tried & tested

I’ve been coming to Whipsnade Zoo for many, many years since I was a little girl. As we’ve always been lucky enough to have it on our doorstep! So when they kindly invited us along for a press visit to do a review of the Zoo and join in the Easter activities, I jumped at the chance! 

This Easter until Monday 21st April when you visit Whipsnade Zoo, you get a free Easter hunt trail sheet. Join the Zoonormous egg hunt, seeking out eggs of all sizes patterns and colours while learning about egg-ceptional species along the way! 

Once you’ve collected all the letters on your sheet and crack the code, you’ll be able to visit the Golden Egg Garden, where you’ll receive a tasty prize and be able to join in all the crafts and fun on offer. 

We visited last Sunday and what a beautiful day it was. The weather is just gorgeous at the minute, so was lovely to explore the great outdoors! When we entered the park we received our trail sheet and we headed towards the Aquarium and Butterfly house. As they stagger the amount of visitors in the house, you do have to queue but it goes really quick and is constantly moving. You do need to leave buggies outside too. My little ones loved it in there and enjoyed finding the eggs for the trail sheet so make sure you don’t miss going there! 

Next up we headed towards the park as the kids were getting hungry (of course!) there’s plenty for them to play on here and a few picnic tables and benches. We had brought a picnic and blanket as there’s a large grassy area to sit on. If you do want to buy food at the zoo, there are options such as the Base Camp Restaurant and little kiosks serving food, so always check beforehand. When the weather is nice, picnics are always so handy! There is a little bit of an undercover picnic area too in the Hullabazoo play zone. 

When we finally got them to leave the park we made our way to the farm. It’s just next door to the park and soft play. On other occasions I have taken the kids into the soft play. You just need to always pre-book as it gets booked up. You can find the details here. 

My kids loved going around the farm and having the chance to pet the goats. They’re so sweet and friendly! 

The rest of the day we spent exploring the animals. Taking in the views near the penguins and stopping for an ice-cream. You sort of forget you’re in Bedfordshire, but the views of Dunstable Downs, especially on a clear day are just beautiful. 

We certainly ticked off all the main species of animals and were lucky to see the little lion cubs playing. They were so cute! It really is such a vast zoo with so much to see so make sure you plan your day a little beforehand if there are certain animals you’re desperate to see. As every time I visit I get to see something different or we venture a different way. We’ve learnt over the years as well with 3 kids of all different ages, that you can have best plan in the world but it doesn’t always happen. Once you’ve factored in toilet stops, lunch, tantrum strops, tired legs and snack stops! The day goes pretty quick! 

As for the egg hunt, the kids loved finding the eggs. Stamping their little sheet and cracking the code. Once you’ve completed the sheet you can then enter the walled garden, which is not far from the butterfly house and there you will find lots of little Easter crafts and the children can claim their tasty prize. 

As the weather was so good, we stayed until closing. If you download the Whipsnade app, you’ll find opening and closing times as well as a map and times of talks and shows happening throughout the day. 

On the way out we visited the gift shop. With my 3 it’s impossible to avoid! But they enjoyed picking their 1 thing from the shop and then we headed home with tired legs, happy hearts and a day filled with memories. 

Whipsnade Zoo is definitely up there as one of the best days out for families in the area. So I highly recommend it! Yes it can be stressful at times with little ones. But as long as you have plenty of snacks, lots of pit stops along the way then it really is a fantastic day out! Lots of families take scooters for the kids or you can take the car in too for a fee. 

It teaches children so much about the many different species we have in this world and opens their eyes to the beauty of nature and animals. Definitely one to tick off if you haven’t already! Make sure you follow them on their social media channels for all the latest information, especially with updates of new arrivals and if you would like to visit you can buy tickets on their website here, which will include your free Easter trail sheets to complete the egg hunt. This is running until Monday 21st April. Plus if you book tickets and visit before 21st April, you’ll be entered into a free prize draw to win a stay at Lookout Lodge. See website for full T&C’s. 

Our tickets were kindly gifted by Whipsnade Zoo to review. Check out Instagram here where you can watch a reel of our day. 

If you would like to arrange a Tried & Tested review at your attraction/event by Mum's guide to Ampthill, please contact us at [email protected]