BRAND NEW Mighty Claws Adventure Golf - Southampton - Review

Last weekend we were invited along to the launch of Southampton's newest (and most fearsome!) attraction - Mighty Claws Adventure Golf.

We were already big fans of the Bournemouth based Mighty Claws so we couldn't wait to see what was in store for us in Southampton.

Mighty Claws Southampton is the 3rd one of it's kind to open (Bournemouth as mentioned before, plus Mighty Claws Colchester). As with the other locations, it has been adapted from a children's story, 'The Mighty Claws Follow a Monster' and is part of the Mighty Claws series written by Nat Luurtsema.

Set in a mythical land of giant sea monsters, mysterious shipwrecks and moving, life-sized dinosaurs,  Mighty Claws Southampton (or Viking Valley as it's known in the story!) promised to be a fantastic attraction.

Located just off the M27, Mighty Claws is easy to get to with lots of parking. As you pull in you'll spot a massive moving Tyrannosaurus Rex so you'll know you're in the right place!

We arrived bright and early and joined the other VIP's for the official opening of the course. We nibbled on mighty munchies and settled down for story time in the Golf Centre's cafe. This wasn't just any story time though, this was a reading of "The Mighty Claws Follows a Monster" book by the author herself!

Once the ribbon had been cut and the course officially opened, we picked up our clubs and headed through the gates of Viking Valley.

The course is really impressive with colourful life sized dinosaurs set amongst the 18 holes. Aimed at children 4+, some of the holes were very simple whilst others took a bit of work! Obviously we had Erin with us and although she is only 2, she still had her own club and gave it a good go...although she kept picking up our balls and popping in the hole so I'm not sure she totally got the rules ;)

As we visited on opening day, the course was very busy and we did spend a large chunk of our time waiting for the next hole to become free. But the good thing is, there are lots of things to keep children entertained whilst waiting.  There's animatronic dinosaurs to spot, water squirting raptors, a wobbly rope bridge and even an octopus to discover! I loved the fun little info boards at each hole - they were full of dino facts and even taught us how to pronounce all the tricky dinosaur names.

There's even a few holes where the ball has to be hit over the stream - needless to say, these were Elliot's favourite and he missed on purpose so he could hook his ball out of the water with the provided nets!

Both kids were highly disappointed when we reached the end of the course and I think they would have gone round again given the chance.

We had a fun day out at Mighty Claws and will definitely return!

For more info on ticket prices and opening times, check out the Mighty Claws website

*Disclaimer - We were invited along to the VIP opening of Mighty Claws for the purpose of this review, but all views are 100% honest 

A Day Out at Marwell Zoo, featuring Brickosaurs! Review

Marwell Zoo near Winchester is one of my favourite places to visit and is somewhere I have been coming to since I was a little girl - in fact, one of my earliest memories is a school trip here when I was around 5/6!

Recently Marwell launched their world exclusive Brickosaurs event and we couldn't wait to visit. Brickosaurs is an amazing interactive showcase of over 2 million Lego bricks creating a whole host of colourful dinosaurs around the park. It's a perfect day out for the kids - animals and Lego, a match made in heaven!

I knew we would have a lot to see so we left nice and early and arrived at Marwell at 10 when it opened. We picked up our Brickosaurs trail map and off we went. It wasn't long before we spotted our first dinosaur although this one was obviously far too dangerous to be out and about in public!

he's behind you! 

As it was quiet we decided to hop on the little train that goes around the park and it's a great way of seeing the park and getting your bearings.

The zebras were full of the joys of spring and the younger ones were skipping around all over the place!

After the train dropped us back at the station, we grabbed a quick coffee from the gift shop/cafe and spotted a rather colourful velociraptor lurking in the corners. One to tick off our list!

One of the best tips I have for anyone visiting Marwell is to consider walking the park in an anti-clockwise direction. Most of the crowd will generally head past the penguins in the direction of the giraffes but we found that by heading in the opposite direction, it was a lot quieter.  We had the snow leopards to ourselves for a little while!

The Brickosaurs are scattered all over the park and easy to spot. Each dinosaur is accompanied by a sign full of fun facts like how many Lego bricks were needed to build it, and how much it weighs etc. How amazing would it be to have the job as Brickosaurs builder?

The largest touring Lego brick dinosaur model ever made is the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex who we found outside Marwell Hall. At 8 metres long she really is a sight to behold!

Exploring the zoo is hungry work so decided to stop for an early lunch - and to stop the continued "I'm hungry!" comments! There are several cafes and kiosks around the park if you want to buy something but there are also lots of lovely areas which are perfect for picnics.

We love to have our picnic on the lawn at the back of the Hall - there are lots of benches plus more importantly, hills to roll down!

Marwell Zoo is currently going through some pretty exciting changes and is part way through a £17m investment programme which promises improved habitats for animals and more immersive experiences for guests.

