Mrs Dowsons Farm

Just off the A59, north of Blackburn, is Mrs Dowsons farm. Mrs Dowsons is a local ice cream maker, and I can personally attest to the quality of its ice cream, having served it at my wedding. Alongside their ice cream business, they also operate a small farm which is open weekends, bank holidays and school holidays.

The farm features sheep, pigs, alpacas, chicken, horses and more. The enclosures seemed spacious, and the surrounding countryside was breathtaking, a truly lovely spot.

We were offered animal feed when we bought our wristband, and it was clear that the animals are very used to being fed. As you approached their enclosures they immediately walked/ran over to you to poke their heads through/over the fence. Baby found this a bit intimidating, especially the sheep, who baa very loudly to get your attention. In one case, when two women who had been feeding a goat walked away, it jumped over the fence to follow them. 

After our first circuit of the farm we were slightly confused as to why an ice cream farm only seemed to have two highland cows, and then overheard another family discussing the same question. It turned out that the Farm Tour listed on the Daily Timetable, was actually a guided walk to the building housing their dairy cows, on the working part of their farm, so we decided to join the tour. Just before 11.30, the member of staff taking the tour actually walked around telling all the visitors she could see, that she was about to lead a tour over to the working farm to see the cows, so that no one missed the opportunity, which was a nice touch.

The Daily Timetable included chick and rabbit handling, as well as tours and feeding, all at no extra cost. We took part in the rabbit handling, which was well run, and the tour to see the cows. The cow barn we were shown housed pregnant cows and week old calves, as well as three hairy pigs. Visitors were given the opportunity to feed the calves, though Baby was not interested.

In addition to the animals, there was also a climbing frame for older children, a large sandpit, and a fleet of tractors and cars to keep the kids entertained. I knew it was small and had only envisioned spending around an hour there, but because of the sandpit and activities, we actually stayed for around three hours. At £4 per person, I'd call that money well spent.

There is a cafe serving sandwiches, panini, and of course ice cream on site, along with a small shop with the obligatory toy tractors and farm animal cuddly toys.

All in all, a lovely place to spend a few hours.


Key Facts
Month of visit:
August

Weather for visit:
Overcast but dry.

Is it pushchair friendly?
Yes. The path around the animal enclosure was wide and gravelled, so no need to worry about getting stuck in the mud.

How are the baby changing facilities?
Toilets are located by the cafe, with the baby changing in the disabled toilet. They were clean both times we had to use them!

What about somewhere to feed?
The cafe had plenty of seating, and there were lots of picnic benches outside.

Is it worth a visit?
Yes. We'll definitely be back.

Baby's highlight?
The ginormous pig. And her new toy tractor.

Mrs Dowsons Farm
Hawkshaw Farm,
Longsight Road,
Clayton-le-Dale,
Blackburn,
BB2 7JA


https://www.mrsdowsons.co.uk

Mini Moose Land at Chill Factore

Every Friday morning Chill Factore hosts Play n Cake, when toddlers have unlimited access to Mini Moose Land, followed by coffee and cake for the parent, and a cookie and juice for the toddler.

It's been on my radar for a while, but felt quite expensive for what would likely be a shortish outing, at £14 for one adult and one child, however, Baby and her two best friends have their second birthdays within three weeks of one another, so we decided to take them as a birthday treat.

We booked online around three weeks in advance, however it was actually quieter than we expected, especially considering it was the summer holidays, so we perhaps needn't have booked. One point to note was that of the three of us, only one received an email confirmation, however when we checked in at reception we had no issues.

We arrived by 10.00am, but as we were leaving the snow park around 11.30am the queues seemed to have grown significantly, and the snow park itself had definitely become much busier.

Reception gave us tickets to redeem for cake afterwards, and in my case, a voucher for jacket and trouser hire. They asked if we 'had everything we needed' though weren't particularly specific on what that was. The official stance is that hats and gloves are mandatory in the snow park, with waterproof jackets and trousers highly recommended. While booking I had been under the impression that the waterproof jacket and trousers were mandatory, however when questioned, staff confirmed that this was not the case. At a cost of £8 for the full outfit, it wasn't particularly expensive, but it all adds up. Boots and helmets (if required) are provided free of charge.

There is plenty of space to get changed, with benches and cubicles provided, as well as wall to wall lockers, which require a refundable £1 coin.

Mini Moose Land is a portion of the snow park reserved specifically for under 4s. It features an ice maze, small ramp with inflatable doughnuts, two wooden houses, two tunnel systems, a soft igloo and various soft shapes and plastic truck toys dotted around. There were also some small skis for the toddlers to strap to their snow boots if they wanted to.

By far the biggest successes were the doughnuts and the little houses. Two wooden houses, each just large enough for two toddlers to sit on small plastic chairs, with windows which opened and shut. All three toddlers spent a long time playing in them.

The ramp initially didn't look particularly exciting or large, but once a child in a doughnut was tipped over the edge they absolutely flew down. Two of our toddlers positively loved this, and wanted to go on it again and again, particularly enjoying pushing each other down the ramp. The other (who is actually the keenest on slides in general), went on it once and didn't want to try it again. There was a soft barrier at the bottom of the ramp which was definitely needed, but because of the speed at which they hit it, also meant their little heads were bounced around, to the extent that Baby's hat was jolted off many a time.

