The Family Day Out Thread

The Family Day Out Thread

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PH lurker

1,301 posts

156 months

Monday 18th April 2011
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Queen Street Mill in Lancashire is very interesting so well worth a visit as is Ellenroad Steam Museum:

http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/acs/sites/museums/ven...

http://www.ellenroad.org.uk/

SGirl

7,918 posts

260 months

Monday 18th April 2011
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Beaulieu National Motor Museum is a great day out for small petrolheads:

http://www.beaulieu.co.uk/

Every time we've been there so far we've only ever seen the cars and bikes. hehe I wouldn't mind seeing the rest though!

Silver940

3,961 posts

226 months

Monday 18th April 2011
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Puggit said:
Moors Valley Park near Ringwood Hants.

It's free... You only pay to park, which is £8 per day top rate. Large open park, some grass, 2 good playgrounds and a large expense of pine-forest with little play grounds dotted about.

There is a miniature train which is extra - £3 per adult, £2 per child, but it's the best mini-train I've been on...

Today was packed - but there's so much space that it doesn't impact on your trip.

Only criticisms are the COMPLETE lack of bins and lack of toilet facilities in the woods. As they aim to attract younger children this is a problem. When Pugette jnr had to go behind a pile of wood to lay a log, there was ample evidence she was not the first!
We always have an annual pass for Moors, 47quid a year. Living in Ringwood with 4 young kids it's perfect. Agree with the toilets thing ( we have a tommee tippee pottete for the little ones), lack of bins is intentional to get you to take your rubbish home and discourage wasps and squirrels etc.

Go there quite a lot, kids love it!

GT03ROB

13,207 posts

220 months

Monday 18th April 2011
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Silver940 said:
Puggit said:
Moors Valley Park near Ringwood Hants.

It's free... You only pay to park, which is £8 per day top rate. Large open park, some grass, 2 good playgrounds and a large expense of pine-forest with little play grounds dotted about.

There is a miniature train which is extra - £3 per adult, £2 per child, but it's the best mini-train I've been on...

Today was packed - but there's so much space that it doesn't impact on your trip.

Only criticisms are the COMPLETE lack of bins and lack of toilet facilities in the woods. As they aim to attract younger children this is a problem. When Pugette jnr had to go behind a pile of wood to lay a log, there was ample evidence she was not the first!
We always have an annual pass for Moors, 47quid a year. Living in Ringwood with 4 young kids it's perfect. Agree with the toilets thing ( we have a tommee tippee pottete for the little ones), lack of bins is intentional to get you to take your rubbish home and discourage wasps and squirrels etc.

Go there quite a lot, kids love it!
Don't even need that I just walk there! It' a nice peaceful walk & great to get the bike into.

Traveller

4,161 posts

216 months

Monday 18th April 2011
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Silver940 said:
Did go to Legoland yesterday, unfortunatley due to an error on my part we ended up paying full 135 quid for 2 adults and 2 kids ( And they chege 2 quid to park!). It isn't worth half that. very disappointing. I can get tickets thorugh work for 82 for a family but I would have come away feeling the same. Very overrated as a theme park. Fortunatley it pissed it down in the afternoon so the queues shortened otherwise we wouldn't have bothered with quite a few rides.

really milking it and living of the Lego name IMO

Wish we had gone to Paultons again, half the price and a better park.
I would agree with that, Legoland is okaish, but certainly not worth the the money to get in, plus it just seems to be a little run down in areas. Paultons is great, and I would certainly recommend it over Legoland for the Under 10's.

j4ckos mate

3,009 posts

169 months

Wednesday 20th April 2011
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my fave is styal mill.


its only five minutes away, i love taking the dog there first thing in the morning.


RosscoPCole

3,300 posts

173 months

Thursday 21st April 2011
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Lots of National Trust places are running free Easter egg hunts this weekend. Have gone with the family for a few years now. Always a yummy Cadburys egg as a prize.

bigdods

7,172 posts

226 months

Thursday 21st April 2011
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RosscoPCole said:
Lots of National Trust places are running free Easter egg hunts this weekend. Have gone with the family for a few years now. Always a yummy Cadburys egg as a prize.
Unfortunately its not free, but at £2.50 per person (plus entrance to property if you are not an NT member) still good value for a few hours of fresh air and a choccy egg at the end.

kiwifraser

4,386 posts

193 months

Saturday 30th April 2011
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The best way to visit Alton Towers with a young family:

We stayed at the Splash Landings hotel last Wednesday night and went to the Cariba Creek waterpark on Wednesday afternoon. Both were great, with the hotel offering very good service (The staff throughout our stay were genuinely helpful, polite, and friendly). Drinks and Food in the hotel was not too expensive, and the dinner buffet options all tasty enough too.

We went to the park on Thursday and had a great day. The fastpass option might be pricey but it is worth not having to wait for the big rides (we didn't mind paying as we had free entry with Merlin Passes, and kids 4 and under turned out to be free).

We had the 2 little ones with us, so also made use of the Parent Swap card... so we only needed to buy one fastpass ticket and we both got to use it. One parent goes on the ride, gets the swap card signed, then the second parent gets to go on the fastpass queue as well. A great way for the whole family to get on loads of rides.

