Its a fairly standard bowling alley but if you time it right they have great deals to make it a…read morecheap night/day out. With it's location at Star City though, when it's busy you really notice it and feel rushed by the hubbub of the space. The lanes are surrounded by a sea of arcade games which I find adds to the busy illusion as you have to navigate through their tightly clustered area to get to the toilets, the exit or the bar which feels far away when you're walking in bowling shoes. It's a bowling alley that is clean, had lots of balls at the different weights but you still have to have a hunt for them and occasionally ask people if they aren't using the ones you might be after. I hate the territoriality that accompanies bowling when you've been the one to hunt down the right weight balls for the lane next to you to hog them all just before your turn. Sigh, I both love and hate the drama of bowling.

It is a great place to go for many different occasions and i come here for loads and loads of…read morebirthday parties as many people find it interesting. The games however could be longer as i belive the time given now is too short.

Family friendly if you like this kind of atmosphere. Although my children and I have spent…read moreenjoyable outings with lots of quality time together here, personally I'm not keen on the artificial lights and 'amusements-style noise of these kinds of places. Good parking, quite pricey (but usual for bowling) and this one is the best I've visited in the Midlands so far.

I've been here a few times, usually with a group of friends or family, it's a very family friendly…read moreplace, with not only the bowling but also there's an arcade which has games for all ages. You can eat there, typical burger and chips meals but good all the same and there's a bar if you fancy a tipple. For a fun night out it's got everything you need and the prices aren't too bad either, try it, you might like it!

Whoever thought up the idea of this venue was a genius I know it is a family run business and…read morethat's about it. What they have done is taken an area of Tamworth where there was nothing/very little for kids to do and created a little goldmine (not jealous at all that I did not think of it first!!). The unit is in the middle of an Industrial estate and although that sounds odd - its literally walking distance from one of the biggest housing estates in Tamworth. They have transformed the inside spectacularly to accomodate the following; Large softplay/ ball pool for older children with amazing slides and tunnels. Smaller softplay area especially designed for toddlers. Enclosed netted area with goal posts and basketball hoops. large expanse of tables/seating for food. Comfy relaxed seating area with sofas. Specially painted themed party rooms (x3) Various drinks/popcorn/toy machines and a couple of rides for toddlers. Upstairs seating area/vewing gallery. Go kart area. The parties start from £6.50 and there are loads of different packages available depending on whether its a boy/girl. They have a wide range of hot and cold food available( not badly priced - quality just average- service poor). They even do hair cuts!! The environment is bright, stimulating, clean and above all safe. The security there is very good - they have doors that only staff can open to exit the main area. As I have just mentioned the food not outstanding, but other than that a fab place for younger kids to let off steam and run around. I would say its suitable up to about age 9. One other drawback - no licensed bar!!. I was tempted to take off a star for this - but then conceded its designed for kids.

Rainbow World is one of a British institution -- inside play parks, because let's face it, it's too…read morecold for kids to play outside, even in the summer, in the Land of Never Stops Precipitating. The fine folks at Rainbow World bought out a large warehouse on a large industrial estate, and turned it into a play park full of slides, swings, ball pits and fun things to climb around on. There is also a mini go-karting area for £1 extra, with a size limit and minimum, but it's great fun! The prices are a bit high on weekends, but if you stay for a good few hours, it's worth the cash. The lighting is harsh, the decor is twee and it reminds you that once, you had weekends to go to quaint, tasteful cafes, and now spend time freezing on football pitches and drinking lukewarm Nescafe in equally freezing indoor play parks, because a little person calls the shots. Rainbow World can be rented out for children's parties in part or in full. As play parks go, it's not very large (Crash Bang Wallop is much better), but it does get the job done. A nice feature is the small basketball cum football court off to one side, and also a smaller "play grotto" for toddlers and tiny tots. There is food here, but imagine your worst frozen-pub-food nightmare, and that's what you should expect. I'd go for a Slushee, personally. The staff are some of the rudest, least hygienically presented I've ever seen. I've never been smiled at when at Rainbow World. The neat feature of not being able to leave or enter without someone opening the door for you means that staff can see you waiting at the door, roll their eyes and stomp over to open you out without a word. It's all very couth, really. Be warned: there are only about 15 parking spaces, and traffic wardens regularly go around looking for money to be made for the council. All in all, if you're desperate to give your tot something to do in the winter months, Rainbow World is alright, but it's really best avoided.

