Crealy theme park is the south west’s number one destination for a family day out. Situated in Clyst St Mary, just outside Exeter, the Crealy Adventure Park has a host of activities for the whole family. We visited the family theme park for the official opening of Sooty Land which is a new zone that includes a number of new rides and new indoor attractions.
Crealy Adventure Park is designed for primary school children in the main. My 12-year-old enjoyed the day but is at the top end of the age range I think. The family attraction has plenty of rides for younger guests and there are about 4 or 5 outdoor rides that are more thrilling and exciting for those older children in double digits. There is also a brilliant adventure zone with huge indoor play areas with drop slides, aerial walkways, climbing nets, and rope swings.
Accommodation for Short Breaks
The Crealy resort is the ultimate Devon family holiday and you can visit for a day or stay on site. Accommodation consists of themed glamping tents, luxurious hot tub lodges or you can pitch up your own tent or campervan in the camping park. We were invited to stay in a three-bedroom lodge which is perfect for 6 people. The layout has an open plan living space and three separate bedrooms. The master room is really big complete with plenty of storage and a large ensuite with a shower. The other bedrooms are twin rooms and there is plenty of space in the family bathrooms that has a bath (ideal for younger children).
The layout is the same as other lodges we have stayed in previously including Hawkchurch Resort and Spa.
The lodge was exceptionally well furnished and definitely had a luxurious feel to it. The kitchen area is well equipped with a dishwasher, fridge freezer and plenty of cupboard space. The accommodation makes for an ideal base to explore the acres of glorious Devon countryside. There are plenty of plates, glasses and cutlery that you are likely to need for a short break in Devon. We cooked pizzas for our evening meal and there was even a pizza wheel!
Outside on the decking, there is a large outdoor seating area and of course the star attraction of a hot tub! The hot tub is good to go as soon as you arrive, you simply need to remove the protective cover.
For those staying at Crealy Meadows caravan site, there are excellent facilities on-site including a family-friendly venue ‘The Clubhouse’ which serves a great selection of delicious food, making it the ideal spot to meet new friends or sit with a drink whilst the younger guests play in the playground.
The Clubhouse also hosts a great selection of evening activities during the Devon school holidays, making it a fantastic venue and fun place for the whole family to enjoy the summer evenings. The evening we stayed we played prize Bingo and although we didn’t win it was great fun and the gin went down really well! After the bingo, we were treated to a juggling act which had the kids laughing out loud!
The Crealy Adventure Park is just a short walk away from the accommodation and there is plenty of free parking for those just visiting for the day.
Sooty Land is ideal for Younger Children
The new zone is Sooty Land which consists of four new rides, Izzy Wizzy Let’s Get Dizzy, Sootys’ Magic Bus, Soo’s Balloon Ride and Sweeps Flying Circus along with a variety of other activities including the Diner, Magic Mirror Maze, a Hall of Fame, Giftshop and soft play areas This zone is ideal for the smallest children who are thrill seekers wanting to experience rides.
There is also live performances of the iconic sooty show that takes place in the big top. The show is full of family fun and will entertain both children and adults alike!
We spent some time trying out all the amazing rides and they especially enjoyed Sooty’s Magic Bus.
The diner is a fab place to have a hot meal – you can get a kids burger meal along with a drink for a good price. There is also the option to buy coffees, sandwiches and other snacks.
I really enjoyed walking through the Hall of Fame, it took me back to my own childhood and I instantly recognised the sets and remembered the nostalgia of Sooty with Matthew Corbett – did you know that Sooty is the longest-running kids TV show having started in 1955 after Harry Corbett bought the puppet to entertain his own son!
Other Thrill Rides and Attractions
As we said the biggest theme park in Devon is geared towards primary-aged children and younger guests however there are some outdoor attractions that are suitable for older children.
Maximus Rollercoaster was the second ride that my girls ran towards, the queues were short ( a huge bonus of visiting outside of the school holidays) and there screamed as they rode! They enjoyed it so much that they did it twice more!
The Twister had a slightly longer queue as only two cars are on the tracks at the same time. This one made the girls scream the loudest, standing at a towering 12 metres high and featuring 310 metres of twisting and undulating track, this ride isn’t for the faint-hearted and there is a 120cm height limit to ride. I took a 8-year-old on who loved it and claimed it was her favourite ride!
The Tidal Wave Log Flume has a drop of 40 feet into the pool of water below and you will get wet so you have been warned! for those who enjoy water there are also water rides or water slides, you sit in a little cart and throw yourself down some pretty steep slides!
Finally, the older kids also enjoyed the flying machine which are swings with a difference! I’m surprised they didn’t get too dizzy as they went on them enough times!
Indoor Areas
In addition to the outdoor rides and the soft play areas, there is also an animal barn with some creepy crawlies to observe. There is also another large indoor seating area where you can get pizza or fish chips at a reasonable cost. These areas are ideal if you are on holiday in the area and the weather is a little off. You could easily spend hours in the soft play areas alone!
Summary
We thought the Crealy Adventure Park offers a great family value day, the day tickets cost £24 at the time of writing. Once you have paid it includes the rides and soft play areas. There are some go karts that are an additional cost but we just swerved them! There are also the usual arcade games and 2p machines! Crealy is well situated just outside Exeter and only 7 miles from the beach. It is well worth a visit if you are in the area.
