Last week we were incredibly lucky to be invited along to The Magical Christmas Adventure at 4 Kingdoms Adventure Park. We have been to 4 Kingdoms many times before but have never done their Christmas experience. We’ve heard lots of good things about it though so we were very excited and boy did we have a great time!
The experience starts with checking in and taking a sleigh ride to the North Pole. This was a fun experience but I think could have been better with some music or sound effects of some sort. You’ll understand what I mean if you go. The lights were lovely though. After arriving at the North Pole you enter the sleigh traffic control tower and then head to the theatre to see the band play. Some lucky parents may be chosen to get involved in this which adds to the fun. There is plenty of space on the dance floor to have a boogie with the elves too!
Next up we took a walk through the toy workshop and met an elf who led us to the Minecraft room. This is great for any gaming enthusiasts and has more opportunities for the grown ups to get involved. The elf in this room is amazing (so much like Willy Wonka!). The theming of the room is awesome too. My son loved it!
After saving Christmas in the Minecraft room we met Santa’s very own giant Teddy Bear, Bartholomew. He knew every child (and some of the grown ups!) by name and talked to each of them about their various achievements throughout the year and what they’d like for Christmas. This is where the magic really starts coming to like. The kids couldn’t believe the things the bear knew!
After saying goodbye to Bartholomew and walking through the North Pole, we arrived at the Ice Castle where we met a toy soldier. We had great fun running around having a giant snowball fight with the other families in our group. Other elves joined in and the kids of course loved trying to get the grown ups with the snowballs!
Next, an elf took us to the secret lab to find out about all the new secret inventions and toys being made. We had so much fun with the elf causing chaos for the poor professor! We even lost a grown up (all part of the story of course!). 4 Kingdoms know how to include lots of silliness and fun in all of their events.
After lots of fun and chaos, we enjoyed a walk through the enchanted forest to our next destination, Santa’s log cabin! Each family sees Santa individually in his cabin. He spent lots of time speaking to each child and guessing what they’d like for Christmas. He did a little dance with them, posed for photos and gave them a magic key each to exchange for a gift. I love the fact that we weren’t rushed at all and the experience was personalised for each family. You were able to take videos and photos while you were in there too which is great as I know some places don’t allow it.
Following the visit to Santa, we went to the Toy Shop where the children were able to choose a gift each. There was a huge range of toys to choose from for all age groups and they were all decent quality toys. My children chose Jenga, a car track with battery operated car and a desktop ball game. In this area you can also view the professional photos taken of you and your family with Santa and also at the beginning of your trip before the sleigh ride. The prints cost £12 each and are printed while you wait. There is no obligation to purchase these if you don’t want to but we chose to have one as a nice keepsake.
A walk outside through the Sparkle Copse and over the bridges leads you to the village. You can spend as long as you like in the village, enjoying the different activities or simply relaxing. There are loads of picnic benches inside, plus some great photo opportunities. The staff were lovely and friendly and offered to take some photos with me in as well which I thought was very kind. The joy of being a single parent means I’m usually the one holding the camera!
In the village you will find the Build-A-Bear Factory. Here you can choose which bear you would like to make. There were 3 different styles. An elf will then give you a pack of stuffing to fill your Bear’s tummy up and a heart to place inside. The bears are then yours to keep and you can purchase outfits for them from the shop if you wish. These cost £15 each or two for £25.
Once we had made our bears, we headed to Crumble’s Cookie Shop. The kids each had a large gingerbread man each to decorate and parents received giant cookies to enjoy too. The two elves in the cookie shop were baking the cookies and were lots of fun to watch. They got the kids involved with their shenanigans which was lots of fun.
Next, we met Mrs Claus who was lovely! She had a chat and photos with the kids and offered them a sweet each.
We carried on our walk through the North Pole meeting lots of animatronic characters along the way and enjoyed yet more festive photo opportunities.
Our final activity of our visit was making reindeer food. Once we had finished this, we enjoyed a lovely walk through the enchanted forest before boarding the Santa Express train for a ride back to the entrance. This was one of Baby Bear’s highlights of our experience as he loves trains.
All in all we spent around 2.5 hours enjoying this magical experience at 4 Kingdoms. We had an absolutely fantastic time and the kids loved it. There were a couple of technical difficulties on the night so our photos couldn’t be used by Santa when we met him but on the whole the experience was amazing and I wouldn’t hesitate to go again. It’s not cheap but when you add up everything that’s included I think it’s good value for money. Even my older kids (aged 10 and 13) really enjoyed it.
Facilities Checklist
- Toilets / Disabled Toilet Yes
- Pushchair / Wheelchair Friendly Yes
- Dog Friendly No
- Refreshments available Yes
- Car Park Yes, free parking
- Gift Shop Yes
- Baby facilities Yes
Address: Newbury Road, Headley, Thatcham RG19 8JY
Price Band: £££
Website: https://themagicalchristmasadventure.co.uk/
Disclaimer: We were gifted free tickets to the Magical Christmas Adventure at 4 Kingdoms for the purpose of this review. All words, photos and opinions are that of my own.
