From the moment my husband and I, with our 21 month old twins stepped into the enchanting world of the Fairy’s and Elves at Audley End, we were blown away. It is every little girls dream, mine included! Armed with our fairy wings, we were off exploring.
On arrival we checked in with the Head Elf, who gave the girls pencils and booklets for the Fairy and Elf walk. The guide was very child friendly and enabled them to follow the trail by ticking off the characters they need to look which also guided them around the trail. This was perfect to engage primary school aged children. The booklets are beautifully illustrated with drawings and had photos of the characters. Even the twins were really pleased they received this and promptly started looking at the pictures.
As we glanced across the bridge to the festival, the abundance of colour struck us – the attention to detail was phenomenal. Us adults were drawn in instantly, let alone the children, they loved it and didn’t know where to run to first. The festival was buzzing with happy children and adults all having an amazing time and the best thing about it, it wasn’t over cro
wded. There was a lovely area for a picnic with plenty of benches, logs and picnic tables to sit at. There was a lot of space and it didn’t feel cramped. To one side there was an abundance of activity coming from tipi’s where fairies and elves were reading stories, painting faces, braiding hair, a games area and craft making all included in the price. There was a drinks and snack cart in the middle selling drinks, cakes and ice creams which were super yummy! To the other side was a well equipped play area. The start of the Elf and Fairy walk was here too.
After a short while we headed over to the miniature railway. We had a pre booked slot which is advisable as it can get busy. We parked our buggy in buggy park and the four of us hopped into the cabin comfortably. The train took us on a beautiful journey through the meadow and over the stream to a woodland were we saw lots of bears enjoyjng daily life! The ride took about 25 mins which was perfect for two wriggle bottoms! My girls loved waving at the bears and eagerly waited to see each little house.
The shop was stocked with Fairy, Elf and Train merchandise as well as pocket money toys which was all well priced. There was also an outdoor/covered café for those wanted to sit and be waited on. We didn’t eat from here but the lunchtime menu sold homemade, locally sourced food with a good variety. However, we did try the ice cream which was delicious!
The Fairy and Elf Enchanted Walk was next on our list. The entrance was beautifully decorated and inviting. It drew us in to the magical world that awaited us. After a short wait we made our way to a little craft table to make fairy wands with the pencils that were given at the start. My girls needed a lot of support but they loved playing with the glitter which managed to get everywhere but this is perfect for older children. Using the Fairy and
Elf Woodland Walk Guide, we followed the trail stopping at the incredible handmade houses. The girls loved looking for the fairies and running down the woodland paths.
The venue is well set up for buggies and twins. Take your trainers if your toddlers are anything like mine who have just learnt to run! We had a fabulous day at Audley End. This event really is worth attending with toddlers and school aged fairy and elf lovers!
