6 of the best things to do at Hogshaw Farm in autumn and winter

[AD PR Invite] Hogshaw Farm and Wildlife Park is a family favourite day out for us, we’ve been here before and loved it (here is my Hogshaw Farm review if you’d like more details).

Recently were very lucky to be invited for a second visit, where we got to enjoy the activities we already love, as well as discover new activities that are perfect for the current autumn season, and upcoming winter.

Visiting Hogshaw Farm during autumn and winter are beautiful times to visit. The colours surrounding the farm are magnificent, there’s a wide variety of indoor and outdoor activities to enjoy, and there are some fantastic seasonal events to participate in.

Here are 6 of the best things to do at Hogshaw Farm in autumn and winter, that are fun for all ages, and that I recommend for anyone who loves the colder seasons just like my family.

Halloween events

Hogshaw Farm holds some amazing Halloween events, one of the ones we’ve been to in autumn was the Hogshaw School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the boys decorated pumpkins, went to a potion making class, and saw an enchanting owl display.

Christmas events

Father Christmas and his elves are known to regularly visit Hogshaw Farm, where they have even been spotted in Hogshaw Farm’s Festive Forest.

See real reindeer

Autumn is reindeer rutting season, the time of year when male reindeers engage in behaviours that show them off to female deers, and that establish their dominance over other male deers.

Hogshaw Farm have reindeer that you can visit any time of the year, but one of the best things to do at Hogshaw Farm in autumn is to visit the Wildlife Zone and learn more about rutting season, and what the farm does to help their male reindeer let off steam during this time.

If visiting the farm in winter, you can see the reindeer taking a well deserved break before they join Father Christmas for their busy festive season.

For even more reindeer fun there’s a free antler toss game at the farm, where you toss rings onto real reindeer antlers, whoever gets the most rings on the antlers win.

The antlers come from real reindeers from the farm, which you can touch as well.

Autumn and winter walks

Autumn and winter are fantastic times of year to rug up and go for a walk, and Hogshaw Farm has 44 acres of green space, providing plenty of opportunities for an autumn or winter walk, including their:

• Nature Trail
• Wildlife Meadow
• Walled Garden and Greenhouse

During an autumn or winter walk at the farm you can enjoy looking at the many autumnal colours, finding plenty of leaves and sticks to build dens with, or locating puddles to splash in.

Best of all, taking an autumn or winter walk at Hogshaw Farm means that you can take a well deserved break and warm yourself up with a hot drink or a seasonal treat at their Farm Shop and Café.

Outdoor fun

One of my family’s favourite things about Hogshaw Farm is the amount of outdoor fun available for kids of any age to enjoy.

Visiting during autumn and winter is a great excuse to get cosy in coats, rainsuits, wellies, gloves, and other cold weather clothing and enjoying all the outdoor fun the farm has including:

• Go karts
• Bouncy pillows
• Adventure playgrounds
• A new sand and water play area (bringing wellies and waterproof clothing with you will enable your family to enjoy this area in all types of weather)
• Farm animals
• Pygmy Goat Walkthrough
• Birds of Prey

My boy’s favourite outdoor areas include the sand and water play area and Pygmy Goat Walkthrough.

They played in the sand and water play area for ages, and we all enjoyed the Pygmy Goat Walkthrough, where we walked alongside a very friendly Pygmy Goat, which was an experience we haven’t done at any other farm we’ve visited.

There’s also a lot of indoor areas at the farm if you need to escape from the rain for a little bit, including the animal barn, soft play area, and our absolute favourite indoor area the creature corner.

After school sessions

Hogshaw Farm run after school sessions, which are perfect anytime of the year, but especially during autumn and winter because they allow kids to get some fresh air after being indoors at school all day.

These sessions are held Wednesday to Friday 3pm – 5.30pm, and cost £3.50 for one child, including free entry for one adult.

These after school sessions include full access to the farm, play areas, and soft play, and for an additional cost you can buy animal feed, or best of all you can even get dinner sorted with a hot meal deal for £4.95 per child.

Visiting Hogshaw Farm during autumn and winter is a really special experience, you get to see animals doing things they don’t do during the other seasons, the colours of nature are unlike any other season during a walk, there is a wide variety of indoor and outdoor experiences for kids of all ages, and best of all there are events that can’t be enjoyed during any other time of year.

We had so much fun at Hogshaw Farm, and we especially loved the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry’s Potion Making Class.

In this class Ryan mixed a whole heap of ingredients in a room that was full of magical spells brewing away, and tiny pots full of everything a young witch or wizard needed to make the perfect spell.

What’s your family’s favourite thing to do in autumn or winter?