Nature

Not in any way inspired by the Hey Duggee stick we decided to make some of these little stick people for the garden! Keep reading to find out how we made them or check out the video!

First we had to collect some suitable sticks of course so we set out into our local woods and responsibly collected some small sticks.

I must admit I worried that onlookers might have thought I had my child collecting firewood but I’m not that cruel.

Besides the chimneys currently blocked and I need to send her up there to clear it out.

Once the sticks were home and on my workbench we cut a small mouth into them with a pull saw and Ellie coloured in the mouth with some sharpies. Ideally we’d have painted the wood but she was impatient!

Then the mandatory googly eyes were added as its not a proper thing unless it has googly eyes. I did this myself as the self adhesive on the googly eyes wasn’t good enough to stick to rough wood so I had to use some super glue.

We then stuck hair onto them with PVA glue. This consisted of some twine and wood shavings.

And finally planned in the garden so they can look after our freshly grown seeds!

I’ve also made a short video here if you want to watch!

On the edge of the River Hamble valley country park in Hampshire is Manor farm, a working farm with loads of fun activities for the kids!

A given that a child-friendly farm would have a range of animals you can pet but Manor farm is so much more than this. It’s a working farm where the animals are milked, sheered, and erm….sold to be taken to shall we say somewhere else.

Incidentally, the restaurant does some fine local sausages! The rest of the food is also pretty nice and reasonably priced with plenty of seating both indoors and out. There are also a few places you can take a picnic.

The animals look happy and healthy and many can be petted or played with!

At the time of writing this they are building an over-winter area so the animals can be sheltered but still seen during those colder months.

There are so many little activities for the kids and is interesting for the grown ups too.

If you’re into engineering they have some old farm machinery on display including vintage tractors. History buffs can check out the old farmhouses and Victorian schoolrooms and kitchen.

There’s a blacksmith’s forge, a deer hide, cottage gardens and duck pond as well as a fantastic little adventure play park that includes a little tractor racing track!

Prices are extremely reasonable and annual passes make it the sort of thing that’s brilliant for a day out without having to worry about seeing everything in one trip. We have them so can just go any time we want!

Despite the focus on history the farm is extremely progressive with its facilities with disabled ramps nearly everywhere so almost everything is accessible.

There is also a modest but fantastic use of technology with an interactive map that can show you where to find everything.

I absolutely love our little visits to the farm and really recommend you go take a look especially if you’re in or near Hampshire.

Stick Family

A Day Out at Manor Farm

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