Today we have a guest post from one of our favourite bloggers Sarah from Mummy Kind,

We have some amazing pregnancy – preschool groups and businesses in and around Aldershot but if you are looking for something a little different, Mummy Kind has written a fabulous blog “10 Things to do with Kids in and Around Aldershot”

10 things to do with the kids in and around… Aldershot (North Hampshire/Surrey)

1. Gruffalo Trail at Alice Holt Forest
2. Ceramics Cafe Farnham
3. Gravity Force Trampolining
4. 360 Play Farnborough
5. Coral Reef Bracknell
6. Aldershot Lido
7. Birdworld
8. Hampton Court Palace
9. Chessington World of Adventures
10. Farnborough Vue

1. Gruffalo Trail at Alice Holt Forest

Alice Holt Forestis situated in the South Downs National Park which spans a vast area covering Hampshire and Surrey. Alice Holt itself is local to Farnham, a mere 15 minute drive from the centre of Aldershot, and is FREE OF CHARGE! That’s right! You can spend the entire day there and the only money you will spend is for parking and petrol.
Alice Holt boasts a fantastic wooden play area, bike hire and trails, walking trails (including the infamous Gruffalo Trail), and GoApe! for the older kids. We have been many times to Alice Holt and never grow tired of it!

2. Ceramics Cafe in Farnham

Whether you have little babies doing handprints on plates or older children, a quiet afternoon of pottery painting is a great way to spend time with the family.
Ceramics Cafe in Farnham is situated less than a 5 minute walk from a large car park (next to Sainsbury’s) and is in the centre of Farnham, which is a beautiful place to visit in itself. There is a £2 session fee on top of anything you paint, and the pottery prices are very reasonable. The staff are always on hand to help, and they will happily cater for parties too!

3. Gravity Force Trampolining

This fantastic trampoline park in Camberley is where we have spent many a weekend morning!
Gravity Force have a brilliant timetable which caters for all ages, with dedicated sessions for younger jumpers and a family jump session which makes it much easier to have fun with all of the family. We love it there so much that we’ve been annual pass holders since last summer, for the very good price of £8 per month. This park also hosts Gravity Fit sessions and they have a holiday club for older children!

4. 360 Play in Farnborough

This is more than just a soft play… This is an M&S soft play… KIDDING OF COURSE!
But this soft play is really something else. It is absolutely huge for a start, and there are loads of different areas and activities for the children to do. The staff are very safety and security conscious and you have a photo ID card so that they know exactly who is in the building in case of any emergencies or lost kiddies! (Not that we have ever had to seek assistance for this, thank lord!)
360 Play is a hidden gem in Farnborough, just past the Sainsbury’s in the town centre. They have a carousel, a dressing up area, a huge soft play structure for the big kids, and smaller soft plays for toddlers and babies. They have also begun Gymfinity clubs there which are gymnastics and ninja classes for children of all ages – we are trialling those very soon and can’t wait to bring you a review!

5. Coral Reef Waterworld in Bracknell

This one is a bit further afield, but definitely worth the travel! Coral Reef is an amazing indoor water world famous for it’s slides. Again there are lots of different areas in the pool for children of different ages. They often have a professional photographer there too to capture pictures of your babies’ first swims!
Just up the M3 and probably a half an hour / 45 minute drive from Aldershot, this is a brilliant day out for the family. Booking in advance is usually recommended as it can get quite busy, but equally if you arrive for when it opens you won’t end up queuing for too long either.

6. Aldershot Lido

Following on from the swimming theme – Aldershot Lido is a great local day out and a fantastic way to cool off in the summer sun! It’s also relatively close to Aldershot Park so you can combine the fun!
Tickets are half price after 3pm if you don’t get there until later in the day.

7. Birdworld in Farnham

You will drive past Birdworld on the way to Alice Holt Forest – it takes about 10 minutes in the car to get there from Aldershot town centre.
Birdworld often have special exhibits and events on during school holidays, and military families may be able to secure a discount on entry! Speak to your local welfare service if this is you. You also have the opportunity to feed the penguins which is just amazing!

8. Hampton Court Palace

Hampton Court Palace is a bit further afield, based in Moseley, but a truly wonderful day out with the family. The Palace itself is magnificent, and the gardens are an extra something special!
Hampton Court Palace’s Magic Garden is a wonderful area for the children, and the Palace itself hosts lots of extra events such as music festivals and outdoor cinemas throughout the summer months!
If you are a member of the Historic Royal Palaces Society you can visit Hampton Court Palace (and the other 5 palaces that are included in that membership) for free, but otherwise tickets are free for under 5s and roughly £10 for children up to 15 and £20 for adults. There is also car parking nearby (just across the road from the main entrance), and the whole palace is quite accessible if you’re having to lug a buggy around with you!

