Little Fun Fest was held this year on April 5th and 6th at Red House Farm. It is a festival aimed at families with children under 10, where little ones can see stars from the telly, take part in workshops, enjoy funfair rides and watch exciting fun filled shows. We were lucky enough to attend as VIPs and in spite of the rainy weather we had a fabulous time. The venue itself is a lovely find, with a play area, courtyard, tea rooms and shop set in the heart of the Dunham Massey countryside. When we first arrived we treated ourselves to a vegetarian cooked breakfast to fortify us for the day ahead! RHF make their own tomato sauce which is incredible! We will certainly be visiting there again soon when we're en route to Manchester to sample some more of the tea room offerings.
Clad in our raincoats and sensible footwear, we made our way to the field which housed the Big Top. Freddy was keen to head straight for the fun fair rides and enjoyed trying out everything on offer. He loved the swing ride, the pirate ship and the plane ride. With all the rides being included in the price of the ticket, he could ride as often as he liked!
There were also go-carts, a climbing wall and pedal boats for the little ones. Freddy loved the boats!
He was able to learn some circus skills too. He tried his hand at tightrope walking, stilt walking and plate spinning and had a lot of fun assisted by his big sisters.
There was a programme of shows running throughout the day at the Big Top and also at the Fun Barn. Both being undercover meant the weather didn't spoil the fun. The Big Top hosted shows from stars such as Dr Ranj and Alex Winters, alongside interactive music and dance activities from Baby Ballet, Mr Yipadee and Dene Michael from Black Lace fame plus many more fun acts.
There were opportunities to meet the stars of the show and have photos taken with them. My girls were particularly excited about meeting the everso handsome Dr Ranj!
They enjoyed catching up with very funny and very lovable Alex Winters too!
The lovely Cat Sandion from CBeebies was also there telling stories and chatting to the kids. Fred was very happy that she said hello to him while he was playing in the play area!
Freddy loved the Starkidz Disney princesses in the Fun Barn who kept the crowds entertained all day. He loved Anna and Elsa from Frozen.
He also loved meeting Flynn Rider and Rapunzel from Tangled, who let him hold Pascal for the photo! He was delighted to get a cuddle from all the lovely ladies and a handshake from Flynn! We also saw Spiderman, the Easter Bunny, Hello Kitty, a Despicable Me Minion and the Mad Hatter wandering around. It is so magical for children to have these experiences, immersing themselves in the excitement of the book, films and TV characters that they love.
The Hogwart's Magic School let little ones plant magic beans and make wands under the guidance of Harry and his friends. Kids also got to enjoy regular shows and take part in some magic! The Ford Anglia car, just like the one in the films, was there to look at and there were plenty of photo opportunities with the lookalike stars of the show. My girls had a snap with Harry!
There was some brilliant piratey fun to be had in the Fun Barn. Freddy joined in with some singing and dancing with Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates, along with Alex and Mr Yipadee. It was high energy fun and the kids all loved getting up and doing the actions to the songs. There were craft activities for the children to take part, storytimes and puppet shows too.
Red House Farm has a great play area with climbing frames, swings, playhouses and a giant sandpit. The sandpit was Freddy's favourite thing and he spent a long time playing in it towards the end of the day while singing Let It Go from Frozen. RHF is a great venue choice for a kids' festival.
Although we weren't blessed with sunshine, instead getting grey skies and rain, lots of the activities were undercover and with appropriate clothing we could enjoy most activities. The fields got very muddy, but the organisers ensured the safety of everyone attending by laying down straw to walk on.
There were lots of places to eat with food ranging from burgers, chips, pizzas, wraps to crepes available on site. Lots of veggie options were available, which is always good to see. The Little Fun Fest sweet shop had some sweet treats, and the children were able to take part in a Easter treasure hunt to find letters around the festival to make up a word. Once they had that word they were rewarded with a bag of mini Easter eggs as a prize!
I love the idea of having a festival for kids, allowing them to experience the fun of live entertainment and activities designed just for them. Seeing and meeting Alex, Dr Ranj and Cat is a wonderful opportunity for CBeebies fans. They are all so lovely with the kids. It really is a great day out for Little Funsters...even when it rains!