Five Tips for a Great Day at Twycross Zoo

As the summer came to an end, we headed over to Twycross zoo

to take a look at the new Gruffalo Discovery Land.

Here are my 5 tips for a great visit.

1. Before you get there, book your tickets. It's always cheaper to book your tickets in advance online. There are also some great offers to be had. In the past, my family has benefitted from free entry with a Blue Peter badge, free entry for dads on fathers day and free entry for educators with my school badge at certain times of year. Blue Light cards also give discounts.

2. Visit The Gruffalo Discovery Land early in the day. It's Twycross' newest attraction and it gets busy by the afternoon. We went through the ticket booths, turned left and walked back on ourselves to get in there as the first thing that we did. This meant that my children where able to press the buttons and do the games without queuing or rushing.

3. Time your gift shop visit! When we left the zoo in the middle of the afternoon, the gift shop was rammed and the queue was snaking around the shop. Everyone gets funnelled through here as they exit so that perhaps explains why it gets so full as most people are leaving. I'm a bit of. meanie with gift shops, but if your children have got money to spend, a mid morning visit might work better. There are other gift shops at Lorikeet Landing and inside The Gruffalo Discovery Land.

4. Remember towels and swim stuff! There is an excellent splash pad which is open during the summer months at Twycross Zoo. I remembered our things at the last minute but other parents were clearly not so lucky and children were being dried with jumpers. (We've all been there!)

5. Download the map. There are no paper maps as part of the zoo's efforts to be more environmentally friendly. It's very useful to have one though. I photographed a map displayed on a board but we had already done a lot of walking forwards and backwards by that point. (Carrying a 3 year old is tiring!) This makes sure that you don't miss anything and and get to visit your favourite animals.

So, there are my top tips. Please feel free to share your own tips in the comments to help others.

Comments

Michael Morpurgo's Farm Boy @ Lichfield Garrick

The author Michael Morpurgo is a brilliant story teller and his Farm Boy story is no exception. This production has at its core a story that hooks you in and keeps you captivated. A grandfather and his grandson talk you through stories from their family that intertwine with the history of World War One and life on a farm. This play had parts that made me smile and chuckle but more parts that gave me goosebumps and a ripple of emotion. When grandfather made a confession and called on his grandson to help him, I was hooked waiting to hear the burden that he had born for his entire life. No spoilers though, come and see the play for yourself. The music in Farm Boy is an original score written by Matt Marks. It enhanced the story telling evoking memories and pictures in my mind. This combined with the strength of the story is clearly the reason the show has been at the Edinburgh Fringe and 'off Broadway' in New York. Throughout the show, there are just two actors on the stage: Gran

Midlands Family Days Out in 2023

Many of you love planning family days out. So what's better than viewing a year ahead? I will update this post to share great days out around the West Midlands for families. Many of the events that I share are either free or low cost. Feel free to book mark the this page to see new information as the year progresses. Also find me on Instagram @capablechild January Lunar New year Celebrations fill the Bullring and Grand Central with performances on Saturday 21st January. These continue in Birmingham's Southside on Sunday 22nd January with food stalls, family activities and performances. We have joined in these celebrations in previous years and my children loved the lively, bright dancing. https://www.birminghamhippodrome.com/save-the-date-lunar-new-year-celebrations-return-to-birmingham-in-january/ February Dippy the Dinosaur arrives in Coventry at The Herbert Art Gallery. Tickets are free but expect them to go fast! Over half term there are family activities including crafts

Beauty and the Beast @ Lichfield Garrick

“That was so funny I nearly wet myself!” Such was my 11 year old daughter’s review of the Lichfield Garrick’s 2023 Christmas Panto - Beauty and the Beast. Truth be told, although I hopefully have more bladder control than that, I was in pretty close agreement with her. I’m not sure which part of the show was the most hilarious. It may have been the obligatory slapstick gunge and slide routine making pudding in the Beast’s castle kitchen. However, Figgy the animated (and socially borderline) Greek statue was in hot pursuit. Had I been the unsuspecting gentleman who sat on the front row I may have found the audience participation rather less comedic (he loved it really!!!). What I do know though is that by the end of the evening my sides hurt, I’d become seriously dehydrated and my daughter and I were ready for the festive Christmas season to begin! You may wonder how Beauty and the Beast could pass for panto? However, Sam Rabone’s annual Pantomime dame, reappearing as Belle’s hideously

Capable Child

Search This Blog