Days out in Kent - Bearsted Woods

This summer has seen us discovering more of the county we live in and one of the places we have visited recently and enjoyed is Bearsted Woods near Maidstone.  Also known as the People's wood, the area is a good size for exploring with small people as the walks are all a shorter length and there is a lovely play area too.  We took a picnic and found a great choice of tables to sit at and during the hours we spent there, I think we only saw one other family!

We crossed over a lake and saw a field of friendly goats and there were signs around the area telling us about insects and nature we could spot on the trails.  We found a maze mown into the ground and although it wasn't tall enough to get lost in, the kids loved finding their way through it.  One of their favourite features was a line of painted rocks that extended for many metres and we wished we had brought one with us to add to the snake of them along the side of the path.  The paths were wide and well maintained and the kids loved going off route to explore their own short cuts (which were usually much longer).

We planned our day so that the playground was at the end of our walk.  All through the woods there are 'trim trails' which are stations with instructions for specific exercises, like the monkey bars, balance beams and spots to do star jumps.  The main playground was great though and there was something for all ages.  If you live locally, it is a lovely place to spend an afternoon but there are no amenities in the woods so you do need to bring enough water and use the toilet before you arrive.  There is a small shop not far from the playground if you need to stock up on anything (we went on a very hot day and ran out of drinks before the end of it).  For any Pokemon Go enthusiasts, there are also lots of Pokestops and two gyms within the woods!

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Days Out in Devon // The Bear Trail

As a child, I don't think there is anything more irresistible than a muddy puddle to jump in, and when we visited The Bear Trail in Cullompton, Devon there were enough muddy puddles for everyone and no parents telling you not to splash it up your trousers!

We were invited along and given our tickets in exchange for sharing our day on Instagram but we had such an amazing experience, I wanted to write it on here so I can look back whenever I want to.  We arrived dressed in our oldest and most stained clothes (including an old school tshirt for Archie that was so grubby it wasn't going to be worn again) and old shoes, with a bag full of clean things ready for afterwards.  The course was self explanatory and we understood we should stay apart from others not in our household when queuing for the busier sections.  The course was big with plenty for everyone though and once we realised the queues were due to everyone wanting to start in the same place, it became easier to stay away and not worry about them.

The children all started to get muddy slowly, first the feet which made them squeal, and then a little splash onto their trousers and within half an hour Dylan was lying in a mud pit pretending to swim.  All four of them took on the huge slide which you accessed by climbing up a netted hill and all disappeared behind the mud as they came hurtling down.  There were all the obstacles you would expect from balance beams to zip-lines to climbing walls and it was easy to avoid anything you didn't fancy attempting.  At just turned 4 and petite for her age, Cora had no problem getting involved and loved the obstacles, but I would say Dylan and Archie at 7 and 9 years old were the most engaged with it all and had to be dragged away after our allotted 3 hours were up.  Most families had given up before than and headed to the outdoor showers and the pizza cafe but our children were determined to keep going until the very end!

It was an experience we won't forget in a hurry, I tried every single obstacle myself and towards the end it was a lot of parents giving it a go whilst the exhausted children rested! The boys have tried to convince me it is worth an 8 hour round trip to go again and we will definitely visit next time we are in the area.

When you have finished there are outdoor showers to hose off and indoor changing rooms and I was pleased that I had remembered the bin bags to put all our filthy wet clothes in! The organised parents had buckets - definitely a good tip for next time!  The cafe serves food and we were hoping to get a pizza but after queuing for half an hour they told us at the counter that the people in front of us were the last to be served hot food so if you want to eat you need to order early or eat elsewhere.  There was a pub directly opposite which served a lovely lunch though so we didn't have to go far!

The Bear Trail site is all outdoors and there was information about staying Covid safe.  It was easy to stay distanced from others and we were impressed with how it was all handled.

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Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N at London ExCel

Archie and I were invited to the preview event of a new exhibit outside London ExCel, the Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N, an interactive Avengers experience for kids and adults that will be there until the end of March 2019.  Archie is a big superhero fan and was hoping to see more about Hulk and Thanos and was excited to see both were featured.

At 5 years old, he doesn't have the longest attention span and isn't keen on reading but there was plenty to keep him entertained and his favourite part was a virtual reality game where you become Iron Man and fight off the baddies.  We loved the photo opportunities and the life size models of the different Iron Man costumes.  The exhibit focuses mostly on the big players but there is something to see about all the characters that form the avengers team.

I loved spending some time with just Archie and I couldn't resist the games, especially a quick response one where you have to shoot only the baddies and not the Avengers.  As we went on a press night it wasn't as busy as normal so we spent about an hour in the experience.  You are able to do it all at your own speed and you can go back to the beginning at any point too.  Once you go into the final zone however for a big battle, you can't go back.  I liked that you can do it at your own pace as it meant that we could flit back and forth.

I would have liked to see more information and maybe more details on some of the lesser known characters.  Archie loved it though and would happily visit again! He enjoyed getting his ID card at the end and getting a photo with the avengers and both were taken into school the next day for show and tell! 

Tickets are from £25 per adult and £14 per child and if you have children that love superheroes, it is a great experience. You can find out more on the Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N  website

Thanks to the Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N team for inviting us along!

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An Easter Outing

This year the Easter weekend has seemed even more special than usual.  I have two children old enough to know what is going on, a little one who can have his very first taste of chocolate and the promise of two weeks with no school run and my biggest little boy at home,  Over the long weekend we managed to fit in some spring cleaning, catching up with friends, quiet time in the house, family time and an Easter outing too.  The winds blew, the sun shone, the chocolate disappeared pretty fast and three little boys were already asleep as their heads hit the sheets each night.

Easter Monday was the day we had planned a day out and despite the fact the wind had howled all night (and blown over our fence panels), the sun was still shining and we needed a day of fresh air.  We headed to our local Wildlife centre as it has something for everyone and had such a lovely day that we all came home smiling.

I love seeing the big cats but we seem to spend the longest time in the reptile house as the big two are fascinated by lizards, snakes, crocodiles and rodents.  It works out well if you manage to time it so that you are in there whilst it rains and enjoy the nicer parts of the day outside though.

We love this park as it has a playground inside that has so much to do and we spend just as long climbing and sliding as we do looking at the animals (and there is a soft play inside so that Finn can get out the buggy or sling and explore too).  There are also ride on electric trucks that they have to have a go on each time we visit.

I can't wait to spend two whole weeks with my favourite small people now, especially considering that when the new term starts Archie will be doing more hours at nursery and our time together will be even more precious. 

How was your Easter Weekend?

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