days out

The path up to Hill Top Farm, as featured in my guide to National Trust days out in the North West
Blog Days Out Lake District National Trust North West England United Kingdom

9 National Trust Days Out with Children in the North West & The Lakes

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Mini Travellers

National Trust days out to explore with children in the North West and The Lakes.

10 Things to do in York with Kids
Blog Days Out United Kingdom Yorkshire

19 Things to do in York with Kids

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Guest Post

York, a historic city in North Yorkshire renowned for its rich history, medieval architecture, and cultural attractions. This makes it the ...

The Shropshire Kids Festival
Blog Days Out Festival Festival Tips With Kids

10 Top Tips for Surviving a Festival with Kids

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Mini Travellers

We love a Family Friendly Festival here at Mini Travellers and have some great reviews on the site linked to ...

Just So Festival Day Tickets – the perfect introduction to a family festival! MT Just So Festival 1 While we camped at Just So Festival back in 2017 and had a great time, this year we decided to return for a day. The Saturday to be precise. We’re lucky enough to live under an hour’s drive from the festival location, Rode Hall in Cheshire, and with us heading off on holiday on the Monday morning, we thought we’d completely immerse ourselves in everything Just So from dawn (9am ish) until dusk (8pm ish) and then head home to sleep and get sorted. If you were following the festival antics on social media, you might know that almost a month’s worth of rain fell on the opening Friday afternoon which unfortunately meant long queues to get in to the grounds and a whole lot of mud. By the time we arrived on the Saturday morning, there was a lot of slip-sliding and the decision was made to close the car park to any additional cars later that afternoon and for the whole of Sunday. Obviously, disappointing for those who couldn’t get to the festival by other means of transport but the festival organisers were quick to communicate the change in circumstances and offer refunds. I don’t know what else they could have done. MT Just So Festival 2 How did our day at Just So Festival go? I can’t lie, the mud was a pain. We ventured down to the main stage area, Footlights, where we’d normally spend an hour or two listening to the bands playing, but with no seats and no mud-free ground for a picnic blanket, we lasted five minutes. The Ministry of Games area, a previous favourite with my boys (aged 8 and six), was in a similar state. They found squelching through the mud fun for the first few metres but they got annoyed because their wellies kept slipping off and they couldn’t move around as quickly as they would have liked. But, now the negatives are out of the way, I have a whole load of positives for you. Despite not being able to tick off everything on our list, we experienced a day jam-packed with entertainment, humour and laughter. And a lot of ice cream. SO much ice cream! MT Just So Festival 3 We started our day by meeting with the tribal leaders (we’re a family made up of two foxes and two stags) who were so funny and really got the boys excited for the day ahead. Picking a tribe - be that owls, foxes, fish, stags, frogs, lions or bees -  is a really nice part of the Just So experience. You can wear a full costume with face paints, a pair of ears, a t-shirt with your chosen animal, or just wear your own clothes if dressing up is not for you. You can get involved in the tribal tournament and attempt to win golden pebbles for your chosen team as much or as little as you want. It’s fun to keep checking the scoreboard to see who is in the lead as you pass by, especially if you have a divided family and can tease each other. MT Just So Festival 4 One of the joys of Just So is stumbling across the unexpected. You spy so many amazing things as you amble around the grounds. Campfire songs and stories, awe-inspiring marble runs, singing classes, a real actual bath being pedalled round with a family bathing in it (yes, really) and also, quieter spots to take a minute or two to regroup and consult your programme. MT Just So Festival 5 
My personal recommendation would be to make a note of a handful of ‘must-sees’ but then to take a walk and see what you come across. Even if you have something pencilled in, if you and your children are having fun, don't be in a rush to move on to the next thing unless it’s something unmissable like James Campbell or The Fabularium. James had my children crying with laughter and The Fabularium had them completely and utterly spellbound. MT Just So Festival 6 How did Just So Festival day tickets compare to camping for the entire weekend? Well, it had its pluses and minuses. The kids gave it their all for one day. We packed in show after show, and explored every corner of the (muddy) site. They had ice cream-covered faces and tired legs when we left and I don’t think a second day could have lived up to the first. But they did miss popping back to the tent for a rest stop now and again. MT Just So Festival 7 As I mentioned, most of the grounds were so muddy that we couldn’t use a picnic blanket (some places were better later in the afternoon when the sun came out) and there didn’t seem to be many chairs around so we were on our feet a lot. And because we weren’t camping and hadn’t brought our own food and drink with us, we spent a small fortune on meals and snacks. MT Just So Festival 8 All in all, we had an amazing time and as we’re not natural campers, I think we’ll continue popping to the festival as day ticket holders. If you’re on the fence about heading to a family festival with your children, a day ticket is a great way of testing the water. Just So is a festival that makes it incredibly easy for families to spend quality time together and take part in so many amazing and unusual things. It's really special. 

