Marsh Farm, Essex

Last weekend, as part of Beatrice's second birthday celebrations, we headed to nearby Marsh Farm, in South Woodham Ferrers, Essex to join them for one of their character days. The day in question was Peppa Pig aka Beatrice's bestie.

Having never ventured here before, we were greatly impressed by the value for money presented here; unfortunately it was bitter cold (sorry Beatrice for your winter birthday) so we only stayed for a few hours but we packed plenty in. In fact we never even made it to a few of the included activities.

Set over a huge piece of land, Marsh Farm has something for all children under ten and mine were enthralled despite the cold weather.

First up we enjoyed the Peppa Pig meet and greet - the staff and Peppa herself, were very friendly and happy for the children to have a photo alone with Peppa and then one with all the family. They even had a member of staff designated to take family snaps, which I thought was a nice touch. Beatrice was utterly delighted meeting her hero, and whilst Bridget is four and considers herself a little too grown up for Peppa Pig, she was excited too.

Bridget and Beatrice meeting Peppa Pig at Marsh Farm

Peppa Pig at Marsh Farm

Bridget and Beatrice waiting to see Peppa Pig at Marsh Farm

Straight from here we went to the fairground rides, of which there was a just a couple geared towards small children; the classic cups and saucers ride and a carousel. Both Bridget and Beatrice love the rides and so were very happy as you can see. I thought it was great that these were inclusive of the entrance price too - not like some other places I've visited, such as The Hop Farm in Kent, where everything is an additional cost.

My baby Beatrice enjoying her 2nd birthday at Marsh Farm

Bridget at Marsh Farm

Next on our agenda was a visit to the indoor barn animals and we were thrilled to see some baby lambs and piglets cuddled up to their mummas. Super cute. 

Piglets at Marsh Farm

Baby lamb at Marsh Farm

There was also some interestingly attired Shetland ponies with multi-coloured hair - Bridget was impressed and said it reminded her of Shimmer & Shine. Indoors there were also ferrets, guinea pigs and some rabbits. Each keeping the girls more than interested.

Shetland pony, Sparkle at Marsh Farm

The adventure playground is of excellent quality and there really is a section for all ages covered, it's set over a wide area with lots of different climbing apparatus and slides etc. 

By the time we'd done all of this, we were freezing and so headed to the Indoor Soft Play Barn which handily has a restaurant and coffee shop attached. This was a great opportunity for the girls to run around and warm up, with Glen following hot on their heels, whilst I enjoyed a lovely hot chocolate.

We went for the tractor ride next; which seems to be a standard at these types of places, and whilst it was good, it was a very short ride compared to Barleylands (also in Essex) or Willows Activity Farm (in nearby Hertfordshire) which we visited at Christmas time. We did get to ride swiftly through muddy puddles, spot some interesting birds and look out for other wildlife whilst waving at various dog-walkers but we we just on the tractor ride for less than five minutes.

We then had a walk around the Animal Trail spotting some giant rabbits, a number of birds, poultry and ducks and even alpacas and llamas. Apparently in the summer you can do llama walking which sounds fun (although not for me!). It did mention on the website about an Animal Trail book where you collect stickers throughout the trail, but we never got given one, so maybe this is just in the summer too. Nevertheless the girls really enjoyed spotting all of the animals.

The girls had a go on the mini tractor park and the bouncy pillows - massive bouncy castle-esque creations and were just delighted with everything. 

We also enjoyed the jewel hunting which we did on the way out. It's a huge sandy area with colourful glass jewels which the children collect. Equipped with buckets and spades, I can imagine spending hours here with my two as they love any kind of treasure hunt, but by this point we really were freezing and so it was a quick ten minute dash.

Beatrice Jewel Hunting at Marsh Farm

Bridget Jewel Hunting at March Farm

Unfortunately, the cold prevented us having a game of crazy golf, or attempting the huge chicken and egg maze and we didn't even find the aviary or the den-building area. Again, it looks like in the summer months there is a huge array of additional activities, from goat-racing, educational pet shows and interactive entertainment; so we'll definitely be looking to do a return visit in the summer months - we had a great time with what was available anyway. Family time is so precious and especially celebrating Beatrice's birthday just the four of us.

