Kids: Wisley Gardens

With the unseasonably good weather and the Wisley membership card the I had forgotten to give back to my friend, today was the perfect day to head to Wisley Gardens. I had Raffy’s friend, Annabelle for the morning too and my granny fancied a bit of fresh air so we all went together.
Wisley Gardens always put on some half term activities so we thought we give the ‘Repulsive Plants and Villainous Vegetables’ clue trail a go. The good thing about following the trail is that it took us to parts of Wisley that we have never noticed before and the kids loved looking out for the clue boards. The only problem we had is that the clues are just too far apart for little ones (aged 4 and 2), so it became a bit of a hassle towards the end. However, with the promise of a sticker as a reward, they kept on going!
We stopped mid way to have our picnic at the Wild at Wisley park which I absolutely love. There are animals carved into tree trunks that you can climb all over, an adventure playground and a teepee building area.

The kids spent ages running around, climbing and hanging off things and it’s amazing to see how much more imaginative they are when playing with such basic equipment. Luckily, the kids wanted lunch early, so by the time we got in there most people we’re heading to the cafe and it was a bit quieter, although was still pretty manic!

Wisley is definitely worth a visit and can be a very inexpensive day out with a RHS Membership (unlimited entry from £40.50 per year and free entry for under 5’s). Check online for the activities going on over half term to help plan your visit.
For more information, click here.

Kids: Best Friends and Tractors at Godstone Farm

This morning, I bundled a very excited boy into the car and headed for the M25. The day that Raffy and Stanley would be reunited was finally here.

Raffy loves other kids, but Stanley has always been special (which is a bonus, as his mum is pretty cool too), so in Dubai we would hang out. A lot. We spent our last play date in Dubai plotting our first one in the UK, and we picked Godstone Farm for its perfectly central position between our two houses.

We arrived a few minutes after the 10am opening time and already had to park half way up a hill, and it’s not even state-school holidays yet. However, the queue to the ticket booth moved quickly and we were straight in. The farm is very sweet and child friendly despite the millions of slightly scary warning signs about washing hands (they had a problem a few years ago so are being extra careful now). We started with the farm trail; a path between fields of cows, donkeys and pigs that the boys loved.

We then stumbled across a series of chicken pens which, surprisingly, excited the boys far more than the bigger animals! Stanley was showcasing his mean chicken dance and Raffy was the daredevil, tempting the chickens with his wiggly little fingers.

Ready for a caffeine fix, we headed into the play barn; a two storey soft play area in a giant barn with cafe and sat and had a (surprisingly good for a press-of-a-button-type machine) coffee while the boys chased each other around. It’s funny seeing them climbing together, as Stanley is so adventurous and has great gross motor control which makes poor Raffy look so careful and clumsy!

After a good climbing session, 20 minutes driving cars and a lap of the Dino Trail, we were ready for refreshments so headed over to the tea room. This was the part that really let it down for me. The till service was so slow that there was a queue out of the door and we had to fight to get to the tiny fridge which stocked the slightly pathetic selection of kids food. On the plus side, there was ample seating both indoors and out so it was no trouble finding a shady spot to sit and have our lunch.

We left after lunch as the boys were getting ratty but we missed out quite a lot of the farm so we will have to do a return journey. They also run feeding and handling sessions which I think Raffy would like, but next time we would definitely bring a picnic!

More information about the times and prices here.

For now, we need to think up some more spots to meet in the next few weeks before they leave to head back to Dubai in September! Raffy needs to make the most of this

Kids: Getting Stuck In

It’s all systems go in our family at the moment. Lots of big reveals to come and lots of prepping for them going on at the moment!

My parents have just bought some land at the back of their house to extend the garden, so this weekend we spent some time cutting down trees, digging out weeds and stacking logs. One would think that a two year old would be quite in the way in such circumstances but actually, Raffy was incredibly good.

We also moved a few wheelbarrows full of compost to another spot in the garden and saw some giant worms and a host of other creepy crawlies. Having been in Dubai for the last year, Raffy hasn’t had much experience with bugs, so he was transfixed! Although he was a lot less impressed when a scoopful of compost flicked up and showered his head; and even though mum and I laughed he failed to see the funny side.

When it came it stacking the logs, I was amazed that he could lift such heavy ones (thanks to his awesome squatting technique). But mostly he liked to direct us to the next one that needed stacking.

After all that hard work, he enjoyed a nice rest in a shady spot by the pond with a big glass of water.

And just when he thought it was all over, we had day two on Sunday! This time it was even more exciting as both Uncle Jim and Uncle Harry were loading the branches into Jim’s van, and Papa was building a shelf in my mum’s office! Obviously, Raffy had a little go with some power tools…… All in the name of education!