Askham Bog for Kids – A Mumbler Review

York Mum, Rebecca, went to explore Askham Bog recently with her girls – you can see what she thought of it here…

I arrived at 12pm on Wednesday 3rd June armed with water bottles and sandwiches, and with the pushchair in the boot as it was unusually hot, and having read how accessible the walkway was, I thought it best to be prepared in case either of my girls needed a rest. In fact, they would have made it as the board walk itself is short enough for little legs, but you may like to explore as we did, the forest in the interior or the boards and the fields surrounding it. We spent almost two hours there, but you could happily spend less or more time- no limit or charge on parking.

Askham Bog

Askham Bryan wildlife park: Mumbler Review May 2021

It was lovely to be able to go back to Askham Bryan wildlife park now that it has reopened after lockdown.

I visited with my partner & my 8 & 7 year old daughters. As arrival times have to be pre-booked, this ensures that it is not busy. Face masks need to be worn in the entrance & hand sanitiser is available. A one way system has been put in place to ensure social distancing can be maintained.

Indoor animals

We had lots of fun looking at the reptiles, fish & nocturnal animals. New lizards have arrived during lockdown which we were excited to see. The girls always enjoy watching the terrapins swimming & sunbathing on the rocks. We loved seeing the armadillos & chinchilla’s too.

Outdoor animals

We loved going to see the meerkats as soon as we got outside, as well as the lemurs, monkeys, racoon dogs, porcupines, goats, giant tortoises, alpacas & birds just to name a few! The tiny monkeys were our favourites & are not to be missed. All of the animals are happy in their spacious enclosures & are clearly well looked after in the wildlife park. They all seem to enjoy eating their fresh fruit & vegetables & seem to enjoy having the visitors back.

Playground

Bear family

Make sure you visit the the wooden bear sculptures which are great for a photo opportunity!

Word trail

Seven letters are hidden around the wildlife park to found. These spell out a mystery word when unscrambled. If you can work out the mystery word, children can choose a sticker on leaving the wildlife park.

Gift shop

The gift shop is open & is situated in the entrance to the wildlife park.

Cafe

The cafe is currently open for takeaway food & drinks. This is located in a separate building accessible from the car park.

Picnic tables

Picnic tables & benches are situated around the wildlife park & in the playground. There are plenty of picnic tables & so it is never difficult to find one.

Wildlife talks/handling sessions

These are currently not available due to covid restrictions.

Opening times

Opening times are 10am-5pm but tickets must be pre-booked on the website with an arrival time. Once you are in the wildlife park, you can stay there for as long as you like.

The wildlife park is open on weekends, during school holidays & on bank holidays.

Prices

 Season tickets are also available:

As we love Askham Bryan wildlife park, we have a season ticket which offers great value for money. I would highly recommenced a visit if you haven’t been!

Toilets

The toilet facilities are open as usual. They are situated in the entrance to the wildlife park.

Useful links

https://abcwildlifepark.co.uk/

Bird of Prey Centre – A Mumbler Review

We had a lovely visit to York Bird of Prey Centre at Huby with my partner & two girls, aged 9 & 7 years. The centre is situated in the grounds of Burn Hall Hotel.

Birds

We first walked around to look at the birds & saw falcons, kestrels, hawks, eagles, kookaburra’s, parrots, raven, vulture & a selection of owls. There are over 100 birds to see, including over 45 different species. The birds all appeared to be happy in spacious & clean enclosures. While we were walking around, we were approached by a volunteer who asked us if we would like to hold an owl. The girls & I all had a turn at holding & stroking Zorro the owl, who was really friendly & enjoyed having a head rub! Bird handling is held at 11am & eagle handling straight after the 11.30am & 1.30pm shows.

Flying displays

We enjoyed going to a talk & flying display. The staff are all very enthusiastic & extremely knowledgable about the birds. We first met a baby barn owl, followed by two more owls, a kestrel, a raven & a golden eagle. We learned facts about the birds & then the volunteers let us hold the birds & let them fly over to us & land on a glove on our hands. I had the opportunity to have the owls & raven to fly over to me as well as a chance to hold the golden eagle. The display was very interactive & a must for anyone who loves birds of prey. There was also another flying display in the main arena later in the day, but we left before this one. The times of the flying displays are held at 11.30am, 1.30pm & 3.30pm.  

Playground

The girls had lots of fun playing in the playground. There was a climbing frame, slide, monkey bars, balance beams & a sand pit with buckets & spades. The playground was clean & well maintained.

Crazy golf

Crazy golf is availble to play in the field next to the main arena. The girls really enjoying playing crazy golf, which is included in the admission price. There are also footballs, a football goal & rugby balls available to play with if children need to burn off some energy!

Experiences

Hawk walks, owl experiences, falconry experiences, eagle experiences & photography days are also offered at extra costs. These need to be pre-booked. More information can be found on the website. The centre also guinea pigs, but unfortunately they were not available for us to see on this occasion. 

Events

The centre holds special events during the year, including Harry Potter & Christmas events. Details can be found on the website.

Lunch

There is a cafe & tables both inside & outside. We took our own picnic which we ate outside.

Gift shop

There is a small gift shop in the cafe area.

Opening times

Opening times are 10.30am – 5pm Monday- Sunday. The centre is closed on Tuesdays.

Prices

Family of 5 – £160

Toilets

Toilet facilities are available in the field next to the main flying arena.

Car parking

There is a car park outside the centre, which is free of charge.

