Affordable Norfolk Days Out – Part 1 – Pettitts Adventure Park

I thought I’d start to document some of the Norfolk Days Out we have – because in the current climate, with Covid and Social Distancing, it’s important that there’s neutral information around about venues, so people can make informed decisions about the places they visit. Also, it’s crucial we support local businesses where we can, so here goes. This is not a paid review, ad, or gifted post – just an opinion of our recent visit.

Norfolk Days Out – Pettitts

We’d been to Pettitts once before, last year, when Grayson was probably just a little bit too young to really appreciate it – but because we went with his favs, he enjoyed it none the less. So we decided to venture there again at the weekend and see how things were, with social distancing in place. We’ll aim to document the places we visit going forward for our Norfolk Days Out series.

About the Park

Firstly, Pettitts is an adventure park aimed for younger children. It has a selection of rides and animal attractions, but you’re looking at an ideal visitor age range of say 2 to 12, ish. That’s not to say that younger / older kids won’t enjoy it of course, but just my first observation. Grayson is 2, just, and he was in his element. There’s a whole host of rides; from trains to roller coasters, slides, play areas and animal attractions. There’s a petting zoo, but that’s closed at the moment because of Covid. You can, however, still feed to animals in it, you just can’t get in.

Upon reaching the park – it’s clear that they have taken the new social distancing measures seriously. There’s a one way queuing system to get in (not that we had to queue) – and it’s suggested that you book online first to avoid disappointment, as capacity is reduced, to help people keep a safe distance.

Once you’re in – you’ll never be far from a hand sanitiser station. They are scattered around the park, so you can ensure that you’re doing your part in keeping things clean.

We went on the train first, that laps the majority of the park. It’s only a 5 or 6 minute train ride (and the all inclusive nature of Pettitts means you can ride it as many times as you want). Before we boarded the train, the driver wiped down every hand rail and seat whilst you waited. This was the same for every ride we went on. The staff were efficient and clearly well rehearsed in what needed to be done – and without exception, every single ride was sanitised once people got off.

The Animals

The animal section was free flowing, and people seemed to keep a good distance from each other. Whilst you can’t get in to the goat enclosure at the moment, you can still feed them through the fence – you really don’t miss much by not going in with them (other than standing in their poo!). Feed is available to buy, so bring some change.
They have a range of animals, from Horses, Cows, Alpacas, Goats, Birds, Meerkats and so on. The only area that was totally closed off was the reptile house, again because of Covid and it being a small enclosed space.

Eating

If the weather is good – then there’s plenty of outdoor space with picnic tables scattered across the park – you won’t need to worry about finding somewhere to sit that isn’t shoulder to shoulder with other people. There’s a cafe that serves reasonably priced food (sandwiches, burgers and so on) – and a gift shop that has the usual adventure park goods, and lots of sweets. Both have good social distancing and protection measures in place, one way systems and so on.

Price

We think Pettitts is a really reasonably priced day out – It’s about £14 for adults, under 2s are free. The best thing is that they have a deal whereby once you’ve paid full price once, you can return again for half price. I think this carries on for the year, but best double check that with them when you visit! It makes it one of the best priced Norfolk Days Out, and offers great value for money. The attractions inside are all free, and unlimited rides, however, there are smaller rides around the park that are pay-to-play (like, ride on cars, grab machines and son on) – so worth bringing a few pound coins if your kids are that way inclined!

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Summary

Overall, we found Pettitts a really enjoyable day out (again), and with the new safeguarding measures in place, we felt like it was a clean and safe place to visit. We absolutely wouldn’t hesitate in returning again soon. It’s definitely one of our top Norfolk Days Out.

You can find out more about Pettitts on their website – and read more of our Norfolk Days Out series here.