• Home
  • About Otis and Us
    • Meet Otis
  • Blog
  • Work with us
  • Contact us
  • Nav Social Menu

    • E-mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • Days out
  • Festivals
  • Accessories and Reviews
  • Competitions

Otis and Us

  • Van Life
  • Campervan recipes
  • Glamping
  • Travel
  • Travel Tips

Days out with the Kids in Staffordshire – Our Favourite Family Days out

Blog· Days out· Travel Tips

18 Feb

There is so much to see and do in the UK – we really have the most beautiful beaches, some wonderful attractions and some really great places to visit right on our doorstep.  As a family we try to make the most of the weekends, summer evenings and school holidays and we have soon come to realise that there are so many lovely family friendly places to visit within less than an hour away from our home.  We have put together a list of 10 our favourite family days out in Staffordshire.  Read on for more….

World of Wedgwood

There is so much for families to do at the World of Wedgwood. Not only can you enjoy a factory tour, visit to the museum, try your hand in the decorating studio, design studio and the master craft studio but children can also enjoy hours of fun in the outdoor and indoor play areas.  There is a fabulous tearoom, and the relaxed dining hall has a wonderful menu supporting local produce… not to mention the Wedgwood flagship store … we really enjoyed our visit.

Trentham Estate

Trentham Estate is a wonderful day out with children. Visit the garden centre, the aware winning Gardens, or enjoy a stroll through the shopping village with an abundance of shops, cafes and restaurants. For families,  Children can enjoy a walk around the lake, spot the fairies dotted around the estate, have fun in the outdoor adventure playground, experience the barefoot trail, get lost in the maze or enjoy a boat ride on the lake. We do visit Trentham frequently and have enjoyed many an afternoon here. Trentham hosts a number of events througout the year – check the website before you visit.

Trentham Estate Monkey Forest.

Home to 140 Barbary macaques at the Monkey Forest, it is a wonderful family day out. Take a walk amongsts the monkeys and observe their antics as they live freely in 60 acres beautiful woodland. Children can enjoy a picnic or a bite to eat in the restaurant, and have fun in the outdoor playground outside the banana cafe. Please see website for opening times  and admission prices.

Rudyard lake

Rudyard Lake in the Staffordshire Moorlands  covers some 168 acres and is over 2.5 miles long. There is an array of things to do and is a great family day out. Enjoy the  various walks, take a boat trip on the lake , simply enjoy a picnic  or experiencing the Rudyard Steam Railway which runs along the side of the lake.

Alton Towers CBeebies land

CBeebies Land is a pre-school attraction at Alton Towers offering In the night garden… Mr Bloom..Charlie and Lola… and more. It will leave children squealing with excitement at the various well thought out themed rides and attractions. Alton Towers hosts a number of events throughout the year, including the Santa sleepover stay. We also enjoyed a day at Splash Landings Waterpark during our stay. Visit the website for details and special offers.

Blithbury Reindeer Lodge

Blithbury Reindeer Lodge is a 30 acre working farm in Rugeley, Staffordshire and home to England’s largest working Reindeer herd. The Reindeer lodge opens for special events throughout the year and last year we enjoyed  a wonderful and magical Christmas experience. Please see the website for special events to find out more.

Thomas Land – Drayton Manor

A must see attraction for any little Thomas the Tank Engine fan – Thomas land promises fun and adventure for all. Set in 6,000 square metres of parkland, Thomas Land boasts twelve wonderful Thomas themed rides, an indoor play area, and a shop filled with Thomas merchandise. Each ride features one of Thomas’s friends, like Bertie Bus and Rosie; there is most certainly something for everyone. Our little one adores Thomas the Tank and really enjoyed her visit.

Please check websites for offers and events.

Cannock Chase Forest

Cannock Chase Forest is an ideal location to enjoy a woodland walk, try out one of the many bike trails, or enjoy the adventure play and Go Ape. From the 20th February 2017  you can visit Cannock Chase and bring the Gruffalo, little brown mouse, fox, owl and the snake to life with the new Gruffalo Spotters trail and exciting augmented reality app – we can’t wait to try this out.

