Mission Christmas at the Historic Dockyard in Chatham has been recognised as one of the “best festive days out in the UK” by The Guardian so I was keen to see if it lived up to the hype.

We have done lots of Kent’s festive experiences over the last few years - from the Christmas lights at Leeds Castle, to a trip to Kent Life in Maidstone to see Father Christmas and his elves, and a ride on the Polar Express train from Tunbridge Wells. So how would the Dockyard compare?

We are regular visitors to the Chatham attraction so this meant that my two children recognised where we were heading as we made our way there.

But the usual attractions at the Dockyard are closed for the winter so this provided the perfect back story - I told them Santa uses the Dockyard as a base in the lead-up to Christmas as he knows he can stay hidden away. This immediately got the attention of my two as they were excited to see Father Christmas.

Once inside we were greeted by a friendly elf (one of the staff) who chatted to the children, helping to build their excitement, and then told us to listen out for the sleigh bells for when it was our turn to go in.

When our time came we were led by another elf to the start of the experience which previous visitors to the Dockyard will recognise as the Hearts of Oak exhibition which has been transformed into an Elf Academy, with fairy lights, presents and a sprinkle of Christmas magic.

There we were told the Dockyard is used as one of Santa’s secret sub-stations (perfect - it was similar to what I’d told them!) and he needs our help to save Christmas.

After saying the elf motto, visitors are then taken on a walkthrough with stops along the way to learn essential elf skills such as toy-making, wrapping presents and helping to deliver them.

Our guide was brilliant at keeping the children engaged and getting them to join in, even those with special needs.

There was plenty of things that appeal to children - from making lots of noise in the music academy, to picking up reindeer poop in the fertiliser room (both of mine said this was their favourite bit which didn’t surprise me!).

They got to play a game with an elf, see the tiny beds where the elves sleep in their dormitory, and have a go at throwing presents into sacks

The tour lasted 45 minutes which is good value but also not too long for little ones.

But the experience didn’t end there. Children then had the chance to complete some more activities such as working out their elf name, taking an elf academy graduation photo and seeing how many presents they could carry (my competitive nine-year-old loved the challenge).

But the highlight for many will be meeting Father Christmas himself at the end of the visit.

Each family got an exclusive sit down with Santa in his grotto which looked so cosy and inviting.

The children sat on a huge sofa for a chat and a photo with him, and then mums and dads got to join them for a family picture.

Before we left, each child was given a gift, a certificate to say they had graduated from elf academy, and each family also got a free photo print which I thought was a really nice touch.

We all left the Dockyard full of Christmas spirit and ready to start counting down to December 25. My children love the whole experience.

For prices and booking, click here.

The festive adventure is on selected dates until Christmas Eve.