railroad.
As with all of the rides at Sundown, this was a sit-on train ride, not a rollercoaster, where there were plenty of things to spot and baddies to hide from, much to Rory’s delight.
Robin Hood’s Merry Adventure was another favourite of the children’s, looking out for the Merry Men and booing the Sheriff of Nottingham - and laughing at the sight of Maid Marion being slung over the shoulder of one of his men.
Toy Town was a veritable wonderland for the children to explore, with a doctor’s surgery, butcher’s shop, fire station, and music shop to pique their imaginations and my children both loved running from shop to shop.
But hands down their favourite attraction was the Jolly Pirate Boat Ride, a brilliant kids-themed river rapids ride with ample opportunities to get soaked by the various sprayers and water jets - poor Rory got sprayed right in the face by the cheeky octopus near the end!
A close second favourite was the Ostrich Safari Ride, where they each climbed on board their own ostrich and rode them around the windy track.
If all of that hadn’t somehow tired them out, they both had a blast in the several outdoor play areas (which also gave me the opportunity to sit down for a few minutes!) and the indoor Rodeo Carrell play area had them burning off even more energy.
It’s a shame I hadn’t brought my children to Sundown when they were younger, as the fairytale-themed Storybook Land had all sorts of well-known play houses from children’s classics including Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Rumpelstiltskin, Snow White, and many more. Isla has slightly outgrown this bit now but in her Disney princess phase four years ago she would have loved it.
Younger children will absolutely love Sundown, as there are so many interactive attractions with push-buttons and games, so I definitely recommend that families go while their little ones are still of the right age — it was such a lovely day out for all of us.
