We are plodding our way through the kids summer holidays. They can be stressful trying to keep 3 children entertained not to mention expensive, so when I heard about NPowers 2 for 1 entry into over 900 local attractions across the UK it grabbed my attention and then we were very lucky to be offered a chance to visit Dudley Zoo and I had some very happy kids!
We chose to visit Dudley Zoo as with a 6.5 year old and 2 year old twins it was a nice compromise and has something for everyone. I haven’t been to Dudley Zoo since I was about 5 but have vivid memories of the chair lift and still have the monkey I was bought there who was affectionately called Cuddly Dudley!
The zoo is only about 25 minutes drive from us so we set off and aimed to arrive around 10am when the zoo opened. It is very well signposted and has oodles of parking which is manned by an attendant. Parking costs £3.50 for all day and you give your registration and pay the cashier as you enter the zoo which is great as I hate having to walk miles to a machine to walk all the way back!
On entering after a short walk to the entrance and after buying your tickets, you are given a map and also a sheet with all the talks and what time/location they are so its worth checking which ones you may want to go along to listen to and plan your day around them.
As you arrive, there’s a small fairground to your right but these you have to pay with a token (£1 per token or 15 tokens for £10) We didn’t go on any as with 3 kids it could get expensive!
Instead of paying for the fair, I was amazed at how many little parks there are around the park which is brilliant as it breaks it up for the kids who have have a little play after walking.
I would say that Dudley Zoo is quite hilly; obviously with the castle at the top to get up there there’s a steep slope upwards but the chair lift and train can help rest your legs. The train also allows you to take your pushchair on too – bonus!
The little train runs every 10 minutes that takes you to the top of the hill by the castle which is free and P1 absolutely LOVED it.
There are so many animals to see at Dudley Zoo including lions, chimpanzees, kangaroos, giraffes and also a menagerie of smaller creatures such as parrots, red pandas and lemurs. There’s also a small farmyard area which has a petting zoo area with the goats and rabbits, we timed it wrong though as it was closed for lunchtime when we got there but we loved looking at the big pigs.
We ate at the main restaurant The Oak Kitchen which is situated by the castle but there is a smaller cafe and lots of little ice cream and drinks stands dotted around so you’re never far from refreshments.
We all opted to have a hot meal as we hadn’t had much breakfast. The three children all had the chicken gougons with chips, I had fish and chips with mushy peas and my husband had the vegetable lasagne. We also had drinks and it totalled £35 which I felt was reasonable. It was clean and tasty with loads of seating indoors and outdoors and lots to choose from including a kids “lunch bag” option where you pick foods for them in the bag but we all were ravenous!
If you are an NPower customer why not have a look what attractions local to you are partaking in the NPower 2 for 1 offer and treat the kids whilst saving yourself some cash and giving them a fab day out! Who doesn’t love that..?! We had such a fun family day out at Dudley Zoo and would highly recommend it. Charlie is 6 and the girls are 2 and they all had loads to keep them occupied. There’s so many different locations to choose from for all ages and a real help for parents trying to keep the kids entertained at a reasonable price during the summer holidays – so it pays to be an NPower customer!
Prices for Dudley Zoo start at £8.85 for kids (under 3s go free) so it is worth checking out the 2 for 1 deal. Another top day out in the Midlands and I love staying local.
I”ll leave you with some of my favourite photos from our day out.
B xx
Disclaimer – I am a member of the Mumsnet Bloggers Network Research Panel, a group of parent bloggers who have volunteered to review products, services, events and brands for Mumsnet. I have not paid for the product or to attend an event. I have editorial control and retain full editorial integrity
That looks like such a great day out. And a castle too?! AMAZING! x
Sounds like you had such a fabulous day (and lunch) and your photos are stunning – particularly the peep-hole one 🙂
A lovely post xx