Arlo is the type of child who will not sit still and wakes up first thing in the morning asking me where we are going and what he can pack in his lunch bag. As a single working parent I try to make sure we make the most of all the time we have together and we both love to explore the Midlands.
I do drive and so we tend to head out and about in the car most of the time and visit places within about an hours drive of Birmingham. Arlo loves creatures great and small so we have lots of animal attractions in this blog including our top farms in the as well as some wonderful outdoor spaces to explore – some more off the beaten track such as our route around Bittel Reservoir and fresh for summer we have a list some of the midlands most glorious flower fields .
I’m very conscious now more than ever of trying to find budget friendly places to explore and I have a huge list of local parks.
Most of the time we will pack a rucksack with our snacks, a bottle of water and a change of clothes – (or at least a spare pair of socks) as we love to splash in puddles or streams no matter the weather. This makes for a free day out and most of the time you can catch us with a ball or a scooter – no matter the weather.
I’m a huge learning through play advocate so in the bag we also include things like magnifying glasses to hunt for bugs, and story books for some immersive gruffalo hunting and a little sack for nature treasures which we then use to continue our adventures at home with craft activities.
I’m quite conscious now of making sure we get value for money and last year managed to compile a great list of summer holiday days out for under a tenner which we be updating with new offers this year. Another great way to save money is to look for discounts – from 241 tickets and newspaperor supermarket vouchers or taking advantage of annual pass offers. I put together a list here .
We hope you find some new places to explore – if you have any questions please get in touch or if you want to see what we’ve been up to most recently then check out the instagram grid.
As and when we revisit places I do update the blogs but before you visit anywhere please double check with the venues for ticket pricing and opening items because these things can change at the drop of a hat!
Have an amazing adventure!
We had a wonderful afternoon at Kingsbury Water Park, we opted to hire bicycles to make sure we could see as much of the space as possible – and with fifteen different lakes and 600 acres to explore we will most certainly be coming back again. Open from 1st April every day (subject to the … Read more
Bodenham has become another one of our most favourite outdoor places to explore, and is a hidden treasure of the Midlands. As you turn in to the main drive you’re greeted with a landscape of rolling hills and in spring time there’s plenty of lambs to see skipping in the fields. The visitor centre is … Read more
Spring has sprung and the days are now mild enough to enjoy a walk in the great outdoors. Cannock Chase Gruffalo Trail is one of our favourite places to visit for a wander and is great value – as all you really need to pay for is the car parking. We usually park up near … Read more
Just before Christmas 2020 many of our planned activities were cancelled. I felt heartbroken for all of the businesses struggling amidst the chaos of 2020 and was delighted to see places such as Umberslade Farm try to make the most of things. During the summer we visited and went on a 5k trek around the … Read more