With the kids in Bristol: Puxton Park

If like me, your children like variety then Puxton Park is definitely worth a visit. Located just off junction 21 of the M5, near Congresbury, it has a little bit of everything: animals to see, outdoor play areas, an indoor softplay and plenty of outdoor activities for the children to get involved with.

As we drove along the windy road towards the entrance, I could feel the anticipation in my children growing. They couldn’t wait to be let loose and to explore – and Puxton Park is definitely a Tardis. Once through the reception, the full extent of what there is to do explodes in front of you. My children didn’t know where to go first – at least, not until they saw the giant inflatable pillow.

Puxton is a short drive south of Bristol along the M5

Both of my children threw themselves onto it, this massive plastic pillow with two dozen children bouncing around on it, but with every bounce my son’s attempt to stand up was wiped out. The determination in his face was so cute. Eventually he did give in, which was lucky as my daughter wanted to move on.

Move on to what? The choices were almost overwhelming. We headed towards one of the play areas made from wood, which had slides, tyre swings and a zip wire, and had a go on everything before – seemingly after about five minutes – being called by the lure of  the indoor softplay area. I knew there was no point in avoiding it and joined in myself – although I drew the line at going on the death slide. It was a great way for us all to burn off energy and build up an appetite for lunch.

I’d brought a picnic along, however we also gave in to the smell of freshly cooked chips from the restaurant. Fortunately, there are plenty of areas to sit and have a picnic, both covered and out in the open.

Having refuelled it was time to have some more fun. Anyone for a bit of mini golf? I wasn’t convinced this was a good idea as the kids can be overwhelmingly competitive but I went along with it anyway. To my surprise we managed to complete the course with minimal fuss. I put this down to the fact that I wasn’t too stringent with the rules; anything for an easy life.

It was at that moment that we spotted the mini train, and if there’s anything in the world that my kids love, it’s a train ride. It was just a short ride around the pond trying to spot the animal statues on the way, but they enjoyed it. At one point, my son spotted a crocodile and I had to try and explain to him that it wasn’t real. I’m not convinced he believed me.

Mini golf is just one of the many activities offered at the park

With animals in mind, we headed over to the Animal Discovery Barn to cuddle some bunnies, and took a spin on the – sadly not real – horses of the merry-go-round. I had flashbacks of my childhood and I think my dad was trying to re-live his as we spun around and around.

Having finished their ride, my children’s attention was quickly grabbed by the Puxton Fort and Little Farmers’ Play Area, and in particular the trampoline area. My son was particularly pleased as his ego was still slightly bruised from the inflatable pillow fiasco, and we whiled away the afternoon bouncing between activities

We spent most of the day at Puxton and I think we only managed to see half of what was on offer. It’s definitely going to be worth a second visit to explore some more.

Prices for Puxton Park are £8.90 for adults, £9.90 for children and under 2’s go free. Visit www.puxton.co.uk to find out more.