At-Bristol review - an ideal day out for families in Bristol
Posted on: 2015-10-09
Our rating:
We all really loved our visit to @Bristol and all the kids were entertained throughout. It?s one of those places you just can?t do in a day, which makes you want to return. Great staff, great atmosphere and I recommend it for families.
At-Bristol (also @Bristol) is located in the centre of Bristol on Millennium Square and is one of the UK’s leading science and discovery centres, where exploration and education go hand in hand with an unforgettable, fun day out. 365Bristol sent along one of our family reviewers to find out more! Here's what they had to say!
I was never a Star Wars fan, the initial thought of a Science Museum filled me with thoughts of Peter Smith the school jobs-worth who used to always grass me up for sneaking White Ace into my dorm (don’t judge me because of my conservative parents). Peter Smith was the type of lad who has probably called his children Spoc or Obi Wan, I was more interested in McDonald’s, sleeping, and the latest Emmanuelle film. But now I’m older I decided to appease my children’s constant whining as they demanded a visit to @Bristol.
This wasn’t your average Science museum and this wasn’t your average family day out! 5 children - two with my chromosomes and three created by the better half’s with the ages being 11, 9, 7, 4 & 2 – let that sink in! Scary. It wasn’t so bad, we didn’t only survive we actually all enjoyed it and that was down to @Bristol. The only one who didn’t completely thrive in the environment was the 2 year old, but to be honest he’s only happy when he’s throwing my brand new IPhone down the toilet.
As you enter the first floor you are instantly taken back by the size of the place full of so many different exhibits and experiments for the children to try. The boy took a beeline to what could only be described as a Hamster wheel - where he used all his might to rotate the machine. I did try but soon realised I was way too unfit – great fun! While the boys were being boys the pink contingent of the brigade were creating their parachutes that fell from the sky onto the floor beneath them.
The next area we tried was more 4 year old friendly and he was in his element creating his own muesli and grinding his own flour. It was very interactive and he even spent a few minutes pretending to be a bumble bee as he collected pollen from plants and returned them to his bees nest. It was great to see him interacting with the staff who tested his knowledge on foods and where they come from.
Next I found myself in a Womb…. Correct, you haven’t misread that part and it’s vital I point out that myself and the better half didn’t decided to get frisky and leave the children to fend for themselves. No, the whole family got involved in the womb action (have I lowered the tone enough?). Don’t panic, no need to call childline; there is a section about reproduction and what happens to a baby from the first seconds to the birth. There is also this large womb you can go into and it recreates the sensations and sounds a fetus would go through. I was definitely too childish for this but the children seem to enjoy it.
The fun continued: we all had bubbles pulled over our bodies, we built bridges and the eldest and I had an intense game of virtual volleyball, which I won. What I didn’t win was the competition with the missus – we played a multi sports challenge game where we discovered she had a better jump and reaction speed and I discovered I had a hernia! I wasn’t sure what hurt the most the hernia or the fact I’d lost! It’s safe to say I had to buy lunch.
The real star of the show was the 3D planetarium, which is a little extra treat within @Bristol. My better half, plus three of the offspring, were transported into outer space and immersed in information about our galaxy. Sadly the show wasn’t suitable for 5 and unders so we had a few who missed out but they enjoyed the 2D show.
We all really loved our visit to @Bristol and all the kids were entertained throughout. The 2 year old was potentially out of his comfort zone but nothing a large pack of raisins and a juice couldn’t solve. It’s one of those places you just can’t do in a day, which makes you want to return. Great staff, great atmosphere and I really recommend @Bristol as a family day out location.
4/5
At-Bristol review by Mr and Mrs Bristol for 365Bristol - the leading events and entertainment website for Bristol
At-Bristol, Anchor Road, Harbourside, Bristol, BS1 5DB
Tel. 0117 915 1000
Email: info@at-bristol.org.uk
Family activities in Bristol, events in Bristol, attractions in Bristol, things to do in Bristol, family fun Bristol, Half term Bristol, childrens events Bristol, activities for kids in Bristol, kids entertainment, science and education in Bristol
Article by:
Born and raised in the suburbs of Swansea, Jimmy moved to Bristol back in 2004 to attend university. Passionate about live music, sport, science and nature, he can usually be found walking his cocker spaniel Baxter at any number of green spots around the city. Call James on 078 9999 3534 or email Editor@365Bristol.com.