Contact details

City Walls Experience at Micklegate Bar, York: A Mumbler review

Guest Review by Local Mumbler, Jane

City Walls Experience at Micklegate Bar

We visited the brand new attraction from The JORVIK Group today and got to explore the history of York’s city walls and Micklegate.  

Looking around the City Walls Experience

The attraction is located within Micklegate Bar itself, giving you the opportunity to go inside part of the city walls of York. It is split over 3 floors – the downstairs is the ticket office and shop and the next two floors that explain key moments from the history of the walls. We learnt that Micklegate Bar is the Royal entrance to the city and the most important!

There is a range of objects ranging from Roman times to Victorian to look at. Children can colour a picture of Micklegate Bar and build a wall from blocks. There is also some great aerial footage of York showing all the walls – we had fun spotting places we recognised.

We enjoyed a walking tour along the walls

It is well worth doing the walking tour if you are visiting the City Walls Experience at Micklegate Bar – we enjoyed this element the most! Our guide was great! He was really knowledgeable and told us plenty of great facts and information about the area in a way that was accessible for us all to understand.

The walking tour normally lasts one hour, but as we had already walked 2 miles into town (we didn’t plan that very well!), we asked if he could make it a bit shorter. As there was no one else booked in, he was really accommodating and our tour lasted about 40 minutes. Although by the end, we would all have happily heard even more!

Walking tours are available at 10.30am, 12pm & 2pm.

My daughter’s review was…

“I liked the museum and I really enjoyed the walking tour. There were loads of facts about Micklegate and York that I didn’t know. I really enjoyed the stories and history I learnt.” 

Useful links & information

⏰ Open every day 10am-4pm. Walking tours 10.30am, 12pm & 2pm.

🎟  Museum only: Adult £3.50, Child £3, Family 4 £12, Family 5 £14. Museum & Walking Tour: Adult £6, Child £5, Family 4 £20, Family 5 £24. Passport tickets are also available for City Walls Experience, Jorvik, Barley Hall & Jorvik DIG – find out more here.

📍City Walls Experience at Micklegate Bar is located in the Southern gatehouse of the historical York city walls. Micklegate Bar, York, YO1 6JU

ℹ️ Find out more about the City Walls Experience on their website.

💜 For more Mumbler reviews of the shows and attractions in and around York visit the Mumbler Review section here.

Disclaimer: York Mumbler was given complimentary tickets for the City Walls Experience at Micklegate Bar in exchange for an honest review.  

Costello’s Chocolate Workshops: A Mumbler review

Guest Review by Local Mumbler, Rachel

Summer Holiday Fun at Costello’s Chocolate Workshops

Rachel and two of her children visited Costello’s recently, for one of their tasty chocolate workshops. Find out what they thought of the experience in Rachel’s review.   

Just a 20-minute drive north of York next to the quaint village of Sutton on the Forest you’ll find Costello’s, a family-run artisan bakery.

We were booked on one of their popular chocolate-making sessions which are running right through the summer holidays and as a family of chocoholics we weren’t disappointed. Louise welcomed Darcey (9) and Dexter (6) along with seven other children to don their aprons and roll up their sleeves ready for some yummy fun.

We started out by sampling some of the Belgian chocolate used in the bakery (even the grown-ups got to try!) then following Louise’s instructions the children got stuck in making their own chocolate lollies (complete with a variety of delicious toppings).

Lollies safely chilling in the fridge, we played a fun chocolate taste test game which included some flavours that kept us all guessing. Then it was time to decorate their own chocolate bars. Darcey planned and executed her design carefully whereas Dexter opted for a more maximalist approach. Needless to say, much chocolate was consumed in the process!

Sessions run Tuesday to Friday throughout the summer holidays and with some sessions designated for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. 

Costello’s also hold a weekly Tea and Tots session every Thursday (year round) 2-3.30pm. Children can play in the cosy toy area whilst parents enjoy free tea and coffee refills. During the session cookie decorating kits are sold half price and can either be decorated (and eaten!) there or taken away to enjoy at home.

I noticed plenty of highchairs and lots of rooms for prams and buggies and there are nappy changing facilities so it’s a great place to meet up. I’ll definitely be back with baby Rory in the near future for Tea and Tots or to buy treats and gifts. There’s a large pic n mix selection as well as cakes, ice cream, milkshakes and Costello’s famous Puck cake!

Useful links & information

⏰ Sessions run Tuesday – Friday at 2pm. Aimed at children aged 3-11 although all ages welcome! On Tuesday 9th August, Costello’s is running a SEN session for children with additional needs who may find the usual workshop environment challenging

🎟  £9.50 per person – Create your own chocolate lolly or  Make your own chocolate shards workshops available.

📍The Chocolate Works, Unit 18, Green Park Business Centre, Sutton-On-The-Forest, York, North Yorkshire, YO61 1ET

ℹ️ Find out more about Costello’s Bakery on their website. Visit Facebook to check availability and book a workshop or email info@costellosbakery.com to book a space.

🧁Costello’s is also running an offer in-store – 10% off purchases if you quote MUMBLER at the till!

💜 For more Mumbler reviews of the shows and attractions in and around York visit the Mumbler Review section here.

Disclaimer: York Mumbler was given complimentary tickets for Costello’s Chocolate Workshop in exchange for an honest review.  

Designer Outlet Nature Area – A Mumbler review…

More reasons to take a little trip to the Designer Outlet.

