We were really excited to be invited to Blithbury Reindeer Lodge yesterday. Set in the heart of Staffordshire, this is a wonderful family day out to mark the start of the festive season. Even the invitation looked magical.
The moment you arrive you are given a really warm welcome. The staff are so friendly and cheerful, from the man helping you find a parking space to Santas littlest Elf- it really makes a lovely visit.
We arrived just in time to see Santa arrive in the UK. He was pulled by a herd of very excited reindeer.
The girls were so excited to meet him and his friendly crew of elves.
When you arrive you can buy a pot of Lichen to feed the reindeer.
It was really wonderful to get so close to these beautiful creatures. There are over 150 reindeer at Blithbury Reindeer Lodge.
The girls particularly loved seeing the snowy white baby reindeer.
We enjoyed feeding the reindeer. They have very soft fur and are really gentle when you feed them.
I really loved the charming way the reindeer lodge had been styled.
We stopped to have lunch. The Rudolph Cafe was really cosy and we all enjoyed a warming cup of hot chcolate topped with marshmallows. Perfect to warm you up. It does get a bit chilly at the reindeer lodge so you do need to wrap up very warm.
One of the highlights of the day was a ride on a real sled pulled by reindeer. The girls had been a bit reluctant to go on it at first but loved it.
Reindeer are better than people. I think I’ve heard that before…
There are certain times during the day when you can have a story with the elves nad then decorate some gingerbread biscuits.
The girls enjoyed listening to the Christmas story told by the elves. It was really cosy sitting by the open fire.
The girls loved being shown how to make reindeer gingerbread biscuits by the elves. It was a lovely well thought out activity that all the children could enjoy.
Older children could decorate their own biscuits.
They tasted really good as well.
Inside the lodge was a large Christmas tree with lots of presents stacked underneath it.
We had a little rest while we waited to see Santa.
The children are given a sticker saying they are on the nice list. This is their ticket to their Santa visit. First they have to go to Elf school where they learn how to be a good elf, sing Christmas carols and learn how the elves train the reindeer to help Santa.
The room is decorated with the reins belonging to Santas reindeer. The children are then called individually to see Santa. This was really lovely, and the girls were so pleased Santa could remember their names and ages.
Then they were led into his workshop and were even allowed to choose a toy.
We finished our day with a photo on a snowy sled ride. The whole experience was really magical. A trip to Blithbuty Reindeer Lodge is definitely going to become one of our Christmas traditions. We left full of the spirit of Christmas. 
Disclaimer: We were given a family ticket to the press day at Blithbury Reindeer Lodge for the purposes of this review.