Hatton Country World is of our favourite family days out in the West Midlands. For some reason, we have never visited at Christmas so we were really looking forward to it. We were invited to visit on the opening day of the Enchanted Christmas Kingdom at Hatton Country World.
When we arrived we were delighted by the Christmas decorations marking the way. There was a Christmas market in Hatton Shopping Village and the sweet shop looked really lovely decked with lights. It had the charm of a Victorian Christmas with a stall selling roasted chestnuts.
We were lucky to have visited on a clear day, although it was cold. You definitely need to wrap up warm. Most of the outdoor attractions are still open during the Christmas season. They are moved closer to the buildings so you don’t have to walk as far. The girls loved riding on the funfair rides.
They also enjoyed the tractor rides. One of the best things for us has been trying new things. The twins have never been interested in riding a bike and have really struggled to learn how to do it. At Hatton, they love riding the tractors and have finally mastered turning the pedals. They have also got so brave going on heights. Last time we visited they went on the bouncy slide for the first time and were so excited. In the animal enclosure, Scales and Tales, they stroked a beautiful amber snake. It’s lovely to see them gaining confidence and trying new things.
I really love the cute hay bale decorations around the grounds. There is a Father Christmas and a couple of lovely snowmen.
The geese in the background seem to like them. There is also an enclosure with reindeer, as well as all the normal farm animals. We were pleased to see how big the piglets had grown since our trip during half term.
Snokey’s Play Barn
As it was cold, we spent a lot of time in Snokey’s Play Barn. This is a fun soft play area with lots of slides and ball pits to explore. This is brilliant for the older children as there is a drop slide which is really scary. The girls had an amazing time whizzing down the rainbow slide.
It is also a good place to warm up with a hot chocolate and a warm lunch.
Santa’s Grotto
After lunch, it was time to see the man in red. You are given a time slot when you arrive and this means the queue is really short.
The entrance to the grotto is really lovely with lots of snow and cute elves and penguins. If you went during a particularly busy time and did have to wait then you would have lots to look at.
The visit to see Father Christmas was lovely and you don’t feel at all rushed. Santa was very jolly and friendly and knew the girls’ names and what they liked. Charlotte was really excited because Santa said, “I know you believe in magic.” She spent the rest of the day asking how he knew. There wasn’t an official photograph so make sure you take one.
Father Christmas then did a bit of magic and in his special naughty and nice book he magicked up three golden keys.
The keys meant the girls could choose a present from the secret gift shop. They were amazed by all the lovely toys on offer. It was a long decision-making process but they finally decided on their presents.
We then had a lovely time in the craft tent. You could write a letter to father Christmas and post it in the post box outside. The postbox says you will receive a reply too.
Christmas Crafts
There are lots of different craft ideas to try and lots of space so you can spend a long time happily making things.
The girls made a Christmas tree from craft sticks. I love how it looked.
The sun was setting as we finished our day. Hatton Country World looked lovely lit up with fairy lights.
We were treated to an amazing sunset over the beautiful Warwickshire countryside. The perfect end to the perfect day. It was a wonderful way to start the Christmas season.
If you liked this post then take a look at our other Hatton Country World reviews:
Pumpkin Patch at Hatton Country World Review
Pumpkin Spooktacular at Hatton Country World
Water Wars at Hatton Country World
Disclaimer: We were given a family ticket to Hatton Country World
If you are looking for the perfect family day out during the festive season then you really should visit Hatton’s Enchanted Christmas Kingdom. It is a lovely day out at any time of year but it is really magical during the Christmas season. The entire place is decorated beautifully and it really gets you into the festive spirit.
We began our visit with our trip to Santa’s Grotto. We try to only visit one grotto in the run-up to Christmas and we know that at Hatton it will be a lovely experience. You are given a time slot so there is only a short wait. This passes very quickly as you take a walk through beautifully decorated workshops. The girls enjoyed a cuddle with a friendly polar bear. A friendly elf makes welcomes you into the grotto to meet the big man himself.
Santa was in fine spirits. The girls were thrilled he knew their names and ages and even that one of them had recently changed their mind over their present choices. He checked they were on the nice list in his special book (we were relieved to find they were as it’s been a bit touch-and-go recently!) Then he did some Christmas magic and three keys appeared.
We took the keys on a journey to Santa’s workshop. Inside the children were allowed to choose a gift. There was so much choice for every age group and the toys were really lovely. The girls opted for craft kits (of course!). The got a build your own teddy, make your own nail polish and decorate your own star. We are going to be very busy. They put the presents in a bag but it would be worth visiting the grotto at the end of your visit or having a trip to the car as it was a bit of a pain carrying them afterwards.
Around the farm, there are lots of hay bales which have been decorated for Christmas. You can also see Santa’s real reindeer, he was having a little lie down when we were there but I guess he was tired after a busy day bringing Santa to Hatton.
The goats are clearly happy with their lovely Christmas decorations. You can buy food to feed them.
The girls had planned out exactly how they wanted to spend the rest of the trip. They wanted to visit the guinea pigs first. There were lots to hold and they were pleased to see one with the same markings as their cat.
The guinea pigs are so friendly and fluffy. It was hard to get them to leave.
This is what the girls want for Christmas – a whole box of fuffy friends.
After that, we had a little ride on the tractors, played a game of bowls, jumped on trampolines, had a ride on the teacups and went down the helter-skelter slide.
We stopped for a photo opportunity with Olaf. There are lots of great opportunities to take your Christmas photo for your cards.
The best thing about a trip to Hatton is that there is lots to do even if the weather is bad. we were a bit cold so it was the perfect time to see Zoobee’s Magical Christmas Cracker Show. There are lots of new characters, with jokes for the kids and the adults alike. The girls now all the alternate words to the Christmas songs, so thanks for that!
We had one last stop for a selfie before heading inside to the cafe for a hot chocolate and mince pie while the girls enjoyed the soft play area at Snorty’s Superslide Mania.
We ended our day as the sun set over the beautiful countryside.
Hatton Adventure World is open every day throughout the year (excluding Christmas Day and Boxing Day) from 10am to 5.30pm. A child’s ticket with costs from £15.95 with adult tickets costing £10.95. See full price list here.
We finished our visit with a trip to the shopping village to buy some Christmas gifts. We posted our letters to Santa with the definitive list of presents and a big thank you for a wonderful day. It was the perfect start to the festive season.
Disclaimer: We were given a family ticket for the purposes of this review.
