The Sealife Adventure Park in Weymouth have lots of Halloween fun going on this week for the 'Spooky Seas' event and we visited to see for ourselves what scary fishies and cackling witches we might find.

We didn’t book the ‘Enchanted Cabin’ which was a silly mistake on my part as the only available time slots were much later in the day.  I was however kindly allowed to go in briefly with my son to have a look around and although he was eager to look in the cauldron he found it all a little too scary and asked to leave before I finished taking some snaps.

This is the first year that the experience has come to the Sealife Park and what a great job they’ve done.  You really do feel like you’re in a witches lair with a dark and eerie feel, cobwebs, candlesticks flicking and jars upon jars of creepy things needed for making potions.  I watched another group go in and Zelda the Witch did a grand job at making the kids feel welcome whilst playing her part and I really wished I’d been able to watch from the inside (note to self for next year if she comes back).  I’m told that Zelda needs help to make a ghoulish potion and the children assist and watch as their own creations fizz and bubble.  They even get to take their potion away to drink (if they’re brave enough).

Whilst walking around the park keep an eye out for all the pumpkins and especially the one’s with letters on.  You should be given a ‘Spooky Seas’ Pumpkin Hunt when you enter and this is where you can record the letters you see and then once you’ve cracked the creepy code you can receive your ticket for the ‘yucky dip’ and search through the gloop to find a Trick or Treat!

Our son Sam loves to Sealife Park and thanks to our Annual Passes we have been fortunate enough to visit a few times this year so my son leads the way to all of his favourite places.  Nanny hadn’t seen the ‘New Ideas Zone’ which Sam loves as there’s so much inside for children to touch and interact with.  His favourite part is the amazing ‘Tidal 4D Rockpool experience’ where he is in control of a handheld camera in the water above a starfish, urchin or crab and he can watch the image up on the big screens.  Following on from here we visited the next room ‘Electricity’ with an interactive 3D feature which displays the sparks of static electricity given off by creatures like an electric eel plus there’s a huge eel sculpture on the wall and screens which work in the same way as a Plasma ball when touched.  My favourite part though is ‘Glow’ where you can peek into little tanks and stare at luminescent corals, anemones and teeny weeny little jellyfish who bop around their huge world ever so gracefully.  If I could add anything to this area it would be the big Anglerfish which I once saw on the Blue Planet with huge gnarly teeth and a funny light that dangles on front of their head like a carrot hanging in front of a donkey!  (Daft request, I know). I’ve always had a bit of a fascination about the deep sea.  Did you know that 85% of deep sea animals glow?

From here we did our usual trip around as many zones as possible including the obligatory trip to ‘Adventure Island’ which features some free rides and a café if you’re stopping to have a break.

If you are interested in visiting the Sealife Adventure Park ‘Spooky Seas’ event then you’ll need to be quick as it finishes on the 31st of October.  Booking for the ‘Enchanted Cabin’ is highly recommended and full details can be found on SEALIFE Weymouth.

Thanks Sealife Adventure Park for yet another fantastic day out with Nanny and the kids.  I loved seeing all the happy children running around excitedly and I look forward to us coming back again soon.

Love
Dorsetmum
xxx

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Four years ago when my son was just a few months old I went on a Baby and Child First Aid Course in Poole.  Luckily I have never needed the skills which I was taught but since my daughter has started weaning I have worried about choking along with all the other normal things Mums worry about and so I recently went on a course with Daisy First Aid.

The instructors Kerry and Danielle have a huge amount of knowledge and experience so you’ll be in good hands.  Kerry is an ex police officer with over 10 years experience in emergency First Aid and Danielle passionately believes that everyone should know these skills.  Both ladies are parents themselves and completely understand the worries and concerns us Mums have which is reassuring.

Monthly classes are now being held in the Community Room at Tesco Fleetsbridge but if you live in or near Bournemouth/Christchurch then you'll find regular venues near you too.  In a fun and informative couple of hours myself and other parents learnt all about CPR and choking plus many other important topics including bumps and burns, head injuries and the signs for meningitis.  The first topic covered and the one that most parents probably worry about the most was CPR and I loved that we practiced and practised with the dummies so we knew what to do and what level of force we would need to accurately perform the chest compressions.  Since my baby girl has started weaning I have worried about choking and although everyone says they have an excellent gag reflex I still have a near heart attack when I hear her cough.  It worries me that I may one day need these skills but it has given me confidence.  Most parents go on the course for their own children but as mentioned in the class it could be another child at the supermarket or soft play which needs emergency care.

The class was about 2 and a half hours long which goes by in a flash.  Baby and child dummies are provided so us parents can watch what to do and then practice the skills we are taught.  Kerry made a really good point of repeating the key stages over and over which I found very useful so it would stick in my mind.  We were also given paperwork to refer to and make notes if we wished.

I can thoroughly recommend this class, especially if you are a new Mum.  Kerry and Danielle are very friendly, hugely knowledgeable and highly experienced in First Aid.  The class was very relaxed even though we were dealing with a serious subject and I enjoyed that they encouraged parent participation and questions.  One of the best things about the class is that you can bring your baby along which is very important to new Mums, especially when breastfeeding.

At the end of the classes you will be invited to ask questions and will be offered the chance to buy a book detailing what you’ve learnt and more or you can purchase a First Aid kit which is perfect for the car or changing bag.

Tips and FAQ’s

Daisy First Aid hold classes in venues across East Dorset but they will also come to you if you can get a group of friends together.

Whilst it is great that you can bring your baby along I was very grateful that the kids could stay with Nanny for a few hours.  I am easily distracted with cuddles and giggles and it was nice to be able to fully concentrate and be there to hold another baby so their Mum could practice on the dummies.

For more details on locations and prices please visit the visit Diasy First Aid or see Daisy First Aid Christchurch on Facebook.   If you wish to contact Kerry direct then you can email her on [email protected].

Thank you Kerry and Danielle for a very informative couple of hours.  It petrifies me daily that something serious may happen to my children but knowledge is a wonderful thing and I do feel better for knowing what I should do in an emergency.

Love
Dorsetmum
xxx

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