They have completed the new play area at Leeds castle. I can safely say it has a huge 👍 from our boys!They have Mini Golf too!And new swings!

Beautiful castle grounds as always and we took the ferry to the play area. This was included in our Freedom Pass.

For more info visit https://www.leeds-castle.com

We promised our 8yr old we’d take him to Chester Zoo….so we did!

Being the loser parents we are we decided to leave at 4pm on a Friday afternoon (I can hear your tuts…. idiotic we know!) Hoping it would take 3-4hrs. Yep…we dumped our fast asleep children in their premier inn beds at 11pm! SHOCKER of a journey. We did stop for tea for an hr and a half to avoid traffic, but still.

Despite kids sleeping through no problem, I lay awake listening to my dear hubby snoring but being too far away to physically prod without getting up. Still, I love a hotel breakfast, no cooking or cleaning up for me and once kids had eaten their own body weight in pastries, toast with nutella and blueberry muffins we hit the zoo for opening time.

Chester Zoo has a great selection of exotic wildlife to see and some which were firsts for us and we visit a fair few zoos so great to see animals we’ve not seen before.

There is a monorail to transport you from one side of the zoo to the other whilst catching a bird’s eye view of all the enclosures and their inhabitants. This costs extra and we booked it in advance when booking our entry tickets online.

You can hop on a little, very safe and slow, boat trip too if you like that sort of thing.

Everything is clearly marked on a map and the zoo is split into sections/areas. Everything is easily accessible.

Lots of different play areas and cafes around and toilets all over the place too.

People were tucking in to picnics all over the place but if not, there was a bbq selling hot food and those children’s lunch boxes you can get everywhere (although massively over priced as most of these are. £5.40 each I think they were!)

There was a live performance/ show in the Madagascar area and for an extra cost you can have a go on a mini high ropes challenge that seemed quite popular.

They have a well stocked, very popular zoo shop. We couldn’t resist!

All in all we had a fab day and only took the expected 4hrs to drive home on our return. Bonus!

For further info to plan a day out here visit https://www.chesterzoo.org

You can enter Windsor Great Park from various points. This is a starting point we like as it allows us to stretch our legs and run the kids’ energy off. The route leads to The Copper Horse which is really impressive when standing underneath it.

From here you have a fabulous view of Windsor Castle and the long drive leading up to it through the royal park.

There is woodland on route where you can build a den or lead a little nature treasure hunt.

We’ve been here in all sorts of weather. We’ve seen a royal couple out walking. They came across our youngest doing a sneaky nature poo (take note….. no access to toilets here) and we have seen the horse guards/ queens cavalry riding through. Stunning horses!

Our little ones love to play ‘rock shop’ on the boulders that make up the base that the statue sits on. Amazing how much you can do with some sticks, leaves, petals as stock and pebbles for cash! Many a picnic had here too.

If you head left as you reach the copper horse in the summer months, across the meadow area, you will find all sorts of wildlife. Bugs and butterflies galore if you like that sort of thing.

For further information visit:

http://www.windsorgreatpark.co.uk/en/experiences/the-long-walk-and-deer-park

This is a National Trust property with lots of open space to run around in and explore. Free to members. Check prices for non members via link below.

If you head down to the far end of the gardens you can see for miles across the hills.

On the other side of the main house (which is the posh luxury hotel that was featured on a recent TV series ‘Cliveden’) are the formal flower gardens. As you pass the impressive fountains you enter the flower gardens which are full of colour and texture in the summer.

You can walk for miles at Cliveden and if you’re lucky you will spot the red kites soaring above. On occasions, when we’ve been patient enough, kites have flown down to inspect our lunch.

There is a circular rose garden, water gardens, a maze, some woodland walks and several cafe areas.

There are some play areas suitable for all ages where you can have a picnic and grab a hot drink or ice cream if warm.

A great place to spend the best part of your day wandering around and stopping off to chill while the kids play and explore.

There are toilets dotted around but I’d suggest you make sure you pop to the ones near the parking areas before you head in.

We love it here and, as you can see, we visit all year round whatever the season.

For further info, map and opening times visit:

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cliveden

We have been here many times. It is a fabulous farm well laid out with loads to do. Easily keeps the mini monsters occupied all day.

