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I became a Gladiator to take my kids on the ultimate summer day out

Tackling my kids with a giant cotton bud was not on my school holiday bingo card - but it's the best family day out we've had for ages and currently 25% off

[Writer Narin Flanders in front of the Eliminator course]

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Writer Narin Flanders took her family to try their hand at the iconic Gladiators course and had the ultimate summer day out(Image: Narin Flanders)

One of the things they dont tell you about parenting is how much time you spend just watching kids do stuff. From soft play when theyre little to team sports when they get older, its all spent watching from the sidelines, with a chair and a polystyrene cup of lukewarm coffee if youre lucky.

But what if you want to get stuck in and join the fun? Well a unique experience running over the school holidays might be just the thing and you dont even have to be superfit to get involved - trust me, I know cause Ive tried it and with a new deal knocking 25% off tickets were seriously considering a return visit before the end of the summer.

The Gladiators Experience is running at Birminghams NEC from now until August 31 and is the chance for fans of Legend, Diamond and the gang to try some of the iconic TV shows biggest challenges. There are adult and child friendly versions of events including The Wall, Unleashed, Duel, Hang Tough and even the Eliminator, which comes complete with the zipline, balance beam and travelator combo that has launched a thousand face plants.

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As soon as it was announced I knew my 10-year-old gymnast and Gladiators superfan, who went to the live shows twice last year and brings his foam finger to the sofa every Saturday night to watch the action, would absolutely love having a go. What I didnt realise was mum, dad and his 12-year-old big sister would also end up having a blast too - even with a stray giant cotton bud to the face or two.

There are three kinds of tickets available when you book the Experience. Prospective contenders can either opt for adults only (from 35) while families taking part can do so from (30 per person), allowing grown ups and kids to go compete together. Meanwhile spectator only tickets start from 15 and allow you into the arena to cheer on and enjoy the exhibition, photo ops and cafe running alongside the event.

We plumped for family tickets and soon found ourselves fully kitted out with elbow and knee pads and a helmet and lining up with some other excited new recruits awaiting a warm up. Ironically this might have been the most nerve-wracking part of the day for me as I was convinced someone would pull me aside and say I wasnt fit enough to do it or - worse, Id fall foul of our instructors constant warnings about slow people having to do burpees (seriously, just whats the point of them - Ill work out standing up or Ill work out on the floor, the constant up and down is irritating and unnecessary and this is a hill Ill die on).

[Writer Narin Flanders in front of the Eliminator course]

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Writer Narin Flanders took her family to try their hand at the iconic Gladiators course and had the ultimate summer day out(Image: Narin Flanders)

Luckily our trainers bark was definitely worse than his bite, even when I finished last at least twice, and we walked away warmed up, burpee free and ready to rumble. The ticket allows you 90 minutes of taking part in the full events - although theres plenty to explore afterwards - but the trick is definitely to make every second count.

Every time you do an event you scan your wristband and it allows you to track your times (which are immortalised on a lovely leader board) as well as shooting video of you in action which you can watch back later. In one big change from the show, organisers advise you to do the Eliminator first so you dont waste time in your session by queuing to get on it, as your 90 minutes only starts the first time your band is scanned.

Now while I was happy to get stuck in, I do also know my own limits, so I let my son and daughter line up for the Eliminator together. They were given a briefing from the referee, the whistle sounded and they were off.

Its a miniature but complete version of the Eliminator we all know and love from Saturday nights and they both flew round it. My initial concerns about someone ending up face first on the travelator were eased when I realised that there was a staff member with a button at the bottom of the equipment, ready to adjust the speed for little (or knackered) legs.

[Two young contenders climb up the cargo net]

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The family-friendly course is ideal for youngsters of all ages(Image: Narin Flanders)

Watching them both dash round, whooping as they went down the zip line and fist pumping with glee when they landed on the crash mat at the end of the course left me a bit emotional. Anyone whos watched the show knows that many of the contenders stories are about overcoming fitness or self-confidence issues to become the best version of themselves and in a lot of ways this positive ethos carries through into the Gladiators Experience .

If you cant do everything? Dont worry, try the bits you like. But also, if you want to, give some of the other bits a go - youve got nothing to lose and you might end up surprising yourself.

