A trip to Butterfly world and Preston Park

We asked my daughter where she would like to go for her 5th birthday treat last year and she asked to go to butterfly land. Not sure exactly what she had in mind, but we decided to visit butterfly world in Stockton.

Butterfly world is situated in the larger grounds of Preston Hall, park and museum. Parking was free and plentiful.

Admission to butterfly world was £13 for a family of 5 and the ladies at admission were very friendly and helpful.

Butterfly world is very humid so leave your coats in the car. It is simply wonderful walking around what feels like a tropical rainforest with lots of butterflies flying around your head. It is amazing how close you can get.

There are butterflies flying around your head but also many feeding from flowers and providing many fantastic photo opportunities.

There is a water feature in the centre of butterfly world and at certain times of the year you can feed the fish. 

There is a small side room where you can see meerkats, iguanas, snakes and tarantulas! Our kids loved these.

I never knew this was how snakes went to sleep!

Back in butterfly world, there is a special cabinet which houses all of the butterfly cocoons to keep them safe. It was fantastic seeing them all lined up. We even watched a few butterflies starting to emerge.

We left butterfly world through the gift shop which was very reasonably priced compared to others we have been in (many items under £2) and said a quick hello to the friendly parrot in reception before leaving.

I think we spent about 30-45 minutes in butterfly world but for £13 we found it to be fantastic value as it was such a unique experience. There are seats dotted about so you can take your time to take in your surroundings if you wish.

Preston park is a quick 2 minute walk from butterfly world. I was very impressed with the park and it is especially good for older children with huge climbing frames, nets and slides. 

Our 7 year old loved climbing to the top. There was also an area with smaller play frames for younger children.

I didn't take many photographs but this really is one of the largest parks I have been to in a while. There is a lot to do for all ages and also lots and lots of open green grass to play ball games on. I bet it is very popular in summer!

We ordered lunch in the small cafe which overlooks the park. Don't expect gourmet home cooked food here but we were very impressed with the value. Sausage roll, quiche, 3 hot dogs in buns, 5 portions of chips and 5 soft drinks came to £17 which was a very good price. The quiche was probably the star of the show.

The cafe serves ice cream too which was popular despite the cold weather. There is also plenty of space outside to take a picnic if you wish.

Preston hall and museum is set back from the park. We have visited before but sadly didn't have time today. Admission is extremely reasonable at only £5 for a family ticket that is valid for a whole year. There are lots of little places to explore but the highlight is definitely the Victorian street - it is kind of like a mini Beamish.

We had a lovely day at Preston Park and butterfly world and would recommend it for a place to spend a full day or half day. There is a lot going on so it is definitely worth the trip.

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Family Travel

My top five essentials for surviving a car journey with children

The thought of travelling in the car with children might put some people off. We have survived a few long journeys including a trip to Henley on Thames and Butlin's Bognor Regis from our home in Northumberland and will try ANYTHING to make the journey as stress free as possible.

Over the years I have tried lots of different resources to keep our children entertained. Here are a few of our favourites:-

• Magnetic dress up games such as this one from Tilda and Tom - I love how these are all in one box meaning it sit's perfectly on a child's lap and they can easily keep all of the bits together.

• In-car games - we like these ones from icarhireinsure.com which are free to download. Traffic Jam is a favourite of ours and is perfect to keep 2-4 children entertained at the same time. A game can easily last an hour and can get a little competitive (download sheets here). 

• 50 things to do on a car journey cards - I used to sell Usborne books and these cards are definitely still favourites of ours. There are 50 different cards each featuring a different game or activity which will keep little ones entertained for a good few hours. 

• Sticker books - We will always purchase a new sticker book before a long journey as they are a mess-free and easy way to entertain children. Sticky dolly dressing and annual type books have worked well for us in the past.

• A fully charged iPad - If all else fails, you can't go wrong with a fully charged iPad. Fill it with new movies and educational games before you leave. 

.............and what not to do

A few years ago I read somewhere to make little presents for children on a long journey. Visit your local pound shop and buy a few bits and bobs, wrap them up and give your children a new gift to unwrap every hour. Not only did this cost a small fortune but it also created a huge mess with wrapping paper all over the car! Plus the 'gifts' were not designed with longevity in mind and only kept my children entertained for a few minutes at a time. Definitely a waste of time, effort and money and not recommend!

Waste of money!

I would love to hear your experiences of long car journeys with children and what works/doesn't work for you.

We'd love your vote in the 'Family Travel' Category

A family day out in Corbridge with Treasure Trails

The town of Corbridge is only 30 miles or so away from where we live, however I am ashamed to say we have never visited! I had heard lots of lovely things about the town during #northeasthour on twitter so when treasure trails asked if we would like to take part in one of their challenges last year I thought this would be a great way to discover the town.

Treasure trails are a nationwide company. They have designed murder mystery, treasure hunt and spy trails through various locations in the UK. There are 26 trails to choose from throughout the Northumbria and there is something for everyone from a fog on the Tyne spy trail  to a flodden fields mystery. Trails cost from £6.99 each and can be downloaded or posted. The treasure trails website is extremely informative and user friendly - it lets you know how accessible each trail is (and if it is wheelchair and pushchair friendly), how long it is likely to take and car parking details. This really helps you to choose the correct trail for your family.