Mumbler, Kelly, went along to the Designer Outlet and discovered their Nature area. See what she thought here… 

We’ve always enjoyed the undercover playground, which is based at the East entrance to the outlet. It’s perfect for any weather and I find there’s lots to do especially for my nearly 6 year old!

I took Max who is 2 and half for a play there the other day before meeting a friend for lunch (5 guys is a definite recommendation from us!) he had a nice little play before being distracted by the giant checkers board which he explored for a while before he slowly wandered around to where the North entrance is to the outlet and we discovered the wild about nature area.

We had never seen or heard about this before but we both thought it was brilliant! There is a board with facts about the nature side of the outlet and a challenge for children to do which can gain them a prize (who doesn’t like a chocolate treat!)

You can take a little activity booklet which at the moment is based on autumn and gives you a page inside to complete the challenge as well as puzzles! Packs of crayons were available to take too! I thought this was such a lovely idea, I grabbed two, one for Max to enjoy whilst he was sat waiting for his lunch and one to take home for my daughter who loves anything like that! I would say the activities in the booklet are aimed at school ages children but Max is more than happy colouring around anything and looking of the pictures too so he really enjoyed it!

There is also a lovely small wooden play area which kept Max entertained for a good while.

Next to this was also a valentines themed seat which had a sign to encourage people to take photos and tag the outlet on social media. I’m sure a lot of mumblers will be like me and love a good photo opportunity, which I also took when we saw the ‘Hello York’ mural.

I do find shopping can be a bit boring for little ones so anywhere with a little bit of added fun for them is always a bonus in my eyes!

Mumbler Visits… Beningbrough!

We wanted somewhere to meet up with my sister and kids this Easter holidays – we can rely on the good old Yorkshire weather to be, well variable. So once you’ve got every option of clothing layered up, the next question is where to go to spend time together?

If there’s something else you can rely on, it’s the National Trust to offer a great day out for all ages of the family, grandparents too. With membership to the national charity, we’re spoiled for choice of places on our doorstep with free entry, from the Yorkshire coast to popular Fountains Abbey and Brimham Rocks.

A firm favourite for us is Beningbrough Hall, Gallery and Gardens, nestled in the countryside between York and Harrogate, it is a perfect place to meet up for us.

The house is currently closed as they’re working to keep it standing for another 300 years, but, especially with Mr Mumbler being a keen gardener, it’s the gardens we love to explore. Along with their everyday offer, there’s always something new in the school holidays and this Easter is no exception. If you want to see a reel of our day, head over the the York Mumbler account on Instagram, and see more details below…

Easter at Beningbrough

The Easter adventures in nature is a new trail unique to each National Trust place. Pick up a trail pack as you arrive for £3 per participant, complete with a map and pencil and head off in search of 10 nature challenges. Peek around a pond, dream of home like a queen bee and spot spring colours as they burst into life are just some of the activities you can experience in the gardens at Beningbrough. And the magic words everyone wants to hear at Easter, there’s a chocolate reward at the end.

It’s worth keeping an eye on their ‘what’s on’ section of the website for additional activities, led by one of the team and a great way to get involved around the garden. This easter there’s helping a plant to grow, literally sowing their vegetable crops with the gardeners. Or making a paper pot and sowing sunflowers to take home and nurture.

Play Area

Although smaller than some, their play area, set to one end of the garden hidden in among trees is a good option to let any remaining energy work off. There are clamber stacks for little legs and the more adventurous, a multitude of swings – the large bucket pendulum is a group favourite. For more natural place there’s an area set up with frames to help start off the beginnings of a den, the rest is up you to complete.

If you’ve not been before or for a while, it’s good to know the essential toilet and drinks points. Along with the restaurant there’s a relatively new additional outlet for drinks and snacks close to the play area, and a toilet next door.

If you’re not a National Trust member, Beningbrough also welcome RHS members and those with Yorkshire’s Great Houses, Castles and Garden passes. Otherwise, a family tickets starts at £18 with one adult and £30 with two. As under fives are free and adult tickets start at £12.

Plan your Beningbrough visit, at Easter or any other time, on their website: Beningbrough Hall, Gallery and Gardens | National Trust or their social media channels are FACEBOOK  & INSTAGRAM

Rainbows Ceramics: A Mumbler Review June 2021

Mumbler, Jenny, went to capture a memory of her new daughters tiny hands at Rainbows Ceramics last week . See what she thought to it all here…

It was a real treat to finally be able to go out last week and we took the opportunity to visit Rainbows Ceramics on Bootham. 

I visited with my 5 week old baby and my 2.5 year old daughter, along with my mother-in-law for an extra pair of hands. 

Arriving

On our entry to Rainbows we were shown to a table straight away. This is usually the case, but in busy periods you may have to wait a few minutes or pop back (they’ll tell you roughly when they expect to have space). Bookings are currently only taken for groups of 6+. We were provided a booster seat and an apron for my toddler which were both much appreciated. We were given a brief introduction and then we were sent off to choose our items to decorate.

There is a real variety of items available to decorate which start from £10; my daughter chose to paint an ornamental squirrel for Father’s Day (he’s going to be thrilled!); my mother in law painted a plant pot and I occupied myself with a tile with my baby’s footprints on, and a Christmas bauble along the same theme (I was very impressed that they had these available in May). 

Painting

Once we had chosen our items to decorate, we were given a talk explaining all the information we needed to know, including the different painting techniques, how to practice and make things neat and what to do if we made a mistake (as a not particularly artistic person, I was relieved to be told that errors can be sorted by the staff). We were also shown about the changes in paint colour once an item is fired. This information is, as I rapidly discovered, important to explain to children as my toddler was initially a bit cross that the colours she was painting were all a bit pastel/dull compared to the ones she could see on the example wall.

