Bill Quay Farm

Hi Everyone,

We visited Bill Quay Community Farm yesterday. This is a small farm with, horses, pigs, sheep, goats, ducks, alpacas, chickens and a petting barn, with small animals and reptiles.

The outside areas of the farm are free to visit but the small animal barn is £2 for adults and £1 for a child, you can purchase small cups of animal feed for £1 each as well. Whilst inside our youngest was able to hold a guinea pig in the barn but the rabbits were not in the mood to be picked up on our visit, she still enjoyed looking at all the animals and spent about 15 minutes inside.

Bill Quay Farm also has a little Gruffalo trail and a cafe which serves gluten free brownies (bonus for us).

It's a nice little farm to spend an hour or two and we really enjoyed feeding the animals, especially the alpacas who were real characters.

There is limited parking at the Farm so do check for alternative spots before you go.

#billquaycommunityfarm #feedingtimeatthefarm #gruffalo #freshair #alpacas #notboredoutdoors

Ouseburn Farm and Seven Stories

Hi Everyone,

Recently we had a few hours to fill so decided very last minute to head to Ouseburn Farm Charity Ltd and Seven Stories. It's so lovely to be able to just do that now and not worry about booking.

We always think that these two places go hand and hand not only because they are right next door to each other in the Ouseburn Valley of Newcastle but they just work as a pair. 

Ouseburn Farm is very sweet it has, sheep, pigs goats and some small animals. You can wander round the gardens and relax in the cafe. The Farm is FREE to enter (donations welcome) they do have a fair few events going on so definitely worth checking their website to see what's on as it would definitely enhance your visit.

Seven Stories has been a favourite museum of ours since the kids were tiny. It's now FREE entry (donations welcome) they have lots of bookable events going on for a variety of ages so again do check the website to see if anything takes your fancy. Our youngest particularly enjoyed our visit. It's a very lovely place with lots of things going on and to engage with, you could easily spend hours inside. They also have a cafe in the book shop and a more formal cafe.

The Farm and Seven Stories are not open every day and opening days can change over the holidays so make sure to check before setting off.

#ouseburnfarm #sevenstories #animals #books #handsdirty #clean #crafts #storytime #feedtheanimals #notboredoutdoors

Better Extreme Trampoline Park

Hi Everyone,

We know how popular trampoline parks are and wanted to highlight one of our favourites, Better Extreme in Newcastle. 

Sessions start from as little as £4 per child which is amazing value for money. This park is slightly smaller than some of the other parks but has a Dodge ball area, foam dive pit, tumble tracks and many individual bounce squares, more than enough to keep the kids happy for the full session.

There is also a large soft play frame right next to the trampoline park so perfect if you have younger and older kids as you can keep an eye on the older ones from the soft play area or can make it a longer experience by booking both. 

There is a lovely onsite cafe that is very reasonably priced with plenty of seating. You can also enjoy a game of air hockey or pool for £1 or table football for 50p.

Fab place and great value for money!

#better #betterextremenewcastle #trampolinepark #bounce #tirethekidsout #notboredoutdoors 

https://www.better.org.uk/

February Half Term Ideas

Hi Everyone,

Here is a list of some activities, events and places to keep the kids entertained this February Half Term. The activities included are either free or just have a small charge to help keep the half term costs low.

Stephenson Railway 

Heritage train rides will be available on the 20th, 24th and 27th between 11am-4pm. Pre-booking advised prices start at £4 child and £6 adult.

www.stephensonsteamrailway.org.uk

Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art

Two free family days on the 23rd and 24th drop in anytime between 10am-6pm. Suitable for families of all ages. Full activities on offer can be found on their website.

https://baltic.art/learn/families-early-years/baltic-family-days

Wallington 

On Saturday 19th between 11am-2pm you can help plant trees as part of the green recovery challenge fund. Also between the 19th and 27th 11am-3pm help to plant snowdrops. These events are free but normal admission charges apply.

www.nationaltrust.org/wallington

Souter Lighthouse

On 21st, 23rd and 25th drop in to build a birdhouse suitable for ages 4-11 £5 per box.

Enjoy various sports on Foghorn Field on the 22nd and 24th. All activities are free to take part in.

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/souter-lighthouse-and-the-leas

Tynemouth Park

The parks fantastic Jungle Wipeout and Pirate Quest Maze will be back open this February half term along with The Lost World Adventure Golf and the Boating Lake.

