This was our first visit to Hatton Adventure World and definitely not our last – I’m even disappointed in myself that we hadn’t been before!

Set in Warwickshire, Hatton Garden World is made up of the Adventure World, as well as a shopping world, with a selection of small businesses selling everything from crafts and sweets to kitchens and plants! You walk through the beautiful little shops before getting to the entrance of Hatton Adventure World.

Setting the scene

It opened at 10am so we arrived at opening on a Sunday morning and there were very few people around.

We were also “lucky” that the weather was so varied (one minute there were downpours and the next was pure sunshine!) so we could truly enjoy everything on offer, in genuinely every weather condition!

It was a January weekend, and we paid online the night before, so it cost me and my 4-year-old £8.95 each to get in. It is £1 more on the door, and prices vary throughout the year or on weekdays.

They also run plenty of events throughout the year as well as a seasonal family-friendly Pick Your Own, from potatoes through to pumpkins!

We were given a packed-out timetable for the day, with something always going on throughout the day for all the family to enjoy.

The reptiles

Lily totally surprised me by insisting we went straight to the reptiles. We wandered through the indoor animal area and spent around 2 hours in the reptile area.

It was warm, which helped on a January day, but Lily was totally mesmerised by all the reptiles in the room – especially the bearded dragons and the snakes!

While we were there, they had “meet the reptiles” sessions, and Lily got to meet and hold a snake and a gecko! She was in her absolute element, and was way braver than I would be!

The staff were so lovely with the little ones, and make it an educational, relaxing and fun session with them. Each child got to spend time with the reptiles, which was great, rather than the feeling they were just “passed around”.

Lily was also very excited that it was in here they were running arts and crafts sessions, so she happily sat and drew pictures, used the stencils, coloured in reptile images, and even enjoyed some cutting and sticking too. She will always be drawn to activities like this, so she was in her element here!

The indoor animals

Once I had drawn her away from the reptiles, we headed back through the guinea pig village, beautifully laid out as a miniature village for the guinea pigs to explore.

We knew they were doing guinea pig cuddle sessions, so we sat down, and apologise now for not realising we had gatecrashed a birthday party!

The lady was really friendly though and said it was fine, and she could just keep cuddling her guinea pig as the public session was about to start anyway. The guinea pig was so relaxed that it took even more convincing to get her away from them!

On that note, the birthday party setups looked great – a fantastic place if you’re looking for ideas for kids parties.

There were plenty of stations for hand-washing, accessible for little ones too, to make sure they were clean!

The other side of the indoor animal area is where you find plenty of animals to meet and feed; sheep, goats, pigs, donkeys, and even chickens just roaming around!

The children all clearly enjoyed it, and the animals were all clearly well cared-for, with information on each of them by the pens too, to help the little ones learn more.

The outdoor animals

Around the farm were plenty of other animals too, with more goats in their own “play area”, sheep, pigs, and even a Falconry centre where you can enjoy shows and meet the birds too. The views from the fields were stunning, and they were lovely to wander around.

Animal feed was just £1 a pot at the entrance, and you can buy this online too when booking your tickets.

Outdoor activities

There were plenty of activities to enjoy outdoors too. The JCB digger area was a firm favourite of Lily’s, but there’s also several playgrounds suitable for all ages including one with a zip wire, a fire-station area, pony rides, trampolines and more to enjoy.

I loved how the JCB track was made of recycled trainers too!

There’s even a funfair open at set times throughout the day, with rides suitable for children, and all included in the price.

Lily’s love of the reptiles, and the sudden downpours meant we didn’t get to explore all of the outdoors, but it is also the excuse we need to head back soon!

The café and indoor play – Snorty’s Superslide Mania

We took a packed lunch with us, however still needed a hot drink, so escaped the weather in the huge indoor play area.

You aren’t allowed picnics in here, but there is a huge choice of hot and cold food, children’s meals, drinks, cakes and more. Seating was busy, but we easily found a table, despite the rain and it being lunch time, and I could see Lily in the play area at all times.

There are separate play areas for under 2s, under 4s and then 5+, with a whole host of their famous slides, features to climb on and obstacles to tackle. I didn’t take many photos as other children were around, but it really was huge!

It was also a bonus I could enjoy my coffee while she went off to play for a little bit, and despite being a smaller 4.5yr old, she could still confidently enjoy all the play area… and could see me at all times to come back for her drink!

There are picnic areas outside, however we saved the packed lunch for the way home, as she was too excited to head back to the reptiles before we went home.

The gift shop

On the way out we visited the little gift shop that is at the entrance/exit, and it was like a treasure chest of goodies for kids!

There were family-friendly toys, pocket-money items, stationery, books, and even a whole section of sale items.

Lily wanted a glittery snake to take home after her snake encounter (clearly her highlight of the day!), but we picked up a couple of items from the sale section for less, and I’ve made a mental note to add the snake to her birthday list!!

The conclusion

This was one of our favourite days out recently, and it was great to have somewhere fun to head despite it being January – many places are either closed or not suitable when the weather turns bad (yes, you can wrap up, but sometimes it just isn’t worth it when it is really miserable!!)

We had a fantastic day, and the added bonus of the reptiles was a complete surprise to me as I didn’t realise how much she would love that…. and so educational too! The arts and crafts in there were just the cherry on the cake for her!

I really can’t recommend it enough – with the activities, displays, education, funfair, animals, reptiles, soft play, outdoor play areas and more, there’s just so much to do, and it was just a standard off-peak Sunday!

I really look forward to checking out one of their events or peak days, as well as their PYO sessions, but for what we got for what we paid, it was a fantastic family day out for all ages, with so much to do, friendly staff, plenty of toilet facilities (important with kids!!), hot and cold refreshments (also important!!), and more!

For more on Hatton Adventure World, click here

Tips for visiting with families

• Check on social media for their deals – for example weekdays in January adults can visit for free!
• Their nursery looks fantastic and so educational if you are nearby
• They run holiday clubs and forest school throughout the year… and there’s even a pool!
• There are plenty of accessible toilets throughout the farm as well as hand-washing facilities, and there are concrete paths around the shops and sections of the farm to support wheelchair access.
• There are areas for packed lunches but they cannot be eaten in the restaurants
• I’d recommend wearing wellies as the paths are farmland so can get muddy!
• You can save £1 on tickets by booking up to 10am on the day of your visit
• The birthday parties look great fun too