Great Value Season Passes at Farmer Palmers!

Keeping the children entertained can be a difficult and expensive task especially when the weather is bad. One way around this is to purchase season passes at local attractions, they offer great value for money and mean you can visit for just a few hours if the weather changes later in the day.

 

If you are near the Poole area we recommend Farmer Palmers farm park. It's ideal for children 0-8 years and their parents/carers, although worth noting our 9yr old still enjoys it with her younger sister. With a season pass every visit can be a different experience, there are lots of animals to look at and children can bottle feed the lambs or goats, hold a guinea pig and even watch the pig racing which is lots of fun.

Entrance fees to soft play areas can be expensive, buying a season pass gives you unlimited entry. At Farmer Palmers there are several play areas and bouncy castles both indoor and outdoor, ideal for mums meeting for coffee while the little ones play. We have always found the café to stock lovely food and there is a picnic area just outside for warmer weather. Really worthwhile having passes while the children are at toddler age with something different to do each time, look at the animals, ride on the toy tractors and arrive back home worn out for an afternoon nap!

One of the outdoor play areas has a water feature which is very popular so pop swim things and a towel in your bag for warmer days. The play area is also in sand so a bucket and spade will come in handy too!

The woodland walk is always worth doing and the children love finding the areas for them along the way.  Take a look

The older children (and the dads) love the go karts which are situated next to the bouncy castle keeping all ages entertained and in sight. Great for an after school or weekend treat!

Our favourite part of the park is the deer safari. Ride the tractor trailer to the deer enclosure and hand feed a deer. (small charge applies)

There are lots more attractions including the Maize maze, milking demonstrations and more.
Season passes at Farmer Palmers are £40 for adults and children over 3, £19 for 2yr olds, disabled/carers/senior citizens £35. This is for 12 months equivalent to less than 90p a week!

 

Find out more about Farmer Palmers Here

Business Opportunity for Local Parent in Dorset

 

Stagecoach Theatre Arts is a highly regarded network of performing arts schools with a proven record of delivering quality dance, drama and singing lessons to youngsters worldwide.

 

Over the years Stagecoach has provided a springboard for some of the UK's leading young talent and has had the privilege of watching thousands of kids grow in confidence and ability.

They have a thriving network of more than 320 fun and friendly franchised performing arts schools at safe and convenient locations in the UK, and a growing presence in ten other countries.

 

On offer are brilliant kids’ parties, children’s holiday activities involving musical theatre and drama workshops, and their very own talent agency for children and young performers. 

 

The goal is to inspire and enrich young people through the performing arts and introduce them to new opportunities in a happy, safe and secure environment. 

 

The franchise to a local stagecoach theatre school is up for sale and is an ideal business opportunity for a parent or ex dancer/singer to work around family commitments.  The ready-to-go business has established teachers and students so your business will provide an income straight away.

 

Call 07435 974901 for more details.

 

 

Poole Library Launches Code Club

Children in Poole can learn all about computer programming at a new Code Club available at Poole Central Library

As part of its Digital and Learning Offer, Poole Central Library launches Code Club on Wednesday 27 January, joining the nationwide network of free volunteer-led coding clubs for children aged 9-11.

Code Club will show children how to program by encouraging them to make computer games, animations and websites in a fun and engaging way. Children are invited to come along to the first session at 4.30-5.30pm on the day.

Code Club goes beyond knowing how to use technology to how it works and how to build it too.  Children will also develop their problem solving and logical thinking skills.

Mohan Iyengar, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Libraries, Borough of Poole, said: "We’re in a digital age and it’s terrific that our children have the chance to get hands-on with coding. Code Clubs are an exciting new venture, and just a part of the Learning and Digital Offer in our library service.”

Code Clubs support the Government's STEM programme (science, technology, engineering & maths) by increasing young people’s STEM skills in order to provide employers with skills needed for a 21st century workforce. This helps to ensure the UK’s position as a leader of science based research and development.

Code Club will be held at Poole Central Library on Wednesdays 4.30 – 5.30pm during term time. Places are free, but you do need to book. To book a place visit any Poole Library or phone 01202 262449 or email libraries@poole.gov.uk. More information about Code Club can be found at: www.codeclub.org.uk

Review - The Owl Who Lost Its Twoo

 

The Owl Who Lost Its Twoo

 



We have been asked to review the children's book 'The Owl Who Lost Its Twoo' written and illustrated by former primary and special school teacher Suzie Allkins. Suzie is also a mum to two children and lives in Dorset.

Ollie the owl may have a tiny beak but he is very noisy and disturbs the fox, mouse and bat in the moonlit wood. The wise old wizard owl puts a spell on Ollie to help him become less noisy but the spells goes wrong and Ollie loses his Twoo! Poor Ollie is only able to shout 'Twit' and the creatures in the wood think he is being unkind, this upsets Ollie and he hides away quietly.

The fox, mouse and bat ask the wizard owl for help and he finds Ollie and offers to put the spell right if Ollie promises to speak more quietly. The wise owl gets the spell right this time and Ollie has learnt his lesson not to yell and to think about the words he says as they can hurt too. Ollie the owl still enjoys a loud Twit Twoo when no one else is around!

