The House of Marbles - Review

 The House of Marbles in Bovey Tracey has always been one of our favourite places to visit and as a bonus it's FREE to get in. 
We haven't been for a while and I had heard that they have since had a new park put up in their games garden so we thought we go and check it out.

 There are lots of interesting things to see at the House of Marbles including their fascinating mechanical marble runs...

My son loves these and I'm pretty sure he would just spend hours watching them go around if left in there.

There's also the games museum with lots of old fashioned games to look at...

You can then wander through to the glass museum and watch them making the glass from the viewing balcony. Sorry no pics of in there, didn't trust my two in their with all that beautiful glass!

If you get hungry while you're there you can stop and have some lunch in the Old Pottery Restaurant, where they also do a fantastic breakfast. You can view some sample menus here.

And then there's the games garden complete with a brand new park...

 My two were very impressed with this and my son was particularly happy with the new outdoor marble run...

 Also don't forget to browse round the shop while your there. They have a great range of toys and unusual gifts. I could spend way to much money in there! 
If you can't make it to the House of Marbles then they also have an online store which you can check out here. 

The House of Marbles is open Monday to Saturday 9am - 5pm and Sundays 10am - 5pm. 

For more info then check out there website...

 www.houseofmarbles.com

'We have been manufacturing our unusual range of traditional games, puzzles, toys, marbles and glassware for many years. Our aim is to make them to the highest standards and to offer high quality service to all our customers.

Visitors are most welcome to wander around the old pottery buildings with their listed kilns, enjoy our museums of glass, games, marbles, and Bovey Pottery. Browse in the gift shop, glass shop and take refreshments in our coffee shop and licensed restaurant'

Silent Sunday

Escot - 'The Natural Place' Review

 'Escot is the natural place for a great family day out'

This half term we spent one of our days at Escot near Ottery St Mary and I thought I'd share our experience with you.

We went on their Red Squirrel day which meant that all children were free which made it fantastic value for money as I had four children with me.

Normally it costs £8.50 per adult and £7.00 per child or you can get a family ticket (2+2) for £29.00. Which seems to be about the norm for day out prices these days.

As we have never been to Escot before I didn't really know what to expect and to be honest I don't really think I was expecting much but I was so wrong!

There was so much there to do and even though we spent the entire day there we still didn't get to see everything that Escot has to offer. 

We started our day off by getting completely lost in the huge maze, which was interesting with four children all going in different directions!

After we finally found our way out (with only a little bit of cheating) we headed up towards the play barn. From the outside it doesn't look like much at all but then you step in through the door to a wash of bright colour and lots of fun things to climb, run and jump on. 

There's a section for older children an also an area for toddlers. The barn also has tables and chairs in it so you could stop here to have your picnic lunch if the weather wasn't great. 

The play barn was just as good as any other indoor soft play place that you would go to and you could probably spend hours just in there.

When I finally managed to get the four I had out of there we followed our map up towards the storytellers corner and we found a park with swings, a climbing frame, a train and some tunnels.

 After this we headed towards the Death Slide...

Now that thing was terrifying! Well it was for me but the kids loved it, they just have no fear. Apart from my four year old that got all the way up there, took one look over the edge and then decided better of it and promptly came back down (the stairs) and sat and had his picnic instead. He's a wise one that one.

When the kids had had enough of an adrenalin rush we carried on towards the red squirrels, which were all asleep, tucked up in their beds, so no photos I'm afraid.

We then made our way through the trees, there is a never ending supply of great climbing trees here.

and we headed for the bug playground and pirate ship...

 Here you will find slides, poles, a massive pirate ship, climbing frames and rope bridges...

By this point the little ones were starting to feel a bit worn out so we started to head back towards the start and then we found the otters...

They were very sweet and my youngest, who is 2, was fascinated by them. She spent the entire time with her face stuck right up against the glass while they squeaked at her from the other side.

We then found some more animals in the pets corner and the beautiful birds of prey.

While carrying on towards the exit we had to go past the play barn again and miraculously the younger two suddenly had a burst of energy so we went and had another play in there.

Just before we reached the exit we noticed the Saxon Village which we must have missed on the way in (everyone had maze on their minds) so we had a quick look in there. It was very authentic and everyone was dressed in full Saxon attire. The kiddies toasted some marshmallows around the open fire. Sorry no pics of this, I was more concerned about watching the little ones to make sure no one ended up in the fire!

and finally we made it to the exit. On the way back to the car I also noticed a sign for the Wetlands which is a whole other area that we didn't get to explore.

 So there you have it, our day at Escot. It was a fabulous day out and thoroughly enjoyed by all. 

Obviously I haven't covered all that Escot has to offer (that would be one monster post!) but if you go to their website then they have all the details on there or why not go to Escot and see for yourself.

www.escot-devon.co.uk

The Monkey House Spring Offer

I just found this great offer and thought I'd share it with you...

 http://www.themonkeyhousedevon.com/

A Half Term In Devon (on a budget)

Well I don't know about you but we have definitely had a busy half term week and we've also been to lots of, new, exciting places. 

