A COUPLE of months ago, we spent a glorious few days in the beautiful Lake District.

We stayed in a fabulous gypsy caravan (and oh and how we loved it!) and whilst we were there, we went to see a few local attractions as a family.

Now Elsie is almost three, we are loving having all kinds of fun, visiting new places with her and watching her learn, explore and let loose.

And she adored the couple of places I’m about to tell you about.

If you’re off to ‘The Lakes’ over the summer hols or thinking of having a trip to this stunning part of the UK, anytime soon, here are two child-friendly places we can all definitely recommend (and think you will also really love.)

South Lakes Safari Zoo

Elsie is a real animal lover, just like me, so if we’re ever out and about and come across an animal kinda place, we are there, like a shot.

South Lakes Safari Zoo is an incredible place for children and adults and hand on heart, is probably one of the best animal attractions I’ve ever visited.

Why?

Well, because unlike many other places, you actually do get to get up close and personal with all kinds of magnificent animals.

When we entered, we first across some beautiful peacocks, who were more than happy to show off their stunning good looks, in an impressive display for us.

And as we continued through the park, we came across all sorts of animals just roaming, jumping or flying about.

Lemars, monkeys, parrots, kangaroos. You name it, turn around and they are there. Well, hello there, Lemars!

It’s pretty magical in all honesty.

Especially when you can get this close to a tiger. (I’ve never seen Elsie so entranced).

So what else? Well there’s the usual sort of animals you hope and expect to see at such a place like this – rhinos, giraffes, monkeys  etc – and then there’s the kind of animals you rarely get to see, like the snow leopard.

I got a little teary eyed when this beauty appeared. It was the first time I’ve ever seen a snow leopard and to watch it roaming about was quite an honour.

And for us, the giraffe house was also a real treat, with giraffes leaning over the fencing to get a good look at us and a baby giraffe giving me the best wink, ever.

The zoo really is an absolute gem of an attraction. It’s a smashing place for any animal lover, the team are doing lots of important conservation work and it’s also really good value for money too, we thought.

Go with your kids and I promise you, you’ll all have a ‘wild’ day out that you won’t ever forget.

And if I can’t convince you, well I’ll let Elsie try. Just look at the excitement and happiness on this face! :)

The World Of Beatrix Potter

We spent a fun couple of hours at this incredibly cute museum at Bowness-on-Windermere.

It’s not the largest attraction you will ever come across, so you probably won’t be able to make a day of it, (more of a morning or afternoon trip out really), but the displays are beautifully done and the whole museum just really is a lovely homage to the works and stories of Beatrix Potter.

Elsie has loved the books for a couple of years now and has always had a bit of a thing for Jemima Puddle Duck since being a baby.

So, as you can probably imagine, she was totally in her element as she ran about in excitement, ‘admiring’ the displays and got to give Jemima, a big ol’ Elsie squeeze.

Not sure you’re allowed to touch the displays (oops!), but still, just look at her face!

The museum has lots to offer in the way of artistic displays and some decent interactive features (probably best for slightly older kids)  but my favourite bit has to be the pretty ‘Mr McGregor’ gardens!

And for kids who are getting a little restless, there’s even a cinema room on hand too, where they can settle down and watch episodes from CBeebies favourite, The Tales of Peter Rabbit.

All in all, it’s a really pretty place full of charm and love for Beatrix Potter’s famous characters and her talent.

Sadly, we didn’t get to visit the cafe as we ran out of time but I hear from a few people that the homemade cakes are also worth trying out too. Carrot cake anyone?!

Which lovely kid-friendly places can you recommend or have you visited in ‘The Lakes’?

With love,

Kate