If, like mine, your little ones are partial to animals then this is your place. There are farm animals of all shapes and sizes all over the place!

There is a dino trail which is informative, interactive and has several model dinos to look at on route with a small reptile house next door.

One of our favourite activities is visiting the animal handling barn. I really like the way it is closely monitored by staff as that guarantees the animals are always safe while the kids can get up close and personal.

They have a real mixture too from millipedes and giant land snails to guinea pigs and rabbits.

In the same area they have cabinets displaying interesting items to teach children about how animals develop and how reptiles shed their skin.

The sheep and goat pens are always lively and the staff are evidently very fond of the animals in their care popping in for a play and a cuddle.

You also get the opportunity to feed some cows, sheep and goats if you’d like to. You can buy feed at the farm shop as you go in or the staff involve you as you move around the farm.

There is a fabulous, very spacious outdoor play area suitable for all ages. There is a huge sand pit, various climbing frames, swings, zip wires and lots of seating so you can keep an eye on the kids.

There is a large indoor soft play barn too. Your play is timed in here on occasions where it is busy so that everyone gets a chance to go in.

They run little tractor rides around the farm too which you pay a little extra for. Very reasonable though.

You can catch a pig race too (kind and fun, no worries about the pigs being forced to do it if you worry about things like that).

There is a lovely tea room where you can purchase hot and cold food and drinks, but you are welcome to take a picnic too. I thought the food was good quality and priced accordingly. Out the back of the tea room is a large play/sand pit area stocked with lots of sand pit equipment.

There is a coffee/ ice cream hatch up by the large play area too and toilet facilities dotted around the farm so you dont get caught short.

They are alway running seasonal events too at Christmas, Easter and Halloween for example.

It is such a lovely place to spend a day out with the family. We would highly recommend it and very reasonably priced considering how much there is to do once you’re inside.

For more information about what’s on visit:

https://godstonefarm.co.uk
Farm Limited, Tilburstow Hill Rd, Godstone RH9 8LX

This is a regular spot for us. We have membership as it is so close to our neck of the woods. We can pop there with friends and family for the whole day or just for a morning or afternoon to get some fresh air.

It really is so pretty in the spring and summer months and even though we’ve been so often, the boys always discover something we’ve not seen before and never seem to get bored of going. We can spend hours there wandering around, playing on the wooden play area, strolling through the orchards, exploring the tropical glass house, making things in the education area or just chilling out on the grass areas having a pic nic.

The real positive about Wisley membership is that you can take a guest in on your card and additional children too. We have a family pass so we can take a guest each and if they have kids they can get in too. You can get various forms of membership so check out the website for more info.

They often have themed events on too which are great for families. They always have something on for the kids in every school holiday. This year they had LEGO in the glass house! It was very popular. We would definitely reccomend booking a time slot for the more popular events as it gets so busy in school holidays and weekends in Spring/ Summer

We spend hours running up and down the different gardens and large green spaces. There are two large cafe/ restaurants serving hot and cold food and drink. They are quite pricey compared to our usual haunts, but they do serve good quality food. In the summer it is beautiful sitting outside on the patio area watching thd kids play or having a pic nic on a rug sitting on the grass.

Most years in January/ February you’ll find the glass house is transformed in to the most wonderful butterfly house. There’s a wide variety of butterflies flying around then stopping to visit the food stations strategically placed so that the kids can get a great view of them (they didn’t have them this year to give the plants a break. They had the LEGO instead).

All in all, a fab place to meet up with your friends and family and while the day away.

They are currently in the middle of a big expansion project so excited to see what develops there.

The one thing I would say, and a word of warning, is that Wisley gets incredibly busy in the school holidays and if there are any popular events on they struggle to manage the sheer number of people, often letting too many in I think. They have started to offer time slots for particular events that you can book online in advance, but even so, it can still be very busy.

During these busy periods, you can be directed to park a long way from the entrance, although they do sometimes put a free park and ride bus on. Even so though, on days like this, the play area is tricky and keeping an eye on your little monsters proves harder. Seating at the cafe/ restaurants can be limited at these times too so I’d recommend a pic nic if visiting in the school holidays or when popular events are taking place.

This aside, well worth a visit. For more information on what’s on and tickets/ membership visit:

https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley

Autumn is possibly our favourite season to head out and appreciate the wonders nature puts on show for us.

