We absolutely love December and the build up to the Christmas season and usually have a few different events to go to get us in the festive spirit. For the first time this year, Liverpool have opened their own Winter Wonderland and we were invited along to give it a try. The event is set in the Bombed Out Church in the city centre, which I have never actually been inside before and with lots of activities set up, it looked like it would be a good one.
We were booked in for a 5.30pm slot, however with the traffic at that time of night and despite setting off early, we ended up being half an hour late. However the staff were fantastic and after a quick word with Mrs Claus, we were sent straight through to see her. The group we were supposed to be in had already completed this section so the children had her all to herself, and unbeknownst to us that was the case for the entire evening.
The event was inside tents within the grounds of the church and was heated throughout so you didn't have to keep your coats on. It was decked out throughout with north pole features including different animals, signs, Christmas trees and snow. Each activity was set in its own area, meaning each group had plenty of space to take part without it feeling too cramped.
Mrs Claus had a craft station set up where the children each had a few activities laid out, which included colouring, designing a Christmas card, writing a list to Santa and making a Christmas tree decoration. We had about twenty minutes in each activity so the children managed to do most of these, apart from their lists which we saved to do at home. If they do finish their lists, there is a postbox there you can post them through, which is a lovely little touch.
In the next section two elves, Carol and Noel, were waiting to read us a Christmas story, and I have to say they were fantastic. They were so engaging for the children and fully committed to their roles. At first they helped the children to create their own story, and then finally they read the children an elf-themed story, along with actions, and finally the children each got to pick a candy cane from the tree.
We then moved on to the dressing room area where we got ready for the silent disco - we were provided with props and did some fun warm ups and dance moves with each of the children showing off their own skills. Finally the children took part in a limbo competition, and we were ready for our disco. We finished a little early for the next section, so the elves sat with the children for five minutes around the camp fire and read them a story, which was really lovely of them.
The silent disco was in a slightly darker room and we were all given headphones that played festive music in our ears. The two elves, who were not quite good enough to be with Santa they told us, danced us through the songs and told us silly tales as they did. It was really good fun and we all got involved dancing away to Mariah and co.
Finally we were taken through to see Santa. As we were the last in we didn't have to wait to see him, however I would imagine there would be a short wait normally. Santa himself was lovely and asked the children a few questions before taking a photo with them handing them a gift each. As we came out we were offered several gifts we could buy, however we opted for the keyring that was included with our tickets.
We really enjoyed our Christmassy evening and I definitely could not fault the staff - they were so welcoming and accommodating, despite our ate arrival and the children ended up with a very special experience. If you are looking for a festive event to go to this Christmas I'd highly recommend giving this one a try.
I've put together a short video of our experience to give you a better idea of what to expect.
*We were sent tickets FOC however all opinions are my own.
