Last weekend, we pulled out our Christmas jumpers and headed to Penkridge’s Lower Drayton Farm as they kicked off their Christmas-themed Jingle Ville experience.
An enchanting start to the festive season
We’ve been to Lower Drayton Farm a number of times before, so after the 20-minute drive from Stone, we were excited to see how Farmer Ray had got on with his mission to create a little piece of Christmas magic.
As we checked into Jingle VIlle, our children were handed named passports with sticker spots against a range of different Christmas-based activities that they could take part in. Our check-in time for Jingle Ville was 12:30 pm, but we’d arrived at 11:00 am to make the most of the day.
Our children immediately headed for the absolutely huge indoor play area. Once our little elves had run off to play, we flicked through the passports to see the activities ahead. As our departure time grew nearer, it was reassuring to hear numerous tannoy announcements counting down our departure on the bus to Jingle Ville.
I’m no bus expert, but the classic double-decker bus was akin to the red Routemaster buses that you see in London. We got our passport stamped (stickered) for the bus ride, then hopped on the bus and climbed the stairs to join our fellow travellers. With single-decker buses mainly in operation in Stone, it was a nice treat to get on the top deck of a double-decker!
Once we were all aboard, the bus set off on a route around the farm to take us to Jingle Ville. The route is almost circular, so you end up back almost where you started, but the novel idea of getting on a bus to get there had the anticipation levels rising. The bus ride is bumpy, and there’s no escaping the fact that you’re on a working farm, but there’s a massive T-Rex festooned with Christmas lights, which our little elves loved to see! After the short journey, we disembarked the bus and headed through a door into Jingle Ville, where the adventure was to begin.
Welcome to Jingle Ville
As we entered Jingle Ville, we were warmly welcomed by Mrs Claus, who introduced us to a short film about Farmer Ray’s mission to save Christmas. Our own elves joined in with the dancing and singing that accompanied the film that was projected onto a massive screen behind Mrs Claus. Because we’d been in the play area before we boarded the bus, parts of the film showcased things we’d already seen, however, our elves enjoyed watching the antics of the cheeky Jingle Ville elves.
Film over and passport in hand, we headed through a door into Jingle Ville itself – a barn bedecked in Christmas glitter, lights and activity stations. As we passed through the door, we received tokens for a free drink, hot chocolate for the grown-ups and milkshakes for our elves. As most people headed for the drinks station, we decided to seize the opportunity to head in to see the big man himself. Santa’s grotto was cosy but spacious enough for the 4 of us, Santa and his chief ‘Elper.
After a chat with Father Christmas, it was time to take a photo, which you could buy at the end, and our little elves received a token to select a toy from the Jingle Ville Toy Store later on.
We were now free to choose to navigate the Jingle Ville activities however we wanted, and our elves decided to kick things off by writing letters to Santa and popping them into the Jingle Ville post boxes. We quickly followed this up with making a Christmas Tree decoration with sand art, before creating some magical reindeer food for Rudolph and his pals.
A festive pit stop
With our tokens at the ready, we headed off to exchange them for our complimentary drinks at the Jingle Ville cafe spot. Alongside the free drinks on offer, there were other items available to purchase, including mulled drinks and snacks.
There are plenty of chairs and tables to sit down and enjoy your drink, and we took the opportunity to look at the remaining activities in the passport.
Next up, we took advantage of there being no queue and headed to the build a cuddly toy station. Our elves got to choose from shelves of numerous cuddly toys. It took a while to make a decision but they ended up choosing a husky and pig to build, they loved the whole experience from start to finish and are thrilled with the new stuffed friends.
Finally, we wrapped up our adventure with a visit to the toy store, tokens in hand. Again there was a good selection of toys on offer for various age groups. After lengthy thought, a gemstone rock kit and a soft puppy toy were brought home.
More Than Just a Christmas Town
The Jingle Ville experience extends beyond the festive town. Ticket holders have access to the award-winning PLAY@ farm attraction. With its extensive play areas, both indoor and outdoor, and animal zones, the fun continues throughout the day.
All in all the whole ALBOS family had a great day at Lower Drayton Farm as there’s just so much fun to be had!
For more information and to book your magical Christmas experience, visit Lower Drayton Farm’s Jingle Ville.
