Our most recent visit to the Costwold wildlife park was over the February half term. Despite it being a rather windy and at times wet day, there was plenty to keep my three year and one year old happy. We started by taking a trip on the miniature railway which they loved (tickets £1). This gave an overview of all the animals in the park. We then walked round to take a closer look. We were lucky to see the lions who were out “sunning themselves” despite grey clouds above, although my daughter was pleased to find out they were safely behind glass. Other favourites included the giant tortoises, zebras, monkeys, meerkats and lemurs. Sadly the penguins were “on holiday” so we wern’t able to see them being fed. We had lunch in the cafe which provided a welcome respite from the wind and a chance to warm up. We had to wait in a long queue and the food was basic children’s fare – sausages and chips, fish and chips etc, with sandwiches also available. There are plenty of high chairs and there are baby changing facilities. In summer most people bring their own picnics which is much better. There is a great playpark with a wonderful slide which is a great hit with 3+ children (in fact it can be very hard to tear them away to see the animals). The grounds are spacious with plenty of room for picnics. In addition to the main cafe there are a couple of kiosks selling ice cream situated strategically around. There is a lovely little section for smaller children focusing on farm animals – pigs, goats, ducks, rabbits and chickens which my 1 year old loved. At £11.50 per adult and £8.50 for children 3-16 it is not a cheap day out but fun. There is plenty of parking.

We visited the park during the winter so the small train wasn’t running. My son had great fun running along the train tracks though! There is a huge variety of animals here from zebras to lions to giant turtles. They also have owls, bats and penguins to name but a few. The penguins are fed twice a day which is fun to watch and don’t miss the lemurs. My son enjoyed watching the animals but probably had the most fun playing in the play area. This is very close to the café and a large green area where you can sit and have a picnic. Parking here is good and even on a busy day the park doesn’t feel too crowded. Would highly recommend.

We visited the Wildlife Park on a Sunday and had a really great time. The grounds are very well kept and they have taken a lot of trouble to make sure the animals are in their appropriate environment. In fact all the animals seem really well looked after. Though the park appeared busy as we arrived, once inside people were well spread out and we didn’t have to wait or queue to see anything. My son (7yrs) loved the animals, especially the baby meerkats and the baby owls. Don’t miss the Madagascar exhibition, it was lovely to see the lemurs roaming free within the large enclosure. We also had fun watching the penguins and otters being fed. Buggy-friendly and dogs are allowed too. We took our own lunch and had a picnic on the lawn while my son played happily in the play area beside us. You can also get food and ice-creams in the café if you prefer. We stayed around 4 hours and didn’t get to see everything. It’s a proper family day out and great value for money, we would highly recommend it.