The two tunnel systems were expansive, but didn't particularly attract the attention of any of the toddlers for any length of time. Similarly the soft shapes, although plentiful and colourful, didn't occupy them for long. When we arrived there were various semi circular shaped pieces on the floor, which our toddlers climbed over and walked through. Someone who had been before was obviously in the know however and by the time we left, they had been shaped into a soft igloo, for the toddlers to sit in.

The ice maze looked small at first glance, but when our toddlers entered it, in places we couldn't see their heads above the walls. Variable success with the maze, one loved it, one spent a little bit of time in it, and one barely visited it.

At a temperature of -3 C, we knew that our toddlers wouldn't last too long, even in their padded snowsuits. In fact they spent around 45 minutes on the snow before their noses and fingers started to get too cold, but within that time they'd thoroughly explored the area. I should say that none of them finished the session wearing gloves, as they found them too cumbersome, but there were no staff around to enforce the glove wearing rule.

After we'd returned our boots and clothes, we made our way to the cafe upstairs for our hot drink, cake and cookie. We gave our vouchers to the staff member behind the counter, and in return were provided with a square of sponge cake, with some jam and cream on top, and a cookie each. In a corner of the cafe, there were some jugs of blackcurrant and orange squash, along with water, and large flasks of tea and coffee.

To be honest this was the only negative for the whole experience. Although the cookies went down well, the cake didn't look appetising, particularly given the other more tempting cakes on the counter, which were not included in the offer. It was also disappointing that the hot drink was limited to pre made tea or coffee, as two of us drink neither, and we'd all agreed that actually we were looking forward to a freshly made hot chocolate.

The cost for Play n Cake is £2 more than the cost for an individual session in Mini Moose Land. Although a normal session only lasts 1 hour, whereas Play n Cake is unlimited, we'd be unlikely to stay any longer anyway, so if I went again I'd just book a normal session and be more than happy to pay a smidgeon more to get a choice of cake and drink.

Mini Moose Land was a huge hit with all our toddlers, and although perhaps a bit pricey for a regular morning out, I'd definitely go back as a treat.


Key Facts
Month of visit:
August

Weather for visit:
Irrelevant

Is it pushchair friendly?
No pushchairs allowed on the snow park for obvious reasons, but if you wanted to take one into Chill Factore everywhere is flat, with a lift to the upper floor.

How are the baby changing facilities?
There was a baby changing table in the women's toilets on the first floor next to the cafe, though to use it you would block the door to one of the toilets. The toilets were clean when we used them.

What about somewhere to feed?
Plenty of seating on the first floor, including some booths offering a more private place to feed. Various cafes, restaurants etc with seating as well.

Is it worth a visit?
Definitely as a special treat.

Baby's highlight?
Sliding down the ramp in a doughnut.

Chill Factore

Trafford Quays Leisure Village,

Trafford Way,

Manchester,

M41 7JA

https://www.chillfactore.com

Brick Dinos at the Harris Museum, Preston

Given the recent downpours, we were looking for a weather proof day out. Daddy mentioned having seen 'something about some Lego dinosaurs in Preston', so after a quick google, we set off for the Brick Dinos exhibition at the Harris Museum in Preston.

Running from now until 17th September, and open every day, this free exhibition showcases miniature (and three not so miniature) model dinosaurs created from Lego by artist Warren Elsmore.

The exhibition spans three rooms on the second floor of the museum. The first contains numerous miniatures, a small shop, and two large models. The second, to the left, contains a further large model, and more miniatures, while the third, to the right of the entrance, contains dinosaur/Lego related activities.

Children had the opportunity to build their own dinosaurs out of Lego, stick Lego bricks onto a stegosaurus shaped wall collage, colour in pictures of dinosaurs or take part in an archaeological dig. There was even an area containing larger softer bricks for toddlers to build with.

The models were very well done, and set in brightly coloured, detailed landscapes, capturing the attention of the children in the exhibition. The larger models, particularly the Masiakasaurus, were also attracting a lot of interest. However, the most popular part of the exhibition did seem to be the activity room.

Baby enjoyed looking at the models, though the roar of the Masiakasaurus made her jump every time. She coloured in a picture of a Stegosaurus, but found the activity room a bit too busy with older children, so didn't really show much interest in playing with the Lego. And if your preschooler is the type to put everything in their mouths you might want to steer them away from the buckets of small pieces of Lego.

Even if Baby had wanted to build Lego models or dig for fossils, we probably wouldn't have spent longer than an hour, two at most, but for free, it was well worth the visit.

The Harris Museum has other permanent and temporary exhibitions, including one on Preston's history, which we visited briefly. They didn't seem particularly suited to toddlers, but a handful of older children were perusing the exhibits.

Key Facts
Month of visit:
August

Weather for visit:
Irrelevant

Is it pushchair friendly?
Yes, a lift takes you to all floors apart from the Egyptian balcony, and there are ramps outside alongside the entrance steps.

How are the baby changing facilities?
There are toilets on or in-between each floor, all including baby changing.

What about somewhere to feed?
There is a cafe on the ground floor which is open Monday to Saturday with plenty of seating. The seating is also accessible on a Sunday when the cafe is closed. A few chairs are available in the central gallery of each floor but there's not really anywhere quiet/private.

Is it worth a visit?
A free exhibition that can entertain children for a couple of hours through the Summer holiday, definitely.

Baby's highlight?
The basket of Lego dinosaur eggs.



Harris Museum and Art Gallery
Market Square,
Preston,
PR1 2PP


http://www.harrismuseum.org.uk