One of the newest exhibits is the Tropical House which is home to an abundance of wildlife and tropical plants - and they have a sloth! I absolutely love sloths and I was really hoping to spot him but he was tucked away out of sight. Maybe next time! If sloth spotting wasn't enough to keep Elliot busy, he really enjoyed playing with the interactive tablets that can be found throughout the house.

The Tropical House spans two levels and is totally wheelchair/buggy accessible - just as well, Erin slept her way around this one ;) Colourful birds and butterflys swoop above your head whilst at ground level, you might spot mouse deer, tortoises, lizards and leaf cutter ants. We found the ants fascinating!

According to Marwell's annual audit last year, there were around 2000 animals and 143 species but this year's figure is likely to be higher because of the success of their breeding programmes. There are different things to spot around every corner and we loved seeing our favourites such as the Amur Tigers and meercats.

 I also have a soft spot for the very cute red pandas and it was lovely to see them in their new home.

 As if the animals and Brickosaurs weren't enough to keep the children entertained, there are also 5 adventure playgrounds to explore! My kids are obsessed with parks so we could have spent all day playing on these. Some are suited more for older kids but with a bit of assistance, Erin was able to clamber up most of the play structures and whizz down the slides with her brother!

After a quick trip to the gift shop, it was time to come home - what a brilliant day! Sadly we didn't get to visit the Brickosaurs Base Camp - the previous day had been mega windy so the marquee was shut for safety reasons but at least this gives us a reason to return. Plus there are 12 more Brickosaurs arriving in July!

Overall, Marwell Zoo is a fantastic day out for all ages and it really is value for money. There is so much to see and do and you can literally spend the entire day there! The Brickosaurs event is definitely worth seeing and is running until 1st September 2019.

For more info on opening times and ticket prices, see the Marwell Zoo website

P.S. If you need somewhere to stop for dinner when you leave the zoo, we can highly recommend the Dog and Crook pub which is just a few minutes away in the village of Brambridge. We had a lovely meal on the way home!

*Disclaimer: We were invited to Marwell for the day to visit the Brickosaurs, all words and opinions are my own. 

Dinosaur World Live at Lighthouse Poole - Review

If you are a regular reader of this blog then you might have guessed that Elliot likes dinosaurs a bit. Well, not just a bit - he is dinosaur crazy and has been since he was a toddler!

Recently, a show called Dinosaur World Live roared into our local theatre and I just knew we had to go!

Suitable for all the family (3+), this interactive show introduces us to Miranda, who grew up on a remote island off the coast of South America where dinosaurs still roamed. Miranda was very bubbly and engaging and chatted to the audience about her parents who were palaeontologists and how she looks after the dinosaurs.

Throughout the show, the audience are introduced to 6 different dinosaurs, from little baby ones to big ginormous ones! You're probably wondering how on earth they got dinosaurs to go on tour but they are actually puppets. And very very clever puppets! Even though you can obviously see the cast controlling the puppets (complete with noises!), they are so realistic and by the end of the show you almost don't see them as puppets.

Children from the audience were invited to come up on stage and help look after the dinosaurs - feeding them, and even brushing them. Miranda did a great job at putting the kids to ease in what could have been an intimidating encounter!

Our favourite moment was when Titus the  T-Rex came out on stage - the lights dimmed, there was smoke...and a deafening roar! Elliot did jump out of skin at this part so I think it could be a bit scary for little ones - although our friends were sat nearer to the front of the stage and their baby thought it was hilarious!

At the end of the show, the audience were invited to queue up along the stage for a special meet and greet with one of the dinosaurs. This could have been chaotic but actually everyone queued quite nicely and we didn't have to wait too long to get up close to the Segnosaurus! You could also meet the baby triceratops in the foyer which proved very popular.

Overall we really enjoyed the show. At just under an hour it was the perfect length to keep children entertained and the perfect mix of facts and fun!

Dinosaur World Live is currently touring the UK so check out the website for more info and tickets

*A big thank you to my friends Liska and Andy for letting me use their photos - my phone died 2 minutes before the show began!

Summer Holiday Fun at Mighty Claws Adventure Golf Bournemouth

Last June, we went along to the opening of Mighty Claws Adventure Golf in Bournemouth and since then it has been on Elliot's "Favourite places" list and somewhere that he always asks to visit.

Just in time for the Summer Holidays, we were able to go back this week for a round of adventure golf and some yummy food in the restaurant, The Kitchen Club!

Doing his best dinosaur impression! 

Mighty Claws Adventure Golf is located at Playgolf Bournemouth and just a ten minute drive from the seafront. As you work your way through the epic 18 holes of the Mighty Claws Valley course, you will spot scary animatronic raptors, a giant waterfall (although the recent heatwave has dried up the river somewhat!), a whole host of  ancient prehistoric creatures, ginormous T-Rex and even a smoking volcano!

Each hole gives you tips on the best way to get a hole in one - although if you're anything like me, you just whack it and hope for the best! Some are harder than others, you even have to hit the ball over the river in places which can be tricky. But if the ball plops in there are nets to fish them out with!

