Broughton Goes Wild

We all know, as parents, how hard it can be to entertain the kids every day throughout the school summer holidays. I like to plan some things ahead, and I also love unplanned days too. Before school breaks up for the holidays, I'm always on the look out for any local or nearby events that are happening. So, when I was contacted to see if we would be interested in going to Broughton to see one of their activity events, I was really excited to see what it was all about. 

We all know, as parents, how hard it can be to entertain the kids every day throughout the school summer holidays. I like to plan some things ahead, and I also love unplanned days too. Before school breaks up for the holidays, I'm always on the look out for any local or nearby events that are happening. So, when I was contacted to see if we would be interested in going to Broughton to see one of their activity events, I was really excited to see what it was all about. 

From the beginning of summer, Broughton has had animal-themed activities for families every Wednesday from 11 am until 4 pm. It is also free - which is perfect. They have different activities on every Wednesday, such as jungle theme, storytelling and more. The centre will be transformed into three different animal habitats, and the free summer programme is aimed to teach kids about animals and their environments.

We went to visit Broughton on Wednesday the 16th of August, the fun activity that was on that day was Monkey Business, a day of forest fun mixed with dancing and fun activities. My partners Mam came along with us, and she drove us there. When we arrived, we parked near Tesco, and we spent an hour trying to find where it was. It was quite funny, we even drove back out of the retail park, but after contacting the lovely people who invited us there, we soon realised we were in the right place, but it was further down from where we initially parked (I need to get my eyes tested, ha ha). After finding the right place, Elliw got really excited, but Mia was super shy, and sadly she didn't join in with all the fun.

When we arrived the activities had already started, and Elliw joined them when they nearly finishing for a little break. She had so much fun, and although Mia didn't take part, she was still giggling and laughing in the background. When they had a little break, the people who were doing the activity, dressed up as jungle theme, were still super fun and friendly with all the kids. As the characters were having a little break before the next fun activity, we decided to get some doughnuts and just hang around the area to wait again. The doughnuts were so delicious.

The activities started again as there were enough kids to join in again. Elliw went straight there, and even though I could tell she was shy, she still tried her best to join in, and the characters were fantastic in getting the kids involved in the activities. They were so energetic, and the Elliw loved the games. One of the games that I found so hilarious was when the kids pulled funny faces to try and make the man laugh. The faces Elliw and all the other kids pulled were so funny. There were dancing, musical statues and playing on the climbing frame. Before leaving, we asked for a photo with the girls, and they were so kind.

Afterwards, we went to a couple of shops to get the girls a treat. Later on, we headed back to where the activity was happening, and Elliw joined in for a little bit until she came back and said she was tired. We then decided to head off home. We must have missed the life-sized gorilla – which I was gutted about. But although we missed it, I found the event so much fun, and Elliw loved it, and she is still talking about them. It was a bonus that the weather was so lovely too. It’s great that shopping parks do free summer programmes like this during school holidays. It’s a great way to get people together and something to keep the kids happy without having to spend money (unless you pop to the shops like I did). We are unable to visit for the next two weeks as we have plans. However, I would really recommend you to visit Broughton for their last two activities they have on the 23^rd and 30th of August. This is what’s happening on those dates between 11 am and 4 pm:

Wednesday 23rd August - Storytelling in the Igloo - Kids can listen to famous tales from the polar regions, told by entertainers in Broughton's real-life igloo

Wednesday 30th August - The Oasis - A day where children will learn about the animals who make their homes in the desert

*We are working with Broughton Shopping Centre. However, all words, opinions, and images are entirely my own.