Slindon Pumpkin Festival

There's only two weeks till Halloween, and a popular family tradition around this time of year is going out to find the biggest and best pumpkins to pick!

This year, look no further than Slindon in West Sussex - known as Britain's pumpkin capital!  At their annual festival we're sure you'll be impressed with what they have to offer...

The village is well know for its autumnal displays, and adopts a different theme each year to create fun and interesting collages using over 50 different types of pumpkin available to purchase! The late Ralph Upton grew pumpkins and squashes here for over 40 years and his son has since taken over, keeping the impressive pumpkins growing as strong as ever! 

It makes for a great family trip - the kids will be spoilt for choice with all the different shapes and colours! Halloween may just be once a year, but in the tiny village of Slindon this wonderful variety of pumpkins is celebrated at a huge scale, and now is the time to go! Find out more here.

Where do you go to pick your pumpkins?

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Happy Pick Strawberries Day!

We love these little red fruits that are bursting with sweetness - with cream, in frozen yogurt or on top of a home baked pie - they are too good to resist. Today celebrates not eating strawberries, but picking them! They are of course only available in certain times of the year, but that time is fast approaching!

Why not go out as a family and visit one of the many Pick Your Own Farms around the country this summer? It's a great activity for everyone to get involved in, and encourage the kids to get their five-a-day! Once you've picked biggest and juiciest strawberries, there are many ways to enjoy them - with ice cream, melted chocolate, or making your own ice lollies!

You can find your nearest Pick Your Own farm here.

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Spring into action! What to do and see this season

It's the season of new beginnings and the perfect opportunity for some adventure. So this Spring we have thrown together a couple of activities to keep the kids occupied during half term, and unmissable things to see in the great outdoors:

1) A Scavenger Hunt: Can you spot a squirrel, butterfly, or maybe just different colored leaves? With warmer weather and lighter evenings, all the signs of Spring have sprung and are ready to be found! While learning about the joys of nature, you and the kids will love hunting around to see how many weird and wonderful things you can find! 

If you need more than one scavenger hunt, each child could compete to find the biggest pine cone, or scariest spider! Alternatively you could encourage them to work together as a team.

2) Visit a fun farm: The Easter holidays are a perfect time to spend the day learning about baby animals, or maybe even see one being born! Wouldn't it be lovely to bottle feed a little lamb? Or have a pleasant pony ride through the fields? Many farms also include children's indoor and outdoor play areas for endless fun. Don't miss out on all the activities on offer at your nearest farm!

3) Relax with a hot chocolate: After all the fun and excitement of the day, there'll be nothing better than putting your feet up with a warm drink. Part of our enamel range is the blue trim mug, which is perfect for hot chocolate on a chilly evening. The kids can even decorate theirs with mini marshmallows or some sweet chocolate sauce. The whole enamel range, including a bowl, plate and tea can can be used indoors or for outdoor adventures this Sprin!

                                         

                                          

Which of these will you be getting up to this Spring?

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A day out with the kids this Spring!

Blackberry Farm is a lovely day out for all the family in Whitesmith, East Sussex (near lewes). If you are looking for something to do for the bank holidays this month, or the weekends too this will sure delight.

The daily activities on the farm include animal handling sessions, tractor rides and pony rides, along with egg collecting and a drop slide.

There is a whole host of animals that live at the farm too and they love to see new visitors and kiddies everyday, including alpacas, llamas, Shetland ponies, donkeys and ducks as well as many more. You can also have a children's party at Blackberry farm for a lot of fun on the day!

The farm also has a new pedal go cart circuit and farm walk, which is where you can escape the excitement of the farm for some piece and quiet. The play area is a fun way for the kids to have some fun too.

Visit Blackberry Farm this May!