There are lots of examples of beautifully painted products around for inspiration and  also “stamps” that you can paint and then print onto your item for the less artistically minded of us. There are a couple of bits of painting that the staff will do for you; for example baby/toddler hand and foot prints. This was a huge relief as I had no idea how to get a squirmy baby to remain still enough to place his foot carefully onto a tile, let alone a bauble! They paint the baby’s hand/foot (depending on age/size) and then carefully place it so it prints onto your chosen item, before wiping the paint off the child with a wipe and then allowing you to decorate the rest of the item.

TOP TIP : If you have a young baby I’d recommend timing your visit to coincide with either a feed (if that leaves them chilled out afterwards) or so they’re ready for a nap so they allow you some hands free time to work on your artwork! 

For a small fee (and depending upon how busy the staff are), they will also draw an outline/template on your item for you to paint over or even paint the more difficult aspects of your design. They do, however, encourage you to do your own painting as it adds to the experience. 

I found it surprisingly relaxing to paint my items, with the quiet atmosphere and rare silence from my toddler and a napping baby it was easy to get lost in my artwork. All in all it was a very calm visit; be careful as you may want to spend longer there than you initially think, so consider that when paying for your car parking! 

Facilities

In terms of practicalities, there is access to a toilet and they also have a baby changing table in there. The shop is not huge but there is room for a few prams even with tables spread out to meet Covid restrictions; however I’d recommend using carriers where possible, especially if you go in a group. 

Rainbows also offer the chance to purchase a selection of hot and cold drinks and a small range of snacks/treats while you paint. Once you have finished painting, you leave your items there to be glazed and fired and collect them a week later. Alternatively you can paint with acrylics and take your items home immediately – ideal for any visitors to the city. 

Our Works of Art! 

A week later I picked up our items which have now been glazed and fired and I’m thrilled with how good they look. My toddler is extremely proud of her squirrel and the finish on both the tile and the bauble is excellent- you can see every detail of my baby’s footprints and they will be treasured mementos for a lifetime. 

Overall, our visit and the whole experience with Rainbows Ceramics was fantastic. It was an activity which was suitable for all ages and abilities and a surprisingly relaxing morning for me with a toddler and a newborn in tow. We will definitely be back! 

Self Drive Boats from City Cruises, York: A Mumbler review

Guest Review by Local Mumbler, Dawn

Find out about our trip on the Ouse on a self-drive boat from City Cruises.

Dawn and her family spent a morning in York on the River Ouse on a self-drive boat from City Cruises. Find out what they thought about it in Dawn’s review for Mumbler. 

My partner, two daughters (aged 10 & 8 years) and I had a lovely morning sailing on one of the self-drive boats on the River Ouse. We boarded the boat at Kings Staith, beside Tower Gardens. Our boat was pre-booked, but walk-ins are also available, subject to availability.

We went on a 1-hour cruise, firstly heading under Ouse Bridge, Lendal Bridge, Scarborough Bridge & on towards Clifton Bridge where we then turned around and sailed to Skeldergate Bridge, then lastly Millenium Bridge before heading back to the landing. We passed many points of interest such as historic buildings, apartments, bars and restaurants as well as seeing ducks, geese, seagulls and other boats on the river. We also passed the ice cream boat, where you can purchase an ice cream as you pass!

We all took a turn steering the boat using the steering wheel, after this had been demonstrated to us after boarding. There was seating for 2 people at the front of the boat, plus comfortable additional seating at the rear of the boat for passengers to relax and see the sights. Each boat can seat up to 7 passengers*. Boats need to stay towards the right-hand side of the river when sailing & in the centre of the river when travelling under the bridges.

Whether you are a local or a tourist, a boat trip along the river Ouse is not to be missed!

* This blog has been amended February 2024 to reflect the change to the passenger capacity of the boats to 7 passengers.

Useful links & information

⏰ Boats are available to hire daily between 12th February and 20th November from 10am. Closing time varies depending on the weather & daylight, as well as staying open later during school holidays/busy times.

🎟 Weekdays – £30 for half an hour or £40 for an hour.

📍You board the boats at The Self-Drive Hire Point at King’s Staith, York YO1 9RZ

ℹ️ Find out more about York Self Drive Boat Hire on City Cruises website.

ℹ️ Find out about the brand new adults only Gin Cruise here

💜 For more Mumbler reviews of the shows and attractions in and around York visit the Mumbler Review section here.

Disclaimer: York Mumbler was given a complimentary self-drive boat from City Cruises in exchange for an honest review.  

Sledmere Maize Maze and Summer Fun!

Fancy a day out in the beautiful East Yorkshire countryside? Sledmere Maize Maze and Summer Fun is here for your holiday adventures!

