If there’s one family-friendly place in York that’s guaranteed to be a hit with under 11s, it’s The Web Adventure Park (locally known as Creepy Crawlies). With indoor and outdoor fun covered, it’s a great option whatever the weather. They’re always adding new activities, too, so there’s usually something different to try. We were invited along with our children to see the most recent changes for ourselves and were really impressed: here are five reasons we’d recommend it to other families this summer and at any other time of year.
1. There are loads of fun new activities to try
Whether it’s your first visit to The Web Adventure Park or you’ve been a thousand times before, you’ll be amazed at all the changes. Our kids have been sliding down the massive purple slides since they were tiny and they’ve been to loads of birthday parties there too, so it’s fair to say that we’re familiar with what’s on offer. Until now. Although I’d told them that there would be new things to do, they were still really surprised by how many new things there were to do. The bigger kids adored the rollercoaster and fairground rides aimed at older children, and it was so nice to be able to say yes to them going on everything instead of worrying about how much we were spending (apart from hook a duck, it’s all included in the price). They enjoyed having the independence of walking around and choosing what to do and I didn’t need to worry about them getting lost in a massive funfair and fall headfirst into a bucket of candyfloss or some other fairground-related disaster! We all loved playing dinosaur crazy golf, and it was nice to have the option of a family activity to do together. Of the new additions, the ninja course was probably the most popular with all of our children regardless of their age – they spent hours running, jumping, climbing and racing each other through it. It’s a simple idea but has been done really well – it’s a hit.
As our youngest said, ‘I think it’s really good that they’ve kept the old stuff because then you can do both’. Even though the kids loved the new elements, they spent ages on their old favourites too: the boys in the football zone and the girls in the main playframe and clambering all over the outdoor adventure playground. There’s plenty to do indoors and out, making it a great option regardless of the weather. There’s even a water play area and lots of sand, and for extra beach vibes you can grab an ice cream from the outdoor kiosk.
2. There’s more for older children
Our eldest, who’s eleven, has reached that point where some of the things he used to do when he was little are starting to lose their appeal. I’d thought his Web Adventure Park days were numbered and he might not enjoy himself this time, but he had a ball. He took a friend and the pair of them had the (very sweaty) time of their lives on the fairground rides, ninja course and playing football. We could also have upgraded to book them onto the Wired High Ropes which is suitable for 7+ but there was no need as they were having so much fun. The new parts of the park have opened it up for slightly older children, so we’ll be back with all of them again instead of leaving him at home!
3. But younger children don’t miss out either
It’s not just older kids who benefit from the new changes: our youngest (6) loved the new additions too, especially the Pony Express and double carousel. We enjoyed walking around the new animal area too, and having the usual conversation about whether we could get a horse/guinea pig/chickens (that’ll be a no, sorry!). The crazy golf wasn’t too challenging for her, either, so she could join in and have a reasonable chance of getting the ball in the hole. Babies are always well catered for, with the lovely sensory zone to themselves, and for toddlers and pre-schoolers, the Buggington mini-village is hard to beat for fun role-play.
4. You can stay all day
It’s lucky that we didn’t have any plans for the rest of the day that we visited because we ended up staying SIX HOURS! Every time I thought they were so hot and sweaty that they’d need to call it a day, they just sat down for five minutes, had a drink and ran off again! It was so good to see them all enjoying themselves, running about and having a laugh. The only downside was that I hadn’t taken a book or something to do! I’ve spent so many hours clambering up the play frames and following them everywhere that I’m not used to being able to let them explore indoors on their own. It was lovely, but next time I’m definitely taking some work to do or something to read. I was very grateful for the cafe for caffeine fixes and snacks. The kids enjoyed their pizza lunch too.
5. It’s good value
We were lucky enough to be invited along to review The Web Adventure Park free of charge but we’re very used to paying for admission and have always considered it to be good value for money. Although it’s not the cheapest family activity in York, it’s an excellent facility that has just got even better. Prices have gone up slightly since it reopened, but the amount of work, effort and investment that has gone into it is phenomenal and shows in the fact that we stayed a lot longer than we usually do (I had to turf the kids out because it was nearly teatime – they didn’t want to leave). It’s great in all weathers, is brilliant active fun and is very well run and maintained. To get your money’s worth, arrive early and stay as long as you can!
