tried & tested

This was our second time seeing world-renowned animal wrangler Mark Amey do his Creepy Critters show at Standalone Farm, having taken both boys last year. We were invited back this year to do a Tried and Tested review, so I took my 6 year old along, and it's fair to say he was transfixed for the entire show! A recent love of CBeebies' Deadly 60 show with Steve Backshall, my son was mesmerised to discover Mark worked and knew one of his TV heroes!

In Creepy Critters, Mark presented a fact-filled demonstration showcasing amazing wildlife from across the globe. With everything from creepy crawlies to reptiles and cute but not-so-cuddly fluffy animals, this fascinating show will let you get up close to lots of creepy critters.

Starting out with snails and a hedgehog, Mark took time to ensure every child got to meet each creature, and where possible (this was understandably not suitable for all animals) touch or hold them. His knowledge and passion were clear to see, as he provided fact after fact about the animals he was showcasing, ensuring the children could ask questions and be involved throughout.  

From millipedes to cockroaches, and scorpions to snakes, the critters just kept on coming, and the children loved having the opportunity to meet all of them up close. They were definitely braver than some of the parents!

********SPIDER WARNING******

And then came Rosie! A seasoned film star and veteran critter, Rosie was a tarantula and it was clear a few parents were trying to keep their cool while the kids cracked on stroking and holding her! Luckily I'm not afraid of spiders (definitely wasn't comfortable with the toad!), but Rosie definitely got a few people twitchy. A fun fact from Mark (see, I was listening and absorbing the info!) was that spiders kill less people than shoelaces! Seriously, people forgetting to tie their own shoelaces causes more deaths than spiders apparently! But if you're a tad squeamish about them, then best to scroll past the next pics.



No critter show would be complete without snakes, so out came a huge python and a milk snake, which my son and his friend were thrilled about!



At the end of the show, the boys were desperate to talk to Mark about working with Steve on Deadly 60 and he was more than happy to chat and show them videos and pictures from his filming, which they absolutely loved.

We had a great time at Creepy Critters and although it's finished at Standalone for this school holidays, I'm sure Mark will be back, so if you have a nature-lover who'd love to go along next time, do keep an eye on Standalone's emails and social media. Age-wise, there is a lot of information which is great for 4 years+ who are interested in animals, but could be a bit too much detail for younger children to remain engaged- although it's not long until they get to meet another critter, so don't be afraid to take younger ones too. The show was meant to be half an hour, but went on for an hour as Mark wanted to ensure everyone got to meet every critter, so no one missed out (I didn't count but there were at least 10 different critters to meet). Plus he shared lots of information about each animal, along with how the children can get engaged with nature in their own gardens. He really made an effort to ensure everyone got to be involved and learn lots.

Keep up to date with events at Standalone on their website here.

Please note I've done my best to cover faces of other attendees as this was a small group.