Open 7 days a week in the holidays, the Maize Maze at Sledmere is a great spot for an outing. Not only can you explore the maze; there are also lots of summer fun activities in the games area, plus picnic areas and a cafe. You can also make it into a full day out by purchasing a Combined Maize and Grounds ticket, giving you additional access to the spacious Sledmere grounds including beautiful gardens, Rare Breed Farm Park, and brilliant adventure play area around the House.  Mumbler Fiona and family went along this Saturday to explore…

Let’s get lost…

We picked up our activity leaflet from the kiosk at the maze entrance, and headed past the games field straight for the maze. The maze contains 8 pictures to find (mostly of animals from Sledmere’s rare breeds farm), with each sign also displaying a letter. The challenge is to collect all the letters and then rearrange into a word. The other challenge is to find the hay bales stack in the centre, marked by a red flag on the top – we could see the flag tantalisingly close at many points during our exploration of the maze, but it took us a while to find out how to access it!  We spent just over an hour in the maze itself – finding the letters proved a bit of a challenge and I have to confess that we couldn’t find the 8th one, but we managed to work out the secret keyword with the 7 letters that we had found. My 6 year old also enjoyed climbing the hay bales tower in the middle to reach the flag.

I’d been a little apprehensive about how the ground would be given that we seem to have had constant rain this summer so far, but was pleasantly surprised to find that the ground underfoot wasn’t the sea of mud that I’d expected after so much rain – in fact, whilst muddy in places in the maze, it wasn’t too bad. I was still glad of the wellies for our visit, but you’d be fine in trainers on a drier day. The weather forecast was a bit dodgy on the day we went,  but we still had a brilliant time!

I’d set my fitness app to record how far we walked in the pursuit of finding all of the clues in the maze, and was surprised to find that we had walked about 5km altogether! Although obviously you could make it less if you had tired legs (or were quicker to find the clues than we were!).

Summer fun in the paddock

After exiting the maze, we had a great time having a go at the many summer games and activities set out in the adjacent paddock.

Choose from footgolf, frisbee basketball, beanbag toss, table tennis, rounders, footballs and goals, nought and crosses, giant jenga, giant Connect 4, boules, chalkboards and sandpits (in tractor tyres).  Lots of fun to be had!

Explore Sledmere’s grounds with a combined ticket

After refuelling with a nice sandwich and pork pie in the Tin Roof Takeaway, we then crossed the road back to Sledmere’s main grounds to explore a bit more. If you have purchased a combined Maize Maze and Grounds ticket, you can also have access to Sledmere’s extensive grounds, which includes the Rare Breeds farm park, the stable block where you can visit the shire horses (including the new foal Henry), and also the adventure playground, as well as some lovely gardens. Plenty of space to run off steam as well!

We always enjoy the adventure playground at Sledmere – it’s perfect for my 6 year old , with a good climbing frame and slides, swings, and a fairly gentle zipline. There’s also smaller equipment for toddlers and a set of baby swings, plus the little climb-on tractor in the farm park area.

All the info you need…

📍 Where is it? The maze is at Sledmere House and Estate, a scenic 25 mile drive from York. The maize maze itself is set in fields across the main road from Sledmere House. The sat nav postcode is YO25 3XG.

🕙 Opening hours: The Maize Maze is open every day from Wednesday 26th July to Sunday 3rd September from 10.00am – 5.00pm. You book a morning slot (10am-1pm) or an afternoon slot (1pm-4pm) online.

🎟 Pricing: There are two options: you can either buy tickets for the Maize Maze and Games Area on its own for £10 adult/£8.50 child/£33 for a family 2+2; or you can purchase a combined Maize and Grounds ticket, giving you additional access to the spacious grounds of Sledmere including beautiful gardens, Rare Breed farm park, and the adventure play area – £15.50 adult/11.50 child/£48 for a family 2+2. Tickets can be booked online here.

Maize Maze is FREE for Sledmere Friends Members!

🚗 Parking: Free parking on site.

🥪 Food and Drink: there is a selection of snacks and hot and cold drinks (including sandwiches, sausage rolls and cakes) in the Tin Roof Take Away on the same side of the road as the maize, as well as a small covered seating area with a few tables. For a wider selection, you can also eat in the main Coach House Cafe in the courtyard of Sledmere House over the road.

🥾Footwear: we’d had a couple of rainy weeks just before our visit, so we went prepared in wellies. However, it wasn’t actually too muddy at all, in spite of heavy rain the night before. I would still advise wellies if visiting when it’s been rainy before.  Trainers would be fine in drier weather.

👍 Good to know: There are a couple of portaloos (including one with a baby change table) in the field where the maize is situated. There are also several toilets and a baby change room in the main courtyard of Sledmere House over the road from the maize fields (close to the car park).

👶 Visiting with a baby: we think that the maize maze would probably be doable with a pram/pushchair with decent off road wheels (it wasn’t too muddy even after days of rain when we visited) and the pathways are wide enough for a pram with no issues. However a baby carrier would make things a lot easier! As mentioned above, there is a baby change portaloo in the Maize Maze field, as well as a baby change room back in the main Sledmere courtyard.

Further information and links: can be found on the Mumbler Summer listings here.

You can see more of our day out at Sledmere’s Maize Maze over on our Instagram feed here:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by 💜 York With Kids & Parenting Community 💜 (@yorkmumbler)

** GIFTED/PR**  Our visit to Sledmere’s Maize Maze and grounds was gifted in return for coverage on this blog and social media.  However, the views expressed are the reviewer’s honest opinions.

Strawberry Picking, PYO at Spilmans: A Mumbler Review

Summer has well and truly started for us! We went along to Spilman’s Farm to pick our own strawberries last week. Find out how much fun and see how many strawberries we picked in our review.

We’ve been to Spilmans for the Pumpkin Festival but this was our first time for PYO. It was an absolutely gorgeous day weather-wise and we went straight from school.

