Last year we were lucky enough to be given a media pass for the National Trust, in conjunction with my blog promotion for their 50 Things To Do Before You're 11 & ¾ campaign. When it ran out at the end of the year, we rushed to buy our family membership as it provided us with a plethora of opportunities for days out as a family, exploring nature, the nation's history, and having fun in their beautifully landscaped outdoors!
I've been having a look recently for National Trust places within an hour or so of us, and I decided that I'd create a 'wishlist' for the places I'd like us to explore this year, both National Trust, or otherwise.
- Tyntesfield – Pirates take over the Victorian manor house on 31st May & 1st June! "Come and experience life on the ocean waves as Tyntesfield is invaded by a motley band of pirates and their cannon. There will be loud bangs and Jolly Roger japes throughout the weekend." (WENT)
- Aberdulais Tin Works & Waterfall – They're holding a 50 Things weekend on 24th-26th May, focusing on numbers 45 and 47: learning to find your way with a map and compass, and cooking on a camp fire and then eating the results. They also have geocaches there which is something I'd like to explore with The Boy this year.
- Lacock Abbey (WENT)
- Ystradfellte Waterfalls in the Brecon Beacons
- Oxwich Bay – the most wonderful beach for exploring rock pools, building sandcastles and finding cockles! (WENT)
- Swansea Bay – The Mumbles
- Dunster Castle – this will almost certainly involve a weekend break in the Somerset area
- Dyrham Park (WENT)
- Trerice – a day trip for when we're staying at Coombe Mill in August. (WENT)
- Westbury Court Garden
- Legoland – hopefully at Easter time, although I seem to think you can upgrade tickets on site to an annual pass, so might investigate that afterwards. (WENT)
- LolliBop Festival – this is the best children's festival around and having been for the past two years as ambassadors, we'll definitely be returning no matter what. I wasn't prepared to say that a week ago, but then they announced their venue for the 2014 festival: Hatfield House! The organisers of LolliBop like to create an outdoor festival with a magical fairyland feel to it; Regent's Park came close, but the Olympic Park last year was not a good site. LolliBop will finally be in a location worthy of the ethos!
- Thomas Land – The Boy has seen it on the DVDs (damn advertising!) and wanted to go for a few years now, this year might be the one that we finally manage to make it there.
- Peppa Pig World – our favourite day out ever! (WENT)
I've no doubt that I'll be adding to this over the next month or so, but these are the 'must-do' days out for this year.
Where is on your list this year?
Love the sound of all of those – I really want to go to Alton towers this year and now it has Cbeebies land we can take the kids too!
I love the idea of Lollibop I have seen so much about it over the past years
We're off to Alton Towers later this month because my children adore the waterpark there. We loved Paultons Park when we went last year, although Peppa Pig World was our least favourite bit (there were very similar rides elsewhere in the park which didn't have the long queues attached to them). Oh, and I NEED to take my train-obsessed son to Thomas Land. Can you see a pattern emerging here?! 😉
That's quite a list and they all look great but so far away for us. I love outdoor events, especially when the weathers good.
Quite a lot of them are very close to us in south Wales. Outdoor events are so wonderful though aren't they?