We called in here on the off chance as my other half has an obsession with fish and reptiles. I do…read morenot live far from here but only recently have they turned this farm into a proper visitor place. I was a bit unsure at first because of all the stories escalating around about farms. But as soon as we parked up, we walked over to the pig sty and I instantly fell in love with the little pigs wandering around with their parents in their little den. Then we went into the massive store area and there are unreal amounts of fish in here. If you are a massive fan of tropical fish then this is the place you should go. It is clean, presentable and well organised. They also have reptiles such as snakes and mini-dragons and if you have never had a pet like this before, there are loads of staff around to help you out. Also they have a large range of books to help you raise certain species. Originally this was a farm that sold food produce. Now it has expanded beyond recognition. They still have food stock such as meat, eggs and juices etc. Also they have a cafe inside so if you want a cup of tea or a scone, then you can here. What I really enjoyed though about this place is that if you pay a pound each you can through into the stables and feed the pets in there. They have goats, llamas, sheep and bulls. I was a bit unsure at first but as soon as I started feeding them, I just fell in love with them all instantly. They were so cute trying to jump over the fences and lick your hands. This farm is really clean and extremely well run. I enjoyed the time we spent here, it was fun and exciting. I would recommend this twice over. Go and have fun!

Went to Cockfields Farm 3rd December 2011 to top up my tank with some new additions, as we were…read morelooking at the tanks , we noticed a DEAD fish floating on the top, so I informed a member of staff who joked that it was asleep and they always went pale and lifeless and floated when they were resting !!!! I thought this comment was inappropriate and not called for... we continued our now short visit by seeing another two tanks containing DEAD fish, I find this unacceptable and will not be going back there again. as there are many better fish shops with more pleasant staff within the Oldham area.

For a theme park aquarium that is NOT a theme park based on aquariums it's a pretty sharp one…read more The displays are well done, they are staggered at different heights and levels. There are interactive stations and so much to do and look at. This was probably my 3rd favorite portion of the park, the new coaster and the actual summer house being my favorites.

Alton Towers is a behemoth of a place... I remember when I had my first visit (Circa 1995, maybe?)…read morewhere all you would find is rides and queues (and lots of ways to spend your pocket money). Fast forward to 2015 and there has been many changes, additions and new ways to spend your (now earned with a job) money. I have been attending Pirate weekend over the last few years at Alton Towers Splash Landings Hotel. This entails a waterpark day entry, overnight stay in the hotel, breakfast, pirate entertainment and entry into the small (bur perfectly formed) Sharkbait Reef within the park. All this for a princely sum of around £25? Bargain. These weekends are held when the main park isn't open and we sauntered up from Birmingham at 1pm on a Friday afternoon to get our Pirate on and have a good time. Now, we don't always get to Sharkbait Reef as part of our visit. Firstly, the opening times are normally geared towards Saturday stayers (rather than Friday adventurers) and secondly, it can be affected by the weather. It seems as though we chose the right weekend to go this time as the Reef opened at 10am, giving us plenty of time to get down there before the minigolf tournament was due to kick off at 10:30am. The reef is situated in the park in the pirate section. This can mean quite a walk from the hotel or a two minute drive. There is a dedicated parking section for this, but this section (Express parking) is rammed during actual park opening days. This little Sea Life centre isn't the biggest of the bunch, but it is well put together. From entering in via the "photo opportunity" (a giant statue of octopus tentacles), there are sharks, lots of varieties of beautiful shimmering tropical fish, jelly fish and rock pools (where you can stroke a starfish or meet some cute little shrimp). The walls are jam packed with information about the ocean and it's inhabitants and the staff are friendly and ready to answer your questions. The real stand out for us was the fact it was feeding time in the big tank. Have you ever seen a Ray eat broccoli before? I did for the first time ever on Saturday. It was fascinating (see photos). The walkthrough area is great for seeing the lovely creatures of the sea swimming about and interacting with each other. You end your visit (it takes maybe... about 20/30 minutes to walk around and you (predictably) end up in the gift shop. There are numerous "budget" gifts (starting from £1) in this shop, so if your little ones are desperate for a souvenir - you could do worse than checking out the cool stuff in this shop over the other more expensive options in the park. Whether you're a seasoned ocean expert or a small fry looking to get up close and personal with some of the inhabitants of the sea, a quick trip around Sharkbait reef is definitely worth your while during your trip to Alton Towers.

Really nice area for the kids and there is WiFi so you can let kids play while you tend t that book…read morethat you always wanted to read but kids may not allow. Don't forget to take some tome out to play with them while here. Time with kids are a treasure and it will only be a matter of time before they don't want to spend time with you. Let's not forget we all were teenagers at some point in time.

