If you are looking for something to do with the kids over the holidays then the Sea Life Centre Birmingham is a great choice. It is great to have a day out which is completely inside so the weather can’t spoil it. We were invited to try the Golden Christmas Experience which is usually for the Merlin pass holders.
It was exciting going to the Sealife Centre in the evening. Best of all there were no crowds so it was easy to park and we didn’t have to queue. We were greeted with warm fruit punch, mine pies and crackers and the girls were given cute party hats to wear.
First stop was the delightful Gentoo penguins, our favourites. It was great to see this Christmas card staple in person, although Charlotte has added her own penguin to her christmas list – not sure how Santa will fit one in her stocking or where we will keep it for that matter.
We had a guide taking us through the centre and learned lots of facts about all the animals. The girls loved being able to stroke a starfish.
I loved seeing the school of clown fish. I think we must have missed them on our previous visits.
I also liked the Seahorse enclosure. The only animal where the male has the babies gets a thumbs up from me!
The girls enjoyed seeing all the sea creatures but loved stamping their passport the most.
The sting ray tank was really exciting. The sting rays were attracted to the microphone and kept splashing out of the pool.
We really enjoyed the 4D festive Ice Age film. It was at exactly the right point where the girls wanted to sit down for a few minutes and they found it hilarious, especially the antics of Scrat the squirrel as he tired to get his acorn.
The tour finishes in my favourite part: the underwater tunnel. I was surprised to learn that the tunnel is made of reinforced plastic and is only 5cm thick!
Including swarms of fish, sharks and a giant sea turtle the tunnel is simply awesome.
At Christmas the trip doesn’t finish there. We even got to meet Father Christmas and had an early Christmas present.
There was even time for a final play in the play area. It was a fun day out and one which really put us in the festive mood. 
Disclaimer: We were given a family ticket for the purposes of this review. The views expressed are my own.
