The Lighthouse in Poole have some fantastic family shows on throughout the year which are perfect for all ages. 

During the recent half term holidays we went to see ‘Treasure Island’ which was performed by the cast of CBeebies Spotbobs and my son LOVED it! 

Being 4 years old he non stop laughed at their slapstick humour and he never tired of one of the pirates accidently hitting the other pirate with a prop and if one of them fell off the stage well that was a definite belly laugh by all the kids!

The story was a simple one (which of course was perfect for the younger crowd) and there was lots of audience participation with dances, cheering and booing.  The cast of 3 plus a couple of puppets took the children on a very funny and colourful journey to collect gold coins and the children absolutely loved it when one was found.

There’s only a few more UK dates left but if they tour again then I’d thoroughly recommend it.
 

The Lighthouse in Poole is a registered charity and replies on the support of the community.  After a 4 month refurbishment they have opened their doors looking even fresher than before.  Being family friendly you’ll find baby change facilities plus there’s a café downstairs serving a range of drinks and snacks (I can thoroughly recommend the lemon drizzle cake).

Upcoming family theatre shows at The Lighthouse for 2017 include …….

‘Into the Woods’  31st of March and 1st of April
Cinderella would like to go to a festival, Jack must sell his cow, Little Red Riding Hood needs to visit Grandma, and the Baker and his wife want a child.  To get their wishes they must go into the woods where they meet witches, giants, princes, and a lascivious wolf! 

‘Egg and Spoon’  12th of April
 Perfect for the really little one’s the Egg and Spoon takes them on an interactive journey through the seasons where you come in and out of the magic circle and get to open all of the gifts of nature. 

‘Mini BSO – Animal Zoo’  29th April
The BSO will be bringing lots of musical fun which children big and small will thoroughly enjoy.

‘Gangsta Granny Live On Stage’  24th to 28th May
Gansta Granny has had fantastic reviews so far.  Based on the book written by David Walliams and coming from the producers of Horrible Histories the show promises to have you laughing along.

Of course, if you are looking for a night out without the children then they also have fantastic shows, film screenings, comedians and concerts with stars like Simple Minds, Russell Brand, Sean Lock and Ruby Wax.

For full details of upcoming show, please visit the Website.

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We’ve always wanted to go to the Lambing Weekend at Kingston Maurward Animal Park and Gardens but have never been able to make it until this year.

The forecast was looking good so we got there well before lunchtime and I knew straight away it would be a hit with our son as we parked the car and a John Deere tractor and trailer pulled up next to us.  Not only were the tractor trailer rides running all day taking people from the car parks up to the animals but you also got a fantastic tour of the grounds on the way back to the car park.  Oh, and did I mention it was FREE, bonus!



Entrance into the Animal Park and Gardens is very reasonable at £6.50 for adults, £4.50 for children and under 3’s are free.  Family and OAP prices are available too. 

Before going in we noticed a few barns with families walking around so we headed off to see the bouncing little lambs and oh my gosh they are incredibly cute.  The kids loved watching them jump up on their Mummies back while they were having a rest or having a nuzzle on her ear.



Outside the barns you’ll see signposts for the Forge which is worth a visit.  It was really fascinating watching the blacksmiths at work and Sam carried his piece of ‘Dragon Poo’ around all day!

To escape the drizzle back outside we headed for the entrance to the Animal Park and it was lovely to see so many happy families inside enjoying themselves.  After grabbing a hot drink our boy immediately headed for the tractors which the children could sit on and from there he bolted for the play area.



I wished we hadn’t taken sandwiches today as the BBQ food being served looked and smelt very good plus the prices started from only £3.50.  If you need a drink or snack while you’re there then they sell them in the Marquee where the BBQ was and there’s also a lovely Café now next to where the toilets and wash basins are near the entrance.  You can also buy drinks and snacks from the entrance and gift shop however this was very busy today so you’d be better off heading to the Café.

After a brief downpour and a change into wellies we managed to get around to see some of the animals and bought some food to feed the sheep and goats.  I desperately wanted Sam to go on a donkey ride but he said no and just wanted to jump in muddy puddles instead.



For the rest of the afternoon we took a stroll around the beautiful gardens, bounced on the castle, watched the bird of prey display, ferret racing and rabbit fishing before getting back on the tractor for our tour of the grounds.

Good to know…

There’s plenty of hand washing stations but a pack of baby wipes in your bag will also be useful.

Signs are there to remind pregnant women to not enter the lambing sheds as they may potentially be at risk of certain diseases.

The park is pushchair friendly and there are baby change facilities in the toilets.

The staff will happily provide some boiling water should you need to warm a bottle for your baby.

Other activities we saw included crafts, face painting and little landrover rides.  Please note some of these activities including the donkey rides charge a small fee.  

Don't feel you have to get on the tractor ride if you don't fancy it or the queue is long, you will only be a couple of minutes walk from the entrance and you could always jump on the tractor at a quiter time on the day.

If you can’t get to the Lambing Weekend then the next big event at Kingston Maurward will be the Easter Weekend and again they have tons of fun activities planned plus an Easter Egg Hunt.  The Gardens and Animal Park are also open daily (excluding a short period at the end of the year).  For full opening times, events, locations and prices please visit the Website.

Thanks to everyone at Kingston Mauward for a lovely day with the family today, the children were fast asleep before we got out of the grounds (actually our baby nodded off on the tractor) but they had a great time running around playing and we look forward to coming back again soon.

Love Dorsetmums
Xxxx

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