A fantastic asset to Rotherham. Great for kids! Also holding great Events. Disabled Friendly Too!read more

Magna is located in an old steel plant just off the M1 in Rotherham. It is clearly signposted and…read moreeasily found. It is a hands-on interactive science learning centre, primarily aimed at children, although adults can learn things as well. There is no heating in the building, so be prepared to wear your coat all day if it's cold. It is also quite dark in places, which creates an eerie feeling, like walking through an abandoned building. Inside there are four main areas, or pavilions, which are based on the four elements (Fire, Air, Earth and Water) and an exhibition area. There are also two fun/playareas outside: Sci-Tek an adventure playground) and Aqua-Tek (a very wet play area). The first thing we encountered was an exhibition on colour, what it is and how it effects our lives. This is a good exhibit, and if you don't know the difference between addictive and subtractive colour mixing, then this will teach you! You walk past the restaurant, and enter the main part of the building. Each of the pavilions is on a different level and there are stairs and lifts for access. We headed of towards Fire first. To get there you have to walk along a long gantry which runs alongside one of the old furnaces. It is very dark here with very little natural light. Every hour there is a display of how the furnace worked using lights and pyrotechnics which lasts about 10-15mins and is very good. In the Fire pavilion you can find out about fire and heat. The displays range from heating up a piece of wire with electricity, to how heat is used in making steel and there is an impressive fire-tornando in the centre of the room. Our next stop was up in an air-ship which was the Air pavilion. Here we found out how a dyson vacuum cleaner works, all about sound and various other things. Two floors down is the Water pavilion. Again this is hands on, so expect to get a bit wet. You can learn all about whirlpools, water flow and play with an industrial water soaker. Good fun for little ones! Down underground is the Earth pavilion. This is all about rocks and other natural resources. You can pretended to excavate rocks, carry them in a wheel barrow and watch how they move around a convey-belt system like a real quarry. It's even possible to lift yorself of the ground by pulling on a rope. There are three eating areas in the building: a restaurant which provides hot meals and sandwiches, a cafe (which we didn't sample) and a large area for eating picnics. This is also a reasonable gift shop which sells science related products and toys. This is a good example of a hands-on science museum that teaches children all about science without them realising. However, you'll probably find they want to spend all they're time outside playing in the play areas - probably the Aqua-Tek one. It is a good idea to bring either a swimming costume or a spare set of clothes for them as they will be absolutely soaked. Should you find you have finsihed here and there is still some time left in you day, then just 5mins away is Meadowhall Shopping Centre.

I'm doing it again; I must get to the water. I am a Gremlin. I need to multiply and water is my…read moresavour. In that case I could do a lot worse than Hemsworth Water Park and Play World. Now this badger has two lakes; the largest lake is available for pedalo rides and has sandy beaches; the smallest lake is in a more secluded area to attract wildlife. It's perfect if you want to do a Freddie Flintoff and fool around for a while. It's also ideal to see some great things of interest in this beautiful world we have around us. I'm going all John Lennon on you now. You've also got loads of grassed areas and picnics are no problem either (except the fact it's always freezing and wet in England). Then throw in the Play World bit. This is where I need to fall back and remind myself that I'm not a child any more. For "real" kids though it's got with a tower slide, climbing frames, a toddler's sandpit area and a miniature railway. Toot toot. Once again I've found you a corking day out with a difference but do check what is open if you go before the Easter holidays. You have been warned.

I find myself in something of a quandary. I value the provision of these islands of nature greatly…read moreand will always defend them from the encroaching urban sprawl but I find that I cannot get very excited about Hemsworth Water Park, Nice enough lakes and the ducks were very duck-like, the grass was probably just as green as any other park and the children's play area as clean and well maintained as the best of them but the other play area which is rather grandly called Playworld was locked up thereby saving us a few quid for an experience we could get for free in any half decent public park. I left with the feeling that I had wasted fuel driving to Hemsworth as there are better parks much nearer to where I live.

This isn't a dodgy Euro pop record that you'll hear at weddings, rubbish parties and kids' parties…read more This is a super place to get involved with farmyards and learn more about the creatures on it. This open working farm has rare breeds that sit along side more main stream ones like pigs, cattle, goats, donkeys and ponies. Yes indeedy we're in animal heaven. You'll also be able to see a variety of smaller animals like rabbits, gerbils and even chipmunks. Yes I did say chipmunks. I especially like all the different pigs you can look at but I'm guessing it's not me who is meant to get excited by such things. Well I am a big kid after all. They also have some play areas and are designed for bigger groups and disabled people if you so need those facilities. Get the kids away from the consoles and down onto the farm. It's also not very expensive and is value for money without a doubt.