If there's one activity that my friends and family are mutually fanatic about, then its bowling! We…read moreoften head down to Bowlplex, which is in the Broadway Plaza complex. Underground paid parking is available, although you could be cheeky and look for side-street parking. Bowlplex isn't limited to just bowling. There's a restaurant area, bar, arcade and American Pool upstairs. So, in general there's something to keep all ages engaged. Parties can be booked here too, so don't be surprised to find a whole load of balloons and excited kids if you go at the weekend! They usually have offers available during the holidays, although it gets very busy at this time. Generally, the more games you play, the cheaper it is. There is also a "Munch and Play" deal where you can eat from the grill and bowl (although not simultaneously!) for £13.50 for adults. It's a fun-day out for the family, especially when it's too cold to be outdoors!

Who loves Bowling?? Then if you do, Bowlplex is somewhere you should go. It's situated in the same…read moreBroadway complex where AMC cinema, Frankie & Benny's, Subways and more are located. Bowlplex (Broadway Complex) is situated just before you get to Hagley Road and just after the big six ways roundabout near Broad Street. Bowlplex is a great place to take kids if you have any because of the fun factor. It's a brilliant way to entertain the family but also as a parent enjoy and relax in the bar area which they have- you can even treat yourself to a cold beer or maybe just stick to a J20 which your kids play. They also serve food in the restaurant/bar area but if I remember rightly there is an age restriction in the bar area, so you'll need to be aware of this. I don't have kids so it's something I didn't enquire about when I last went. Not to worry about that though, as there's plenty of activities kids can do; not just bowling. There are arcade type games which the small and the big kids will all enjoy.

Absolutely horrendous, me, my dad, my brother and his girlfriend all went to this zoo in hopes that…read moreit would be A fun family outing. My mom bought the tickets for the wrong day so she couldn't come with us. We got there and went in, showed the tickets we had bought and weren't allowed in as my mother wasn't with us. My dad stated that she couldn't come with us. The man who was working in the kiosk / ticket booth was having none of it. He was quite the rude man and was telling us that we had to buy new tickets under my dad's name. Keep in mind that the tickets you buy online are NON REFUNDABLE. If I could I'd give zero stars. Absolutely terrible.

Where else meerkats can be seen in Birmingham area? Not the only good reason for visit this…read morefacility but just in case you have ever been there, Birmingham Nature Centre is on Pershore Road, behind the Cannon Hill Park, in Edgbaston. The tickets cost £ 4 (adults) and children from 5 to 15 years (£ 1.50), but the little ones (under 5 years old) have free admission. I have been a couple of times, and a part the cockroaches, it always a pleasant spending some hours contemplating wild life and nature over there. The most popular animals are still the meerkats, but obviously that the wildcats, guinea pigs, among other exotic animals also add to the whole experience. Definitely a children's friendly spot, perfect for a picnic in family, if you fancy bringing your own snack. If not, there is a café on the site. A better way of finding more information about the Nature Centre is visiting their facebook page because their page at Birmingham City Council website is very simple and just provides basic information about the locale.

Wonderful place. I have so many happy memories coming here with my parents and siblings in the 70s…read moreand 80s. A great place for a picnic, ice cream, walks, rides, crazy and pitch and putt golf. Old school pleasures - Enjoy!

Lovely big park, has everything there, great for feeding the ducks. Lots of activities to do, even…read morea mini golf course. A large field nearby also. Drinks, ice-creams and food also avaliable.

As hobbies and pleasurable experiences besides sitting in a pub drinking go, bowling is one of the…read moremost expensive in the UK. Or perhaps it's just expensive at Strykers. Either way, it's a bit of cash for something that only a few people in a group end up being good at. At Strykers, on evenings and weekends, it's £25 per HOUR to bowl. If you have more than three people, that means you get one game and perhaps a few frames. For two people, it means 2.5 games. And that's the most economical way to do it. On "off-peak" hours (before 6pm during the week), it's still £16 for an hour -- not cheap, but not terrible -- of course, only doable if you pull a sickie at work! Strykers gets 3 stars for being the only bowling alley in this part of Staffordshire, and for having very friendly, helpful staff. But that's where the points end. Strykers is one of the most dingy, dirty, frayed-at-the-ends places I've seen. Bowling alleys in small towns can be a bit dire, but in general, they tend to be a bit more gleaming than Strykers. The decor is from the 80s, and it's all a bit cheap and cheerful, which is fine -- after all, you're there to bowl, not bathe in the glowing ambience. There is a casino/adults only area with little slot machines, a bar with beer on tap, cheap wine and spirits, and a Wimpy's/fast food area. The food is actually quite cheap, which is good, but it's fast food, as as to be expected. For the more than occasional bowler, there is a membership club, one for kids and one for adults, and that significantly knocks the price down. If you are a really keen bowler, Stryker's will knock you for ten (ha!), but if you just want a good time with mates, you may be a bit disappointed at the cost -- if you wanted to make an evening of it, expect to split £75 between a group. Or, grab a few decks of cards, some cigars and brandy and stay in!