Our Corbridge murder mystery trail was likely to take 1.5 hours, was fully accessible apart from one steep hill/few steps where there were no pavements, parking was free and there were pubs en-route. Perfect for our family! We ordered on-line and it arrived the next day.

We arrived in Corbridge on a very sunny day and read our challenge - we had to work out who had murdered the town's famous chef and stolen his famous pasty recipe. We looked at the 19 suspects and all had our suspicions of who it could be.

Daddy took charge and read the instructions while we rushed around looking for clues. There were 23 clues in total with varying difficulty which meant the whole family could get involved and be challenged. Our toddler loved looking for door numbers, our little girl took charge when we had to find a certain flower, daddy had to de-cipher some Roman numerals and our eldest son worked out some maths. It was lovely to get out of the house and all work together as a team.

As these trails were self guided we were able to take our time and really get a feel for Corbridge - we stopped off at the newly opened Forum Books for children (which was lovely), for some drinks in the market square and to browse the lovely jewellers, delicatessen and antique shops.

As you go through your murder mystery trail, each clue eliminates one suspect or weapon. I have to admit, one clue did stump us so we used the free text service included in our pack to help us out. Phew!

When we had whittled our suspects down to two people, we decided we would stop for lunch. I had heard lovely things about The Angel of Corbridge and it was busy which is always a good sign so we decided to dine here. Our lunch for 2 adults and 3 children was a little on the steep side at £50 for 2 sandwiches, 3 child sized main courses and one round of non-alcoholic drinks, however I was really impressed with the quality of the food we were served, the children's meals in particular were of a very high standard and I guess you do get what you pay for. The slightly inflated price was worth it and we would certainly return.

After our re-fuel we were raring to go again and promptly solved they mystery! I won't spoil it for you but it wasn't who any of us suspected. Once at home you can enter your answers onto the treasure trails website  to find out if you are correct, you will also be entered into a prize draw to win £1000 and can download a certificate for your family which is a nice touch.

On our way home from a lovely few hours in Corbridge we stopped off at Brockbushes farm which is a few miles from the town to pick our own strawberries which was a great way to end our day.

We all thoroughly enjoyed taking part in a treasure trail murder mystery and it was a lovely alternative way to explore a new town. They would be ideal of you are on holiday in part if the UK and would like to visit a particular area and keep the kids entertained or if you simply wish to discover and see a different side to your local area. I will certainly be purchasing a few trails when we visit Cornwall this year to help discover the towns we will be staying near.

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Our DFDS Seaways trip to Amsterdam - Day 3

Our DFDS Seaways mini cruise to Amsterdam this Easter may have only been for two nights but we all really felt refreshed and relaxed. The smiles on our faces say it all.

After an enjoyable evening crossing across the North Sea to Amsterdam where we enjoyed cocktails, kids club and steakhouses and spending the day at Amsterdam zoo we were able to enjoy a lovely family meal at the 7 Sea's restaurant onboard before returning to our cabin to sleep as we headed back home to Newcastle.

We were sad to have to pack our bags in the morning and head up to the lighthouse cafe for a light breakfast before departing. We had been on a real adventure and didn't want it to  end!

We arrived at North Shields at approximately 10am. Departure was well organised through an airlink and the queue for passport control wasn't as bad as I expected it to be - maybe about 20 minutes. We paid our £24 parking at the machines in the terminal and headed back to the car. That was it! Our mini-break was over.

We all had very much enjoyed our break. I loved the fact that I could drink cocktails, eat delicious steak and did not have anything to organise so I could properly relax. My husband loved the views of Tynemouth as we left, walking with Lemurs at Amsterdam zoo and the fact that his favourite beer was served on board. Harry (aged 8) enjoyed learning about various insects in the insectarium at Amsterdam Zoo and sleeping on the top bunk! Heidi (aged 6) loved watching the giraffes, walking through the butterflies and the aquarium in the zoo and Jack (aged 4) loved the chance to see a lion in real life, shopping for presents in the onboard gift shop and helping himself to unlimited ice-cream in the 7 Sea's restaurant. 

You can find out more about booking an Amsterdam Zoo cruise here.

20th Anniversary Day Sailing

So what's next? Well this May, the DFDS Seaways Newcastle-Amsterdam route is 20 years old and on Sunday 24th May there is going to be a special day sailing onboard King Seaways to celebrate. 

The special 3 hour cruise along the North East coastline will include:-

• Afternoon tea with scones, sandwiches, cake, tea and coffee
• Live onboard entertainment with a Michael Jackson tribute
• Wildlife watching and activities with a wildlife officer
• Children's entertainment

Tickets are priced at just £20pp (£2 supplement for sparkling wine) for adults and £10pp for children and are available to purchase here. This is a real bargain and a fantastic way to start half term with the family. We have booked our tickets and can't wait to join in with the celebrations.

Thank you DFDS Seaways for the wonderful memories. We can't wait for our next trip.

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Thank you :D