Your times are logged, so if youre in a group who wants to be competitive you can be, but the emphasis is much more on doing the best you can and cheering each other on. Meanwhile, each event is overseen by expert referees who can also help with advice and support when things do get tough.

The kids decided theyd both give The Wall a go, despite never having tried climbing before. They both ended up an arms length from pressing the button at the top before fear set in and they froze, but the referee climbed up alongside them to encourage them and, when they wanted to get down, he helped them safely do so, in what ended up being one of the most memorable moments of the day for them talking about it afterwards!

[The Gladiators Experience referee encourages a boy climbing The Wall]

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Every event has referees not only to oversee proceedings but also to help if kids or adults struggle on any of the equipment(Image: Narin Flanders)

The ninety minutes flew by, with us working our way round all of the family versions of the events. Getting to play Duel against each other was one of everyones favourite moments, although the grown ups were quickly warned no head shots to the kids.

We also quickly spotted the perk of getting the VIP 9am session, which is the first of the day. It took a while for people to get changed and come in for their slot, which meant we ended up being able to do some events multiple times as it was relatively quiet.

My sons long-held obsession with the rings of Hang Tough meant he spent 20 minutes perfecting his technique building ever more momentum while swinging across the gap and then, when he fell, running back round to join the queue and do it again. And again. And again.

Meanwhile my daughter, seeing an opportunity to take my husband on again at Duel, suggested they go to the adult version of the event - although she was thwarted slightly because the heavier cotton bud made it harder for her to jab him in the ribs.

As the minutes ticked down my son asked if we could queue for the Eliminator for one last time and as, by this point, both my daughter and I were ready for a cold drink, my husband lined up alongside him as he couldnt resist tackling the iconic course.

As an adult the family course is still a solid challenge, although if youre tall you have to lift your legs up on the zipline or youll end up bouncing off the mat two third of the way down. After everyone had got their breath back we went to the changing room to put on our own clothes and hand back the pads, before coming back to look at the exhibition, the cafe and the shop. By the time wed posed in Atlaspheres, admired some of the original costumes and 1980s merch and had a well-earned snack almost another two hours had gone by.

Summer holidays can be quite a challenge to keep everyone entertained and costs can mount up. While normally we rely on reciprocal playdates and our Merlin annual passes , which we bought in a sale and have already paid for themselves after Easter and May half term to cover holidays, for a special day out and something a bit different the Gladiators Experience is absolutely worth every penny. It's also, and having visited on the hottest day of the year so far I can't tell you the joy this bought me, fully air conditioned making it a solid choice no matter what the weather is doing.

We were all exhausted by the time we left, but everyone came away having had an amazing time which isnt always the case with kids who have very different interests and are at that awkward point where one of them still seems quite young while the other is now in secondary school and suddenly very difficult to impress. Its a day well all remember for a long time.

[A parent and child look at the Eliminator at the Gladiators Experience]

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Preparing for one last go on The Eliminator before the 90 minute session ended(Image: Narin Flanders)

There are a range of tickets types across all budgets with standard tickets starting from 30.. If youre a family of superfans and are likely to want merchandise then its definitely worth looking at VIP tickets . They cost from 95 for contenders, but as well as that all-important early start come with a host of extras that would soon rack up if paid for separately including a competitors medal (15), all your videos (20) and contender outfits (normally 45 for adults and 35 for kids).

The 25% off voucher, THEWALL25, is valid across all ticket types and available dates, making it stack up favourably when compared to other family friendly fitness activities like Go Ape , which costs between 25.95 and 41.95 a person.

Meanwhile, the new Family Contender ticket deal works out from 25 per person when booking for 3pm and 3.30pm slots Monday to Friday between July 20 and August 31 - perfect for if youre at a loose end over the school holidays. See full details of all the different ticket types here as well as when Gladiators are going to be in attendance for meet and greets (at additional cost).

But to the all-important question asked in the iconic theme tune: Do I have the speed, the strength, the heart to be a winner? After a morning channelling my inner Gladiator I can honestly reply in order: Definitely not, possibly (but Im not sure Ill ever have the upper body strength for Hang Tough) and maybe.

What I did leave sure about was this is the ultimate summer holiday day out for families, especially if youve got kids with energy to burn.

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