SuffolkNews visits ROARR! dinosaur adventure park, in Norfolk, for a fun-packed family-friendly day out

Over the Suffolk border, nestled in the Norfolk countryside, is a land where time stood still and dinosaurs still roam.

And luckily for families, its gates are open to explorers. It is called ROARR!, and it is the UK’s largest dinosaur-themed adventure park.

I visited with my husband David and seven-year-old daughter Clara for a fun-packed day blessed with sunshine.

It was not our first visit to ROARR! as it has become something of an annual tradition since 2018, but one of my favourite things about the park is its ability to change and develop with every passing year.

On recent visits we have seen the addition of rides and high ropes, while the dinosaur displays are continually refreshed, the soft play is a perennial favourite and the splash pad is always a hit – as long as the weather is not Baltic!

We have never manged to complete all of ROARR!’s attractions in one day, so on arriving at the park this year we were determined to manage it.

With our medal challenge card in hand (youngsters can collect stamps throughout the park to exchange for a medal), we headed straight to ROARR!’s Discovery Land area, via Valley of the Dinosaurs, with its 21 animatronic dinos and statue of explorer ‘Cornelius Weston-Smythe’, who owns the sanctuary for rescued dinosaurs.

Our goal was to try out the Swing-o-Saurus and Raptor Contraptor rides, which were new since our last visit.

The minimum height for riders is 90cm. At over 130cm, Clara was allowed to ride alone and raced on to the Swing-o-Saurus without me. However, I was permitted to join her on the Raptor Contraptor, mainly down to the fact riders can pedal to control their seat’s height during the ride.

Clara loved both and I thoroughly enjoyed the Raptor Contraptor, particularly when we both stopped peddaling ‘and swooped’ down near ground level.

Next up was a walk around the Secret Animal Garden and its non-dinosaur residents: think guinea pigs, childrens, turkeys, reptiles and more.

One of my favourite ROARR! memories is of a 20-month old Clara handling a snake during one of the regular animal encounters there, so if you can time your visit with an encounter or two it is well worth it.

After an ice cream stop – prices range from £1.25 for a Mini Milk to £3.25 for a Magnum – we headed up to Dippy’s Land and its Dippy’s Theatre for movie time, before going inside (due to a spot of rain) to Dinomite indoor soft play, where Clara spent more than an hour enjoying its drop slide on repeat.

With the sun shining on our exit we took advantage and went to Dippy’s Splash Zone (remember to take swimming kit and swim nappies if your child is young).

Clara adored standing under the giant bucket, waiting for it to periodically empty water over her head.

By now we were all ravanous, so we sat on one of the many picnic tables dotted across the park to enjoy our packed lunch.

However, if you wanted to buy food and drink at ROARR!, visitors can visit Dippy’s Pizza and Friends, the Snack Shack, Dinomite Café (inside the soft play), Explorers burger bar, Nautilus (serving fish and chips) and the tuck shop for sweet treats.

After lunch we queued for Dippy’s Raceway (for children aged 1m and over, although shorter youngsters can ride with an adult), which gives children a chance to drive mini cars along a track.

Clara was definitely a lane hog and refused to let other riders past, in true racecar style!

As the afternoon prgressed we also managed to complete the Neanderthal Walk, hunt for fossils in the X-tinction sandpits, complete the assault course and climb Pterodactyl’s Treehouse.

But ultimately, the outdoor play areas were far and away Clara’s favourite areas to explore and enjoy, so David and I rested our legs sitting on a bench as she made friends and tore around the park, before it was time to head home.

So, did we manage to do everything this time around? In a word, no.

We did not make it to the high ropes (these come highly recommeneded – we have completed the course twice before), Dippy-ville toddler indoor play area (Clara is now a little old) or the Jurassic Putt Crazy Golf (David and I were disappointed about this, as we love a round of crazy golf).

But I guess it just means we will have to start planning another return visit to ROARR!

Our ROARR! top tips:

- The medal trail is great fun and definitely adds some direction to your visit – you can collect your medal from the gift shop if the designated hut is not open when you leave the park.

- Wear closed-toe shoes if you want to try the high ropes or rides.

- It is also worth taking a hair band along if you have long hair (as long hair needs to be tied back for the high ropes challenge).

- Covered picnic areas are also available if the weather is unpredictable during your visit.

- There are also water refill facilities.

- Don’t forget your swimming kit for splash pad fun.

▶ For Father’s Day, each paying guest can take a loved one for free to ROARR! on June 15 and 16 by visiting the Father’s Day event page on the ROARR! website.

For more information, go to https://roarr.co.uk

During June, guests can take advantage of reduced-price tickets, as well as daily foam zone dance parties and a special prize trail to find footprints. Tickets prices range from £9.995 per person to £21.95, depending on the day of visit.