I vividly remember heading here as a child and being surrounded by trees and burning colour. If, like us, you love to see the trees changing as they head towards winter then take yourselves to wander through the trees at Burnham Beeches.

When you arrive you need to park up in the parking area in front of the cafe. This was pay and display, coins only, last time we were there, but there is no additional cost to visit.

You can then follow different routes, but there is one in particular that takes you through the trees and down to a couple of ponds. There are sculptures and signs identifying local wildlife on the way.

If the sun is shining during the Autumn months I can promise you it will be beautiful. The sun shines through the green canopy and hits the orange ground in rays of fierce sunshine forcing you to forgot everything else in that moment. It is breathtaking.

As you head down the paths you can create you own nature spotting activities.

As you head back up on the main path towards the cafe and parking area there is a clearing in the left with the gnarliest trees I’ve ever seen. These were great for photos but the last time we went they had been blocked off using natural materials. This is to protect them I assume and rightly so.

After your walk you can grab a hot or cold drink from the cafe where the toilet block is also located. They have a varied menu to choose from if you want to grab a hot or cold lunch there too. Lots of outdoor seating, but not indoor, so if wet you will get soggy!

There are dogs everywhere and even designated eating areas to sit with dogs too. It tells you clearly where you need to pop dogs on their leads and water is provided for them at the cafe area.

We would recommend you visit when the trees are on the turn to appreciate the beech trees at their best but I’m sure it is just as pretty in every season.

For more info/ directions visit:

https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/green-spaces/burnham-beeches-and-stoke-common/visitor-information/Pages/default.aspx

Burnham Beeches, Hawthorne Lane, Lord Mayors Drive, Slough. SL2 3TE.

We’ve been here a few times now and we always have a great time. Our boys are particularly fond of anything animal/ wildlife orientated so it ticks all their boxes.

The centre is open on weekends and bank holidays and during school holidays.

Most people head to safari parks and zoos to see more exotic species, but this little place has all those animals that live in our countryside and gardens, but despite this we rarely actually see them.

At the wildlife centre, you can see all of these in their naturally inspired enclosures and they are surprisingly active.

The staff are really friendly and always well informed, able to answer the hundreds of questions my 8 yr old asks them. They deliver talks in most of the enclosures which draws out the animals for feeding. You will never get as close to a fox as you do there.

You get to see hedgehogs out and about on the move, adders that had babies too last time we were there, pole cats, stoats, weasels, otters, owls, squirrels, rats, all varieties of British mice, rabbits, Scottish wild cats, badgers and more.

There is a reasonably priced, warm inside eating area serving hot and cold food and drink. If in the summer, there are outdoor areas you can sit and eat a picnic too and hatches serving refreshments and ice creams. Good toilet facilities too.

There is a lovely natural outdoor play area with lots of bits to do and a nature boardwalk experience where we’ve seen snakes, birds, fish and frogs.

On the way out there is a little gift shop you can spend a few £ to help support them.

They rely heavily on the public visiting and supporting them. This way they can continue to educate us all about the wildlife on our doorstep and carry on with their conservation work.

Pay them a visit. Great little place not many people seem to know about.

For more info on how you can spend your day there visit https://britishwildlifecentre.co.uk

Do check out the days they’re open and times too as they are not open on week days unless during state school holidays.

British Wildlife Centre, Eastbourne Rd, Lingfield, Surrey. RH7 6LF.

Leeds Castle has everything you need for a good day out, especially if you have boys who need space to run around in! You don’t have to be in love with knights to enjoy it, added bonus if you are. There’s lots to do with many pretty garden areas to appreciate and plenty of places to purchase refreshments.

The great thing about Leeds Castle compared to some others, is that once you purchase your tickets, you can return as many times that year as you want to. We have now been back four or five times this year free of charge. Just make sure you have your photo taken for their system and keep your tickets somewhere safe. We would definitely suggest you pay the little bit extra to upgrade to a ‘freedom pass’ https://www.leeds-castle.com/eshop/Admission+Tickets+and+Freedom+Pass/Freedo as it gives you access to as many free ferry and train trips as you like. These are extra each time you use them if not.

As you enter, you walk to the castle through the grounds where you are surrounded by a variety of water birds.

