Last year, the total number of visitors to England’s theme parks and similar attractions grew by 2% compared to 2017.
However, child admission declined by 1%, according to Visit England. One reason for this is that parents with multiple children worry that theme parks won’t have much to amuse their youngest children.
But there’s no need to be concerned about this at Diggerland Theme Park as there is plenty to do for guests of all ages.
Preparation is key!
For safety reasons, a number of rides at Diggerland have a minimum height restriction of 90 cm in place. This means that the average 2 and a half-year-old will be able to go on the majority of the park’s rides, based on On Average’s figures, but children under this age won’t. There’s no need to avoid taking a trip to Diggerland if you have a child under this height though as they can still enjoy the rides with the assistance of you and their older sibling.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]When asked about how Diggerland caters for younger guests, Fatima of Blogs by FA stated that “keeping the fact that children under 0.9 m enter the park free of charge, it’s impressive that the management has still ensured to include some activities to keep the little ones busy and entertained too.” Diggerland lists all the height restrictions for their rides on their website, so it’s recommended that you review these before your trip. This will allow you to steer your smaller child’s attention to the height-suitable rides and attractions as soon as you enter the park and avoid an explosive toddler tantrum.
Mini Fun
Rides play a big part in the enjoyment you’ll experience at Diggerland. While some of the site’s youngest guests aren’t able to take a spin on Spindizzy or have a laugh bumping up and down on Groundshuttle with their older brother or sister, they can have their own fun on the coin-operated rides which are dotted around all of Diggerland’s parks. For just £1 a go, smaller children can hop on board miniature electric-powered diggers and cars, which is a great way to ensure they don’t miss out on the fun.
You’ll also find indoor and outdoor play areas, including soft play which cater to young toddlers in need of burning off some energy. Alternatively, the Little Tikes’ section is the ideal hang out for toddlers wanting to get in a vehicle and drive themselves around. When asked about activities for toddlers at Diggerland, Fatima advised that “the most favourite activity for this age group, according to my observation was the indoor play area where they could jump, bounce and enjoy slides. Little Tikes Wheelz Play Zones also seemed popular where children under 5 can enjoy playing with Little Tikes toys such as dump trucks and diggers and even ride on Cozy Coupe.
Full Tummies
After spending several hours having fun on the diggers, you and your children are sure to want to fill your tummies with good food. Many parents worry about eating out with their offspring as 22% of children are fussy eaters. But at Diggerland, all tastes are catered for as you can bring your own food on site or purchase food from the park’s food outlet. At Diggerland Kent and Diggerland Devon you have the option of warming up baby food and baby bottles using the park’s equipment. If you’re planning a trip to Diggerland Durham or Yorkshire you’ll need to take your own heating equipment to warm up your child’s milk; but this is easily achieved with a portable bottle warmer or plug-in car bottle warmer.
Make your own fun!
One of the best things about Diggerland is that it offers a great opportunity to spend some family time together. Research from Highland Spring Group reveals that the average British family spends just 34 minutes together per day. Yet, 86% want to take part in activities that they can do together. Diggerland is all about spending time together as a family, which is why there are rides and activities suitable for all ages and abilities. However, families should also consider ways that they can make their day at Diggerland more enjoyable and memorable. Small children who aren’t able to go on the bigger rides with their siblings will enjoy having their own disposable camera to take photos of their favourite diggers in the park. This will then increase your family time as once you get the photos developed you can make a scrapbook together with them. Other joyful and simple games to play while you wait for older siblings to finish on the bigger rides include ‘who can spot the biggest digger?’ and ‘how many diggers can you see?’.
Family Time
When visiting a theme park with two or more children of different ages, it’s common for one parent to stay with the older ones while the other parent takes the younger sibling or siblings off to do age-appropriate activities. At Diggerland there are plenty of opportunities to come back together as a family as the Diggerland train invites family members of all ages to ride together. There’s the option for young guests to ride up front or they can sit in one of the back wagons and have fun steering and honking the horn. When asked about Diggerland as a family attraction, John Adams of award-winning blog https://dadbloguk.com said: “The beauty of Diggerland is that many of the rides are open to little people. My kids love the place and won’t turn down the chance to visit. It’s also surprisingly diverse with theme-park style rides as well as driving challenges. For those who aren’t tall enough, the safari ride is a great attraction because kids can sit in the back of the vehicle while someone else drives.”
Diggerland is designed so that children of all ages have a whale of a time. You can even enhance their experience by diverting young children to height-appropriate rides and activities by planning ahead. No matter what, one thing is for certain and that is that your children will want to come back and experience something new as they grow.
* All information correct as of 12/09/2019.