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This day I love.......

I was provided with 4 complimentary tickets to visit the National Forest Adventure farm. All words in this post are my own personal opinion

My youngest daughter absolutely loves unicorns, although I don't think she is alone in this. Imagine her surprise that for her birthday we would be visiting the National Forest Adventure Farm and their special Unicorn Daze event. It was our first visit to the National Forest Adventure Farm and so we had no idea what to expect.

The journey was really easy and National Forest Adventure Farm is well signposted off the A38 making it easy to find our way. Car parking is free and we were directed were to park. A short walk to a very small queue and we were soon inside ready to begin our adventure. It was raining when we arrived and just a little before lunch so we decided to make the most of the restaurant and indoor soft play.

The selection of both hot and cold food was good and we had no issues finding a table, it was rather busy with the wet weather but we still managed to all get seated easy. After lunch it was time to tackle the soft play. There were three birthday parties happening at the same time as we were inside but that is nothing unusual to a soft play area. Little Man didn't want to go in the under 5 section instead he wanted to follow his sisters.

The main soft play has 2 drop slides, well three really but two are together and one rainbow slide. For one and half hours I spent walking up the stairs carrying a mat and repeatedly taking Little Man on this rainbow slide. He absolutely loved it. My girls got braver and eventually tried the drop slide. My eldest now hooked on adrenaline she wouldn't stop and kept going down the drop slides. Once was enough for my youngest who kept perching her bum on the edge and then changing her mind.

A break in the weather meant we could go outside and do some of the unicorn related activities. This was a special weekend event and whilst we were there we looked at some of the events coming up including a dinosaur one I am sure Little Man would love and the Christmas one looks magical. National Forest Adventure Farm also have pumpkin picking and potato picking and this week they shared a photo on their Facebook page of them sowing the seeds. 

Our first unicorn related activity was to meet the unicorns. I was informed the unicorns get to wash their hair in a special horse chalk to help keep their colour. 


The queue to meet the unicorns was only short, perhaps we timed it right, and we never felt rushed or pressured to move on. The girls gave the unicorn a stroke and then we we headed out to try the unicorn fortune trail. Our fortune seemed to be on the positive side, which is always good. 

As the weather seemed to be holding we decided to stay outside and visit the animals in the field. You can feed the animals if you want to and all the animals seem to be aware of this, coming over the the gates for a closer look and to see if you had food.


All the animals had plenty of outdoor space to walk around in and they all seemed very friendly too.


We had wanted to watch the sheep racing but we couldn't figure out how to get to it, even though we could hear it so instead we played in the giant sand pit with the diggers and took on the climbing wall. It was nearly time for our tractor ride. Little Man was very excited and I can't quite believe I got a photo of all three of my children all looking and smiling at the camera!


The tractor ride lasted around 10 minutes and drove around the fields of the farm. We had to spot the scarecrows that were in the fields and when we did we had to shout very loud. Little Man seemed to really love this game and was smiling from ear to ear.

Included with admission was either a balloon or face painting. Little Man was too young for face painting and opted for a balloon, the girls however both had their faces done.


The weather seemed to finally be easing so it was time to venture outside and explore more of what National Forest Adventure Farm had to offer.


There was still so much of the farm to explore and I am glad the weather held so we could. The kitchen garden was really colourful and fun to explore, the Frisbee golf however drew all three kids straight over.

We've never played before and there was a slight wind. My eldest took to it straight away, my youngest daughter however seemed to develop a skill at throwing the Frisbee backwards. It was really good fun and even Little Man got involved.


The splash zone was closed due to the weather, and the girls decided to watch the football shoot out and not take part. After playing in the adventure playground we headed over to the bouncy pillows, everyone always loves those. In fact we spent so long on them we lost track of time and missed collecting the hens eggs and helping to groom the horses.


All three children were having lots of fun but we had one final activity to do before we went home, feed the newborn lambs. The girls were incredibly excited as we made our way over to the animal barn. After looking at the animals in the barn we watched the Jersey cows getting milked. It was then time to feed the lambs. Little Man was too shy to do so, at only three I can understand but the girls however absolutely loved it. The lambs loved their milk and what an amazing experience for the girls to take part in.

The weather was starting to turn again so rather than play adventure golf or ride the pedal cars again we decided to have half hour on the slides before heading home. 

We stayed right until closing and no one wanted to leave, my youngest even said she had had the best day ever. Little Man fell asleep in the car before we had even left the car park. It really was such a fun day and we shall certainly be back to National Forest Adventure Farm.


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Little Man has started making progress with his speech.  First he was more interested in developing his climbing skills but now communication seems to be his main priority.  It is lovely listening to him babble and make sounds, and more so that he now says Mummy.  We play daily with our Schleich animals as a way for Little Man to learn to recognise both animals and their sounds.  We take some animals in the bath too, one of the great things about Scheich is they can be used anywhere.

