This day I love.......: fun

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You may have read about our visit to William’s Den recently for the Christmas Den Experience, it was here that I met The Magic Hatter. He invited my children and I to watch his Christmas show in York. A family festive fun show full of magic and wonder, what is not to love. Especially when my eldest daughter loves magic tricks, I knew this would be a treat for them all to enjoy.

We made the short journey over to York one afternoon to a place called the Hive. I wasn’t sure what to expect and neither did the children, but they spotted Father Christmas walking across the car park and so were eager to follow him inside.

After a short wait we entered the theater, our seats were on the back row but we could still see the stage. We spotted The Magic Hatter making his way through the crowd saying hello and greeting people as they entered. I thought this was such a lovely thing to do and it made everyone feel very welcome indeed.

The set had a very definite Christmas theme to it. A log fire place, a warm cosy chair and plenty of Christmas decorations. The show began and the magic hatter introduced us to his elf who would assist throughout the performance. You could feel a buzz of excitement throughout the theater and immediately all the children were gripped.

I can’t remember the last time I watched a show which captivated children of all ages as much as this did. It soon became clear the Magic Hatter has rather a lot of hats, perhaps even more than I do and that is saying something. I was waiting to see what hat would come next, and even some of them I wanted to google to find out where they were from.

My eldest daughter was watching all the magic tricks very closely, she said afterwards that they were soooo good Mummy I couldn’t figure them out. I think that is high praise indeed. She has talked endlessly about the mouse from the show. I guess I know which her favourite bit was. Her fear got to her however as she wanted to take part in the section of the show which asked for volunteers. Magic tricks are her thing and one day she will be brave enough to volunteer. She is disappointed in herself for not putting herself forward, I think more so that the ones who did got a little memento.

As for Little Man, well, at three years old I wasn’t sure how much of the show he would follow or for that matter understand but I have never heard him laugh and giggle as much as he did watching the Magic Hatter. In fact if The Magic Hatter lived closer I would honestly hire him for a birthday party for my son, he had him that entertained. The show captivated him. Watching his face as candy canes appeared from nothing was wondrous. His giggle was infectious. He just loved it.

The show is a good mix of humour, festive fun and magic. It is suitable for children of all ages and as entertainers go The Magic Hatter is simply first class. I would definitely recommend watching the Magic Hatter Christmas show next year but be quick because tickets do sell out fast, I am not surprised either it was fantastic.

Thank you for inviting us to the show.

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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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We have just had the most fantastic time in Vancouver, spending a week there followed by a week in Whistler. It was quite a difficult trip to plan given the ages of my children but we filled each day with fun and something for everyone.

1. Stanley Park

There is just so much to see and do in Stanley Park. Playgrounds for the kids to play on, walks through the park, beautiful rose gardens and playing fields. Stanley park is also brimming with history and one of the best ways to see it is with a horse drawn carriage. The tours are really family friendly and include a stop at the totem poles. It was an amazing way to learn more about the history of the park and then afterwards you can walk back to explore further some of the different areas of the park. I personal love the contrast across the water of the trees on one side and the skyscrapers of the city on the other. I could spend days exploring Stanley Park and never get bored. The kids loved it too and had we known about the splash park before we went we would have taken swimming costumes.

2. Vancouver Aquarium

Slight cheat here as Vancouver Aquarium is within Stanley Park, but it really does need it's own section. The aquarium has larger indoor exhibits like the amazon jungle which have a variety of different animals not just marine life. These were lovely to walk through and take our time exploring. There are plenty of water fountains so that you can fill up any reusable bottles or have a drink. The aquarium has several exhibits on the impact of plastic and as a result do not sell any plastic, including drinks in plastic bottles. Worth remembering if you have small children that you need to take drinks with you.

The aquarium has both an indoor area and outdoor. The outdoor is where you will find dolphins, seals, penguins and of course the beavers. Inside are the large exhibits of various oceans and marine creatures around Canada. There are scheduled shows and feeding times, and plenty to look at to keep even my 2 year old entertained.

3. Granville Island

Granville Island was a bit of a hidden gem. It does get very busy and we were very lucky to find a parking space, alternatively parking in downtown Vancouver and catching a water taxi across is another option. Granville Island features an indoor market. We simply walked around over lunch time. The plan was to buy some food and have a picnic. What actually happened was we sampled so much lovely food walking round the market that we were full and didn't want lunch. The children were taking in by all the sights and smells. Oh and of course they loved tasting everything too, especially the cake and sweet treats!