Enjoy visiting a working farm

The girls were super excited! It’s so good to be doing things again and was great to be outdoors after they’d been in at school all day. How is it that kids have a bundle of energy when you pick them up from school?!? We arrived around 4pm and it felt instantly chilled out. It’s a real working farm at Spilmans and that authenticity comes through in spades. Having said that, it was superbly organised and really easy to pre-book your slot.

Book in advance

The format is that you book a ticket online before going (£10 per car) which is then used as a credit to spend anywhere on the farm. You need to make sure you arrive within your designated hour slot and last entry to the PYO fields.

🍓 There are multiple time slots per day and dates are released a week in advance
🍓 There is a booking fee of £1.50
🍓 Allow 15 minutes to park and enter the fields.
🍓 On arrival follow signs directing you to the strawberry fields.
🍓 You will receive an order confirmation email as proof of your ticket entry which is a £10 credit to spend anywhere on the farm during your visit (the PYO Fruit Shop, our Farmshop or the Take Out kiosks). Have this ready on arrival so it can be scanned.
🍓 You can pre-book Pick You Own at Spilmans here.

More than just strawberry picking 🍓

The soft fruits at Spilmans are grown uncovered in the fresh air and ripen naturally in the sunshine. The farm is spread across 15 acres, there is plenty of space for everyone.

At Spilmans they grow strawberries, gooseberries, raspberries, blackberries, potatoes and sunflowers that are ready to pick from June – September at various different times. Check out the Spilmans website to see what’s available for picking when you plan to visit and to pre-book your entrance.

As you can see from the photos there were LOADS of strawberries when we went, so the girls had a brilliant time picking them. Plus we really enjoyed eating them once we’d washed them when we got home.

Enjoy an ice cream or snack

When we’d finished strawberry picking as it was such a lovely day, we needed to cool down so what better way than ice cream! There is a great selection of delicious Yorvale ice cream flavours available, plus snacks and hot and cold drinks.

Kids Zone: 3 & 4 July 2021

If strawberry picking and ice cream wasn’t enough fun, a Kids Zone is coming to Splimans for selected dates during the PYO season, so you can have a full day out!

The Kids Fun Zone offers 2 hours: Unlimited Rides, Bouncy Castles, Crazy Golf, Giant Slides, Garden Games and much more for children. It is £8.99 per session per child and adults charged at 50p (booking fees also apply). Find out more information, dates and book tickets here.

Useful information

📍 Spilmans, Church Farm, Sessay, Thirsk, YO7 3NB

🚗  Driving distance from York: Approximately 20 miles/40-minute drive

⏰  Wednesday – Friday 10am-4pm, late night Thursday til 6pm, Saturday & Sunday  9am -4pm

🛒 The small farm shop sells fresh seasonal produce, eggs, milk, cheese, meat, freshly baked cakes and much more! Open Wednesday – Sunday 10am – 5pm.

☕️ A takeaway kiosk is located in the farm shop building and is open for take-out hot & cold drinks, sweet treats, snacks and ice creams.

🧺 A picnic spot is available

🚻 There are toilets available for customers with baby change facilities

🗺 A map of the farm is available to download here

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Disclaimer: York Mumbler was invited to Spilmans for an honest review. No amount of strawberries and ice cream would ever be enough for us to write a dishonest review, therefore this review contains our honest views and opinions and we would only recommend something we genuinely enjoyed.

All prices and details correct at time of publication (June 2021). 

The Wizard Walk of York – A Mumbler Review

A Review by Mumbler Sarah

During half term myself and my son Teddy (6) along with some friends decided to go along to experience the ‘Wizard Walk of York’!

This is a new attraction created by York magician and entertainer The Magic Hatter. We had seen him before performing at Piglets and he was fantastic, so I knew the kids would enjoy his new offering.

The tour we booked started at 6pm but times and dates differ so do check the website! We met at the bottom of the Shambles as instructed and were greeted by the Wizard who introduced the tour and immediately put the children at ease with his silly jokes!

We then set off along the shambles with instructions to look out for specific magical creatures. At regular intervals we stopped, to listen to the Wizard tell us a bit more about different magical creatures and show us some magic of his own.

The tour lasts approximately an hour and it was the perfect length of time/walking for the two six year olds we were with.

They both had a brilliant time and were so engaged and excited the whole time. It was a novelty for them to be out and about in York when it was dark, and they were captivated by all the magic and (very silly) jokes. We loved how the Wizard constantly encouraged the children (and adults!) to participate, by either going to the front to help or by suggesting answers to his questions. He made all the children present feel at ease and was very good at responding to everything they came out with in a really genuine and friendly manner.

When booking there is the option to pay a bit extra to receive a ‘wand kit’ which includes a hand crafted wand and a leaflet detailing some simple tricks that children can try out themselves. Ted has loved giving these a go at home, and getting the kit at the start of the tour made it all just a little bit more special for them.

Ted and his friends are really into Harry Potter/wizards so this tour was absolutely perfect for them and really captured their imaginations! Although the tour isn’t fully based on Harry Potter it is perfect for fans as there are more than a few references to it! But I don’t think you need to be into Harry Potter to enjoy the tour.
I definitely recommend it as a unique, special and fun way to spend an evening in the beautiful city of York.

Mumbler Reviews: Toddlers World Soft Play at York Leisure Centre

Have you seen that there are some new Soft Play Sessions at York Leisure Centre at the Monks Cross / Vanguard. Mumbler, Sarah, went along with her 2 year old to check them out…

Earlier this week I went to check out the new soft play provision at York Leisure Centre (vanguard) with my little girl Lilian who is 2. The sessions are currently on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. They run from 9-12 and you need to book an hours slot in advance online for £4.20.

