Yesterday, on a beautiful sunny Autumn day, Alice and I met some friends for oodles of Halloween fun down at William’s Den! It is currently their Pumpkin Party, which is just fabulous and made for such a lovely day – one that is not to be missed this half term. From pumpkin picking and carving, to ice scream tasting and dancing – the schedule was jam packed with so many wonderful, creative and fun things to help kids immerse in an exciting and somewhat spooky experience at The Den. And, the best part – it’s all inclusive in the entry price (which is slightly cheaper if you book ahead online). What a deal! They are also serving many delicious seasonal foods (including plum jam ice cream), if you really want to embrace Autumn on a culinary level this season.
Halloween at the Den holds all of the same joyful frolicking and adventures for kids inside and out, but with some spooktacular added extras! We had a wonderful day (despite a few tears in the “Ice Scream” tent) combining the usual play with participating in the Pumpkin Party. Alice had her first experience of a pumpkin patch and carving a pumpkin, and it was so nice to make that memory together. It is lovely to still see her excitement pour over into today as she shared her adventures again and greeted her pumpkin on her way to pre school!
Going there with 3 year olds gave me a completely different experience to The Den compared to when we go with her wild and daring siblings. And, whilst the day was more cautious and a little slower, Alice thoroughly enjoyed herself with her friend – taking risks and exploring, climbing, collecting pumpkins, dancing and playing. I always love William’s Den for the opportunities it provides children with to explore and be wild and free!
Pumpkin Party at The Den
From now until the 31st October, Willam’s Den has their epic “Pumpkin Party” that is not to be missed. The schedule includes daily pumpkin games (think ring toss on witches hats and pin the smile on the pumpkin), a pumpkin patch and carving, a spooky trail, dancing and games in the hideout and my favourite (but not the preschoolers) – Frightfully fantastic ice cream tasting in one of the Tipis – dare you give it a go? When Chocolate was actually gravy flavour, and vanilla was toothpaste, nothing is as it seems. Take the kids in and be prepared for some fun – it was very funny to watch older kids!
I’ve been to various Halloween events over the years with the kids, but this one so far in my eyes comes out on top. It is good value for money, varied, easily filled an entire day (which we love), and was simply excellent and lovely. They have catered for kids of all ages, and like the den itself, provides families with opportunities to play and be involved together – creating treasured memories alongside one another.
My only advice would be that everyone should take wellies – the mysterious meadow and pumpkin patch were very muddy (albeit very fun too)! I also saw several kids dressed up in Halloween costume or Halloween tops, which I wish I had done with Alice too. So don’t be afraid to take them in costume to fully embrace the oodles of halloween fun and be part of the atmosphere!
And lets not forget food! Every adventurer needs refuelling and I love the food at William’s Den too – it is well thought out, varied and uses locally sourced ingredients. You can take your own snacks and picnics if you choose and there are plenty of places to enjoy these. But, we decided to treat ourselves and enjoy a couple of the scrummy wood fired pizzas! Being a ninja I had the spicy “Ninja” pizza whilst my friend enjoyed the Kiev (I had a bit of pizza envy after trying a slice of that one!). The kids meals were lovely too with homemade chicken bites (massive) and skin on fries with peas for Alice, and a lovely pasta and veggie sticks for her friend.
After all of that deliciousness we could have quite easily had a nap, but instead we headed back to the Den to play some more and then, the icing on the cake – some fangtastic fun and monster mash dancing in the hideout – they LOVED it!
As always we had a splendid day at William’s Den. I loved being there with just Alice and seeing it through her eyes. It was fun to be with friends and the Pumpkin Party really made it; oodles of mud, oodles of fun and oodles of smiles! Thank you Williams Den for a spooktacular day!
What’s coming up at The Den?
As Halloween comes to an end next week, William’s Den will be preparing for plenty of festive fun. On Friday 29th November (4pm – 7pm) you can join them for their big Christmas Light Switch on – including sounds of a brass band and the sights and smells of a traditional fair. There will chances to eat delicious foods and buy some christmas gifts. *This event is FREE but you do need to book here
The Christmas Den is where you can truly enter a world of childhood Christmas magic. A festive family experience awaits you with stories, activities and mother and father Christmas. This event starts at £22.50 and includes the usual play in The Den, as well as providing children the opportunity to engage in activities with the elves, decorate biscuits with Mother Christmas and when they meet father Christmas, they will have the opportunity to build their very own Christmas bear to take home. It all sounds so delightful, classy and magical.
The Kitchen Table will also be serving indulgent hot chocolates and limited-edition festive ice cream – YUM!