Please see website for details, events and parking.

Emma Bridgwater

Visit the Emma Bridgwater factory in Stoke-on-Trent and families can spend time in the decorating studio, creating a masterpiece to take home.  During your visit you can take the factory tour, enjoy a spot of shopping in the Emma Bridgwater gift shop or factory outlet, and end the day with a bite to eat and some fabulous cake in the cafe and walled garden.

Please see website for special events and to details.

Churnet Valley Railway

Finally, Churnet Valley Railway is a lovely family friendly day out with the kids – especially for any train obsessed kiddies. Enjoy a ride on a steam train at Churnet Valley Railway,  taking a picturesque journey through countryside on an 11 mile return journey. Churnet Valley holds a number of special events throughout the year – Please see website for details.

 

There are so many wonderful days out in Staffordshire, and I am sure I could add many more to this list. Have you enjoyed any days out with the kids in Staffordshire?

**Disclosure – We were given complimentary tickets to enjoy days out at the Monkey Forest and World of Wedgwood. All other attractions have been paid for by ourselves. All views and opinions are of my own and my family. **

You can also find me on Instagram, Facebook, pinterest and Twitter.

Pin for later

Travel Loving Family

6 Comments

Previous Post: « Winter Walks, Scooters and Introducing our Little Adventurer
Next Post: Family Day Out -The Butterfly Farm and Stratford-upon-Avon »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Judy b says

    February 21, 2017 at 8:22 pm

    What a beautiful, and very informative account of available ‘to do’s ‘ in staffordshire! Clearly described, and all sounding very inviting! Tha children obviously had some very enjoyable days out!!

    Reply
    • otisandus says

      February 21, 2017 at 8:56 pm

      Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting, we do enjoy our family days out- there are so many beautiful places to see on our doorstep. 🙂 xx

      Reply
  2. Sam | North East Family Fun Travel Blog says

    March 17, 2017 at 8:52 am

    Love the sound of Rudyard lake – it looks very peaceful 😀

    Reply
  3. Nell (Pigeon Pair and Me) says

    March 17, 2017 at 8:48 pm

    I loved your Wedgewood post, and it looks as though there’s plenty more to do up there. I must admit, it’s a part of the country I know very little, but it’s very appealing!

    Reply
  4. Lisa (Travel Loving Family) & Trips100 Editor says

    March 20, 2017 at 10:11 am

    Love this post! We are also huge fans of Staffordshire as there are so many things to do with kids. Completely agree with you re: CBeebies Land and Thomas Land, my boys absolutely love them both:) Thanks for linking to #MondayEscapes, I’ll tweet and pin now;)

    Reply
  5. Claire at Tin Box Traveller says

    March 20, 2017 at 4:40 pm

    I love the idea of going to see the reindeer any time of year 🙂 You’ve got so many lovely things to do close to you. Thanks for sharing them on #MondayEscapes

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Let’s Connect

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Latest on Instagram

otisandus_

Vanlife • Camper Family • VWT5


Ad/ Oh the places we will go .......

I’m reall
Ad/ Oh the places we will go .......
 
I’m really hoping better days are coming for us all 🌈
 
Tonight I wanted to tell you about a wonderful campaign by @whsmithofficial and I’m honoured to have been asked to be a part of it. 

Their aim is to encourage people to try something new throughout 2021. @whsmithofficial have some wonderful products to help you plan your trips (products linked in stories).
 
I would really love you to join me on Friday at 6pm over on the @whsmithofficial account, chatting about why we love vanlife, our favourite road trips, and what vanlife means for us. Believe it or not before we purchased our camper, we had never camped before! 
 
If you have any questions for me, I would love you to send them my way via my stories and I will do my best to answer them on Friday. 
 
Look forward to seeing you over on the @whsmithofficial Instagram on Friday at 6pm! 

#bringiton2021 #vanlife #vanlifewithkids #vwt5


Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are y
Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are you all doing? How are you feeling about the announcements tomorrow?