Using our Farm animals Little Man has been listening to me make random farm animals noises,  particularly cows, as we have a herd and he likes to check that each one makes the same noise.  Which probably explains his love for cows.  His first animal noise was to moo and point at the cows in the field.  I know that our creative play with our Schleich animals is working for his animal recognition.

His farm has got even better lately with the addition of a Tractor with trailer.  I must first point out that the recommended age is over 3, but Little Man is stubborn and so I supervise his play.  As you would expect from Schleich the quality is absolutely fantastic and certainly built to last.  Even with Little Man pulling and pushing on the tractor.


The large, chunky, grooved wheels are a real source of entertainment for him.  He hits and spins them, his fingers the right size.


The door open and shut with ease, and Little Man can put the farmer inside ready to drive the tractor.  Little Man then peers into the tractor and waves at the farmer, The transparent, break-resistant plastic is perfect for Little Man and his sometimes rather clumsy toddler fingers, he can see the farmer and easily open and close the doors to play.  Little Man has also spotted himself in the mirrors a few times too when he peers into the tractor!


Little Man also loves the moving front loader.  Perfect for picking up some of the farm animals or pretending to dig in the farm.



Sometimes Little Man has more animals to transport and the trailer comes in very handy for this.  All four sides can be put down or one at a time, meaning we can pretend to load in the animals for movement around our farm.


The trailer adds onto the tractor to allow it to be transported around the farm.  Little Man makes 'Brum Brum' noises as he moves the tractor and trailer around the farm yard.


Little Man loves his tractor and trailer and it has made a great addition to his farm yard.  He also has grown attached to 'moo' as he is called, as I often find him in his hand walking around the house. 

The tractor and trailer were sent for review, all words are my own opinion. 
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The Schleich Farm World started set features 4 animal figures from Schleich, Cow, Donkey, Sheep and Cockerel.  As you would expect from Schleich the figures are of a great quality and are true to life, meaning they are instantly recognisable.  Little Man turns one this week and with it starts a new phase in his development.  We have begun talking about different animals, he already knows dog and points to J and says 'Og', so we have started with Farm animals.

Schleich Farm animals have brought all the children together in their imaginative worlds.  The girls move the animals around saying the different animal noises and Little Man plays with them 


There are not many products available that a 6,4 and 1 year old can all play with together, but in completely different ways.  Little Man tested out the quality by bashing the animals on the table and chewing them.  Each one with stood his tough play and still look as vibrant.


My youngest daughter started making up stories about the different animals and showed Little Man.  He would pick them up and look at them before handing back to his sister to make the noises again.  The animals are all small enough to be portable, so when we do visit a farm we can take them with us to reinforce his understanding of the different farm animals.


 Little Man loves to pick up each farm animal and look at them.  They are the perfect size and weight for him to look at and as he plays with them more he will begin to learn more about each animal, especially as his sisters have taken it upon himself to show him!


The Schleich animal farm starter set was sent for review, all words are my own opinion. 
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For many years we have driven along the A64 through York and seen signs for Piglets Adventure Farm, but have never been and never known what was there.  One day during the school holiday we decided to explore and see what adventures were in store.

After stopping for lunch in the newly refurbished cafe, which also included a soft play area, we began our adventure outside.  The girls saw the giant bouncy pillows and wasted no time in bouncing!




The girls decided they did not want to take part in the water balloon fights, but this did not matter as there was still plenty to do.  There was plenty of space to run around and be free and simply be kids.  The girls loved the opportunity to climb and play on the out door play equipment. 


Piglets adventure farm has a huge variety of activities to suit most ages.  The pedal karts have two areas, one for younger kids and one for slightly bigger kids.  There are spaces to play football or catch or generally run around.  Plenty to keep the whole family entertained.


Everything is included in the entry price even the scenic tractor rides and the barrel rides which the girls absolutely loved.  They sped off round a pre made dirt track and came back bouncing in their barrels and giggling.


We saw plenty of families using the picnic tables or placing blankets on the grass for a picnic, we made use of the cafe which had plenty of choice at very reasonable prices.


We decided to have a go in the Maize maze before heading over to the playground to play some more.



After we had watched an amazing magic show, which the girls still talk about, it was time for a little surprise.  I told the girls to stand in the giant ring along with the other children.  Music started playing and the girls wondered what was going to happen, then the foam came!  Their faces were amazing!  They had never had a foam party before and just started jumping up and down in all the foam.



Two girls giggling and covered in foam after having a fun filled day, they both absolutely loved their day out and we will be visiting again.  


Thanks to Piglets Adventure Farm for inviting us to visit, we loved our day out!

All words are my own opinion 
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The girls wanted to have raspberries on their cereal this morning but we had run out.  Rather than a trip to the shops we got dressed and went fruit picking.  

The girls loved exploring the raspberry canes that towered above them.  They looked high and low to find the ruby red raspberry.  

Looking for fruit to pickhunting low for fruit

seeking high for fruit picking fruit picking adventures

They filled their buckets with the bright red raspberries.