There are plenty of other shops too. An indoor children's market selling a range of toys and a soft play area. Homemade dog treats, art supplies, clothes and souvenirs were just a sample of the variety of shops we saw. Had we arrived 10 minutes earlier we would have also set sail on the pirate ship, which sounded lots of fun but we just missed the sailing.

Granville Island is also full of some amazing street art. There is just so much colour, from the walls to the store fronts it is something completely different.

We happened to stumble upon a splash park too whilst we were there. It was completely free to use. A smaller area for Little man to play in. Sprays for him to run through, a fire hydrant with hose attached to spray water around and of course little fountains to run through. The girls had a water slide and a larger splash area to play in. It wasn't busy either, which actually surprised me given how hot it was. Adjacent to the splash park is a playground with large sand pit and slide to play on.

We spent an entire day at Granville Island and that was without boarding the pirate boat or even the shore walk. The girls even enjoyed walking round and looking at all the different shops. Before we left we went back to the market to buy cake and we sat and watched the water taxis by the waterfront.

4. Lynn Canyon Park

This was one of those accidentally stumble upon places, but am so glad we did. First parking and entrance to the park are completely free. Perfect for a low cost option and a full day out. There are plenty of walks, hikes and trails to follow and this was exactly how we started our day, followed by a picnic.

Everything was really well sign posted and there were plenty of people around but not so many that you felt crowded. We bumped into lots of locals walking their dogs who kept stopping for a chat, which was really lovely too.

There is also a suspension bridge, that is again free to cross over and gave some amazing views over the park. The real highlight though is the number of fresh water pools available to swim in. It took the girls a while to get used to the idea of swimming outside but they soon loved it.

If you fancy it too there were people jumping in from the rock edges, but that looked a little too risky for me.

5. Capilano Suspension bridge

I think this is perhaps one of the scariest things I have ever done. I absolutely hate heights and a I really have a strong dislike for bridges. When your kids want to do something though you put on your big girls pants and do it for them.

Capilano suspension bridge is huge. It is also incredibly high up and the later in the day you go the busier it gets. We went when it first opened and you can see how busy the bridge is. It sways quite a lot too.

You do have to pay to enter the park and for parking so it can work out quite an expensive trip out. We had visited all the attractions within half a day, and I would certainly recommend getting there first thing.

In addition to the suspension bridge there is the sky walk, and on the other side of the bridge there is a tree tops adventure. The girls loved the bridges on the tree tops adventure walk. Little Man loved watching all the Salmon in the stream that ran through the park. We even spotted a heron. The girls took part in an explorer quiz which was lots of fun and got them to explore the park further and learn more about its history. We even stumbled upon squirrels who were throwing nuts out of trees at people.

6. Grouse Mountain

I had wanted to walk up Grouse mountain but the children didn't like that idea and wanted to go up in the cable car. I dislike cable cars as much as I dislike bridges, so I really wasn't happy about this. Still the top of the mountain was worth it.

I think one of our highlights was meeting Grinder and Coola the two bears that live on the top of the mountain. They were busy eating watermelon and cooling off in their pond. Little Man kept shouting bears, he really loved them

We also watched the birds of prey show, which was really interesting and it was great to see some birds we hadn't seen before.

When we first arrived on the mountain we caught the Lumberjack show half way, the girls enjoyed it so much they made us sit and wait for another showing. I wasn't complaining.

The show itself was great fun and the girls still talk about it over a month having watched it. I won't spoil the show for you, but certainly go and give it a watch.

Whilst we were in Canada there were a lot of wildfires which meant a lot of smoke. As a result a lot of the views were none existent but you could tell on a clear day how stunning it would be. Even without having the views to admire we passed an entire afternoon on the mountain. Even stopping to have our dinner on the top before heading home in the evening.

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Back in 2012 I visited Stockeld Park for the very first time. My eldest daughter was 2 years old, my youngest in a pushchair and Little Man hadn't been born. In fact it became one of the very first blog posts I wrote, and since then we have returned several times.

