2017 has been packed with days out and adventures for my family. We love days out and UK based holidays. As the girls get older, I hope we will explore further afield but for now, we are happy exploring the UK. Here are my highlights from a year full of outdoor adventures.
In January we enjoyed a walk and play at the park at Tittesworth water. It was pretty cold so we finished up with a hot drink in the cafe to warm us up. We also had a little snow in January and F enjoyed painting snow. A really fun activity when there is not enough snow to build a snowman.
Another winter day out was Trentham gardens. I’d been recommended Trentham gardens numerous times and it is under an hour from us but we never got round to it. I loved it there. The fairy sculptures are enchanting and the play area fantastic. We pledged to go back in the spring or summer when the gardens were in full bloom and the barefoot walk open but unfortunately we never got round to it.
In the spring, we took F to watch the lambing at Blaze farm. We were lucky enough to see a lamb being born and also F and I got the opportunity to hold a day old lamb.
We had our first trip to my in-laws holiday home in Anglesey for Easter. We returned a couple of times of the summer as well. I shared a post a few months back with all my favourite family days out in Anglesey as it is really family friendly.
We joined the National Trust around Easter time. We have used our pass so many time since and will definitely be renewing it this year. Our favourites so far are Plas Newyyd, Dunham Massey, Hare hill and Quarry Bank.
For F’s fourth birthday we went to Legoland Windsor. We spent one night at the Legoland hotel where F loved the Lego-themed splash pool and all the lego everywhere. 8 months on she is still talking about it. Apparently, she always goes to Legoland for her birthday!
We tried a few local preschool forest schools and found one that we loved in the spring. Since F started school we have attended a few of the monthly Sunday morning family sessions. F loves it but E is still a little young to appreciate it. I’m hoping the Friday morning mums and tot sessions are still running when she is a little older.
We spent October half term in The Lakes. I love the Lake District. One of my favourite days out was a day cruising on Lake Windermere, stopping off at Wray castle and Brockhole for lots of indoor and outdoor play for the girls. We also love exploring all the sculptures in Grizedale forest and following the Gruffalo trail.
One of my highlights of the year and my favourite blogging opportunity to date was being invited along to review The Snowman tour. We loved watching the festive classic animation accompanied by a live orchestra. Another fantastic festive trip out was Chester zoo lanterns.
So those are my highlights from 2017, I hope you have enjoyed reading them. Perhaps it will inspire your plans for 2018. As for us, I wonder what we will get up to in 2018? We’ve not made any plans at all yet.
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Gorgeous days out! We had the best time in Anglesey at the summer, it’s my new favourite place! We also loved the snowman tour last month, it was such a lovely thing to do before Christmas!
Anglesey is fantastic for families. We are very lucky to be able to go so often.
Oh this is a lovely post! We like getting outdoors too and are always visiting gardens. I’ve never been to the Lanterns at Chester zoo, but I’ve heard so many positive things about it, I’ll have to look at going. I love the painting the snow / ice activity… what a fabulous idea.
Thank you. We loved Chester zoo lanterns and would consider it again next Christmas
Lovely days out! Just wish we were nearer! Love your nature photos.
Thank you
What a great year you’ve had! Love getting out and about with the kids, we need to get some days out planned for this year.
Same here. We love them too but have none planned so far. Sometimes the spontaneous ones are the best anyway.
Some great ideas here. I’ve dropped my hours in work so have two more days to get out and about -*scrawls ideas down furiously*
#bloggerpinparty
Enjoy your extra days off.
Looks like you had some great days out! We went to Legoland a year ago and the girls had an absolute blast! No plans yet for this year though ? #BloggerClubUK
You had so many fun adventures! My daughter would LOVE that water table, it looks like a real blast. I’ve never heard of painting snow before, I will keep that in mind if we are lucky enough to get some snow here in the West of Ireland again! x
These look like great days out- your girls are really lucky to have such fun memories as they grow up š Thank you for the linky- it is ace. #bloggerpinparty
What a brilliant year of fun! I really want to take my girls to see lambing this year, they would love it and we are planning a Legoland trip this year too for their joint birthdays x
I hope you and your family enjoy both these activities. I’m sure you will. LEGOLAND is amazing.
We really did pack a lot in. I do love how blogging reminds us how many happy memories we made.
It certainly does. #bloggerpinparty
Clay faces are great. We love our national trust membership.
What a wonderful wrap up of the year – and such fun adventures were had! I imagine lots of lovely memories made too.
Love this post! Some great days out, by the looks of it. Trentham isn’t too far from us, and we’ve done Monkey Forest a few times, but never the gardens! We’ll have to go this year! #bloggerpinparty
Looks like you had so many wonderful adventures. I’d love to get to Trentham Gardens this year #CountryKids
Such a fun year! I love the idea of painting snow, we still haven’t had any here but I’ll keep that idea in mind, thanks!
#CountryKids
What a wonderful selection of days out. We love our National Trust passes and use them loads. Legoland is one of our favourite places too Monkey loves it so much Iām looking into getting an annual pass this year. Hope 2018 brings you just as many brilliant adventures xx
Lots of lovely adventures in 2017. We visited Trentham Gardens for the first time last year too and loved it. Definitely somewhere we’d like to go back to too. I love the sound of the snow painting – if we get any more snow this year, we’ll have to give it a try š #countrykids
Some lovely days out there! We’d like to head to the Lake District this year and need to do more travelling in the UK. The snow painting looks fun and reminds us of slushies x #CountryKids
You’ll have a great time in the lakes. I want to explore more of the UK too.
So many adventures, its always nice to look back at how much we’ve done isn’t it? x
Some lovely days out. We have fallen into the trap of legoland for birthdays. It is a great day out #CountryKids sorry I’m late!