A couple of weekends ago our little family visited Jungle Town, which is situated in a little building inside the gorgeous grounds of Stratford Garden Centre. Despite having lived in Warwickshire for over 7 years we had never actually made it over to the garden centre so it was a nice day out for us.. something new!
Like many of us, we find somewhere we like and tend to re-visit, it’s always nice to know what to expect and what’s available for the children without having to guess what things we need to take with us. If you aren’t familiar with our little family, we have a 6 year old girl, a two year old boy and my husband and I.
I had heard some great reports on Jungle Town already through our support and advice group Mum Knows Best Warwickshire so I knew we were in for a good time.
Jungle Town was created by two lovely ladies who had a clear vision for what they wanted to provide for local children and parents. It’s not your standard ‘play centre’. If you’re looking for a soft play where the children can run wild and run off some energy this isn’t for you. However, if you are looking for a refreshing (clean & new) area where you can interact with your children while they play and learn then you’re going to love this place.
About Jungle Town:
Jungle town is simply put – a small world. It is a role play haven for children to explore. They have a mock shop, school, restaurant and building site with all the bits to go with it! They say a picture speaks a thousand words, so please do take a look at some of the lovely pictures I took during our visit.
What we loved about Jungle Town:
Perhaps it’s the educator in me, but the concept of Jungle Town just encapsulates everything I love about my job and my children! I won’t go on about the learning possibilities that it oozes but it really is so rare nowadays to find somewhere that you can chuck your shoes off, put away your phone and just play with your children without distraction. Don’t get me wrong, I wholeheartedly agree that sometimes you need just half an hour of ‘me’ time and to let the children run off steam and to drink a coffee. That aside if you need a re-balance, to re-connect with your little ones, please do go and visit. No doubt you’ll end up being a customer, a plasterer, a school pupil and a waitress but isn’t that what it’s all about!
We also loved that you could book a session, meaning that it wasn’t over-crowded as bookings ensure not too many people attend the session, this also allows the staff to clean, tidy and set up for at the end so you know you’re always starting in a freshly prepared environment. One of my pet hates is to go & do a jig-saw with a small person and discover there’s a piece missing!
There are baby changing and toilet facilities (with spare wipes & nappy sacks if needed..a lovely touch) making life easy.
The magnetic release door ensures that children are kept inside safe and can’t wander off.
We think the prices are reasonable at £5.50 for the first child and £4.50 for the second.
What we would love to see next:
Some seating for adults in the entrance area would be lovely. I do like to every now and then, take a step back and allow my little one’s to explore without me being on top of them, also if two adults are with you it allows you to take turns. For those children who might be starting nursery or who might benefit from a very subtle – longer than arms distance away – separation from their parents, it would be nice for the parents to be able to sit next to the area where the children can still see them and have somewhere to rest their drink.
Top Tips:
We think the idea of a party at Jungle Town sounds so sweet! You can find more info on this in our Planning A Birthday Party Section here
If you fancy grabbing a coffee before you go in,(once you’re in with the children you can’t leave them in the building without you) the tasty Oh So Scrumptious shop just opposite do delicious take-away tea & coffees!
We chose the morning session on a Sunday which was at 10:30-12:00, we decided to make a day of it so when we left Jungle Town, (cleverly enticed out at the end of the session by the prospect of a sticker!) we headed over to the restaurant in the garden centre. They do a fab children’s lunch box which was prepared in a heartbeat!
After lunch we took a wander round, the children played on the lovely playground and enjoyed feeding the fish in the aquatics area.
We highly recommend Jungle Town to other parents. Stay Tuned for an exciting competition coming up!
If you would like more info, or to book please contact Jungle Town on their website here PLEASE do mention Take It From Mummy when you book, everyone likes good feedback.
Take It From Mummy has not received payment for this review, all views are our own 🙂
All comments welcome below… x
