A day out with the children during the long summer holidays often needs to be weatherproof.
That’s why we headed to Active Kids Adventure Park, near Perth, when we decided to sample things to do with the kids in the local area.
To complement its well-established and extensive outdoor play area, the centre has recently refurbished its indoor offering.
The result is an attractive and spacious indoor play area, bringing the outdoors in with a treehouse theme.
The café and gift shop has also been refreshed.
So on the first day of the school holidays we went to check out both the established and new elements of Active Kids Adventure Park.
Our day out at Active Kids, near Perth
We bought combination tickets giving us access to the outdoor play area and 90 minutes of indoor play.
There are fixed time slots for indoors so we started there.
At almost 12, my eldest, Alex, is at the upper end of the recommended age for the indoor section.
But both he and sister Edie, 9, couldn’t get their shoes off fast enough when they saw the large wooden structures with twisting slides, climbing nets and rope bridges.
Designed to resemble treehouses, the wooden structures look fresh and modern, a welcome change from the brightly-coloured, PVC-clad scaffolding of most soft play centres. Blue and green floorcovering looks like grass and a river, and on one wall there is a forest mural.
Us parents grabbed a quick coffee in the nearby seating area to de-stress from the drive – roadworks on the A9 saw us stuck in a lengthy queue.
Perhaps the well-documented traffic issues were why the centre was quieter than we expected it to be on a dry and reasonably warm day.
The indoors
It wasn’t long, however, before we had our shoes off to join the kids.
Alex and Edie were having a blast chasing each other up the levels and clambering over the rope bridges, and encouraged us to follow suit.
Not all play centres allow adults onto the equipment but, thankfully, staff told us we were permitted. Although I’d advise other parents doing so to mind their heads on the wooden frames!
The new extension is highly glazed, letting in a lot of natural light but also, with the sunshine that day, making running around pretty hot and sticky fun.
Lots of younger kids – at a party judging by their tabards – also looked like they were loving the adventure.
The indoor play area has a separate area for babies and toddlers.
From most of the café tables it’s difficult to see into the main section to keep an eye on younger kids but there is some seating at the edge so adults can do so.
The outdoors
We spent about an hour indoors before we decided to explore the outdoor adventure centre – an 11-acre park.
As soon as they spotted the go-karts, Alex and Edie were off for a few laps of the track.
Then we had a wander up to see the animals, including alpacas and donkeys. Alex was delighted by a particularly friendly pygmy goat kid which was loving the attention.
Things got competitive on the crazy golf course (dad won by one shot) and at the football targets (mum scored first).
Alex and Edie also had a good bounce and tumble on the Jelly Belly jumping pillow before heading off to explore the pirate ship and play fort, which to our surprise had more animals inside, including rabbits and guinea pigs.
Edie declared the rabbits the “cutest bunnies in the whole entire world”!
The café
We stopped for some drinks and snacks in the café. An extensive lunch menu includes pick and mix snack boxes for children and plenty of dairy free, gluten free and vegan options.
After swithering over an Arran ice-cream I chose a Nutella tiffin traybake, which was particularly tasty.
Back outside, we grabbed a coir slide bag each and clambered up the steps of the Astra Slide. I hadn’t been on a slide like this since I was a child and forgot how much fun they are.
In all we spent around three hours at Active Kids Adventure Park but we could have stayed much longer. There was loads more to do outside which we didn’t get to, including a zip slide.
Both kids demanded reassurance that we would back to try the bits we missed.
There were plenty of picnic tables and covered seating areas around the park if you wanted to bring your lunch or just take shelter.
Again, there were also separate areas for younger children, including a jumping pillow. The park also runs occasional quiet sessions for children with additional support needs.
The verdict on Active Kids Perth
We agreed that Active Kids Adventure Park was a great day out, with plenty to do for children of all ages – and parents!
It took us an hour to get to in the car but was worth the trip, and we will probably return.
My favourite part was the outdoor place because they had lots to do and some very nice farm animals. They also had a very good, flat go kart track.”
Alex, 11
We wouldn’t come again for the indoor play alone but can see that it would make a great rainy day option for families who live closer by.
I would have preferred to have been able to come and go to the indoor play area, rather than being restricted to a set time, but can see why that is necessary to restrict numbers.
My favourite part was a big castle which had the cutest bunnies, and the food was awesome.”
Edie, 9
At £41.67 (including booking fee) for a family of four for several hours worth of entertainment, we thought the attraction was good value for money.
It would have been even better value – £30.75 – had we just selected the outdoor tickets, which we’ll do next time.
For indoor only it would have cost £22.65 for the whole family.
The scores
Value for money: 3/5
Parents’ score: 4/5
Kids’ score: 5/5
The details
Where?
Burnside Farm, Stanley, Perth, PH1 4QB
When?
Open daily 9.30am to 4.30pm
How much?
Outdoor tickets: £9.50 per child, £5.00 per adult.
Indoor tickets: £6.95 per child, £3.50 per adult.
Combination tickets £13.16 per child, £6.80 per adult.
Under 2s go free.
For tickets (with a £1.75 booking fee) visit the website.