If you’re tempted to visit Just So Festival in 2020, keep an eye on the website as early bird tickets tend to be released at a slightly cheaper price. Even if it rains, I promise you, you'll leave with incredibly happy children and feeling somewhat nostalgic for your own childhood. MT Just So Festival 9
Blog Days Out Festival Festival Tips With Kids North West England United Kingdom

Is it worth going to Just So Festival for the day?

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Guest Post

Just So Festival Day Tickets – the perfect introduction to a family festival! While we have camped at Just So ...

Top Tips if you're heading to Camp Bestival in 2019
Blog Festival Festival Tips With Kids

12 Top Tips if you’re heading to Camp Bestival in 2023

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Mini Travellers

In 2018 we spent our first weekend at Camp Bestival and we have never looked back. We had an amazing ...

Six Top Family Friendly Festivals in Scotland
Blog Festival Festival Tips With Kids Scotland

Six Top Family Friendly Festivals in Scotland 2024

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Mini Travellers

We’ve done a round up of some of the most popular family friendly festivals in Scotland in 2024 and what ...

10 Reasons Bluedot Festival is a Family Friendly Festival
Blog

10 Reasons Bluedot Festival is a Family Friendly Festival

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Mini Travellers

Bluedot is a music, science and culture event which has been held annually in July since 2016 at Jodrell Bank ...

Easter Egg Hunts in the North West 2018 | National Trust Properties
Blog Days Out National Trust North West England

Easter Egg Hunts in the North West | National Trust Properties

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Mini Travellers

National Trust Easter Egg Hunts in the North West! It’s that time of the year again when the National Trust team ...

Family Holiday in Southport
10 Things to Do In.. Days Out North West England United Kingdom

10 Best Things to do in Southport with Kids

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Mini Travellers

Whether you live locally or are planning a holiday on the north west coast of England, there are lots of ...

https://minitravellers.co.uk/free-superworm-trail/
Blog Days Out North East England

FREE: Superworm Trail in Forests across England

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Mini Travellers

Following on from the success of the Stickman, The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child trails, the hugely popular children’s picture ...

5 reasons to Visit Cornwall this tear with kids www.minitravellers.co.uk
Cornwall Days Out South West England United Kingdom

The Best Days Out for Families in South Cornwall

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Mini Travellers

In conjunction with Classic Cottages we’ve put together some of the best days out for families in South Cornwall. We ...

Top Tips for BeWILDerwood Cheshire
Blog Days Out North West England United Kingdom

Top Tips for BeWILDerwood Cheshire

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Mini Travellers

Yesterday we visited BeWILDerwood Cheshire for the first time. I’ve wanted to take the girls to the Norfolk one for ...

A wonderful family day out to Castle Howard
Days Out

A wonderful family day out to Castle Howard

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Catherine Thomson

Castle Howard is a stately home just outside of York. It has landscaped gardens, a garden centre, farm shop, various ...

Family Guide To Chester Zoo
Blog

Chester Zoo during the Summer of 2020

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Mini Travellers

We’ve just had our first proper day out to a visitor attraction since lockdown started on March 23rd 2020. So ...

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