Top 5 Family Attractions Near Essex

As a family we love taking Lamb for days out, and with baby number 2 on the way I’m sure we will be doing it even more when there’s 2 boys to let loose. Living in Essex I’ve discovered we have some fab attractions, and being so close to Suffolk there’s a few amazing ones there too.

I’ve decided to share with you our top 5 family attractions close to us. 4 are in Essex, one is in Suffolk, but really close to where we live.

1. First on the list is, of course, Colchester Zoo. Hubby and I have gold cards which means we have unlimited entry for a year. Even if you only visit 3 times you save money so it’s well worth buying. We live extremely close to the zoo so you will find us there most weeks. They have plenty of places to sit and eat, a good number of parks/play areas and an indoor soft play. We often head to the zoo on a rainy day just to throw the kids in the ball pit as it’s completely free (because we have gold cards).
2. Next up is Marsh Farm. I’ve only been here once with Lamb and my mother-in-law and I absolutely loved it. It’s bigger than I thought and has so much for the kids to do. Lamb’s favourite was driving the mini tractors. We live around an hour away so don’t have annual passes, but it’s worth thinking about if you live close by.
3. Across the road from Marsh Farm is Tropical Wings. I’ve never actually visited here, but my mother-in-law has taken Lamb a few times (she babysits every Monday) and apparently he loves it. His favourite thing to do is watch the bird show. He loves owls (thanks to The Gruffalo) so loves watching them fly around. He’s so good with animals and doesn’t get scared when he’s near them. He will happily feed the goats and stroke the rabbits.
4. We haven’t actually visited here, but Old Macdonalds Farm is 4th on my list. It’s somewhere we really want to take Lamb but wanted to wait until he was a little older so he can go on the rides etc. Take a look at their website, it looks so good!
5. Finally is my Suffolk choice which is Jimmy’s Farm. Such a lovely day out for the whole family. Nature trails, petting zoo and butterfly sanctuary you will be sure to have a fab day out. Jimmy also puts on many event throughout the year which are well worth a visit. Although I’ve heard they can get ridiculously busy!

What are your favourite family attractions?

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