We were provided with free Press tickets for our visit
We’ve had a few family days out at Lightwater Valley Family Adventure Park over the last couple of years and my kids love visiting.
The park has had so many positive changes in the last couple of years. Since it’s revamp, Lightwater Valley is now targeted at the under 12’s. There are less thrill seeking rides and more family friendly rides and activities which are perfect for my 3 and 9 year olds.
Despite our most recent visit being on a pretty chilly day, we all had a brilliant time and the kids didn’t want to leave at the end of the day.
If your little people love dinosaurs, I would thoroughly recommend visiting during Lightwater Valley’s Dino-Roar Adventure these Easter holidays. As well as the usual rides and activities, visitors can also –
* Meet Rex the Valleysaurus at Rex’s Enclosure (exit from the left side door in the arcade into the park and turn left) at intervals throughout the day and have their photographs taken with him and his handler.
* Watch a Cave Man UV show in the Show barn near the Carousel. Enter into the showbarn, choose a seat and wait for the lights to go out. We ended up having our own private performance as there was only us there for the 1pm showing! The show lasts around 20 minutes and is brilliant for younger children.
* See Ebor wandering around the park, posing for photos and giving everyone a high five.
* Face painting in Young Fun near the Carousel.
* Activity workshops in Activity Bay near Skeleton Cove.
* Dinosaur UV Disco in the Showbarn.
After meeting Rex, I would recommend heading to the Dino Dig area. You can carry on the Dinosaur theme and ‘discover the bones, teeth and claws of REX the Valleysaurus’s ancestors.’
There were plenty of cafes and food kiosks open where you can grab a snack, a drink or a more substantial meal. During this visit we took our own picnic but we’ve eaten at Lightwater Valley a number of times and never had any issues with food.
If you do decide to take you own picnic, you can return to the car to collect it, just remember you’ll need a hand stamp to allow you back in. There are plenty of benches and tables around the park which are perfect for picnics, in the warmer weather, the grassed areas are great for spreading out a picnic blanket.
Near the entrance to the park there are a number of other huge dinosaurs! They live in Jurassic Adventure Golf. There is an additional charge for this, it always looks lots of fun but we’ve never left enough time to visit yet!
There’s an arcade in the entrance area to the park, with things like 2p machines, VR machines and shooting games. Players can collect tickets from some of the machines and they can be used to purchase items from the shop on site.
The indoor soft play is a huge hit with my three year old, it tends to be quiet earlier in the day so we usually visit first to take full advantage of the space. We used it to warm up during our visit this time. We had a leisurely sit and a cup of hot coffee while the kids ran round.
Both boys love the large adventure play area in the Go Safari area. It has lots of slides, climbing areas and tunnels to go through and perspex across the gaps means its safer for younger children to explore too.
The Carousel is always a hit for the whole family. Who doesn’t love a ride on the horses?!
There were no queues at all during our visit. We were able to get onto every ride straight away. I imagine it will be busier during the warmer months but when we’ve visited in the Summer before we’ve always found the rides well managed and the staff friendly and helpful.
The ladybird rollercoaster is a firm favourite for my two, especially if they’re lucky enough to get the front seats.
My eldest and his Dad rode Dragon Drop three times in a row! They always make a bee line for it when we visit.
We rode the Rio Grande train round the park 4 times during our visit. You can stay on for the full circular route or disembark at the other side of the park to save your legs. There is also a carriage for pushchairs so you don’t need to leave them behind.
We always find the staff who work the Rio Grande very friendly and great with the kids, They always let them have a sit in the drivers seat and chat about the train with them.
The Discovery Woods is a lovely area and always seems peaceful, it’s great for a break away from the busier areas of the park and rides. We loved being able to chill out in the woods, looking at the bug hotels and the interactive animal boards.
The boys loved playing in the dens and watching the the clouds float by above on the special cloud seats.
The Tree Top Trail is suitable for all ages, but little ones will need a hand to hold. The woodland walk-through canopy high above the park has giant trampolines and slides.
We love Lightwater Valley and thoroughly enjoyed our first visit for 2023.
Lightwater Valley can be found using postcode HG4 3HT, it’s about 10 minutes drive from Junction 50 off the A1M, look out for the actual signs for the park because your Sat Nav may try and take you into a nearby farm. If you’re travelling by car, there are lots of free parking close to the entrance as well as a number of disabled spaces and coach bays. The park can also be accessed via public transport too.
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