MUMMY TO THE MAX : Tourist Attraction

Finkley Down Farm Park is a family run children's farm with all the character of a traditional farm plus indoor and outdoor play, sheep racing and a lot of things to see and do. At Finkley Down Farm Park, you can feed the goats, cuddle a rabbit, or stroke a baby chick.

Yesterday Maxwell and I went on a trip with my sister Rachel and her partner Rob. We went to Andover to visit Finkley Down Farm Park. Before we set off we packed a packed lunch and some essentials which we needed and set off on our journey. The journey was approximately a 50 min journey each way from the New Forest where we live.

Parking
The parking is free at Finkley Down Park. The car park is a gravel park which is large and clean however when it is busy a large grass area is opened making more room for visitors to park.

Prices
I found the price to enter the park to be reasonable. There is a lot of things to see and do at the park and you could easily spend a full day there. If you are in the military or if you visit the park after school hours you can get a reduced price rate.

SAVER Ticket - 2 Adults & 2 Children £31.00
Adults £8.95
Senior Citizens, Students & Disabled Adults £8.50
Children (aged 2 - 16 years) £7.95
Children with disability and carer £7.50

Animals

Maxwell had a lovely time seeing, feeding and touching the animals. We found that they were all friendly, well kept and in clean living conditions. Maxwell got to feed the goats, touch a baby chick and feed the pigs. He also got to see a lot of chickens, cows and ponies.

In the morning Maxwell got to handle a chick. The chicks were tiny and were placed in baskets and handed around for the children to touch. Maxwell was scared of it first but in the end I think he liked them.

In the afternoon we were in for a treat when we got to see the sheep race around a track. The sheep racing was made fun for the children as they were allowed to pick there favourite sheep which were named after racing cars. Maxwell's sheep won and he was given a sticker as a reward. The sheep racing was fun to see and it is truly a must see.

You are able to see a full list of the activities that they offer at Finkley down below.

Time And Activity
10:30am Rodent Handling (Touch & Feel Barn)
11:00am Chick Handling (Touch & Feel Barn)
11:30am Drop Slide (Indoor Play Area)
12:00pm Rabbit Handling (Opposite Rabbit Barn)
12:15pm - 3:15pm Pony Rides (Pony Paddock)
1:00pm Chick Handling (Touch & Feel Barn)
2:00pm Sheep Racing - Lamb Prix (Llama Field)
2:30pm Drop Slide (Indoor Play Area)
3:00pm Rabbit Handling (Opposite Rabbit Barn)
4:00pm Rodent Handling (Touch & Feel Barn)
4:30pm Pony Grooming (Pony Stables)
5:00pm Calf Feeding (By Touch & Feel Barn)

Play

There is a lot of things suitable for children to play on at Finkley Down Farm. I was a little wary at first of letting Maxwell play on things as he is quite young however I was amazed at the amount of things the farm had to offer for smaller children.

There is a Little Tikes area which was very large. We went on a busy day and there was still enough things for Maxwell to go on and enjoy. The Little Tikes play area included slides, trampolines and see saws.

Around the park there are tractors for children to sit on, swings for smaller children to be pushed in and small tractor carts for children to ride around on.

There are also fun things for older children to enjoy. There are large trampolines, climbing frames and a fun zip wire which parents also enjoyed playing on.

There was a inside soft play area, however it was quite busy and as Maxwell is quite small I did not want him to get hurt inside the play area so we did not try the soft play area out however it looked fab and if we visit again when Maxwell is a little older, I would love to explore.

Facilities

There were enough toilets around the park for us to use as well as baby changing. The toilets were clean and the baby changing room was child friendly with a lot of bins and space to change you child.

There were a lot of places to wash your hands round the park which I found important. Each washing facility had soap, towels and bins to dispose the towels in.

There was lots of benches to sit down and there was a designated area to sit and eat in. There were a lot of bins and tables placed in this area and there were some trees placed around the area which would give shade on hot days.

Overall

We had a fantastic day at Finkley Down Park. There is something suitable for all ages to enjoy. The farm was clean and was safe and friendly for children visiting. It was well set out and I believe Finkley Down Farm had spent a lot of time thinking on the layout of the park.

The park is a must visit if you are in the area visiting and are looking for something to do.

I was not compensated for this post. I just wanted to share my experiences with the readers of my blog.

Last week Ben and I were lucky enough to spend a day together. Maxwell went to my Mum and Dad's, so Ben and I decided we would take a trip to London as Ben had never been and he was desperate to see the sights that he often had seen on the TV. He decided that he would love to go on the London Eye, however I was not convinced. I am terrified of heights!

Mummy To The Max Blog, Parenting Blog, London Eye, Mummy Blog

Getting off the train at Waterloo station we made our way to the London Eye. It was a short 5 minute walk and it was easy to find. As soon as we arrived at the London Eye I was amazed at the lively atmosphere that was all around. I was so excited to be at a landmark which is well known all around the world.

Me and Ben headed to the ticket office to collect our tickets. We were given a fast track ticket to cut the que which I was glad about as the que was huge. We were searched by security and went straight to the front of the que where we were greeted by the only orange pod on the wheel which Ben had joked about us going on.

The pod moved slowly and it was our turn to get on. I was a little scared as the pod doesn't actually stop. Luckily all was fine and it was actually Ben who nearly missed the pod! In the pod, we found it to be very spacious and although there were around 20 people in the pod, (children and adults) I was able to move around freely. The pod had suggested viewing points and a small tab which gave us info about the sights we could see. From the eye you can see landmarks such as Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, The Shard, St Paul's Cathedral, and Wembley Stadium.

I have to admit being so scared of heights I could barely move at first. I sat on the bench in the pod with one hand gripping it as hard as I could with my mobile in my other hand.The pod was quite wobbly and I thought I was going to die! Luckily I managed to calm down and take in the breathe taking views.

Me and Ben had a fab day out and even visited the 4D cinema in the visitor centre. I would love to go again in a few years to see how London has transformed.

For general information on the EDF Energy London Eye

and a 10% discount on bookings, visit www.londoneye.com.

The London Eye is open all year round except for Christmas Day and one week in January for annual maintenance. The hours of operation are 10am to 9pm from June to September and 10am to 8pm from October through to May.

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