I am probably one of the least coordinated people on the planet - especially where it comes to any…read moresport that involves a ball it seems however my bowling is passable. Strkers is a large bowling alley with a 'wimpey' restaurant, soft play area and two bars. Thet do decent group booking deals and kids parties (in the soft play facility for younger kids ans bowling parties for the older ones), they also do teen nights where they have live djs and make it more of a disco. Its worth noting that for adult occasions i.e works events and such they will quote on request for a 'bowl and bite' which includes a 'meal in a basket' along with a game of bowling. Its a clean and friendly environment for kids and adults alike. Have always been more than satisfied with the service too.

I had forgotten how nice 'Warwick' Park was until I took my 4 year old last weekend. There is a lot…read moreof it for a start. Fields, tennis courts, play areas. etc. We went on a boat although we had to wait about 20 minutes after being told it would be 5 minutes and the queue is a bit slow as there is only one person serving both the boat hire and the ice cream the other side. You can't go far on the boats, there is a roped off area allocated for the boats from a bridge at the far end of the park to the back of the castle (a beautiful view there). The costs of boat hire varies depending on how long you want and what type of boat you want. They have canoes, kayaks, pedaloes, motor boats and rowing boats. Personally, with the distance you can go, I don't see a lot of point having the boat for more than half an hour as even in a rowing boat, you can go from one end to the other in that time. My son went on a pony as well. I don't know if they are always there. That cost £3 which is a bit more than other places but they have two ponies and a horse who are obviously well kept and friendly. I felt that my son was the wrong size for the playground bit. He was a bit big for the smaller climbing frames and things but wouldn't quite have managed on the other stuff! There were an awful lot of kids there too. My favourite part of the park is the fairground. You have to pay for the rides with tokens which, compared to a lot of places, are quite reasonably priced. They are 70p each or if you buy a certain amount, it's a little bit less (not much though, eg. you get 11 if you pay for 10). There are about 10 or 12 rides there. It's ok if you only have one child but it could work out expensive if you have more children, especially if they all want to go on everything! There are toilets in the park (only at one end though) and a couple of places to get ice cream. The cafe at the main entrance to the park sells hot drinks and snacks as well. There is also a new crazy golf area. Well, I say "new". It wasn't there when I went with my other son 8 years ago! So it's been there fewer than 8 years but I don't know exactly how long. It's about £3 - £3.50 each which is ok if there's only two of you but we didn't have a go as I would have had to have spent £10 for 3 of us to play and my son would have got bored after the first couple of holes! There is a large car park which serves the park as well as the leisure centre and museum nextdoor. The parking prices are very reasonable and we got a free child ticket to Hatton Farm on the back as a promotion! Apart from the park itself, it's an ideal location for the rest of Warwick. It's only about a 5 - 10 minute walk into the centre and the castle is more or less across the road (although, as you can see from another of my reviews, the castle is ridiculously expensive to get in at around £20 per adult and not much less for kids and concessions).

This is a picture perfect park. On the early Autumn afternoon when we go, Summer is having another…read morecrack at it. Parents are sat out side the thatched roofed cafe with pots of teas, while children gleefully hop over the stream absently-mindedly letting ice cream cones drip their contents over their bare arms. We just about make the curfew for the Golden Putter crazy golf, which is the purpose of this post-shopping visit. There are a full state-of-the-art 18 holes to play, each one getting progressively harder. My memory of crazy golf is of playing on cracked concrete surfaces, but here your ball will glide over all-weather baize, that gives a realistic green putting experience. There are obstacles, slopes, a version of bunkers to tackle and walls to bounce your ball off, and the experience is kind of like a cross between putting and pool. It's very, very, fun, and at around £3.50 a person you'll get a full hour of casual competitiveness for the price of a pint. If you want a more rough and ready retro crazy golf experience there is an older more ramshackle course as you enter the park, (clubs hired from the cafe.) Ace.