Sandbox VR Birmingham Review: Is It Worth Visiting With Kids?

Sandbox VR Birmingham was a gifted experience

We’re always looking for something a bit different to do with our teenagers in Birmingham. Having noticed it a few times on our way to the train station, we recently visited Sandbox VR Birmingham with three children aged 12 to 14 to see what the experience was like. There were five of us altogether, two adults and three children – and we chose Curse of Davy Jones’ Locker.

The short version? We absolutely loved it. In fact, we’re already planning to go back. The girls would love to do it again with more of their friends and the adults have realised there’s a robotic bar so coming back without the kids is also tempting!

Here’s everything you need to know about our experience at Sandbox VR Birmingham, including what the game was like, how long it lasts, whether it’s suitable for children and the one thing we wish we’d known before we arrived!

Sandbox VR Birmingham at a glance

Location: Grand Central, Birmingham
Our group: 2 adults and 3 children aged 12-14
Experience: Curse of Davy Jones’ Locker
Experience length: 30 minutes
Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Would we go again? Absolutely!

What is Sandbox VR Birmingham?

Sandbox VR is an immersive virtual reality experience where you and your group enter a virtual world together.

I have to admit, I wasn’t sure whether to go but the girls were really keen. My reluctance stemmed around the fact that we have a really good VR headset at home that they NEVER use. However, this isn’t the sort of VR experience where you’re sitting in one place watching a screen. You actually move around within the experience, and you can see the other people in your group as part of the virtual world.

That was one of the things we particularly liked about it. We weren’t taking turns while everyone else watched – all five of us were part of the same experience. We teamed up to fight off the baddies together!

Sandbox VR Birmingham is located in Grand Central, just up the stairs from Birmingham New Street Station. This makes it particularly convenient if you’re travelling into Birmingham by train.

Our Sandbox VR Birmingham experience

We visited Sandbox VR as a group of two adults and three children aged between 12 and 14.

We chose Curse of Davy Jones’ Locker, which is a pirate-themed adventure. Another option was Age of Dinosaurs, which may be better for younger children. They also have experiences based on Squid Game, Stranger Things and more. The girls decided they wanted one that was more of a game, and I think it was the right decision for us.

The whole group got completely caught up in the experience and it was one of those activities where everyone was talking about it afterwards.

The children particularly enjoyed being able to experience it together, rather than one person playing while everyone else waited for their turn. I was quite surprised that the adults enjoyed it just as much.

That’s probably the biggest thing I’d take away from our visit: Sandbox VR isn’t just something to take the kids to while the adults stand around watching. We were all in it together.

Curse of Davy Jones’ Locker

We chose Curse of Davy Jones’ Locker, a pirate adventure that sees your group heading into a supernatural world in search of treasure.

I’m deliberately not going to give away too much about what happens because I think part of the fun is discovering it for yourself.

What I can say is that it was immersive, exciting and entertaining enough to keep all five of us completely engaged. We encountered friendly characters and fought off the baddies with weapons that were placed into our hands after we’d put on the VR headsets. I thought this was a really clever touch because we didn’t feel like we were holding a plastic gun and sword, because we never saw them in their “real world” form.

Some of us had slightly different weapons to others and we all had to work together with one common goal. Before we went, the girls were worried that if you died in the game, it would be game over after just a few minutes. What actually happened is that you were “stunned” and could rescue each other by putting a hand on the stunned person’s shoulder. You knew you’d been stunned because the game went into black and white.

Is Curse of Davy Jones’ Locker scary?

There are definitely moments that might make you jump, but our group really enjoyed it. The three children aged 12–14 were absolutely fine with it and were completely engrossed in the experience. Whilst I wouldn’t do it with very young children, the minimum age for Sandbox VR is 8 years old, and I’m sure it wouldn’t have been two scary for my two at that age. The characters and setting were more like a cartoon than a very realistic environment, which made it less frightening.

If you’re visiting with children who don’t enjoy anything remotely scary, it’s worth checking the current description of the individual experiences before booking. But for our group, the level of excitement was part of the fun.

Is Sandbox VR Birmingham good for teenagers?

Based on our experience, yes.

We went with three children aged – one aged 12 and two aged 14, and all three loved it. This is definitely a very difficult to please age, and it’s one of the best things we’ve done with them all summer. In fact, they enjoyed it enough that we’d happily take another group of children back again.

I think Sandbox VR works particularly well for this age group because it’s something they can do with their friends or family rather than simply being spectators. It’s a rare opportunity to bond with teenagers over a shared experience.

It’s also a good option if you’re looking for something a little different from the usual bowling, cinema or shopping trip. And importantly, the adults weren’t bored either! All five of us were involved throughout the experience, which made it much more of a shared activity.

How long does Sandbox VR Birmingham last?

The actual VR experience lasts 30 minutes.

Unfortunately, we didn’t quite manage the full 30 minutes on our visit.

We were travelling by train and had been cutting things a little fine with our timings. We were worried about missing our train afterwards, so we ended up doing around 25 minutes of the experience rather than the full 30.

That’s worth bearing in mind when planning your visit. However, when I told the staff at the venue about our concerns regarding catching the train, they couldn’t have been more helpful. They stopped the game and let us know when it was time for us to go and catch the train.

If you’re travelling by train like we were, I’d definitely recommend allowing plenty of time rather than trying to squeeze everything into a tight schedule.

Don’t make our mistake!

Here’s something I really wish we’d known before our visit. We arrived a little late because we’d needed to use the toilets before our experience. The toilets in the shopping centre were really busy, and we ended up waiting in a queue for over 15 minutes.

Only to discover afterwards that there are toilets inside Sandbox VR! So, if you’re visiting with children or teenagers, there’s no need to join a huge queue in the shopping centre just because everyone suddenly needs the toilet before your experience.

It’s a small thing, but it’s exactly the sort of information that’s useful to know before you go.

Is Sandbox VR Birmingham worth it?

For our family, yes – absolutely.

We went as two adults and three children aged 12-14, and every single one of us enjoyed it. That’s quite a strong recommendation in itself. But the real test is whether we’d actually pay to do it again.

And we would. We’re already planning another visit, and we’d like to try it with both another group of children and a group of adults. That’s probably the best indication I can give of how much we enjoyed it.

It also makes a great option if you’re looking for something to do in Birmingham when the weather isn’t cooperating.

If you’re looking for more ideas, take a look at our guide to rainy days out in the West Midlands.

Our Sandbox VR Birmingham verdict

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best for: Older children (8 and up), teenagers, families and groups of friends

Our experience: Curse of Davy Jones’ Locker

Our group: 2 adults + 3 children aged 12 to 14

Would we recommend it? Yes

Would we go again? Definitely

Our favourite thing: Being able to experience the game together as a group

If you’re looking for a family activity that’s a bit different, we’d definitely recommend giving Sandbox VR Birmingham a try. The three children all loved it, the adults enjoyed it just as much, and we’re already thinking about what group we’re going to take next time. We’d love to do it with a big group of adults but the kids are FURIOUS, so I think there may have to be some negotiation.

Sandbox VR Birmingham FAQs