In summary
A fun indoor attraction inspired by the hit ITV show. There are multiple Ninja Warrior adventure parks across the UK, where kids and adults can test their ninja skills through climbing, balancing and swinging across obstacles or bouncing on inflatables.
When did we visit?
I visited with my husband and two sons Odhran, 9, and Reuben, 6, on a Sunday morning at the end of March. It was busy but not too hectic. Our slot was pre-booked and we arrived on time, but it's worth giving yourself a bit of wiggle room in case there are people ahead of you in the queue at front desk, and to sign your waivers if you haven't already done so. You must purchasing their hygiene grip socks (£2.95) and we were picking up our Ninja packs - socks, fingerless grip gloves, wrist sweatbands or headbands. So, allow time for all this, and time to place your belongings, such as bags, phones, and shoes, in the free of charge, combination code lockers. These are positioned next to the inflatable obstacle course, which was handy, as I had to keep nipping back to grab water bottles when all the running and jumping around made the boys thirsty and sweaty. Ninja Warrior locations are open throughout the year, but opening hours may vary between venues. Most of the adventure parks open around 10am or 12pm and close at 7pm or 8pm, with weekend hours starting earlier at 9am. During school holidays, opening hours tend to be extended, with opening times of 9.30am on weekdays and closing times remaining the same or extending to 8pm on Fridays.
Where is it located?
We visited Ninja Warrior Chatham (Maritime, Chatham, ME4 4LL). It's just up the road from The Historic Dockyard Chatham - another great sport for a family day out. Ninja Warrior is located next to an outlet centre (where you'll find stores such as Clarks, M&S, The Range, and The Words). There's also an Odeon cinema and popular kid-friendly food outlets nearby. Ninja Warrior Chatham customers are entitled to two hours validated parking (don't forget to enter your car registration in the machine next to reception) after that the cost is £1.25 per hour. There are 19 parks across the UK - Bristol, Cardiff, Chelmsford, Chatham, Edinburgh, Gloucester, Guildford, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Sheffield, Southampton, Stoke-on-Trent, Swansea, Teesside, Walsall, Watford, Wigan. Most of the locations offer free parking, or free parking for a couple of hours.
What does the experience involve?
This is a great day out for families seeking adventure. It's an open plan indoor space with three areas - a giant inflatable obstacle course, a fixed obstacle course, and a cafe area with toilets and a few arcade games (tap your bank card to pay).
After pulling on their sweatbands and kicking off their trainers, Odhran and Reuben ran to the giant inflatable obstacle course. Their dad followed, while I shoved our belongings in a locker before chasing after them.
We loved the inflatable course and raced each other round. There were slides and climbing walls, and we bounced, crawled, rolled, and jumped across obstacles. My favourite part was a section where you had to jump from one wobbly raised platform to another to make it across to the other side. There was plenty of staff supervision on the course so it felt safe. Odhran loved pretending to do caught on camera bloopers, and intentionally falling off inflatables and throwing himself against the soft walls. During our visited there was a treasure hunt taking place. A member of staff announced that there was something hidden in the course (I didn't catch what was hidden as the boys had just arrived and were too excited to take part). But whoever found the item and brought to a member of staff received a prize. It sounded like a nice little addition to the activities on offer.
Next, we grabbed our trainers from the nearby locker and tried our skills on the fixed obstacle course. My husband loved the opportunity to flex his biceps on the challenging bars, swinging across from one side to the other. On one of these challenges, you hold on to a metal hoop and you have to lift the hoop up to a higher level on the bar as you make your way across. It requires a lot of upper body strength. You're not allowed to lift kids up to reach these bars. If they can't reach, then they can't go on. But this didn't bother Odhran and Reuben, as they enjoyed crawling across the balancing beams, and challenging themselves on the obstacles where you have to swing from one platform to another. Meanwhile, I found myself trying to get a foothold on some dangling obstacles that looked like slices of Swiss cheese.
But it was good fun, and great to have obstacles to challenge all ages and abilities. We spent a lot of time charging up the warped walls. There were smaller ones to challenge kids. But after mastering those, Odhran and Reuben moved on to the bigger ones. You can't really encourage kids to do something you're reluctant to try yourself. So, I raced towards the high wall, certain I'd smack my face into it, but found that with enough commitment I was able to make it to the top, grab hold, and pull myself up.
When our hour long session came to an end, the boys weren't ready to leave, and they made a break for the inflatable course for one more round. But by now, they were so sweaty they looked like they'd stepped out of a shower. Ninja Warrior is a wonderfully active family activity.
What age is it most suitable for?
The minimum age is 5+ (under 8s must be accompanied on the activities). There are also dedicated adult-only sessions. Parts of the fixed obstacle course will be too high and too challenging for little ones but there's still plenty other keep them entertained throughout. Ninja Warrior UK also runs toddler sessions.
What about food and drink?
Meal deals are available from £6.95 and included things like toasties, chicken nuggets or hot dog and chips, alongside a drink. There was no veggie option available as part of the meal deal. You could get nachos or pizza, but they weren't part of the deal. A 12 inch margarita pizza cost £9.45. Ninja Warrior UK offers a free 'after school hot meal' for ninjas between 4-7pm Monday to Wednesday during term time. You've got to add it to your cart on booking. There were also slushies, cakes, crisps and ice-lollies available.
How long will you spend there?
We were booked in for an hour long slot and then enjoyed some food afterwards and a game of air hockey. We left just within our two hour free validated parking time. The boys were red in the face and covered in sweat by the end of the hour long session, but they'd have happily stayed another 30 mins if we'd booked a 90 minute session. Myself and my husband were done after an hour though. Ninja Warriors is a great day out for active kids and families.
How much does it cost?
Prices may vary between venues. But at Ninja Warrior Chatham 60 minute entry (peak) costs £14.95, 90 minute (peak) costs £19.95, and 120 minute entry (off peak) costs £14.95. You can get a Family Peak Session (for four people) for £49.95. It's worth keeping an eye on the website for special offers. Remember you'll also need the socks, at £2.95 per person. We had the Ultimate Ninja Pack, which included socks, gloves, headband or sweatband. This is priced at £7.95. The boys loved their Ninja packs, and Reuben has since worn his grip gloves for climbing on the monkey bars in the local park. And the boys actually did use their wrist bands to wipe the sweat dripping from their foreheads by the time their Ninja Warrior session came to an end. Find out more here
Take a Break's verdict
Ninja Warrior UK is a really fun way to get the whole family active, and it's good value for money. The boys loved it, and despite looking exhausted, they were disappointed when they couldn't go back on the courses after we'd eaten. We drove for about 50 minutes to get there and feel it was totally worth the journey. But we were disappointed to find there wasn't a veggie option included in the meal deal. Overall, we'd rate Ninja Warrior UK a 4.5 out of 5.