Happy family time for Beatrice's second birthday at Marsh Farm

The price of tickets if you purchase in advance of visiting is £12.50 for the character event, and everything mentioned is included in that price, which I think is excellent value for money. Under two's go free but we just missed out on that. 

Marsh Farm is an ideal day out with toddlers and pre-schoolers as there is so much to do and I'd advise bringing a picnic once the weather warms up if you're planning a visit and making a real day of it. We'll definitely be back soon.

Children's Party Food: Vegetable Train

Pig Train Driver and Vegetable Train

For Bridget's recent second birthday party, I was entertaining a number of toddlers and wanted to prepare some food that was fun as well as healthy and this veggie train ticked the boxes. Having scoured Pinterest for ideas, I saw trains made out of hollowed cucumbers but thought peppers would hold more and be easier for my clumsy hands.

With a little preparation, some fiddling and a fair few cocktail sticks - we had this lovely train that had a few of the kids running back into the dining room to take another look and yelling 'choo choo', I have a feeling it'll be making a regular appearance at children's parties from now on.

As it was a Peppa Pig theme party too, I even managed to secure an M&S Percy Pig on the front to look like the driver - such a fun idea and easy to replicate at home.

Vegetable Train

Here's how:

• 1 large cucumber
• 4 different coloured peppers
• 1 carrot
• 2 celery sticks
• 1 Percy Pig (optional)
• Handful cocktail sticks to assemble
• 1 wooden or plastic board or platter

Firstly prepare the cucumber - you need three sections of this as so, some sticks to place in one of the pepper 'carriages', ten sliced rounds or circles to act as wheels (you could of course use half a cherry tomato each or some sliced radishes) and then the front of your train which is a little more fiddly.

You need about 6-7cm length of cucumber including the pointy end, leave 2 cm untouched and neatly slice halfway across, long-ways off and set aside the leftover piece which will act as the train 'roof'. Now you need a further length of cucumber of about 3-4cm to act as the train drivers section - it should be a little square, and you can cut small little square 'windows in the sides if you so wish. Now use a cocktail stick first to pierce the corner of the roof, then into the corner of the train drivers bit and finally all the way through to the base, to secure. Do the same the other side. Now place a round of cucumber - or a wheel at the front on either side of the front of the train and again use 1 cocktail stick to secure - use scissors to trim down if it's too long. Set aside. If you are using a Percy Pig sweet as a 'driver' also secure him with the end of a cocktail stick.

Now you need to lay each pepper on it's side, and cut out a rectangular section, that you will then slice as the vegetable fingers or crudités and set aside. Now using the knife, cut out all the seeds inside each pepper to make a hollow 'carriage'. Trim a couple of cocktail sticks into thirds, and use to secure a cucumber round 'wheel' onto either side of each pepper carriage.

Now place the front of the train and the pepper carriages onto the board in the order you wish them to appear.

Cut the two celery sticks into equal (ish) sized pieces and lay them as 'tracks' either side of the train.

Now fill the pepper carriages with the leftover pepper cut into slices, some carrot and cucumber batons and your train is ready to go.

Serve alongside dips such as hummous, tzatziki, guacamole, tarama and salsa. Enjoy!

Some more children’s party food ideas can be found below:

Caterpillar Sandwiches

Smoked Salmon Blinis

Spiced Chicken Goujons

And for real piggy inspiration try these Peppa Pig Rice Paper Topped Cupcakes or Pig Face Cupcakes.

Children's Party Food: Pig Face Cupcakes

As we recently celebrated Bridget's second birthday and she is somewhat obsessed with Peppa Pig, I decided to make her some Piggy based cakes - with some inspiration stolen from Pinterest - where there are some pretty elaborate and impressive versions!

I have to say, whilst I'd say I'm a competent cook and baker - I'm lacking somewhat in the artistic presentation stakes - not through want of trying, I just express my creativity differently. So I went for something simple that still looked piggy and relied on cookie cutters and a tiny bit of shaping of fondant - if I can do it, so too can most children! And whilst this is great party food it could also work as a fun baking activity with your children - perfect for a rainy day activity or cold and wintery afternoon distractions.