They had gotten a feel for fruit picking and soon wanted to see what other fruits could be found.  Their favourite was the blackcurrants and exploring between the rows 

Blackcurrant picking

We spent the morning picking fruit and exploring the farm.  The girls had a great time and are currently enjoying their raspberries for their breakfast!

This day I love Fruit Picking Friday 
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This Sunday the girls and I were going to go and visit a farm who are preparing for open farm Sunday. Open farm Sunday is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to find out more about farms and the great work they do. Discovering more about how our food is produced and how farmers help manage the countryside. Every farm taking part in open farm Sunday can run their own events and often include things like pond dipping, tractor rides, farmers markets and picnics. I was excited to take the girls as it sounded like an amazing opportunity for us, unfortunately disaster struck.

After 3 hours of driving we could not find our farm. Not familiar with the local area we drove round in circles and got very lost. The farmer was very understanding and even recommended alternate places for us so as to not waste a day out. We will have to find a farm near to us for open farm Sunday on the 7th June in order for us to make the most of the event.

After all the time spent driving around in circles I only had another hour before we had to set off back home. We stumbled across a little farm tucked off the dual carriage way and decided to explore. At least this way the girls got to see something rather than a wasted journey. The farm wasn't an ordinary farm, it was instead for horses. It had an indoor and outdoor horse jumping arena and some stables. The girls even found a playarea.

Youngest in play area

The girls stretched their legs on the play area and burned off some energy before we headed to the stables. The owners had very kindly let us have a look around as I explained to them our situation. We even got to see some of the horses jumping.

in the horse stable

Watching the horses jump and the young girls ride the horses seemed to spark something in my eldest daughter. She is still too small to ride a horse so instead she opted to play her new computer game Star Stable. 

Star Stable is a virtual horse game.  You download the game onto your computer and then log in via your own account.  You can complete quests, take part in horse riding competitions and even train your own horse.  The graphics are great and you get a real sense of riding around the island of Jorvik.  The game does allow instant messaging and so I supervise my daughter whilst she plays.  If you have friends who play the game you can also play together.  

Whilst the day ma not have gone exactly to plan both girls had a lovely time with the horses and now both girls can play Star Stable to fuel their horse riding passion.

This day I love unexpected events


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My girls love stickers and if your children are anything like mine stickers do not seem to last very long. They get stuck everywhere and then simply do not peel off and re stick. I have lost track of the number of stickers I have removed from the front door.

Farm jigsaw and sticker book really appealed to my daughters. First the sticker book. The stickers can be peeled and re stuck, which means they can be re used to create lots of different pictures. Best still they have been stuck on the front door and I have managed to peel them off with ease.

Farm jigsaw and stickers

The jigsaw is really lovely, it has 36 pieces and they are of a decent size for a 3 year old to handle. The jigsaw is bright and colourful and full of farmyard fun. Children can explore the farm naming the animals and the colours. It is a beautiful jigsaw to complete on an evening to help the girls unwind.

The set from little tiger kids is priced at £8.99 and would make a beautiful gift for any child aged 3 - 5 years.

We were sent the farm jigsaw and sticker book for review, all words are my own opinion 
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It was a rainy day today but my youngest wanted to see some animals.  We decided to visit the farm, and thought we would try a new one.  Matlock farm park is a new farm for us, but the site looked amazing and one I wanted to take my daughter to.

We arrived and was immediately greeted by the farm cat, my youngest was so excited by this and seemed to want to stay and play with the cat.


We headed inside [or outside as the case maybe] and began to explore.  There was a beautiful wooden pirate ship themed play ground but it was a little wet so we headed over to the meerkats.  My youngest had arrived just in time as it was feeding time.  She was given an egg and some meal worms to throw in, which she took great pride in doing.

We began to explore more of the farm following the trail, which is pushchair friendly.  I came across this beautiful face peering over the fence


My daughter loved that she could feed the animals and was allowed to interact with them.  The alpacas were normally too scared to come over to be fed but they came over for the first time to my youngest.  Even the baby, Poppy, came over and took food.


My youngest wanted to stroke all the animals, even the pigs!


I was impressed by Freddie, I don't think I have ever seen a red deer before.  He was very handsome


Of course you cannot visit the farm without seeing some cheeky goats.


Or in this case some cheeky Donkeys


There was even time to feed the ducks


and give carrots to the horse


Before we headed over to the small animal centre.  My youngest held a Rabbit, Guinea Pig and a chicken


 Before meeting a very cute Leopold Gecko


We had a wonderful day exploring the farm even in the rain and are looking to go back next week with her sister for the Halloween activities. 

This day I love a rainy day at the farm,


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About me

About Me

Welcome to This Day I love.

My name is Leyla, also known as Mum to my 3 humans and dog Mum to J. I have a passion for the outdoors and love to run. I can often be found off road exploring the trails and fells and covering distances all the way up to 50 miles. As a family we love travelling and discovering new adventures, as I try and run around the world!

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