We found this to be a delightful book with a lovely story which reminds children to talk nicely to each other. The story includes rhyming text and repetition which make it interesting to read and listen to and the pictures are beautiful giving a fondness to the main character. All the children who have listened to the story have sat still until the end and wanted to go back and look at the pictures. It has become a popular choice for bedtime reading alongside some of our other favourites.

Click to see the book on Amazon

South Coast's Largest Indoor Ice Rink in Bournemouth

Ice skating is back at Bournemouth International Centre this winter! The Rock Ice Rink is the South Coast’s biggest indoor seasonal ice rink and is open until Sunday 21 February 2016.

 

As a fun all-weather activity, it’s perfect for kids and adults alike. Even the youngest children can have a go using the Ice Skating penguins with their parents in the Kids area separate from the main rink.

Tickets to skate are £8.00 including the skate hire with family tickets and group (10+) concessions also available. Standard sessions are 90 minutes (including getting skates on and off) from 4pm daily during term times and 11am in the holidays with an additional late session on Saturday evenings.

Fire on Ice DJ nights are back too!
Thursday 17 December 2015, Thursday 21 January 2016 and Sunday 14 February 2016.
Hosted by Fire radio enjoy an extended skate session with a live DJ 7.15pm – 10.15pm
(Skate times will be 7.30pm-10pm) £9.00

 

Buy tickets

Review - Burn Me On

 

Burn Me On is a humble little company with big ideas, set up by a mummy and toddler team with all products designed and burnt in the UK.

With a range of off-the-shelf ready to go and personalised homeware products there will be something to suit everyone. Great for gift ideas or even a treat for yourself they can add any name, message, date you like to produce the most unique gift.

We tested the service and were very impressed, especially as we made a mistake when requesting a name with the wrong spelling, Katy picked this up and we were glad she did! The products are made from good quality wood and made to last a long time, perfect for an anniversary or wedding these personalised boards would make lovely gifts. There are also wooden spoons, hammers, badges and more, something for every budget and something a bit different.

 

Check out the website HERE there are lots of items on offer at the moment.

 



Win a SafeSip Set (worth £38)!

Made in Great Britain, SafeSip is the revolutionary invention from Melissa Edmunds, fitting virtually any drinking vessel. It keeps your drink in (and everything else out). Parents, children, campers, party guests, the elderly and disabled – SafeSip simplifies the world for everyone. Go out and spill no more!

Ideal for:
Families - From soft drink cans in the car to taking some of the drama out of family dining, SafeSip gives you and your children peace of mind. No more juice stains and clean-up panics. Your beige sofa will cringe no more.
Outdoor fun - The problem with the outdoors is the number of wasp and other bugs trying to get into your glass or mug. And if you have small children, there’s the added drama of liquid, gravity and clothes. You say: fishing trip, hike picnic, sporting event or a day at the beach. We say: SafeSip!
Drinking with dignity - By eliminating spills, SafeSip enables everyone to drink with dignity. SafeSip improves care, lowers costs and reduces dehydration. It is less expensive than alternative drinking aids.

The Safesip also has the following benefits:
- Food grade silicone and 100% BPA-free;
- Dishwasher, freezer and microwave safe;
- Designed to fit single and double-handled mugs/beakers;
- Fits virtually every mug, glass, cup or can.

We were sent some SafeSips to try and we have found them really useful. We have lots of picnic style beakers without handles and our youngest child manages to spill her drinks regularly, especially as she likes to use a straw and for some reason tips the cup as she drinks. Popping on a lovely pink SafeSip not only pleased her (especially as everyone has a different colour and she is the only one with pink) but also means we can now use cups we avoided before.

The 9yr old child likes to use the SafeSip as she is now allowed to take her cup in the lounge which I have always banned before due to spills on the carpet, she feels as if she has a grown up takeaway cup having the lid on her drink. Another plus for these is that by using different colours and everyone knowing their own colour we now avoid mixing up drinks.

We love that the SafeSips can be used over cans of fizzy drinks keeping out unwanted pests in summer as well as keeping drinks from spilling all over the teenagers precious technology avoiding costly repairs. The SafeSip comes in a variety of colours including clear so each member of the family can claim their own.

These would be brilliant for an ill or elderly person to avoid them spilling drinks on themselves, it also means they can still use their favourite cup or mug and keep some independence.

A really useful product, you will wonder how you managed without out them!

To be in with a chance of winning this fantastic family-friendly SafeSip Picnic Set (comprising a hessian bag containing  four Safesip,4 Cups, 1 SafeSip Straw Jar and pack of Straws), worth £38, simply check out the website and email us the colours in the Quad pack of SafeSip simple!
dorset@mumsnetlocal.com.

 Terms & Conditions:

1. The closing date is 13th December
2. The prize is subject to availability, and SafeSip reserves the right to replace the prize with an alternative product or colour of equal value if necessary.
3. The prize will only be posted to a UK address.
4. The prize is non-transferable and there is no cash alternative.
5. Entrants must be over 18 years of age.