Inside Manchester's magical fairy tale land 'like being inside a pop-up book'

Z-arts are inviting families to enter a magical fairy tale land. The newly launched Fairy Tales experience encourages little one’s imaginations to run wild and promises an experience ‘like being inside a pop-up book of fairy tales’.

The event is running until February 2023 and is aimed at children aged 0-8 (along with their grown-ups) and lasts 50 minutes. I visited z-arts on the opening weekend with my niece 5-year-old Darcie, and her friend, 2-year-old Maeve.

We started the experience by heading to the forest to visit the Three Bears Bed and Breakfast. Here, settled on the cutest toadstool table and chairs we met the housekeeper, who kept the children entertained sharing stories from his celebrity guests at the bed and breakfast.

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And then it was time to enter the Bed & Breakfast and from there, step into magical Fairy Tale Town armed with their maps and a quiz, and set the challenge to search for the gingerbread men who were causing havoc, and off they went into an immersive and visually stimulating play area for children.

Darcie and Maeve enjoyed crossing the bridge while avoiding the troll and looking for gold coins, to return to the treasure chest. But their favourite part was dancing at the palace disco and experiencing the smoke machine, glitter ball and musical instruments- girls after my own heart!.

Armed with their maps and the quiz, they set about searching for the gingerbread men who were causing havoc. And with several little areas for children to play in, it doesn’t get over-crowded and the children have a good opportunity to experience everything in the time allocated.

Darcie and Maeve finished off