Opening and closing times are number and weather dependent so please call 0191 2587593 to confirm.

https://notboredoutdoors.blogspot.com/2021/04/tynemouth-park.html

The Word

On the 22nd enjoy free drop in arts and crafts hosted by Williby Rocs between 10am-2pm 

24th create a Roman Numeral Scroll between 11am-3pm

suitable for families of all ages.

https://theworduk.org/

Cleadon Park Library

On the 23rd drop in between 10am-12pm to have a go at creating a Roman Numeral Scroll. Free and suitable for families of all ages.

http://www.southtyneside.gov.uk/libraries

Fire and Ice Festival Durham

Head to Durham on the 25th and 26th February between 10am-6:15pm for a fabulous trail of ice sculptures, flaming beacons, live carving displays, interactive sculptures and live entertainment. This is a free activity. Read about what to expect in the link below.

https://notboredoutdoors.blogspot.com/2020/02/durham-fire-and-ice-festival-review.html

Morph Trail North Tyneside

Running between 29th Jan and 3rd April throughout North Tyneside there will be 20 Morphs to find allowing you to explore the city on a fun free self led trail. There is a booklet which you can download or the app to help you on your trail.

https://newcastlegateshead.com/events/morph-trail

Parks are always lots of fun and can be a lovely free day out. Our favourite parks can be found here:

https://notboredoutdoors.blogspot.com/2021/07/top-parks.html

Don’t forget you can also search our website for lots of ideas for days out around the North East and beyond.

https://notboredoutdoors.blogspot.com

South Lakes Safari Zoo (Re-Up)

Hi everyone,

On Sunday 25th August 2019, we were lucky enough to visit South Lakes Safari Zoo and take part in a number of their animal experiences, which were amazing and insightful. 

Firstly we met and fed the female Kordofan Giraffes, these are absolutely beautiful and the whole experience was amazing. Seeing the giraffes using their long black tongues to reach out and take the food from our hands was spectacular.

We then moved onto feeding the ringtail and rough Lemurs which were the most gentlest animals we have ever met. They were holding onto our hands whilst taking the food, such a surreal moment. 

By far the most unique experience we have ever had was hand feeding the mother and son Jaguars Bonita and Remi. This was absolutely amazing, to see these animals up close and personal really helps you to appreciate their size and beauty. This is something we will never forget. 

Unfortunately all these animals are classified as Endangered or criticality endanger in the wild due to deforestation, hunting and the tourist trade in their native countries. This is such a shame for any creature let alone gorgeous ones like these. 

We finished the day by feeding the Humboldts Penguins. These little ones like their food and will surround you in an instant but we didn't mind as they are lovely. 

The Safari Zoo in general is fantastic. Unlike other zoos we have visited, this one feels very relaxed and open. It feels more like you are part of the animals world rather than viewing them inside an enclosure. The staff are very friendly and welcoming. Their knowledge is extraordinary and you can see they are extremely passionate about their job. 

As well as pre-booking animal experiences as we have detailed above, there are many opportunities throughout the day to feed and interact with the animals and keepers. 

The zoo is open year round with the exception of Christmas day. It is very reasonably priced but they also have offers available on the door if you purchase a map for £1 or book online to save 20% using the link below. 

https://www.southlakessafarizoo.com/online-safari-saver/

Overall this was a unbelievable and unforgettable trip. We would thoroughly recommend anyone to go and support this fantastic zoo with the work that they are doing whilst making family memories that will last a lifetime. Here are some photos and videos from our time there.

Marvelous Maps

 Hi Everyone,

We were happy to be sent the amazing Great British Adventure Map. This map is fab and perfect for map lovers, adventurers and, well, anyone! 

The Great British Adventure Map features 2,500 of Britain’s great wild places, mountains, islands, beaches, waterways, viewpoints, eccentric events and long-distance routes, peppered with some randomly inspiring trivia and amusingly quirky touches. There are so many places on the map that we had never heard of so we are excited to have complied a huge list of places that we want to go to.

The map is a really good size making it ideal for the kids to immerse themselves in it and get excited about choosing their own adventure.

There is a wonderful website to go alongside the map with lots of hints tips and ideas to make your adventure even more memorable. 

Get your map here www.marvelousmaps.com and  use the code DROPANDGIMME20 to get 20% off 2 or more maps plus free UK delivery.

Disney on Ice

 Hi Everyone,

Last night we had the most magical time at Disney On Ice at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle . We have been going to see this show every year for the last ten years so we were very excited to see this once again.

We say this after every production but this was the best one yet. The sets and costumes are just amazing, the skill of the skaters is world class and the way they tell the story is just wonderful. The whole show is mesmerising from beginning to end.

What we love about Disney on Ice is that it's a show for everyone, the adults love it just as much as the kids. Toddlers and teens, boys and girls, they all sing-a-long with massive smiles on their faces. It's absolutely joyous.

The shows usually last around 2 hours and the venue is pretty good at getting people in and out. We always arrive early so we can avoid any queues and get settled before the show starts. Doors typically open one hour before show time.

One of the main questions people ask about is the price of the merchandise. It is on the expensive side but it's also very good quality. Flashy lights are around £25. My youngest has a Mikey light we bought several years ago which still works perfectly and always comes along to the shows with us. Snow cone cups start at £10 and again really stand the test of time. We were a little disappointed this year as we actually own all the cups so couldn't add another to our collection but got a drinking bottle instead, which is great for avoiding snow cone spillages. 

We did purchase the candy floss with a crown for £11. The crown is very well made and looks really lovely as it has Mickey ears, jewels and padding on the inside. This will definitely be used again. Buckets of popcorn were £12 and again the bucket is lovely with an embossed Mickey head and a lid so ideal for pens etc. All merc comes with 2 year guarantee aswell which always comes in handy when little ones are involved.