We paid £120 for the hotel and 2 days waterpark entry for the 4 of us. We had no hassles with getting into the park early on the Thursday before the crowds, and when the Theme Park closed we went back for a couple of hours in the waterpark again. This meant we missed all the traffic leaving the park making our journey home an easy and hassle free one. Car parking is also free if you stay in the hotel.

If anyone is considering going to Alton towers this really is a trouble free way to make the day an enjoyable one. If the waterpark is not your thing, then 2 days in the theme park is an obvious option.

Melman Giraffe

Original Poster:

6,759 posts

217 months

Sunday 1st May 2011
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Black park is a great cheap day out. Large forst to explore, lake and adventure play area. For the more adventurous try www.goape.co.uk

P-Jay

10,551 posts

190 months

Tuesday 31st May 2011
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To be frank I found Legoland equall to a day stoking the fires of hell, but the 3 and a bit hour drive each way didn't help... Massive queues, massive Wasp infestation and so-so attractions. Loads of money.

Clubcard Voucher are the future, took the 3 of us to Oakwood in West Wales last summer for £15 worth of vouchers I'd usuall blow on a CD or something, I've ordered some more for the GF to use whilst I'm away in Canada with the boys this summer.

I guess it depends when you live but Oakwood is really good, has an excellent balance of fun rides for little kids like our 5yr and big ones like Speed for me, it's also very near Tenby and next door to the brillaint Bluestone if you want to make a break of it.

http://www.bluestonewales.com/
http://www.oakwoodthemepark.co.uk/

Longleat is OK... But it's very expensive for what it is, I don't mind at all spending money on family days out, but I don't like being ripped off - It was around £100 for a family of 3 from memory, which gave you a lap of the safari park which is good, and a ticket which gave you access to the other attractions, but they're limited and the this that really got my goat was the fact you can only do each once and they're not great - in fact I they don't seemed to have changed at all since the last time I went nearly 20 years ago as a School Boy. The worst part! The 3 of us went for lunch there, two plates of terrible frozen/deep fried/left under a lamp till hard food, a saucer of the same for the lad and 3 drinks - £35. West Midland Safari park is waaaay better, cheaper and they give you another ticket to come back at another date for free!


Melman Giraffe

Original Poster:

6,759 posts

217 months

Monday 13th June 2011
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Chessington - Great day and free for a family of 4 with 140 air miles.

Silver940

3,961 posts

226 months

Monday 13th June 2011
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Just been to Peppa Pig world at Paultons Park. 2 great things, PP World was adored by my 3 and 2 years old's and the rest of the park was pretty quiet so my older 2 had plenty of goes on the other rides without the need to queue for long.

Good day out!

russ_a

4,568 posts

210 months

Monday 13th June 2011
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We recently stayed at the hotel within the grounds of Chessington (Holiday Inn IIRC) and thought it was great.

2 Days Park Entrance
1 Day LegoLand Entrance
2 Nights B&B

£200 for 2 Adults and 1 Child

Only downside was that LegoLand was bloody closed when we turned up!!

Melman Giraffe

Original Poster:

6,759 posts

217 months

Wednesday 15th June 2011
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russ_a said:
We recently stayed at the hotel within the grounds of Chessington (Holiday Inn IIRC) and thought it was great.

2 Days Park Entrance
1 Day LegoLand Entrance
2 Nights B&B

£200 for 2 Adults and 1 Child

Only downside was that LegoLand was bloody closed when we turned up!!
I did notice a similar deal - 1 night at hotel B & B 1 day park entrance for a family of 4 £138. Bargain

oldbanger

4,316 posts

237 months

Wednesday 15th June 2011
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Coventry Transport Museum is good for an afternoon. Entry is free and the nearest carpark (Bishop Street) is £3 for 4 hours
http://www.transport-museum.com/

Redwings Horse Sanctuaries have branches in Oxhill (Warks) as well as Essex and Norfolk. Entry is free to pet the horses and donkeys (no feeding allowed). There's a kids playground and visitor centre as well. It's nothing spectacular but the kids seem to like it. Worth an hour or so's visit at least.
http://www.redwings.org.uk/

Melman Giraffe

Original Poster:

6,759 posts

217 months

Saturday 16th July 2011
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Uxbridge Car Show Sunday 17th July 2011

http://www.uxbridge-autoshow.com/

H100S

1,436 posts

172 months

Monday 8th August 2011
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Can't recommend this one enough. Free entry, great facilities too. The website does not do this place justice
http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/cosford/plan-your-day/...

Also while in the area
http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/plan_your_visit/ticke...
Family ticket £61.50 (2 adults and upto 3 children
This is a year long ticket to Ten Museums PDF leaflet link http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/uploadedfiles/2011_we...


Nicky2628

4 posts

151 months

Monday 22nd August 2011
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Im looking at visiting legoland with the family would it be a place that is recommended and value for money ?

Silver940

3,961 posts

226 months

Monday 22nd August 2011
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Nicky2628 said:
Im looking at visiting legoland with the family would it be a place that is recommended and value for money ?
Only if you go in with Tesco Vouchers or other such discount, otherwise overpriced and overrated IMO.