I used the classic cupcake or fairy cake recipe that I've used time and time again, from Mary Berry but doubled up and used half the mixture for making the Peppa Pig Rice Paper Cupcakes.

For the whites of the eyes, if you have a steady hand you could pipe on some buttercream, but I found using fondant icing slightly easier for my not-so-steady hands.

Once the cupcakes were cooled enough to take on the fondant here is how I made them into little piggies.

Pig Face Cupcakes

Here's how:

1 batch Mary Berry basic cupcakes slightly cooled (Use the all-in-one method to combine: 175g each; slightly softened butter, self-raising flour, caster sugar, 3 large eggs, 1 tbsp vanilla extract, ½ tsp baking powder)
1 pack pink fondant icing (I used Renshaw's)
1 pack white fondant icing (Renshaw's)
1 black icing pen (could also use those sugar balls instead)
1 tablespoon icing sugar
Drop cold water

Firstly find a round cookie cutter that will be almost big enough to cover the entire top of each cake and set aside. Now find a smaller round cookie cutter for the nose and set this aside also.

Now make sure you use a completely clean and dry worktop space to very lightly flour, then flour a rolling pin and roll out the pink fondant icing until it is about 1/2cm thick.
Cut out the number of toppings you require for your cupcakes (I did 18).Combine the icing sugar and water in a small cup and mix well. Use a pastry brush to top each cake with a little icing then secure a topping on each cake.

Pig face cupcakes

Now make the noses using the smaller cutter. Using a sharp skewer make two nose holes in each, you can go all the way through.

Pig face cupcakes

Now place a little icing onto the back of each nose then gently tap it down into the centre of each pig's face.

Now using a tiny ball of pink icing for each pig, roll out a little pair of ears for each and set aside for the minute.

Now get the white fondant icing and cut off a quarter of it - that will be sufficient. Roll this out and then create 18 pairs of small, white balls for eyes, then flatten them onto each pig's face, securing with a tiny bit of icing and hold down. You won’t require all of the icing – secure the rest in a sealable bag and this will keep for a while in the cupboard.

Now use the same method to secure the ears on top of each pig's face.

Finally, use the black icing pen to drop a tiny dot or 'pupil' onto each eye.

If kept in a sealed container these can keep for a couple of days - perfect if you've got a lot of party preparation to get on with. Enjoy!

The piggy corner

Children's Party Food: Peppa Pig Rice Paper Cupcakes

Bridget was two a couple of weeks ago and so we threw a little party to celebrate. Her current phase is Peppa Pig and has been since Christmas time so naturally we tried to incorporate this into the party food and these cupcakes worked well and went down well with both the children and the adults. Who doesn't love a cupcake?

These are an incredibly simple recipe that is great for parties or just baking with your children. The basis for the cupcakes is the 'all in' method from baking legend Mary Berry and the topping is a simple buttercream, some 100's and 1000's and in our case, some Peppa Pig rice paper cake toppers - but if for a party and your little one has a preference you can source all number of rice paper toppers online - Amazon and Ebay have an amazing selection!

You could omit from the 100's and 100's and just use rice paper toppers but I liked the way it made them all the more colourful and fun for a party - and as an occasional treat at birthdays, I don't think there's anything wrong with allowing your child a sugary treat.

Peppa Pig Rice Paper Cupcakes

Here's how:

• 1-2 batch Mary Berry's basic cupcake recipe (Use the all-in-one method to combine: 175g each: slightly softened butter, self-raising flour, caster sugar, 3 large eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, ½ tsp baking powder)
• For the icing:
• 150g slightly softened butter
• 280g Icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 tub sugar strands
• 1 pack rice paper cake toppers – Peppa Pig if you so wish

Once you've prepared the cupcakes and allowed to cool sufficiently, place the butter and icing sugar with the vanilla in a small bowl. Use a wooden spoon to mix well until thoroughly combined.

If the mixture is a little stiff, add a tiny drop of milk to loosen a little then mix again.

Now using a knife or the back of a spoon scoop up a little buttercream for each cupcake and spread over the top to cover well.

