Life as a SEN mum

It somehow doesn’t feel like summer without a trip to the zoo. Choosing the right one though can be a task in itself, there are so many, all with something different to draw you in, but when it comes to family days out, they certainly aren’t the cheapest. Therefore, it can be important to know that it’s really going to be worth the money. We were recently lucky enough to be treated to a day out at Peak Wildlife Park. Me and James have been here before but I knew there had been lots of changes in the last 7 years, so I had no idea what to expect.

Price

An adult ticket will cost £20.95 and a child ticket £18.95. Under 2’s and carers are free and concessions are available at a discount. For those with kids under school age there is also a parent and toddler ticket available for weekday visits during term time. If you’re quite local it may be worth looking at annual passes as well if you think you would visit often as they’re actually pretty reasonable and the cost is recouped after a couple of visits.

Food and drink

There are several restaurants, as well as various kiosks around the sight to grab a bite to eat, a drink, or cool down with an ice cream. When we visitied there was also a new restaurant under construction. We didn’t actually purchase any food whilst we were there and opted to take a picnic. There’s no need to worry about finding somewhere to sit if you’re taking a picnic, there are plenty of picnic benches around the park. There are large picnic areas, but we chose to opt for one of the smaller areas near to the penguins, so we could watch the penguins whilst having lunch. We also timed it well as it happened to be penguin feeding time so we got to listen to the keeper talk as well.

The Zoo

One thing Peak Wildlife does particularly well is the walk through experiences. It’s something I feel are becoming more common place in zoos across the country, but there are quite a number at Peak Wildlife, including the new red squirrel walk through experience. But my favourite has to be the wallabies. You can purchase wallaby food at admissions and enjoy a hands on experience with these adorable marsupials. But a favourite with kids also has to be the giant rabbits. When we visited recently, it was a warm day and they were all safely in the sun, however, I have visited before when the rabbits were happy to come and say hello.

If you’re visiting with children there are several play areas. If the weather allows there is a bouncy castle with a small picnic area and an ice cream stall. There is also a larger playground with lots of picnic tables if you’d rather be able to let the kids burn off some energy and maybe sit and relax and enjoy your picnic with a little less stress. If the British weather is at it’s finest though there is an indoor soft play area, which even has a view through to the otter enclosure.

As with most zoos, there are also plenty of talks and feeding sessions for the animals, so be sure to check the times if there’s one in particular you’d like to see. There is also the chance to advance book animal experiences which would make the perfect gift for an animal lover.

Overview

I’d definitely recommend Peak Wildlife Park if you are within the midlands. Whilst it is smaller than other zoos, there is still plenty to explore and it provides some amazing opportunities to see plenty of animals. As a price point it is in line with others, but it is certainly worth it.