It’s located in the sports hall and they have a range of new equipment set out for the children to explore, including an inflatable, soft play blocks, balls, tunnels etc. There is plenty of space around the sides for buggies!

Lilian loved having the space to explore and choose what to play with. It wasn’t too busy so the children didn’t have to squabble over who’s turn it was – there was plenty of equipment to go round!

I’d say it’s a really fab place to go for an hour, and it’s good value for money. I think in the future I’d combine it with a shopping trip as it’s located close to vanguard / monks cross, and it’s nice for Lil to have something to do before having to go back into the buggy! I don’t think I’d have wanted to stay longer than an hour as Lil was getting bored after about that time period.

There was a lot of people with younger babies and I would say it was slightly more suited to babies that were just starting to crawl/walk than Lil, who now prefers more of a challenge – things to climb etc. it also seemed like a great place to get chatting to other mums; or a place to meet your mum friends at!

The leisure centre has a child-friendly cafe and small library in the reception area as well to keep little ones amused longer.
I’ll definitely keep this in mind as a budget-friendly place to go to for an hour or so, it’s worth checking out and in a great location!

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND BOOKING CHECK OUT THE YORK LEISURE CENTRE WEBSITE HERE

Woldie’s Lavender & Nature Farm – A Mumbler Review

Mumbler Holly and her family visited Woldie’s Lavender & Nature Farm, see what they thought in this Mumbler review…

Woldie’s Lavender & Nature Farm is just off the A64 towards the coast and around 30-45 minutes from York.  We took our 10 year old, 7 year old and 10 week old children and everyone had a fantastic time! As you enter Woldie’s you are hit with the wonderful smell of lavender and once you are through the entrance it’s not hard to see why. Woldie’s is full of lavender fields and dotted throughout the farm is an array of fun activities for children of all ages!

We arrived around lunchtime and headed straight for the picnic area to enjoy our lunch on one of the many picnic benches covered by big sails which were ideal for both sun and rain cover.  After lunch we headed over to play giant connect 4, foot pool and foot golf, all scattered amongst the lavender! We had booked onto a train ride on arrival and it was our turn to take a tour of the farm on the miniature railway, so we next headed over to the platform.

After our train ride we took a walk through the nature trail to do some den building, collect some nature stamps and find some bees to help crack the secret password in the giant bee hive. A quick pit stop in the café for locally made ice creams and cakes before we got lost in the GIANT willow maze which was filled with even more fun and games such as giant draughts, chess, limbo, a ring toss and 9 men’s morris! A quick play in the giant sand pit complete with sand kitchen before the park was almost closing rounded off our day. We spent 4 hours at Woldie’s and didn’t feel we had given ourselves enough time to fully explore the whole place so we will be heading back there this summer as we all had so much fun.

Useful information:

Good paths for buggies and baby change facilities on site.

Lots of places to sit down around the farm and easy to get around.

Café, shop and toilets at site entrance / exit.

Entrance fee is £9 for adults, children aged 2-16 years £8, under 2’s free. To upgrade to a season pass its just £25 for Adults and £20 for children, if you decide to upgrade after your visit they will also knock your ticket price from the day off the season pass as well as getting 10% off in the gift shop and café! Buy tickets here!

Opening times over the summer holidays 10am – 5pm, 7 days a week

Wonderlab: The Bramall Gallery – now open at the National Railway Museum! A Mumbler review

The National Railway Museum’s largest new gallery in more than a decade opens to the public this week after five years in development, and it’s great news for children in York!

Named Wonderlab: The Bramall Gallery, this new family attraction features 18 exciting hands-on interactive exhibits which aim to inspire and spark curiosity in visitors around the themes of railways and engineering.  Mumbler Fiona and her (nearly) 6 year old went along to the preview event this week to find out more!

Photo credit: James Glossop, photographer

Aimed at families with children aged 7-14 and school groups, this thought-provoking attraction hopes to get children to discover their inner engineer. With its brightly coloured features and hands-on exhibits, it is designed to appeal to children, but with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) concepts firmly rooted in the gallery’s railway heritage.  There’s no “look but don’t touch” here – handling the exhibits and getting involved is the name of the game. With a wind tunnel to go in, sand to touch, wheels to turn, and balls to roll, it’s a very sensory experience!

The first thing that you see is the enormous orange artwork by Steve Messam that you can walk through to access the gallery. Called ‘Mass’, this dramatic inflatable sculpture dominates the centre of the gallery at 12 metres high, and really sets the tone for some of the “larger than life” interactive pieces to follow.

Exhibits designed to unleash your inner engineer!

The 18 exhibits in the gallery focus on different elements of railways and engineering and encourage people to think like engineers and develop skills as they design, build and test to produce different outcomes.

From giant ball runs to smaller scale marble runs; route planning to bridge building; even an interactive wall that uses special electricity-conducting paint to create moving images and sounds operated by touch – the perfectly-named Wonderlab has much to enthrall. Visitors are encouraged to “Be curious – Be creative – Be a problem solver” – in the way that an engineer would be. As Judith McNicol, Director of the National Railway Museum, told me at the launch event, it’s all about “trying things out, maybe getting it wrong, but then persevering and learning from that failure to make an improvement next time”. Something at the heart of real-life engineering in practice, but also a good motto for life!

