5 tips for visiting Hyde Park Winter Wonderland with kids
When I was walking across Hyde Park Corner with 17-month-old Baby Boy yesterday he started crying when we left the roundabout, as he appears to enjoy standing there looking at the double decker buses, London cabs and variety of cars. But the tears were soon gone when he realised we were walking in the same direction as everyone else i n the area. We were heading towards Hyde Park Winter Wonderland.
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland is celebrating its 10-year-anniversary this year, and for many London families a visit to the park has become part of their Christmas tradition. There continues to be new offerings every year, and I keep being impressed with the size of the park now and the entertainment on offer.
I used to think we could stop by for a short visit, but yesterday Baby Boy and I had been invited to the park and we spent close to three hours there and left feeling we could still have stayed a lot longer–had we not needed a nap.
1. Visit SantaLand
The area of the park called SantaLand feels compact and features numerous rides suitable for young visitors. Baby Boy and I tried the Santa’s sleigh ride, the toy car ride and the helicopter ride in SantaLand, and we could have queued up to meet Santa too and gone on the little Santa train.
2. Check out The Sooty Christmas Show
If you’ve always wanted to be in the audience of a children’s television show and your little ones love Sooty, you’ll like The Sooty Christmas Show, new for 2016 at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland. We had been invited to the show, which is on every day at 11am in the Mega Dome, and features the golden bear puppet Sooty, a TV favourite. The show, led by TV’s Richard Cadell, features puppets, audience interaction, magic and mess. It’s a bit mad and it felt like we were almost at the set of a children’s TV show. A clear hit with young Sooty fans.
3. Remember The Nutcracker on Ice is new for 2016
The Nutcracker on Ice, which was on at the Royal Albert Hall last Christmas, is now playing in Hyde Park Winter Wonderland. The special 60-minute show created for Hyde Park Winter Wonderland is playing four to six times a day, and it seems like a fantastic way to get in the spirit of Christmas and perhaps introduce children to the magic of The Nutcracker.
4. Stay warm
I have some very cold memories from Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in previous years, and this year I made sure Baby Boy and I were both dressed in our very warmest gear. There’s a new Magical Ice Kingdom this year, featuring an arctic adventure, which we didn’t have time to explore, but I would recommend warm clothes if you want to see the ice sculptures. If you plan on staying for in the Winter Wonderland for a long time, it’s worth looking at the show options to get a break from being outside on a cold day. The Mega Dome, where Sooty and Zippos Circus take place, for example, is warm inside.
5. Bring a buggy if in doubt
I did consider going without a buggy yesterday, but I keep forgetting that the Winter Wonderland is incredibly large now and it was easy to park a buggy in the buggy park by the Mega Dome and outside each ride entrance. I would have ended up carrying Baby Boy from the Serpentine to Hyde Park Corner if we hadn’t brought one. Not a great plan.
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