This half term I had four children to look after with an age range of 2 to 8 so I not only had to find things that were suitable for all of us but also things that weren't going to cost a fortune, which is actually quite a challenge but I think I managed it quite well in the end. 

Here's what we got up to...

On Monday we spent the day at home as I actually had 5 children on this day and therefore not enough room in the car. So we spent the day doing craft activities, den building, playing in the garden and going for a long country walk.

Card Making Activities

 On Tuesday we went to Occombe Farm (review to follow) in Paignton and took part in a pirate treasure trail. It was only £2 per child which was great value and they all got a bag of buttons when they'd finished.

After the trail we headed over to Babbacombe in Torquay, to Cary Park to have our picnic and a run around. This park was great for us because it had stuff for both the younger two and the older ones to play on.

On Wednesday we headed over to Paignton again, with the intention of going to Junior Browns UV Crazy Golf. I thought that this would be a great place to go as it was a bit different, all of the children would be able to give it a go and it wasn't very expensive. However when we drove passed it was closed! Looking back now it could of been because we got there too early, we were up and out very early most days.

Luckily after we drove past there I spotted a massive park on the seafront so we went there instead and saved ourselves some money in the process.

The park is fantastic with all sorts of fun things to play on and in the summer I imagine it would be even better. It was rather nippy there with the wind coming off of the sea so we found a shelter, had our picnic and then headed over to the indoor pier to defrost.

On Thursday we went to Escot (review to follow) and had a fantastic time. It was their red squirrel day so all children were free to get in, which was brilliant! 

I have never been to Escot before and I didn't really know what to expect but I needn't have worried because it was amazing. There is so much to do and is definitely an 'all day' place.  

There's a huge maze, various parks, an indoor play barn, a saxon village, a death slide and all sorts of other things. We spent the entire day here and had some very tired little ones by the time we got home.

On Friday we had a slightly quieter day as everyone was feeling a little tired after such a busy week. 

In the morning I made a treasure hunt for the kids to do around the house with 'treasure' lollipops that they had to find. This kept them entertain for quite a while as they had to work out all of the clues.

We then went to a small, hidden, park in Heathfield that has a basketball court and a few other bits to play on. 

 After this we then went home and the kids built a den and had there lunch in it. They then spent the afternoon watching a DVD and eating popcorn. 

and there you have it, our half term in Devon on a budget. So what did you get up to? Did you find any exciting new places to visit?

A Weekend in Devon

The last few days have been quite busy in our household and we have visited  quite a few different places so I thought I'd share with you where we've been.

On Friday we went up to Dartmoor, Haytor to be specific, and had a lovely walk up to the rocks. The kids love it up there because there is loads of space to run wild and be free. We also got to see the famous Dartmoor ponies and it's all free (always a bonus).

 After a lovely refreshing walk we then headed down to Widecome-in-the-Moor to have lunch at the Old Inn. I love it there, the fires were roaring and it was all lovely and cosy, just what you need after all that fresh air. 

We had a really nice lunch (as we always do there). I had a baguette with roast chicken and garlic mayonaise and the kiddies had sausage, mash and peas. 

After our meal we headed back down to Bovey Tracey and the kids rain wild again in the park and got stuck up a tree!! After this we headed home with two very tired little ones.

On Saturday we went for lunch at Ullacombe Farm (another one of my favourite haunts) and again had a lovely lunch. I had a cheese and ham ploughmans with homemade freshly baked bread and the kiddies had tuna and mayo sandwiches. 

This is a great place to go with children as they have a small play area in the corner which keeps them entertained while you wait for your food. 

  They also have an outdoor play area with swings and a little play shed.

 
 After we had finished our lunch we headed over to Totnes to raid the charity shops (I'm a bit of charity shop fiend). We found some great bargains and the kiddies had a play on the new pirate ship down by steamer quay. 

   

On Sunday we headed over to Trago Mills to have a wander around and a bit of lunch.  

I love taking the kids there because it's free to get in and free to park. Once you're there you can then decide whether you want to pay to go on anything or not. Today we walked around the (free) animal park and then paid £1 (for adults, free for under 4's) to go into the model railway village. My son loves it in there and spends the whole time chasing the trains around. We also had a quick play in the (free) play park before lunch.

There are a variety of places to have some lunch but today we chose to eat in the big restaurant (I forget what it's called!). It's a canteen style place with a whole range of options.

 The kids had chicken nuggets and chips which only cost around £1.75 including a free drink, which I thought was a great price. Granted it's not a very healthy lunch but every so often it doesn't hurt. The adults had full English breakfasts and a pot of tea which didn't cost more than a fiver each and they were really nice.It is very basic food but very reasonable priced.

After lunch we went to have a play in the fun house which costs 2 tokens per child (two tokens costs £1). You get to play for up to an hour. It has slides, poles, ball pits and lots of other fun things to do.

 and that was our, rather busy, weekend. 
What fun places have you discovered this weekend?

Silent Sunday