From the owner: Wigfield Farm has three main functions:…read more A working farm producing livestock, A base for Barnsley College courses in Horticulture and Animal care, An Open Farm and Visitors Centre accessible to the local and wider community. The farm is situated approximately 2 miles south west of Barnsley next to Worsbrough Country Park. Wigfield 'open' Farm is situated on the Dove Valley Trail section of the Trans-Pennine Trail, and provides a perfect visitor attraction at which to refresh yourself in our cafe and shop facility. The farm has a wide range of animals including meerkats, cows, goats, Shetland ponies, donkeys, alpacas, pigs, sheep, chickens, guinea pigs, rabbits and much more. We also have a rodent room and an aquatics room featuring many different varieties of fish and other aquatic life. There is also an exotics room with a variety of reptiles which although it isn't open to the public, people do get to view them at public events, birthday parties, organised group visits or as part of a VIP experience. We do birthday parties, school visits, VIP experiences.

This is a fabulous play area for kids. It only opened in 2007 and so everything is still nice and…read morenew, and they've got a really good choice of play equipment. Parents are allowed to go into the area with their kids which is always good, especially if you've got younger ones, and there's loads there to keep you all amused. Wi-fi internet is available, so take the laptop along and get on with your own stuff while the kids play. The food is really good. When they first opened I got a peek at the kitchen and it was more like something out a 5* hotel than a cafe. Most of the food is proper cooked stuff, and there's a fair choice on the menu at reasonable prices. Most of the staff are really friendly, many have childcare experience. It's run by two couples who both have families so they've taken an proper interest in making the best of the place that they can. It's close to the school so it does get very busy at around 3pm but if you're able to go in the morning then it's lovely - I'd highly recommend taking a trip through Brigg to call in here if you're passing on the M180.

It was a beautiful sunny day in April, and my Dad asked what I wanted to do. I had failed to get…read morehere the previous week due to train problems..so I thought now was a good time to utilise the dadmobile. When we arrived we were ushered to a parking space, which was already half full at 11am. Walking down a pathway we passed a couple of cool wonky funhouses and a restaurant bus until arriving at the entrance. Adults admissions was £9.95, this paid we went straight to the nearby cafe for breccie. The menu was basic but all fresh with jacket potatoes, cakes , Panini and sandwiches with various fillings. I grabbed a brie and cranberry panini, my dad a jacket potato..just in time as a few people piled in. To my right a show was going on outside with parrots playing basket ball. Food demolished we went to investigate. A billboard showed a regular list of talks and shows, for now we discarded this. The site itself is quite large, with a farm yard section containing goats, peacock, ducks and guinea pigs. Walking around the perimeter, displayed birds of prey, owls, vultures, stalks..several other displays contained wallaby and the butterfly house itself contained leafcutter ants, bats, crocodiles and of course butterflies. Everything seemed to surround the main stars of the show. Lemurs , meerkats and otters. I only attended two shows , one regarding lemurs, which was factual and not babyfied and one where several birds took part in free flying. Overall the site is well maintained and has several interactive parts to keep kids entertained. Random billboards that squirt water and plastic model dinosaurs inter-weaved with the scenery. The food at the cafe was satisfactory and the gift shop the usual marked up cost. Every staff member I came across was naturally fully energetic, friendly and enthusiastic. A good place to come when the weather is nice. Without the shows though there is not a huge amount to see and do.

This is a beautiful place to visit in the summer months but dont be fooled by the name…read more this is a loving home for much more than butterflys they have pigs, skunks, chickens , monkeys, donkeys and parrots to name a tiny few . They have a tropical room which is home to the butterflys as well as giant snails, ants and fish. The vast park is full of lovely animals which in most areas are free to wander around. They have falconry displays and ferrets which play games which the audience are invited to participate in. There is a relaxed feel about the place . there is a lovely woodland walk through the grounds and visitors are able to feed some of the animals with fruit and nuts etc which are supplied free of charge for the animals. the venue is suitable for all ages and disabled friendly although not much in the way of disabled parking. tucked away at the back of the gift shop is a childrens play area withich is really a a circuit with ample bikes, trikes, scooters etc suitable for ages up to around 10. they also have a circuit containg coin operated electric bikes at a cost of £1 a ride. Its a bit of the beaten track and it gets very busy especially during school holidays but definately worth a visit if you like animals

Best shop ever with a great marine section and outside pond and big selection of topical fishread more

Absolute brilliant shop! Has everything you need to start/maintain marine, tropical, cold water…read morefish. They stock frozen food, dry food and all products needed to ensure your system is healthy and looking good! The live stock is absolutely brilliant! What's better is the staff! They give friendly advice and make it their duty to ensure they help you as much as they possible can! Brilliant!