It’s Daddy’s birthday tomorrow but I’ve got to work so we thought we’d have a day out today and have some fun.
The Donkey Sanctuary had their annual Summer Fair so we thought we’d head there for the day with a picnic.
It was completely heaving when we arrived.
There were loads of stalls, entertainment, and activities to do as well as being able to see all the lovely donkeys.
We went with family so it was really nice being able to spend the day together.
The boys had a go at welly wanging and Isabelle had a go at a human fruit machine. I so should have recorded it as there were hands sticking out of holes holding up fruit and when the bell rang, if they were holding up the same you won.
Isabelle won a knitted donkey on the tombola which she loved, and she then made a bear on a stall that was similar to Build a Bear.
We had a huge picnic and then Isabelle presented her birthday cake that she took ages to make yesterday. It was a Choca Mocha Cake (recipe to follow).
The place was packed and there were dogs everywhere. We didn’t think to bring Charlie with us, so we know for next time we visit.
After eating and listening to music we went for a walk around to see all the donkeys.
So what do you call a cross between a donkey and a horse?
A honkey or a dorse.
Well, it’s a mule actually. I didn’t even know that this was a thing until we saw two horses, and the keeper in the pen told us they were in fact mules. They don’t look very donkey-like, more horsey.
All in all, it was a lovely day and we’d definitely go again.
Yey we’ve ticked another one off the Family Bucket List as we visited The Orange Elephant today.
The kids have both been before but with grandparents so this was a first for both Chris and I and it definitely won’t be the last.
It wasn’t a long journey for us and excitement got the better of Isabelle as the signposts signalled our closeness.
Pulling in there was plenty of parking which is always a bonus.
The view of the entrance and the Meadow was lovely, and then the smell of the pig, cow and sheep pooh took over confirming that we were indeed on a working farm.
What is there to do?
Isabelle wasn’t interested in having a look around at all. All she was interested in finding was the ice cream selection, all the while wondering what toppings and sauces they had!
She wasn’t disappointed.
There were loads to choose from including Lemon Pavlova, Muddy Green Wellies (you’ll have to visit to find out what that one is) and Mango just to name a few. There was a choice of cones, toppings, sauces, and an impressive selection of ice cream sundaes.
With all the amazing flavours and the time she took to choose, she chose a plain cone with vanilla ice cream, strawberry sauce and marshmallows.
Admission to The Orange Elephant are extremely reasonable and we decided to get a season pass for £12.00 which admits five people (adults or children). The season ends at the end of September, but I’ve got a feeling that we will be making use of the pass.
After paying we were given our orange stickers and our maze map and off we went to find the Summer Meadow.
We encountered sheep, pigs, chickens, and cows. The sheep weren’t really bothered with us, but the pigs were quite nosy and we got a great snout picture. A calf came to greet us and the chickens were very friendly.
If you look in the chicken pen, you can see that these are special chickens that lay green eggs!!
We went around the Maize Maze with Isabelle’s excellent map reading skills and then headed for a play in the park.
There were plenty of picnic tables and grassy areas to sit for a picnic.
There were plenty of swings and slides to go on, and an assault course which Isabelle really loves to do.
When she’d finished playing we headed back to the cafe as us parents hadn’t had a chance to taste the ice cream!
The Ice Cream
We chose the (Award-Winning) Lemon Pavlova and the Chocolate Brownie Sundaes which we shared and little cheeky minx managed to wangle another ice cream.
I didn’t take a picture but I loved the signs on the toilet doors – Heifers (ladies) and Bulls (Gents).
After finishing our sundaes (very filling indeed) we had another go in the park to round the trip off.
But not before asking about the possibility of having Isabelle’s birthday party there.
What we thought
So in summary The Orange Elephant is definitely worth a visit. It gets both adult and kid thumbs up, and I would recommend a season pass as it’s somewhere that you can nip to if you have a spare couple of hours to let the kids let off some steam and finish it off with a cheeky ice-cream.
Since getting the dog a couple of years ago we love finding new places to walk him and thankfully Isabelle loves a good walk as long as we have the following:
Drinks
Snacks
Mud/Sand
Water
One of our fellow dog walkers recommended Fingle Bridge as a place to go with the dog and the littles. Lots of opportunities to paddle in the water, lots of mud to splash and splodge in, and being woodland lots of stones, twigs, acorns, and other things to fill our pockets with.
We started off at the bridge noting the HUGE pub with its lovely setting and garden.
What to do!
The route that we took was not the easiest of walks with lots of tricky areas, huge muddy patches (thankfully we all managed to keep our shoes on our feet) and narrow rickety steps to contend with.
This was great for Isabelle who at five is slightly more fearless than we’d like her to be.
Charlie (our dog) was amazingly well behaved and loved to explore his new surroundings. We kept our beady eyes out for families with food as unfortunately at only two he’s still a total scavenger and will gatecrash, steal and run!
Strangely there were canvasses dotted around the place which kind of looked a bit odd, but Isabelle quite liked looking out for them.
The walk took us a good couple of hours with a picnic stop along the way.
Isabelle found a walking stick along the way which she held onto until we found a waterfall so she sent it on its way out to sea and wonders what country it will end up in.
It was a lovely day and we ended it by visiting the pub at the start (Fingle Bridge Inn). We may even have to go back for the Duck Race which takes place in April/May of each year.
Leave a comment to let me know your favourite place to visit in Devon.
Lisa x
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok
