Paultons Park in Hampshire makes for a magical Christmas day out
Theme park with Peppa Pig World is a fabulous festive treat for families with pre-schoolers
PEPPA PIG World is every toddler's dream for 11 months of the year but it gets taken up a notch for the Christmas season when Santa and his elves come to stay.
Paultons Park in Hampshire makes a dream day out at Christmas.
Right on entry you are transported into a festive wonderland with giant Christmas pine trees and St Nick's helpers greeting all of the little visitors. Every 15 minutes there is a show from the huge musical Christmas tree that stands in the entrance plaza.
Show Street becomes Snow Street and the beautiful illuminations look at their absolute best toward the end of the day.
Children get well selected age-specific gifts to greedily unwrap to make their grotto experience even more memorable.
Without the thrills and loops of more adult rides each has have unique theme, leaping from dragons to pirates and then diggers and tractors to keep the kids well impressed.
There are feathered friends looking for a good feed in the penguin enclosure and visitors are encouraged to get their hands wet to help them with lunch.
Not an inch of the grotto is wasted every nook and cranny is cleverly crafted to make it a fully immersive experience. When you look down at your feet you see letters from good and naughty children from around the world keen to get their orders in.
On the trip to see the big man, there are plenty of other characters to interest everyone, from the white tiger to the enchanted talking tree.
The story of a lost Rudolph trying to find his way back to Santa is told in a way that even the youngest guests can grasp.
These grotto trips can become a conveyor belt with kids hurried in and out with a less-than-jolly Santa. But here there seems to be a lot more time and nothing of the afternoon feels rushed or half-hearted.
And although it is the season for giving, Christmas-themed shows can often feel the most empty and grasping. But little touches like free photos taken by elves are a perfect extra present.
A full month of Christmas jingles and carols can definitely grate back at home when dashing in and out of shops grabbing late gifts but the soundtrack at Paultons Park is another winner as it mixes up eras and genres.
The only sound that trumps that is the children's laughter that rings around the whole park. You come away feeling totally stuffed with fun and wonder.
Christmas at Paultons is open on selected days until December 23. Children less than one metre enter for free, tickets for adults and kids over one metre are from £29.25pp. See paultonspark.co.uk/tickets.