Life as a SEN mum

I know it’s past Christmas now, but I know there are also some that are already planning days out for this coming Christmas, and with some things booking up before we even reach Easter I can see why. Good news is though, this falls into the category of experiences that can’t be booked until later in the year, so there isn’t a mad rush.

When to book

With booking in mind, I’ll cover this first. I can’t remember exact dates, but I’m sure I first noticed the event was bookable around about the same time as schools went back after the summer break. However, I didn’t actually book until a few weeks before. Whilst the last few days booked up, earlier dates had good availability. Each time slot allows for quite a few families so slots aren’t as limited as other events I’ve seen.

Cost

No it isn’t exactly “cheap”, but I would say it’s value for money. I paid £68 for 2 children and 2 carers. There are discounts if you already have a valid return pass, so you pay just of the Christmas experience and not zoo entry. If like us, you’re booking for zoo entry as well, it does still include your free returns for 12 months. It’s like a present in itself, if you’ve got kids who love visiting the zoo then they’ll be in their element for the coming year (and adults alike of course). There is also lots included, but I’ll talk about that further down.

What’s included

Whether you have free zoo entry or paying full admission, you’ll have complete access to the zoo and Gruffalo Discovery Land. The time slot you book is when you can enter Gruffalo Discovery Land. If you book for later in the day you can access the zoo any time from opening and then go back through admissions to begin your Christmas experience. We booked for early in the day, so headed straight to the Christmas experience. We were early, but we were allowed to go through and explore first and given a ticket for the Santa show at the appropriate time (this is about half an hour after the time slot you’ve booked). I’m pretty sure the Santa show was new for 2024, but was so popular I would be surprised if this wasn’t carried on this coming Christmas. It’s a show everyone will enjoy, and it’s a chance for everyone to just get involved and get into the festive spirit. After the show you will get to meet Santa himself and Mrs Clause when the kids will receive a little present. This year was a choice between a Gruffalo or Mouse Plush toy. You’ll also have your photo taken which you can then purchase. My only complaint is that, as much as each family has an individual meeting with Santa, it is literally just a case of sitting for a present. Mrs Clause is definitely a nice extra though, and she definitely helped to make the experience extra special, especially in our case as Charlotte had ben the first child up to say hello before the show even started.

Also included are Christmas crafts. There are plenty to choose from, completely free of charge. Or for an extra £1 there are wooden Gruffalo decorations to decorate.

Outside the Oh Crumbs! cafe you’ll find a carousel (this was at an extra cost), frankfurter stall and hot chocolate van if you’re wanting to treat yourself to a festive treat. Head to the hot chocolate van and each child will be able to exchange one of the tokens they’re given on entry for a marshmallow to toast over the fire pit.

On top of all of this, as I mentioned before you have full access to the zoo and your 12 months return included.

Is it worth it?

Personally I’d say yes, there were things that could have been improved on, these weren’t enough to majorly impact the day, and given the price point and everything included, I’d say compared to some it definitely provides better value. As for the age range, I’d say it’s suitable for all that still believe. Both James and Charlotte really enjoyed it, and were both able to get plenty out of the day. It is also done in a way though, that if you have older children who don’t believe, they’ll still be able to enjoy the day, so it really is a brilliant family day out.