I know so many are finding it all a bit ‘meh’ at the moment.

So this is a little Sunday reminder to keep doing what makes your soul a
smile, check in on each other often and look after yourselves..... and know that better days are coming 🌈🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 

(My usual Sunday campsite share will be a little late - I’ll post it tomorrow I promise - I’ve been painting the girls bedroom all weekend😆 )

🌈 💕

Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynn
Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynnfamily as part of her bongo convo series.

Did you catch it?

I think it is the first time I’ve ever chatted on a live, or chatted in front of a camera even 😆

Anyway I just wanted to say thank you  so much for all the messages and lovely comments after the live. I’ve had a few vanlife questions too so I will pop them in my stories for you.

Thank you  Jenny for inviting me to take part in your new live travel chat. Chatting about Van life and road trips .... It definitely made my soul smile :)

🏕Sunday share is back 🏕

My next campsite to
🏕Sunday share is back 🏕

My next campsite to share is a really lovely campsite in Llangollen. We were introduced to this lovely site by my beautiful friend @a_girl_on_the_crescent 

Abbey Farm Campsite

@abbeyfarmllangollen is a working farm set just outside the beautiful town of Llangollen in North Wales.

Suitable  for camping, touring caravans and motor homes and camping pods available.  There are three self-catering cottages to rent and also a static caravan site.

The camping fields are set next to the ruins of Valle Crusis Abbey, and what we loved the most - there is a small brook that runs across the bottom of the field that the kids absolutely loved.

Facilities

Hot showers/ toilets
Laundry room
Bistro/bar
Shop
Electric Hook Up
Dogs Welcome 

What we loved 💕

⭐️Family campsite 
⭐️The brook provided hours of fun
⭐️Picturesque Llangollen a walk away 
⭐️Beautiful location with lots of space and walks
⭐️An ideal base to explore North Wales 

Definitely one to bookmark 

🏡For now the message is to stay at home, but my Sunday share is to inspire and introduce you to new campsites for when the time is right xx


Camping with kids 🏕

I was going to share my ne
Camping with kids 🏕

I was going to share my next favourite campsite but thought I would mix it up a bit with a new topic. Campervan storage. So tell me... What is your favourite storage hack? 

As our Campervan conversion  isn’t quite fully finished we have had to be clever with storage. As a family of five in a T5 space is super tight! 

Our favourite hacks so far....

➡️ Using cushion covers / pillow cases to store items 

➡️ storage hooks on the back of the seats (I think I learned about this one from @daisy_thefamilycamper ) 

➡️ Using a pop up tent to store the large bulky items such as car seats and strollers etc 

➡️ Packing pods to organise the clothes!!! My absolutely favourite thing ever we have used them for years.

➡️ plastic storage bucket for the outside toys that we take to the beach (and can even double up as a baby/toddler bath 

 
 ➡️ Foldable items, folding table, folding scooters, folding chairs, the list goes on but helps with space 

➡️hamman towels. Absolutely wonderful. We were sent some towels to review a few years back and they are incredible. We haven’t looked back and we are fully converted. They don’t take up much space, dry really quickly, have multiple uses  and basically we just love them! 

🌈 I have linked my post in my stories - but would love to hear if you have any campervan storage ideas to share or add? 

Hope you have all had a lovely weekend whatever you have been up to ?


Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for
Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for the time when it is safe to travel again 😍🚐

 Sunnyside Croft Touring Site 

This is my next campsite to share... the beautiful Sunnyside Croft Touring Site - an award winning site located between the villages of Arisaig and Mallaig on the West Coast of the Scottish Highlands 

⭐️What we loved 🌈

Direct access to the most beautiful beach 
Family friendly, clean  and quiet 
Dogs allowed 
Eco friendly
Lovely touches - outside shower for wetsuits, infant and toddler washroom with a bath 
Pets allowed 

We loved staying here for two nights as part of our Scotland road trip with our beautiful friends. Mallaig is the nearest village  and we loved visiting Skye and Glenfinnan too. The campsite has direct access to the most spectacular beach - just a walk away along a dedicated path.  Definitely one to bookmark and a campsite we would definitely return to.