Even though we have visited in the past Stockeld park never looses its charm or its appeal. Every time we visit there seems to be something new to see or do, as well as our favourites. Our adventures started with the maze. You would think completing it previously we would know the way but we still end up lost!

The girls wanted to explore every aspect of the maze as they were looking for the buckets and spades hidden inside. I won't say how many we did find, there is a strong chance we counted some more than once! There is plenty to see and do inside the maze as well so it keeps even the smallest of children entertained.

Last time we visited Little Man was a baby and so didn't do many of the activities, this time however he was into everything. The magic of Stockeld park seemed to take over.

There are more play areas in the Enchanted forest from our previous visits and the girls seemed to love these just as much as Little Man. As we walked around the forest looking at the interactive elements we would stop at each play area for the children to run around. I think their favourite was the animal themed one and it was here we also stopped for our picnic.

Little Man spent most of his time digging in the sand. He loves digging and loves rocks, he was in his element. When the heat got too much, he would go and play with the sand in the shade before coming back out again. Running around through the sand with a big grin on his face. His sisters happily playing on the wooden play structures.

Little Man seemed to enjoy his ice cream as we took it easy on one of the swings, before continuing around the Enchanted forest again

Given it was the school summer holidays I was really surprised at how quiet the park felt. Yes there were other people around but it never felt busy. My children never seemed rushed to hurry up on any of the attractions and we could walk around at our own leisurely pace.

We had left the inflatable and outdoor play area for last. It had been a very hot day and had opted to use the shade of the Enchanted forest over lunch in a hope that the areas in full sun would be cooler by the late afternoon. It appeared to have worked and we enjoyed the outdoor play area in the cooler afternoon sun.

The outdoor bouncing pillow was even cool enough to have some fun on. This was a firm favourite of all 3 of my children!

We arrived at opening time and left at closing, one of the last cars out of the car park. The day had gone by really quickly but we had done everything at out own pace. Never once rushing or feeling under pressure. It was a beautiful day in the sunshine and I drove home with three happy children who had had a magical day full of adventure.

This day I love a Summer adventure

Stockeld park invited us to visit, however all words are my own opinion.

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May bank holiday always starts off with celebration, my youngest daughters birthday.

Perhaps the best start to any bank holiday is birthday cake and one with colourful buttercream and unicorns! She was incredibly pleased with her cake and her presents. Her party had been the day before so we celebrated at home after school on Friday night, and perhaps ate far too much cake.

Saturday saw another celebration. My daughters 10th adult parkrun and my 50th. It has taken 3 years to get to this point so feels a long time coming.

The sun as shining and it was such a beautiful day. My eldest daughter did a sprint walk, as per usual, and so no PB's were set but it was just a beautiful morning.

The beautiful weather was also the perfect excuse to play in the allotment too.

I think Little Man would have spent all day digging if we let him!

Sunday was as beautiful as Saturday and the warm weather continued. I had a local race in the morning which I struggled with the heat but loved the route. I love this picture taken by fellow runner and photographer Steve Frith. He is fundraising for Mountain rescue at the moment so any donations are appreciated.

After my run the kids wanted to go on a bike ride so we headed back to the beautiful grounds of Nostell Priory to take advantage of their bike tracks.

A stunning 5km bike ride through the bluebells and the woods. Followed afterwards by a treat of an ice cream in the cafe.

The good weather continued into Monday and another visit to Grandma and Grandad house, and a chance to play once again in the allotment.

All three of my children love the car Grandad made for them and Little Man has now worked out how to drive it. He's not the safest of drivers so his big sister does help him!

Before the sunset on a wonderful Bank holiday I managed to squeeze in one more run. How beautiful is that view!

With the kids successfully worn out from three very sunny days filled with fresh air and out door play we could then unwind on an evening and play the Pointless mini Game.

Similar to the TV show, which we are all huge fans of, the game looks for the answer with the lowest score. Each card contains a question and 5 possible answers but in cryptic format. Work out the answer which you think has the lowest score. There are 6 rounds to play and the overall lowest score wins. With 120 cards it is difficult to remember which answers score the fewest points. I would say the game is for over 12s as some the questions are fairly tricky! Good fun to play when the kids are in bed and a great way to unwind after the bank holiday.

We are looking forward to the next May bank holiday, not long to go!

The pointless game was sent for inclusion in the post. all words are my own opinion.

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