These Mumbler reviewers particularly loved:

💜 the “Great Machine” – a huge ball run on a mammoth scale – like a marble run on steroids! Can you work together to get the balls around the machine?

💜 a wall of tangled tubes forming a network of pathways, through which air was blowing. Use the junction switches to plan and create a route for your chiffon scarf, and see if it travels the route that you had planned. Can you catch your scarf as the machine spits it out?

💜 “Sandscapes” – a very clever tactile exhibit designed to demonstrate the challenges faced by civil engineers when planning a railway: a landscape and road/rail network is projected onto a tray of sand – use your hands to shift the sand around to create features such as hills, tunnels and lakes, and watch the train navigate the changing landscapes that you have made (difficult to explain; addictive to play with).

💜 the wind tunnel – made to illustrate streamlining and aerodynamics of shape, but also quite handy to finally live out your pop-star-in-a-wind-machine aspirations!

Interactive Sandscapes exhibit

Fun with air tubes and scarves (Photo credit: James Glossop)

Channelling my inner Beyoncé in the wind machine

The "Great Machine" ball run

The “Play Revolution” installation – a very interactive artwork!

At the end of the Gallery lies a wonderful surprise and feast for the eyes – the brightly coloured “Play Revolution” by Pippa Hale. The room comprises large foam shapes that can be moved around the space encouraging visitors of all ages to think like engineers and build structures, bridges and towers, or otherwise get creative with their imaginations! There are hollows to explore and portholes to peep out from. This proved a huge hit with the children on the press day, who spent ages dragging the pieces about and building houses and even a bed!

Live experiments and demonstrations

As well as the hands-on exhibits, the Wonderlab will also feature a live science show in the purpose built science theatre as part of the general entry ticket. “Fire Powered”, an explosive and dramatic show running several times a day, will demonstrate how (safe) explosions can be created and controlled to make an engine work.

There will also be up to 6 short science demonstrations per day at the “Demo Bar”, which again will focus on very visual experiments to amaze and engage – expect “mild peril” with flames and explosions!

Photo credit: James Glossop

The verdict!

Photo credit: James Glossop photographer

The all-important verdict of the nearly-6 year old mini Mumbler Wilf was that it was “the best day ever”, and the exhibits were “more fun than fun” (which I think is a high compliment!).

From a parent’s point of view – we thought that it was an excellent exhibit. Wilf is a curious child, interested in things that move and how they work, and although he was at the bottom end of the target age range, it was still perfect for him, and he was able to understand some of the STEM concepts behind the exhibits.  The ability to be hands on with pretty much everything in the gallery was brilliant for a child who is into everything. We spent over three hours in the Wonderlab Bramall Gallery itself, and then a further couple of hours in the main railway museum.

Although the target age range is  7 – 14 years old, we felt that it would still make a good day out for a family with a mixed range of ages. The school age children would definitely get the most out of it (understanding the underlying STEM concepts, and being able to use more sophisticated skills like planning a build and predicting outcomes), but there are plenty of hands-on activities and bright colours to entertain accompanying preschooler siblings.

Further information:

📍 Where?  Inside the National Railway Museum, Leeman Road, York YO26 4XJ

📅 When does it open to the public? Open from Thursday 27th July 2023 – timed slot tickets; prebooking necessary.

🎟  Tickets: Wonderlab operates a timed ticketing system with a particular 15 minute time slot to gain entry. This means you can enter the gallery within your chosen time slot. Once inside the gallery, the NRM website states that you can enjoy it at your own leisure.  All visitors need to book a timeslot (including those holding an annual pass).  Wonderlab tickets can be booked on the NRM website here.  You’ll also need to book a free ticket for your general admission to the museum – link here.

🕙 Opening Times: The Wonderlab is currently open only from 10am to 2pm, with last admission at 12.30pm. However, the main National Railway Museum itself is open seven days a week, 10am – 5pm (last admission 4.30pm) (subject to special events).

⌚ Suggested visit time: we’d say that the suggested minimum visit time would be 90 minutes to get the most out of your experience (if you book a 12.30pm slot you will only have 90 minutes to explore as it currently closes at 2pm). However, we happily spent almost 4 hours there! Also, see notes below about converting your ticket to an annual pass if you have a YO postcode, so you can have return visits.

💷 Prices: Adults – day tickets from £9/annual pass £15. Children 4-16 years – day tickets from £7.20/annual pass £13. Children age 3 and under – Free (but you still need to book a ticket online). Concessions for students, unemployed, students and over 60s.
💜 See below for how York residents with a YO postcode can convert their day ticket into an annual pass before 3 September 2023!💜
Please note that only the Wonderlab exhibit is payable – entry to the rest of the National Railway Museum remains free (donations appreciated).

⭐ Offer for York residents (any YO postcode): Great news! A free upgrade to an annual pass is available in person at the museum for people with a YO postcode. You must upgrade your ticket in person at a Wonderlab ticket desk.  Offer available until 3 September 2023.  Proof of address will be required, such as a utility bill or driving licence.

⚙ Websites: Find out more about Wonderlab here.  Find out more about the National Railway Museum itself here.

If you want to get an idea of what it all looks like, why not check out our Instagram reel of the Wonderlab, for a 90 second whistlestop tour of this amazing gallery!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by 💜 York With Kids & Parenting Community 💜 (@yorkmumbler)

Review by Fiona Brook on behalf of York Mumbler.
With thanks to photographer James Glossop for letting me use some of his lovely photos to illustrate this blog (credited where applicable; other photos my own).