📸 Our first view of the beach from the campsite 
 
➡️ swipe for more photos of Arisaig and Mallaig

🌈 #stayathome and keep hoping for sunnier days☀️

#dreamingofvanlife #keepondreaming #arisaigbeach #scotlandphotography


Load More…


Follow on Instagram


Browse by Category

Trips100 - Travel Blogs
Trips100

BritMums

Amazon Associate

“We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”

  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • Disclaimer
Ad/ Oh the places we will go ....... I’m reall Ad/ Oh the places we will go .......
 
I’m really hoping better days are coming for us all 🌈
 
Tonight I wanted to tell you about a wonderful campaign by @whsmithofficial and I’m honoured to have been asked to be a part of it. 

Their aim is to encourage people to try something new throughout 2021. @whsmithofficial have some wonderful products to help you plan your trips (products linked in stories).
 
I would really love you to join me on Friday at 6pm over on the @whsmithofficial account, chatting about why we love vanlife, our favourite road trips, and what vanlife means for us. Believe it or not before we purchased our camper, we had never camped before! 
 
If you have any questions for me, I would love you to send them my way via my stories and I will do my best to answer them on Friday. 
 
Look forward to seeing you over on the @whsmithofficial Instagram on Friday at 6pm! 

#bringiton2021 #vanlife #vanlifewithkids #vwt5
Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are y Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are you all doing? How are you feeling about the announcements tomorrow?

I know so many are finding it all a bit ‘meh’ at the moment.

So this is a little Sunday reminder to keep doing what makes your soul a
smile, check in on each other often and look after yourselves..... and know that better days are coming 🌈🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 

(My usual Sunday campsite share will be a little late - I’ll post it tomorrow I promise - I’ve been painting the girls bedroom all weekend😆 )

🌈 💕
Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynn Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynnfamily as part of her bongo convo series.

Did you catch it?

I think it is the first time I’ve ever chatted on a live, or chatted in front of a camera even 😆

Anyway I just wanted to say thank you  so much for all the messages and lovely comments after the live. I’ve had a few vanlife questions too so I will pop them in my stories for you.

Thank you  Jenny for inviting me to take part in your new live travel chat. Chatting about Van life and road trips .... It definitely made my soul smile :)
🏕Sunday share is back 🏕 My next campsite to 🏕Sunday share is back 🏕

My next campsite to share is a really lovely campsite in Llangollen. We were introduced to this lovely site by my beautiful friend @a_girl_on_the_crescent 

Abbey Farm Campsite

@abbeyfarmllangollen is a working farm set just outside the beautiful town of Llangollen in North Wales.

Suitable  for camping, touring caravans and motor homes and camping pods available.  There are three self-catering cottages to rent and also a static caravan site.

The camping fields are set next to the ruins of Valle Crusis Abbey, and what we loved the most - there is a small brook that runs across the bottom of the field that the kids absolutely loved.

Facilities

Hot showers/ toilets
Laundry room
Bistro/bar
Shop
Electric Hook Up
Dogs Welcome 

What we loved 💕

⭐️Family campsite 
⭐️The brook provided hours of fun
⭐️Picturesque Llangollen a walk away 
⭐️Beautiful location with lots of space and walks
⭐️An ideal base to explore North Wales 

Definitely one to bookmark 

🏡For now the message is to stay at home, but my Sunday share is to inspire and introduce you to new campsites for when the time is right xx
Camping with kids 🏕 I was going to share my ne Camping with kids 🏕

I was going to share my next favourite campsite but thought I would mix it up a bit with a new topic. Campervan storage. So tell me... What is your favourite storage hack? 

As our Campervan conversion  isn’t quite fully finished we have had to be clever with storage. As a family of five in a T5 space is super tight! 

Our favourite hacks so far....

➡️ Using cushion covers / pillow cases to store items 

➡️ storage hooks on the back of the seats (I think I learned about this one from @daisy_thefamilycamper ) 

➡️ Using a pop up tent to store the large bulky items such as car seats and strollers etc 

➡️ Packing pods to organise the clothes!!! My absolutely favourite thing ever we have used them for years.