9. Chessington World of Adventures

Again a bit further afield, but where we are we are lucky to be living on the doorstep of this and other incredible theme parks! I would say that without any horrendous traffic we live roughly half an hour away from Chessington, which of course boasts a children’s theme park, a SeaLife centre AND a zoo!
It’s no wonder that many of the families living in Aldershot invest in Merlin passes while we live so close to Chessington and other Merlin attractions. Chessington however is the best one for young families as the rides accommodate a range of age groups. Our tall 9 year old and our only just 3 year old love going to Chessington, and the SeaLife centre and zoo are frequented during the day! The penguins are a particularly great attraction. You can also feed the giraffes and the elephants if you get there at the right time!

10. Farnborough Vue

If the weather isn’t good enough for a full on outdoor day trip, the Vue cinema in Farnborough is a really good way to spend a few hours with the kids without feeling like you’re stuck at home. Farnborough Vue offers any film at any time for £4.99 per person, so even if you’re a big family, you can have a cinema experience without breaking the bank!
This year is set to be a brilliant one for Disney films with Dumbo and Aladdin having already been released, and Lion King, Toy Story 4 and Frozen 2 due to come out later in the year as well!

Are you local to Aldershot? Would you add any other attractions to the list? Let us know if you have been to any of these listed here!

If you would like to follow Mummykind’s blog and adventures you can find her under the favourite blogger section of our app and visit her blog on following links;

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We love to share information with parents in fun things to do in the local area including pregnancy to pre-school groups and classes in the local area of Lytham st Annes, but sometimes it is nice to get out for a pram friendly walk in Lytham. Today we share a guest post written by the fantastic Ashlie from Yummy Mummy and Me who are a bespoke sweet cone service custom made for any occasion. Today Ashlie shares her favourite pram friendly walks in Lytham.

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The Best Pram Friendly Walks in Lytham St Anne’s

Living in Lytham is a dream. It’s a dual seaside town with picturesque coastline and some fantastic parks and lawns. As a Mum of one I am always on the lookout for places to go for a walk that are ideal for a pram and families to discover, here are my top 5:

Lytham Hall – Lytham Hall, Ballam Road, Lytham, FY8 4JX

Lytham Hall is a national heritage 18th century Georgian country house and is set in 78 acres of wooded parkland. There is a gorgeous lawn area that you can take a picnic or a lovely little café that you can grab a cake in. There is a 5k route that you can take or if you would rather an adventure see how many turns you can take through the woods that lead you to different tracks. It also has ample parking which is free but some days it does have events on and parking is outside of the grounds.

– Fairhaven lake – Inner Promenade, Lytham Saint Annes FY8 1BD

The lake has recently undertaken a lot of restoration and it is such a lovely walk round the lake and it doesn’t take too long, you can even feed the ducks along the way. You will also find a park once you get around the lake and tennis courts. It is truly picturesque on a summers day and absolutely perfect for if you have a pram, it is flat all the way round. You may even spot a spitfire plane statue along the way. There is a charge for parking next to the lake or you can park on the main road.

– Lytham front

On a dry day this is one of my all-time favourite places to come, Lytham front with the iconic windmill situated at the start, it’s just idyllic. Extremely pram friendly, flat all the way and if you get to the end of Lytham front you can turn back or you can continue to walk in to St Annes. With a large grass area why not take a picnic and a few toys and enjoy the scenery with a sandwich and a bottle…. (obviously a milk bottle).

– Lowther Gardens

Lowther Gardens is the oldest park in Lytham St Annes and is one of the most beautiful parks in the borough. It is a great route to walk through and look at the flowers in the spring, sit and have a picnic in the summer and a great café in all weathers. It has a lovely park and tennis courts but I have walked round this park many a time with my little girl in the pram and she especially loves the statue in the pond you can park on the main road or down one of the side streets to get here.

– Ashton Gardens,

Ashton Gardens are based in St Annes but these gardens are beautiful, when the flowers are in bloom babies will love looking at the bright colours or toddlers will love running around them. This park has lots of different routes and it even has a little bridge that you can cross to get to the other side of the park. The café here is fantastic and super pram friendly, it’s really spacious and you could even sit out on the veranda in the sunshine and enjoy tea and cake.

So whether it’s exploring the grounds of a Georgian house or pottering through a rose garden Lytham St Annes has a lot to offer for walking with prams, hope you enjoy visiting these places.

Perhaps you are visiting Wakefield for the day or maybe you live in Wakefield. but either way if you have found this blog post and you are interested in looking for things to do with your family in Wakefield you have come to the right place. First of all, we have some fantastic pregnancy – pre-school businesses listed in our Wakefield directory, you can find these local businesses by clicking here.

Our special guest today is one of our favourite bloggers Sophie from the fantastic Mama Mei blog. Sophie tells us about her favourite things to do in Wakefield as a family.

