Did you know that World of Their Own is not just for parties? During school term-time their day time Play and Dine experiences are aimed at pre-schoolers, toddlers and crawlers. Our Mumbler Champion Elfie and her little boy Rowan went along to one of these experiences.
When we were offered a chance to visit World of Their Own (WOTO) I was so excited – never mind my little one! I had heard such positive things about this place – the only fully immersive Wild West themed play village of its kind. At 2 and a half years old, my little ‘Outlaw’ is only just dipping his toe in to the world of pretend play, but from the moment we entered it was clear there is so much more that WOTO offers; for children and grown-up’s too!
We were greeted by Crista, who owns WOTO with her husband Lee. What an amazing team they are. Their love and dedication to their business is palpable, and they offer such a personalised experience to each and every child, taking the time to talk to the little ones and immersing themselves in the whole experience. I was amazed when I learnt that ‘Sheriff’ Lee, Crista’s husband designed and created the whole thing – what an achievement! Lee’s meticulous attention to detail did not go unnoticed – strategically placed props and perfectly painted murals along with hidden tunnels and passageways is just an absolute triumph. I cannot praise this couple highly enough for the experience that they bring to both the children and adults alike.
It was our first time not only at WOTO, but in anything like this of its kind, and so my little one did take some time to “warm up”. Crista showed us to our table (which was ours for the duration of our session) and we took the opportunity to explore our new surroundings. The actual play space is not huge, which is a positive thing, as it allows the children to explore freely but we as adults needn’t worry as we can see them playing.
One of the first things I noticed were the smiles on faces – both little ones and the grown up’s too! In fact, I over-heard a parent saying to their partner “this is great, I feel like a kid again!”, and I could certainly relate to that. There was a time when we were dressing up our dolly’s or playing cops and robbers, and seeing and experiencing the children’s imaginative play was really evocative of my childhood (and quite clearly others too!). There is a wealth of research out there to support that imaginative play helps support our little one’s creative and emotional development but also important skills such as negotiating, sharing and problem solving. And at WOTO there are so many opportunities for this! A firm favourite was the Wild West Bank and the jail – not to mention feeding the ponies in the barn and riding them! He also loved trying his luck at Tin Can Alley and exploring the spooky gold mine.
In addition to the Wild West experience, there is a fairy tale ice cream parlour upstairs, which offers fantastic photo opportunities for budding princesses, knights and dragons. The fancy dress is good quality and there is so much choice! Again, the upstairs area is meticulously detailed – from the breath-taking hand-painted fairy tale castle mural on the wall, to the storybooks and ‘glass’ slipper decorations.
Included in the Play and Dine experience was a choice from the Little Outlaws menu (we went for the cheesy toast – yum!) and a drink. Hot and soft drinks are available for the adults, as well as a selection of light meals on the menu, which are all very reasonably priced. I think WOTO offers fantastic value for money – at just £14.95 for a 2.5 hour Play and Dine session with so much to get involved in; it really is a unique and inspirational place. I think my little Outlaw has learnt a new favourite word: “YEEEHAH”, as he has been repeating it all day!
To find out more, and to book your experience visit World of Their Own.
Reviewed June 2022 by Mumbler Champion Elfie and Rowan
Disclosure: We were gifted this experience by WOTO, however we pinky promised to only write a truthful account. Phew, we really enjoyed it! (otherwise that could have been awks!)