➡️ plastic storage bucket for the outside toys that we take to the beach (and can even double up as a baby/toddler bath 

 
 ➡️ Foldable items, folding table, folding scooters, folding chairs, the list goes on but helps with space 

➡️hamman towels. Absolutely wonderful. We were sent some towels to review a few years back and they are incredible. We haven’t looked back and we are fully converted. They don’t take up much space, dry really quickly, have multiple uses  and basically we just love them! 

🌈 I have linked my post in my stories - but would love to hear if you have any campervan storage ideas to share or add? 

Hope you have all had a lovely weekend whatever you have been up to ?
Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for the time when it is safe to travel again 😍🚐

 Sunnyside Croft Touring Site 

This is my next campsite to share... the beautiful Sunnyside Croft Touring Site - an award winning site located between the villages of Arisaig and Mallaig on the West Coast of the Scottish Highlands 

⭐️What we loved 🌈

Direct access to the most beautiful beach 
Family friendly, clean  and quiet 
Dogs allowed 
Eco friendly
Lovely touches - outside shower for wetsuits, infant and toddler washroom with a bath 
Pets allowed 

We loved staying here for two nights as part of our Scotland road trip with our beautiful friends. Mallaig is the nearest village  and we loved visiting Skye and Glenfinnan too. The campsite has direct access to the most spectacular beach - just a walk away along a dedicated path.  Definitely one to bookmark and a campsite we would definitely return to.

📸 Our first view of the beach from the campsite 
 
➡️ swipe for more photos of Arisaig and Mallaig

🌈 #stayathome and keep hoping for sunnier days☀️

#dreamingofvanlife #keepondreaming #arisaigbeach #scotlandphotography
Happy Sunday!!! So I have decided on a Sunday fo Happy Sunday!!! 

So I have decided on a Sunday for the next few weeks I am going to do a little campsite share. Sharing our favourite campsites that we have stayed in our #t5camper over the last two or three years. I wanted to (hopefully) give you some inspiration for all those dreaming and planning for when we are able to hit the road in the future. 

My first campsite is @love2stay in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK. Set in 22 acres of grounds with touring and Glamping on-site. 

Love2stay is a beautiful resort and an absolute gem of a site. We have booked again for this year and have stayed more than once over the last two years.

Facilities

Love 2 Stay  has serviced pitches and a  glamping village. The toilet block is modern and clean.  There is so much to do on site you won’t want to venture far. 

➡️ swipe for pictures 

There is a natural swimming pool, restaurant and pizzeria, fitness suite and thermal bath, assault course, children’s adventure play zone, barefoot trails, mini and junior craft activities, cinedrome for movie nights, yoga and Pilates classes, paddle boarding and kayaking....... the list goes on 

What we loved 

⭐️So many activities on site for everyone 
⭐️restaurant/pizzeria on site 
⭐️Swimming pool 
⭐️Spa/gym on site 
⭐️Dogs allowed (with separate dog walking area and dog agility course )
⭐️Brilliant size serviced pitches
⭐️Glamping available 
⭐️Usually Open all year round (covid restriction dependent) 

Things to consider 
 
⭐️it gets booked up so book in advance 
⭐️No tents allowed 
⭐️No on-site grocery shop
⭐️it is the most expensive campsite we have ever stayed when you factor in all the additional activities that do -but it’s a wonderful experience and we absolutely love it here and it is a place that we will keep on returning to. 

Please do ask if you have any questions or if you have stayed here too? 

I’ll be back next Sunday with another gem !
Ad🌟Top Tip 🌟 Fairy lights dotted around a Ad🌟Top Tip 🌟

Fairy lights  dotted around a climbing frame
 
= A few more extra hours outside over the winter months 

Add in a flurry of snow ....

#1000hoursoutside 

#wickeyadventure #wickeyplaytime #lockdown3

Copyright © 2021 · Otis and Us | All Rights Reserved