Christmas is all about the kids, right? Absolutely! And at Amerton Farm both big and little kids are catered for.
A Twilight Christmas Adventure
This event sounded absolutely magical, going out when it’s dark still holds lots of excitement for Stanley my 4 year old. A tractor ride, an enchanted village and real reindeer sealed the deal.
The courtyard on arrival
We arrived roughly an hour before our tractor ride booking and headed towards Billy’s play barn. We were given coloured wrist bands upon entry and directed off into a side room where we were met by a very charasmatic Elvis the Elf. In here, Stanley and James wrote their letters to Santa. Elvis and his fellow elves chatted to us and asked the boys about the gifts they had put on their lists. Once the letters had been completed they were folded up so that they were in a little envelope and we were told to keep them safe until we went to see Santa.
We then had a little bit of time for the boys to explore the barn (think adventure playground mixed with soft play with a touch of go karting) before it was time to head to the tractor.
Again we were met by more elves who led us in the singing of Christmas songs on our ride. Riding on a tractor trailer at night was, and I quote ‘amazing mummy’. We had a fabulous view of the enchanted village as it was all lit up with twinkling fairy lights and had a huge Christmas tree as its centre piece. It was lovely hearing all the children getting more excited as we got closer to our destination.
Once we arrived at the village (a collection of wooden nordic grotto’s) we were taken in to meet Mrs Claus. If you can imagine a Christmassy log fire scene, then this was it with (jingle) bells on. A Christmas tree in the corner, a crackling fire, and a fur rug for the children to sit on for story time.
The very glamorous Mrs Claus (a diet of mince pies and milk definitely suits her…I must try it!!) told a story about an elf called Stanley, which as you can imagine was a big hit with my little Stan.
Even the younger children like James (22 months) were kept entertained by the story telling and the festive surroundings, it felt very magical and laid the atmospheric foundation for meeting Santa Claus.
Waiting to go into Santa’s grotto, all the children were unusually quiet (and not just my own) it was timid whispers all round which is always the sign of real excitement with a touch of nervous anticipation, afterall Santa is THE most important VIP in the world so some nerves are to be expected!
Just before we entered the grotto we put our letters into the Elf Rocket Express ready to be sent to the North Pole (more on this later).
An elf welcomed us into Santa’s grotto, and wow what a grotto it was. No fake trees and gaudy lights here, we entered into what could only be described as a little slice of Lapland. A log burner in the centre made it warm and toasty and benches draped with furs ran along the walls. The smell of the wood added to the atmosphere and made for a very sensory experience. Santa Claus invited us to join him.
As Santa’s go (and we’ve met a few) this one was absolutely fantastic. A very believable authentic suit combined with the surroundings made him the real deal, the only improvement would have been a real beard, but that’s a big ask…not that the boys noticed, they were simply too awestruck. We were given 3 (yes, even 7 week old Eli wasn’t forgotten) age appropriate gift wrapped presents and certificates. Stanley and James were also given a special wooden Christmas tree decoration each. We had photos with Santa, and I grabbed one too (yup, I’m a big kid and proud of it). We didn’t feel rushed at all, and both Santa and his elf were very friendly and chatty.
Back outside, we certainly felt the chill after being in Santa’s cosy grotto. We headed over to meet two of his reindeer Prancer & Dancer who were far too busy eating to pay us much attention. I imagine they were just fuelling up ready for the big flight on Christmas Eve!
After spending some time looking at the reindeer we were directed back into Mrs Claus to await the tractors return. This time Mrs Claus chatted to the children, joined in with nursery rhymes and was just generally being lovely.
The tractor ride back was decidedly more noisy even though there was no singing this time. What had replaced it was excited chatter about presents, stories, Santa, and his reindeer.
Once back to Billy’s barn we disembarked the trailer and were ushered to stand and wait outside with Elvis. He explained that our letters to Santa were going to be sent to the elves in the North Pole straight away and that we could watch them go. The Elf Rocket Express was ready to be launched. We counted down from 10 and watched as the rocket lit up the sky with a firework which signified the end of our Twilight Christmas Adventure.
Tickets to the Twilight Christmas Adventure also give unlimited play in the barn so once again the boys played while we warmed up with a much needed hot cuppa.
We really enjoyed our time at Amerton Farm, it really was a magical experience. And, unless you are a complete grinch you’d find it hard not to get into the festive spirit.
Talking of spirits, if you fancy what you’ve read about so far but with a bit less play barn and a bit more booze then there is also the perfect Amerton Farm Christmas experience for you.
If I wasn’t a mummy to a squishy 7 week old baby then I’d have loved to book onto the Big Kids Christmas Experience with the hubby. Christmas punch and a mince pie then off to see Santa where we could have exchanged a secret token gift then a meal to finish off the night…what a lovely festive treat that would have been! It’s definitely on my list for next year.
There is still limited availability for both the Twilight Christmas Adventure and the Big Kids Christmas Experience, why not book yourself a festive treat by clicking here
Amerton Farm run these events annually so keep an eye on their social media for updates and other fun events throughout the year.
Disclosure: We were gifted tickets for this event in exchange for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
Looking for more tried and tested festive family trips? Click here!
All images are my own unless credited.
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