I'm not really an active person, especially when it comes to sports, but my hubby is and the kids seem to be overcharged with energy all the time, so even though I'm more than happy to just sit at home and do nothing, we do try to take the kids out often.
We have heard of Chill Factore (we always thought that it was spelled Chill Factor!) before, but we've never been as I kept thinking that it's not something for us (I mean me obviously. The others have been trying to convince me to go for a while now). We went there eventually for the first time last weekend, thanks to their PR who has kindly booked us in for a session of Snow Park and Mini Moose Land fun! I had no idea that they have so much to do for children, and even I found it fun! This is why I love blogging so much, you get to try things you think you don't like, and be amazed with how much you actually do.
Chill Factore indoor snow area is split roughly into 2 sections - the main slope (skiing and snowboarding) and Snow Park plus Mini Moose Land. Mini Moose Land was launched in July for toddlers under 4, which is a fantastic addition for the younger ones, making Chill Factore suitable for everyone in the family.
For Snow park and Mini Moose Land, it cost £6 per person (applicable to adults and children) per hour session. You can also hire jackets and pants for £4 each item (or bring your own), and buy other accessories such as baby mittens as well. Shoes (with fleece socks, they felt amazing and the boots are really light!) and helmets (required for Snow Park area, not necessary for Mini Moose Land) are available for hire for free.
We arrived Chill Factore early (surprisingly), but because of the time spent finding a parking space (people just stand there chit chatting instead of moving on!), queuing at the reception, waiting for jackets and pants, and shoes and helmets, we ended up being late for our session. So do make sure that you arrive around 20 to 30 minutes earlier so you'll have plenty of time to get ready and not miss any of the fun time.
Oh, and also mention to your children that they will be there for an hour, not the whole day, to avoid disappointments. Abby thought that she can spend the whole day in the cold (yea right!) so instead of learning how to Skii like she was planning to, she ended up spending half the time in Mini Moose Land because she was having too much fun. By the time she wanted to skii it was already time to go. I wouldn't advice booking 2 hour session for the younger kids though, it does get really cold in there the longer you stay.
I've never really checked out how big inside is, so I was surprised that they had so much to do for the kids. Not only do they have the fun slides, there is also a good section of slope for beginners to learn how to snowboard and/ or ski.
The Mini Moose Land, a dedicated area for children under 4, was launched since this July. I think it's a great idea as young children shouldn't be left out from the fun, and families with both older and younger children can visit without worrying about childcare.
There is plenty to do for the younger ones - soft play toys, tea party inside the house, slides, carousel ride and a mini slope too. The floor is packed with powdery snow and it brought the mischievous side out of me and hubby. The kids didn't stand a chance!
The carousel is operated once every 10 minutes or so, but because it can only accommodate 4 children each turn, Clay managed to miss the ride twice and he went "Awww!" dramatically (with a grin on his face though. He's my little drama king). The operating staff was really kind and gave him a VIP ride before he had to leave for a children's party.
While I was looking after Clay at Mini Moose Land, hubby took Abby up the Snow Park for the Downhill Donut and Huge Slip n' Slide rides (this was before they joined us). Abby asked me whether I heard her screaming when she came down the smooth slide! The bumpy one was slower and she said she preferred that, even though it was very bumpy!
Overall, we had a great time in Chill Factore. I do think that one hour is about right for our kids. They started to shiver and our own gloves won't stay on. We really enjoyed ourselves and will definitely come back again, especially when the price is more reasonable than I thought! They also provide ski lessons too, so maybe we'll bring Abby back for that while Clay plays in Mini Moose Land.
I think the only down side is that Mini Moose Land is a bit too dark. I'm not sure whether it's to protect young children's eyes from the brightness, but it can definitely do with a little more brighter in that area.