Children may not remember their favourite day of television but you can guarantee a day splashing about in glorious mud will stick … well, like mud … in the memory.
From Wednesday 1 February – Tuesday 28 February, Kent’s wildest animal park, Wildwood, will be celebrating the marvels of mud in a month of squelchy, slimy and slippery shenanigans.
Not for the faint hearted, young puddle jumpers will need their splashsuits at the ready before they embark on the muckiest of days out. It’s a brilliant way for children to connect with nature.
From mud tunnels and mud pools to mud kitchens and mini mud mountains, Wildwood’s mud sessions will have the messy play covered in the Mud Zone. They’ll even be medals for those that complete the course (not made of mud).
The wildlife park, just outside Canterbury, will also be putting on two trails. The first will be a free Wellington boot trail where children will have to draw the wellies they find. Next up is the Muddy Puddle Animal Trail (£3 per person) which will lead participants around the park in search of painted wooden puddles that reveal which of our native British species are mad about the mud. Goodie bags will be up for grabs for those that complete the trails.
And if it’s love, not mud that you’re looking for, Wildwood has Valentine’s Day covered too (not in mud). The park will be decorating its very own love-themed selfie frame so visitors can take photos to cherish for years to come.
They’ll also be able to explore 42 acres of ancient woodland and get up close with more than 40 species of British wildlife, from bison and badgers to wolves and wildcats. Wildwood’s newest residents – Jurgen the Elk and Boki the bear cub – will also be around to say hello.
Visitors looking to quench their thirst can try out the park’s popular range of coffees, supplied by local speciality roasters ‘Garage’. And for those looking for a hearty home-cooked meal after all the mud-ness, the Woodland Cafe will be serving up daily specials.
So don’t be a stick in the mud! Head to Wildwood this February and make memories to last a lifetime.
Mud Zone: for 2–5 years:
- Children will need to wear clothes that can get extremely muddy
- Will be open for two x 1 hour slots throughout the day (10:30am- 11:30am morning slot and 1-2pm afternoon slot.)
- Each hour will be broken down into 3 x 20 minute slots
- Maximum 10 toddlers in each 20 minute session
- Costs £3 per child
- Foot dips will be provided to clean off the mud
Mud trails:
- Free Welly Boot Trail – find the wellies hanging around the park and draw the different patterns on the wellies.
- Muddy Puddle Animal Trail (£3 per person) – find the wooden puddles containing images of our animals that love mud! Work out the animals and note them down on your trail card to claim your goodie bag at the end.
Book your place by calling our friendly shop assistants on (01227) 209 621, or in person at our park.
Selfie Frame:
Share your magnificent muddy day at Wildwood on your socials with our themed selfie frame.
Keeper Q&A:
Join our animal experts for daily question and answer sessions. No question too big or too small!
11.15am – Ravens
12.00pm – Wallabies
12.30pm – Bison
Please note that Q&A times may change without notice. All Q&As take place at the animals’ enclosures.
About Wildwood Trust
Wildwood is an international centre of excellence for the conservation of British Wildlife. Since 1999, we’ve been devoted to protecting, conserving and rewilding the UK. Our purpose is to give native species a future.
Thanks to the generous support of our members and visitors, we are proud to have led a multitude of nationally significant conservation projects – but that’s just the beginning. We made a promise to do all that we can to save our native wildlife, and we intend to keep it. We can only do this with your help.