An exciting new activity to try this Summer is "Find your Fortune" Gem Mining. Grab your gemstone mix from the reception and race over to the water sluice and see what treasures you'll find as you wash away the prehistoric dirt! (This is £3.50pp or £3ppwith your Mighty Claws entry ticket)

We headed into the Kitchen Club after our golf and couldn't wait to get stuck into the pizzas which are all handmade and cooked in their fancy pizza oven. They are some of the nicest pizzas we have tried and always taste lovely and fresh! The staff were really helpful too - Elliot isn't a fan of cheese so he was able to have his half without, and he even got extra toppings to compensate.

The Kitchen Club have also recently launched a delicious new milkshake menu featuring yummy flavours including Strawberry Shortcake, Oreo Cheesecake and Chocoholic. I have to confess that milkshakes are one of my weaknesses so I was very excited to try them! As you can see, they got the thumbs up from Elliot :)

The celebrate the launch, you can get a whopping 20% off your milkshakes with your Mighty Golf ticket!

Mighty Claws Adventure Golf is open 7 days a week (except Christmas Day), 9am-930pm weekdays, 8pm weekends. 

Ticket Prices: Kids: £6.50, Under 4’s: £3 and Adults: £9.50. Concessions and group prices

available.

Visit www.mightyclaws.co.uk / or visit their Facebook page @mightyclawsuk for more information.

ANDY'S DINO RAPS - BREWERY SQUARE, DORSET

If you have children of a certain age, they will no doubt be familiar with Andy Day and his dinosaur adventures. It's staple viewing in this house and has been since Elliot was old enough to know what a dinosaur was!! And if you are a regular reader of this blog, you'll know that we are big fans of Andy!

Brewery Square in Dorchester recently announced that Andy would be coming along on Easter weekend to perform some of his dino raps so of course we knew we had to be there! Elliot was insistent he was to wear his Andy costume so the weeks leading up to the show were mostly spent googling "how to make a gizmo"... 

The day of the show dawned and Elliot and I made our way down to Dorchester on the train. This itself was a bit of a novelty for Elliot as we rarely go anywhere on the train despite living just minutes away from the station! Erin was spending the day with my parents and my husband working, so it was lovely to have the day just with Elliot to spend some quality time together. 

We were quite early arriving into Dorchester so we decided to have a go at the Easter Egg trail - this was a brilliant, free initiative run by Brewery Square. We had to find 20 pictures of Easter eggs that were hidden around the square in shops and restaurants. Most were on the front windows but a few were hidden inside and it took a bit more searching! 

As luck would have it, we bumped into Andy by chance as he arrived to set up the stage - Elliot ran across the square shouting "Andy!!!!!" - I hope Andy wasn't hoping to sneak in without anyone noticing because I'm sure the whole of Dorchester heard Elliot's voice ;)

Midway through our easter egg trail, we noticed that it was starting to get quite busy so we decided to get a spot near the front of the stage while we could and continue looking for eggs after the shows. Turned out to be a good plan because it quickly got very very busy and it seemed to be standing room only in the square! 

It wasn't long before Andy came on stage much to the audience's delight - there were certainly a lot of little excited faces and I'm pretty sure most of the parents knew just as many lyrics as their kids! Elliot was right down the front and it was hilarious watching him dancing and roaring away. 

At one point Andy started talking about the next rap and how it was about a species who were ancestors of early man. Elliot turned round to look at me with a massive grin on his face and he knew exactly what the rap was! He shouted out "Australopithecus!!!" at the top of his voice, hilarious! 

With lots of audience participation, and even some dad dancing, the show was a big hit with the crowd and I guarantee most people left with the Gigantoraptor song stuck in their heads!!  

Luckily for the people of Dorchester, Andy was performing twice so we had a bit of time between the two shows to finish off our easter egg trail and grab some lunch. Brewery Square has lots of places to eat including Nandos and Zizzis but it was absolutely packed so we headed up to the high street for some food, and also a chance to warm up. 

Andy's second show seemed even busier than the first and there were definitely more people squeezing in near us at the front. Elliot enjoyed himself immensely again! (And yes, he shouted out Australopethecus....and mumosaurus....and Gigantoraptor....sorry Andy!)

After the show had finished we were lucky enough to be on the meet and greet list (thank you to Charlotte at Brewery Square for arranging this) so we headed across to the Premier Inn to meet our friends and get in line. Elliot had his costume back on, his gizmo was ready and he was clutching an envelope of drawings for Andy! It was a fab meet and greet, we didn't feel rushed at all and the boys spent lots of time chatting to Andy about their pictures. It's funny looking back at the very first time we met Andy in 2014, Elliot was so shy and quiet and literally went mute. And in the photos he looks terrified! It's the complete opposite now, we can't shut him up ;) 

Soon our time was up and we said our goodbyes, Elliot and Luke were buzzing! We rounded off the day with a quick trip to see Dippy again - thought we'd make the most of it while he's still here in Dorset. It was much quieter than our last visit too so we were able to head straight to the special selfie panel to take some photos. 

We had a fantastic day out - thank you Andy and Brewery Square!