As yesterday was Bank Holiday Monday we had planned on going out, Jess (my eldest) was coming over and we were going to visit The Bower in Lichfield (the annual carnival in a nearby town). However in typical bank holiday style we woke up to rain and our plans were a bit scuppered. 

I still wanted to do something fun with the girls though and the usual uninspired indoor ideas were totally unappealing (rainy bank holiday soft play? No thanks!) For some reason though I suddenly thought about the Snow Play sessions at Tamworth Snow Dome. I had looked into it a few weeks ago but we had never ended up going and it seemed like the perfect rainy day activity so I checked online for availability and fortunately even on a rainy bank holiday there was plenty of spaces so I booked us in for a 30 minute play session. 

We didn't tell Tinker and Totsy where we were going so they thought it was a bit strange when we started collecting hats and gloves to take with us, but when we arrived and told them they were going to play in the snow they were laughing their heads off with excitement! At two years old Totsy has never really seen snow as we haven't had proper snow for ages so I wasn't sure what she would think or even know what we meant but she was certainly excited even if she was just catching it from Tinker. 

When we arrived because we had booked in advance we headed straight down to the snow play lodge, checked in at the reception there and went straight through into the snow play area. Stepping through the doors it was cold (as expected) but not unpleasantly so. The girls seemed momentarily unsure as the snow crunched under their feet but after a second were giggling away. 

The area was quite small, probably smaller than I'd expected, there was a mini tubing slope, a kind of wooden playhouse with a few sets of steps up to it and a slide down from it, sledges and snowball targets. There was only 2 or 3 other families there so it was by no means crowded. 

The big hit with my girls was the tubing slope, so much so that if we visit again it will be to do tubing as an activity in itself. They absolutely loved it, they were squealing with delight and had so much fun. At first I was unsure if Totsy would like it but she soon put me straight, after her first slide down she jumped up laughing and shouting 'Again!' They both had little goes on the sledges too and Jess and Tinker threw a few snowballs, but the most fun they had was definitely sliding down the slope.

The session was 30 minutes and the time absolutely flew by, I couldn't believe it when they announced our session was over as it felt like it was only ten minutes (but was actually thirty). Tinker and Totsy were very reluctant to leave, I thought we were about to have huge tantrums but in the end they were brilliant and there were no tears. 

For little ones it is brilliant, especially if like Totsy they have never experienced real snow. I think for my two girls aged 5 and 2 it was ideal, but much older than 5 and it would start to lose it's appeal a bit. We will definitely go back but like I say will probably do tubing as a stand alone activity next time.