Favourite Things to do as a Family in Wakefield

Wakefield in West Yorkshire is often overlooked or seen as Leeds’ poorer sister but actually there is so much to do for families across the Wakefield District (which includes Pontefract and Castleford).

Here are my top 5 things to do in Wakefield

West Yorkshire History Centre

West Yorkshire History Centre has a free changing exhibition and free family activities, check out their facebook page for the latest news and events.

The Hepworth, Wakefield

Just a short walk from the History Centre (also known as West Yorkshire Archive Service) is The Hepworth Wakefield which is free to enter (although parking is £5 for the day but it is a short walk from Wakefield Kirkgate station). The Barbara Hepworth inspired gallery has a range of free crafts on during the school holidays and on weekends.

There is also an outdoor playground and UK’s largest public garden is currently being built outside the gallery next to The Calder building. There’s also stunning views from the The Hepworth Cafe over the River Calder and The Chantry Chapel (which has free heritage open days on select dates)

National Coal Mining Museum of England

The National Coal Mining Museum of England is also in the district in an area called Overton and it is steeped in history and great for an indoor and outdoor day out.

Angler’s Country Park, near Wakefield.

Anglers Country Park is free and there is a fabulous Room on the Broom trail.

Anglers Country Park is dominated by a lake, surrounded by grassland, woodland and a wetland area known as the ‘Pol’. At one time this was the deepest open cast coal mine in the country, reaching a depth of 250 feet.

Anglers has been awarded Green Flag status – recognising it as one of the best parks in the country. I’d also recommend trying out Hemsworth Water Park.

Pontefract Castle

Pontefract Castle is a hidden gem in West Yorkshire with outdoor ruins and an indoor visitor centre. Make sure you take time to visit the dungeons on a tour (these cost however, £3 per person at the time of writing).

So whether it’s exploring the outdoors at National Trust’s Nostell Priory or it’s a rainy day inside Wakefield Museum, Wakefield is not a place to be overlooked.

For more of what to do in Yorkshire check out Sophie’s blogs at https://yorkshirefamilies.co.uk, https://mamamei.co.uk and https://blogupnorth.co.uk

If you are looking to find some local pregnancy – preschool classes, groups of businesses, you can click here to see our Wakefield baby and toddler directory.

As you know, we are MyBump2Baby – A pregnancy – preschool directory and we love helping local families find fun things to do in Preston. If you would like to find local pregnancy – preschool groups, classes and businesses we have our local Preston family directory you can access by clicking here. You can also find a list of days out in Lancashire on our website by clicking here.

Today we are excited to share our guest post from the awesome Jennii, who also happens to be one of our favourite bloggers. Her blog is Chilling with Lucas. Jenni shares her top 5 things to do in Preston for Families.

Things for Families to do in Preston for Families;

Brockholes Nature Reserve, Preston

Brockholes is set on the site of an old quarry which is now a 250 acre reserve with a network of trails and hides. You can also explore the woods or enjoy the lakes on site, which have all been specially designed to attract all kinds of wildlife. They have also catered for all ages with their play parks including a climbing forest, a miniature gravel quarry for scooping, digging and transporting fun, a bouncing flower, play hut, swings, balance blocks, chain path, see-saw and zip wire! Entrance is free but you do have to pay for parking. There is a visitor centre with an ice cream parlour, cafe and shop… read more here.

Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston

The Harris is free to enter and a treasure trove with something for everyone whether you are interested in arts, ceramics, costume and textiles or history. The Harris also has the Harris library within it. There is a cafe, shop and free WiFi. They also have regular events and classes for families and children between 5 and 12 years.

Salmesbury Hall, Preston

Salmesbury Hall is free to visit and has an abundance of things to see. There are art exhibitions with work available to buy. They have animals to visit including pigs, bees, rabbits, hens, goats and sheep. Next to the animal area they have a play area including a miniature Salmesbury Hall replica that children can climb through the windows to the rope bridge of the Mayflower ship! There is a wooden trail with bridges, swings and fun obstacles. Various extra family and children’s activities are offered during the school holidays. If you want to stay for something to eat there is a wafflery and restaurant. Read more here…

Ribble Steam railway, Preston

Ribble Steam Railway has a 3 mile return trip along marina, swing bridge and River Ribble, giving interesting views over Preston. Surrounded by naturally relaxing landscape you can discover the wildlife and fauna that live and grow along the riverside railway. There is also a hands on museum, complete with an indoor miniature railway. There is a shop and a cafe. Throughout the year they hold special events and activities.

Ninja Adventure , Preston

Over 40 ninja warrior obstacles, a multilevelled harnessed high ropes course, 2 warped walls, a virtual reality arcade, cafe and soft play area for the little ones this is a great place for the adventurers in the family Read more here

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