You can then choose to visit the castle keep which is full of interesting things for kids to look at and steeped in history (avoid your kids taking in any pretend weapons as you can easily knock things by accident inside, this is from experience!). Buggies cannot be taken inside the castle but access with these is ok everywhere else.

Alternatively, you can head straight to the fabulous play areas.

You can do this on foot and just follow the main path or by hopping on the ferry that drops you off on the other side of the lake next to the outdoor play areas. One is designed for the younger kiddies and the other larger wooden castle style play area is for older children. However, they are currently well underway with building a brand new play area that looks brilliant! Opening April 2019 they said so check first to avoid any disappointment.

Over by the play areas there is a maze to try and find your way out of and a small, but brilliant, falconry area. There is a falconry flying display most weekends and during the week during peak season. If you’re interested in birds of prey the staff are very knowledgeable and my 8yr old was lucky enough to be offered a ‘behind the scenes’ tour. It was brilliant seeing him get up close and personal with these awesome birds.

If you’re all tired out on the way back you can hitch a lift on the castle train which takes you an alternative scenic route to the car park area/ shop drop off.

There is quite a lot of walking involved so if you have very little ones or reluctant walkers I’d recommend taking a buggy.

Food is not extortionate, but we often take a picnic as there are benches near the play areas and a grass area to sit on near the falconry display pen. Ice creams and hot drinks served there too.

The good thing about the return ticket is you get in free when they might have other popular events on such as the knights jousting and the Christmas market.

More information on how to make the most of your day here can be found at https://www.leeds-castle.com

This family friendly model village has been around for years. I have fond memories of going as a family when I was small.

Every time we go they spot something they didn’t see last time.

It is cleverly set out across a fairly small area really designed so that you wander through the 100s of miniature scenes following a path carved out to guide you through every little bit so that that you don’t miss anything. Interspersed as you walk around is the miniature railway.

The trains run alongside everything else creating points of interest for little ones as the trains travel around the village stopping at the various stations.

Our boys love to follow the trains around and watch them pull in to the stations dotted around the village.

There is something beautiful about the somewhat crude little figures at times who are surrounded by such attention to detail. There are areas in need of some care and attention, but for me, this just added to the well recorded history and authenticity of the place.

I particularly liked the way it wasn’t heavily fenced off everywhere and the kids could get on their hands and knees to look into the windows of shops and buildings as if they were giants visiting a far off place.

There is a very nice tea room serving hot and cold drinks, food and ice creams. Very reasonably priced, good food too. This is right next to the play area which, although not huge, is great for little ones. Be careful if wet though as it can be slippery.

The one thing I would say, if visiting on a wet day take decent rain wear and an umbrella as although there are covered seated areas for picnics, everyone heads for these when it rains as the model village area itself is quite open.

There is a little train ride you can hop on for a small fee. Think it was £1 a person last time we were there. Our littlest loved it!

There are some motor boats that you can drive around the pond area, again these are a small additional cost. (Ours thought they were driving them anyway!)

There is allocated parking next to the village opposite a church but it is likely limited at peak season. We have always managed to park there though if arriving for opening or just after. If full there are a couple of other car parks plus some residential parking on the roads locally.

Once in the village it feels really safe and would be hard for any children to exit unaccompanied.

There is a shop on the way out selling all sorts of model and train themed bits. Quite good if you have little friends’ birthdays coming up.

If you have a buggy you can take these in but due to the paths being fairly narrow and not strictly one way (they do try and indicate which way you should go) you can leave buggy at entrance or once you are in. If you have a toddler I would suggest you take your reins if you use these generally.

No dogs allowed here I’m afraid and you’ll see why once there.

If you fancy it you can find admission prices and lots more info at:

https://www.bekonscot.co.uk

This little gem is well worth a visit if you are looking for a day out for the kids.

Out-take: When our youngest was 2yrs old his grandparents took him here for a day out.

Whilst amidst the charming little models, he declared he needed ‘a caterpillar pooooooo!’ Despite toilets being fairly nearby, they didn’t think they’d make it so out came the potty and by station no.6 as the train approached, he did his business in front of everyone! Got up, wiped and off he went while my dad walked around with a potty full of poo! Charming indeed 🙂