Dad’s Day Out at Silverwood

Ok Dads,

This one’s for you!

 Our family has lived in the area for many years, and all of our kids were born here too. We have long been patrons of Silverwood Theme Park, and it has always been a great time for the kiddos. There are many different reasons to get season tickets to Silverwood, and the biggest among them is the fact that you can go anytime you want to, and you do not have to feel like you have to do everything in one day.  

A day at any theme park can be exhausting, and I hate to say it, but it can even get boring for us dads. So I wanted to write a blog post from one dad’s perspective on how to make Silverwood Theme Park more entertaining – whether you have been several times or your first {even if you think that you might just be spending your time endlessly waiting for the kids to get done with all the rides or the waterpark.}. 

 So let’s begin. I am going to give a few tips and tricks to make the experience a little better based on what I have learned over the years.

1. Take a picture of where you parked.

This is totally the easiest way to find your car again at the end of the day. After a fun-filled day of soaking up the sun at the park and all the adrenaline-filled rides, it is easy to forget where you left the car. And that parking lot can feel 10x bigger than when you first arrived. And if you get lost, don’t be embarrassed to push that alarm button on your keys for guidance. We have all been there!

2.Try not to bring too much into the park with you.

Now I know that the things in the park can be a little spendy, but when it comes to food and drinks, there are not only ways to save a little cash like buying the bottomless drink, but I have to be honest here, the food in the park is totally worth the cost for the experience. When you get into the park, right past the gate, the smell of delicious food, coffee, and treats is impossible to ignore. Our favorite place to stop for lunch is the Theater Of Illusion Pizzeria. You can rest your feet, cool down and have some very delicious pizza and watch a great magic show. And for sweet treats, you HAVE to stop and get the biggest ice cream cone and earn some of those extra “dad” points!

3.Before I forget, grab a picture of the kiddos so that everything can be remembered.

As dads, we sometimes forget to do this, but it is super important so that you can look back and be reminded of the fun you had with the kids. It is also good to be able to look back on when the kids wondered when the last time they got to go to the theme park was 😉 And to earn more “points,” – make sure you do the same and get photos of your kids with mom or any other loved ones that are part of your Silverwood day!

As you walk by the Theater Of Illusion, there is a small gift shop right next door that has the most amazing smell of the sweetest! Take a minute to stop in there and say “Hi” to the staff. They are amazing and very polite. You can purchase water or Gatorade but also treat yourself to some of their super amazing pieces of fudge! I do know how to exactly describe the amazing flavor of these other than absolutely amazing! Fellas, for real; get some fudge!

Speaking of eating, the BBQ place is really good. It was priced right and delicious! Give it a try for lunch. You will be pleasantly surprised, and it’s great if you have any picky eaters in the family. I would also recommend the buffet for dinner. It is super good and filling!

Ok, let’s get on to the most overlooked part of the park, in my opinion, and that is the GAMES. Let’s start with the arcade. The arcade is located right near the Ice Creamery and the Roaring Creek Log Flume. Now, if you are anything like me, your kids can school you in any video game that you currently have. But this is where the magic of nostalgia comes into play. 

Picture your 12-year-old talking all kinds of trash about how good he is on the game Mortal Kombat. The game, in its original form that you played as a kid, was one quarter at a time. And there were no 43 buttons on the console to use – you had 2 buttons and 1 joystick! You will be able to astonish them with your skills using just a joystick and those A and B buttons like we used to when we were younger. Take a walk down memory lane and bring your kids with you. Show them your skills while you are in the arcade.

While in the arcade, pick up a gift card or two if you do not want to use your credit or debit card at all the other games outside. You can also stop by Guest Services and put money on your Silverwood Pass.

This brings me to the other games in the carnival. This is the land of fun where you can win a stuffed animal for your kids or your loved one or just carry it around to show off! 

Here are some of our favorite games.

Clown Around – If you are anything like my wife, clowns freak her out… and seeing 2 shelves of stuffed clowns sitting there staring back at you – she would have run the other way. The object of the game is to knock over 2 stuffed clowns. This is a relatively simple game, and the trick to it is to make sure you do not try to throw too hard.

Great Race -This is a good game, too, with a guaranteed winner. The object of this game is to squirt the water on the bullseye to get your little character to move across to the finish line. The more people that play, the larger the prize is. Because it was just my 3 boys and me that day, we did not qualify for the larger prize, but it was still fun to have a prize and bragging rights!

Ring Toss -This game is not impossible to win, but it is probably the hardest game in the park. But, then again, it has really big prizes. The object of the game is to get the plastic ring around 1 of the glass bottles. If you get a ring around the GOLD bottle, you win an Xbox One. 

Outdoor Basketball Shoot – So, I am not any good at basketball, but for those who are, this would be a good game to play with your kids or challenge your buddies while at the park. My only recommendation does not to play it in the afternoon, because the sun makes it almost impossible to see the hoop. But the pumped-up music and open play area are a lot of fun!

The Ball In The Basket – There are 2 straw baskets that are slightly tilted down. You must get 1 ball in the basket to win. The trick in this game is hitting the basket’s lip to get the ball to stay in. After several attempts by myself, my 13-year-old showed me how it was done while I had a side of crow to eat. 

Blockbuster – I was determined to win this game. Across the counter, there are 3 blocks piled on each other, 2 on the bottom and 1 up top. YOu must knock over ALL three blocks to win. Dad Tip – you have to get some speed on that ball and hit halfway between the bottom block and the one above it. 

I know it is a hot summer, and our “honey do-lists” is long, but surprise the kids and go have a fun day at Silverwood to make some lifelong memories with your kids. You will laugh, play, sweat, and be tired, but they will talk about it for a long time about the day you took them to Silverwood Theme Park.

Meet The Conductor

Hello! My name is Jackie. I am married to a handsome handyman, and I’m the proud momma of 5 kids. About 13 years ago, I started my photography business, Jax Creations Photography. A couple of years ago, I started a family website called Wanderful Memories. I use this site to share ways other families can document moments in life through travel and lifestyle. A fun fact about me is that I love to cook/bake for others, and I throw a great dance party in the kitchen (when no one is around to watch my awesome dance moves, of course)! There are many parts of Silverwood that I enjoy, but if I had to narrow it down, it would be riding the Tilt-a-Whirl with my boys. I love to hear them belly laugh! My family enjoys visit Silverwood multiple times during the summer with season passes — it is the perfect way to split up the summer days by visiting the water park or getting their adrenaline going on a roller coaster.

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