Christmas at Umberslade Farm Park

We’d not been to Umberslade Farm Park before, although I’d heard good things about it from friends with children. Umberslade Farm Park is a working farm located in the countryside in the village of Tanworth in Arden, between Redditch and Solihull. During the weekends leading up to Christmas, the park are hosting a number of family activities, including a nativity (with real donkeys!), a Santa’s grotto plus a Christmas market. Ss well as the seasonal events, the normal farm activities continue include a small animal petting zoo and an onsite café. We were asked along to see what we thought.

Of course, a farm is the perfect place to stage a nativity play and Umberslade encourage children to take an active part in the proceedings.  Real donkeys take part allowing children the chance to give the donkey a pat as well as taking a role in the play. There are some dressing up costumes and props, so it does feel like a real play.

Santa had plenty of time to spend talking to H and didn’t seem to mind talking about Lego.  There was much discussion about the practicalities of chimneys and the like, which is the sort of thing H enjoys.  The Christmas gifts were good quality too: Usborne Books sticker books and the like.  I much prefer something like that to a bit of plastic tat.

All the usual farm activities were available too.  Highlights for us included feeding the chickens where the children can put grain in their hands and hold it out for the chickens to eat.  H enjoyed patting the horses and we both loved the cute baby lambs, including one which looked just hours old.  You get given a sheet with the various timings on when you arrive and you just turn up at the right time and place to take part.  We had some lunch in the cafe too and I’d recommend the all day breakfast which is made with local produce.  I particularly liked the bacon and the sausages.

H loved the play barn which is great if the weather is wet as it’s indoors, but the doors are open, so it isn’t too warm.  H was running around lots in the egg splat cannon arena and he’d have happily spent the day in there.  There was plenty to do outside too: with ride on tractors and a couple of playgrounds.