Diggerland 2013

All year I have been promising the two boys that I would take them on our annual visit to Diggerland down in Kent. As the year progressed this visit still had not happened and therefore I promised the boys faithfully that we would go there during the summer holidays. Well I am pleased to say I kept to my promise, however it did wait until the very last day of the school holidays, so I only just got it in. Fortunately this turned out to be a wise decision as Diggerland really wasn't that busy and the boys hardly had to queue for any of the rides.

 

Joshua is now tall enough that he can now pretty much ride on everything in the park and most of them on his own. Also for the first year ever Brandon was tall enough to go on a few of the bigger rides as well (such as Spin Dizzy). There are still a good few rides that Brandon can only go on when accompanied by an adult, but this is fine with me as I lover Diggerland just as much as the kiddies.

 

Diggerland 2013 on a gorgeous summer day.

As Tina is 6 months pregnant we managed to negotiate half price entrance for her as she can pretty much not go on any of the rides other than the train. 

The 5 of us at the entrance to the park.

Joshua on a Union Jack painted tank outside the park.

Whilst me and Brandon jumped on the dumpers, Joshua went for a quick lesson in dirt digging.

Brandon concentrating hard as he sits on my lap to drive the dumper around the track.

After Brandon's turn, Joshua is up next.

Carrying a heavy load of mud and grass.

I am doing the gas as Joshua's legs cannot reach the pedals, he does the rest.

How cool is it that a 4 and 5 year old can get to drive a dumper like this.

I think he enjoyed the dumper and I look pretty relaxed so his driving can't of been that bad.

Next up Joshua hit the electric go-karts.

Whilst Brandon did some off roading in a junior sized Defender.



Joshua driving one of the faster train type cars with me as passenger and Brandon in the back

Brandon now well over the1m mark and Joshua topping out at just over 1.2m. Means Dougy will let them ride most of his diggers and dumpers.

Joshua taking his turn on the Landrover Defender.

Another first for Brandon this year was that he was finally tall enough to ride on the shake, rattle and role ride (although Joshua called it shake, rattle and scream). Brandon really enjoyed getting bumped and thrown around on this ride - good job he doesn't get motion sickness. 

Me and the boys ready to ride on shake, rattle and role.

A first for Joshua was that he was tall enough to drive the full size, £52,000 tractor off road for the first time. It is absolutely incredible when you think that at 5 years of age he can drive a full size tractor around an off road track, through mud and up hills. What a blast.

Joshua driving a £52k tractor coming around the final bend.

You can just about see Joshua in the drivers seat. Me and Brandon are sitting in the passenger seats in the back.

A quick game of skittles, on the left Joshua on the right, me and B.

The train ride in the park has been changed slightly for 2013 and now features some barrel type carts at the rear of the train for the children to ride in. So the adults can relax a bit in the train carriages whilst the kids are safely strapped in and enjoying themselves in the back. 

Joshua and Brandon strapped in and ready to ride the train.

At the turn point I managed to get a picture of the boys at the back of the train.

Be afraid....

The little kids electric cars had been upgraded for 2013 with a few quad bikes added to the line-up.

But Brandon preferred the good old trucks that have been there for years.

Brandon's highlight of the day was Spin Dizzy. It was the first year he was tall enough to ride this beast and boy did he love it. I think he went on it something like 3 or 4 times in the end. The really good news is that Brandon and Joshua could ride this unaccompanied by me, this is great as  think I can only take being spun around high in the air with the smell of diesel fumes once in a day! Must be getting old.

Joshua and Brandon getting ready for another ride on Spin Dizzy.

Both boys were raising their hands as they were spun around and not holding on to the safety bars.

The stunt show was impressive as the skilled driver pushes the boundaries of what a digger can do.

How on earth has the driver still got control of this digger and not tipped it over.

I was planning to ride the Sky Shuttle with the boys but there were only two seats left on this turn. So rather than wait for the next turn I decided to send the boys up on their own whilst I stayed on the ground and enjoyed an ice cream. 

Joshua and Brandon at the back of Sky Shuttle ready to get an aerial view of Kent.

They are up there somewhere! I shouldn't be able to lose them from down on the ground.

Another favourite with the kids - Dig Around.

Brandon enjoyed this ride and like the butterfly sensation in his tummy.

The boys letting off more steam in the indoor play area.

Me and Brandon riding my favourite ride, the twin joystick mud plugger type vehicles.



Brandon was enjoying tasking the most muddy bumper route.

Finally a quick game a fishing for ducks.

As always Diggerland was a great day out and it was nice to see a few changes/upgrades made to the park from previous years. It was also great that Little B could pretty much ride everything in the park now, so its really good value for money. We also enjoyed the bumper cars and the lunchtime kids show to further fill our time. We spent something like a good 5.5 hours in the park and then headed home with two very tired little boys that were fighting against falling asleep in the car.