Once all are coated, scatter over the sugar strands and use the back of a clean spoon or a clean finger to just very gently pat them in, to ensure they don't roll off in transit. This doesn't sound it, but can be a tricky step - you may have to scoop up bits that fall onto the plate with your hands and re-scatter until you're happy they are evenly distributed and nice and colourful.

Finally - remove each cake topper from the outside shell and simply place into the centre of each cake and gently tap down with your finger.

Voila - the Peppa Pig Rice Paper Cakes are done - these will keep well in a sealed container for a couple of days, so are great to make in advance and save time on the day of any parties when you are likely to be rushing around like a maniac trying to get everything done. Enjoy!

Peppa Pig Cupcakes

A Great Family Day Out: Peppa Pig World

Our darling daughter Bridget, like most two year olds, is obsessed with Peppa Pig and so as a treat for her second birthday a couple of weeks back, we ventured to Paulton's Park, specifically to the Peppa Pig World section for a day of pig-filled fun and frolics.

We were journeying the following day to Cornwall for a week's holiday, and so broke our journey this way too - something I would recommend, if a) travelling with a toddler and b) travelling 5.5 months pregnant.

Paulton's Park is a huge park in Romsey, on the outskirts of Southampton - a sprawling mass of theme parks all rolled into one - as well as Peppa Pig World, there is the Critter Creek and The Lost Kingdom tons of fairground rides, a 4D cinema, adventure golf and even a water park, all included in the £30.00 ticket – it’s free for children under 1 metre) which really does pose good value. It also means if you have a family with children of varying ages, there is something for everyone.

Peppa Pig World was incredibly sweet and twee - everything you would expect in such a space. Several tame, toddler-aimed fairground rides, all of which Bridget absolutely delighted in. There was about a twenty-minute queue for most of these rides though as we visited on a Sunday, so if you are able to visit during the week instead, I'd recommend it. Toddlers' attention span lasts for about five minutes in such queues, cue lots of singing, games and coaxing to stay in said queues by yours truly. I would imagine in the heart of the summer the place gets even busier too.

Enjoying the day at Peppa Pig World

Driving a car at Peppa Pig World

We enjoyed the cars, train and balloon ride but the favourite ride by far was George’s Dinosaur Adventure Ride, which Bridget went on with Glen (Daddy) and it's hard to tell who enjoyed it more.

George's Dinosaur Adventure Ride

Peppa Pig World

Also within Peppa Pig World is an outdoor adventure park with climbing frames, bouncers, swings and slides, all of which were greatly appreciated by Bridget and were a good distraction between rides, or when queues were particularly bad. In addition a huge soft play area with dedicated areas for little tots provided an hour of fun for Bridget - as with most children her age, it's Ok to get her into these playing areas, getting her out was not as easy. This area gets very busy and I would suggest you bring socks with you (or pay the prices for Peppa Pig themed ones in the shop) and go in with your child at all times. After the recent, horrendous incident at Legoland, it goes without saying that supervised play is the order of the day.

There is the chance to pop into Peppa Pig's house and other attractions from the popular programme and the whole area is colourful and follows the theme from Peppa so if your child is a fan, there is something there they are sure to delight in.

Peppa Pig's house

As with all of these type of theme parks - there are costumes characters such as Peppa, George, Mummy & Daddy Pig as well as Suzie Sheep, Rebecca Rabbit et. all for your little one to meet and greet with and or have their photograph taken with. Bridget is rather hilariously petrified of said characters and has been since our visit to Hong Kong's Disneyland when she was only one so we refrained.

We had a little mooch around some of the animals within the zoo section too and had we got there earlier, and not been in a rush to get to Exeter for the evening, we could have spent several more hours at Paulton's Park enjoying the various attractions. For £30.00 each and having not had to pay for Bridget yet it really does offer great value and we'd return again in a heartbeat.

We are hopeful that Bridget might soon grow out of favour of Peppa Pig (this time last year it was The Furchester Hotel she adored) but with another baby due in the new year, it's likely we will have at least one more visit to Peppa Pig World in the not-so-distant future.

The theme park is open throughout October and then just weekends for the winter months of November and December.