If like us you are trying to fill the last few weeks of the summer school holidays with great days out for kids. Look no further! We’ve been based in London for the last 15 years and have just moved to Kent. 

It’s not far from our old home but actually has opened up a whole host of new activities and day trips for families in our new Kent postcode! 

We’ve all seen and done a stately home garden or two. And we do love them, but what about if you need a change or the children would like something more unusual? 

This week I booked a very last minute, quick google find in our area without thinking too much about it. I hoped it would be decent and actually, it’s turned out to be one of our favourite trips this year and the kids want to go again! 

I’m talking about the brilliant Willows Birds of Prey Centre in Knockholt near Sevenoaks. 

So what was so good about this day trip? Here’s our rundown of the day… 

Location

Willows is based in the village of Knocksholt. You drive through a few picturesque villages as you’re getting close by but it’s easy to get to and we came via the M25. 

When you arrive you go to the Coolings Garden Centre which is a bit of a treasure trove itself and I wanted to stop and shop! But we carried on through the garden centre and out to the plant area. There you will find a little check in reception hut to show your tickets, which you book online through their website. 

On arrival

As my children are always up early we arrived around 9:30, there is a noticeboard as soon as you enter telling you when the demonstrations for the day take place. I would attend as many as you can. They are extremely entertaining for the children with enough adult humour for you to have a good giggle as well. There’s also just the right amount of educational information for the children that doesn't go over their heads and keeps them fascinated. 

Nature trail 

As you enter you’ll see a map of the site, but you can easily wander around and gradually see everything without one. 

There are many animals to see as well as the birds. We discovered alpacas, racoon dogs, pigs, goats, ducks and ferrets. 

Then we came to the owls’ enclosure which we loved the most. There are a good number of different breeds of owls to see and their cages are close to the path so you can actually view them properly. I don’t think we’ve found anywhere else yet where you could get so close to them. We saw tawny, barn owls, long-eared owls, horned owls and other unusual varieties. 

There are also eagles, buzzards, a Raven who was quite a character! Then smaller birds which the children marvelled at for their colours such as parrots, parakeets, budgies and zebra finches. 

Outdoor Play

One of the things we loved about this day was that we were really spending it all in a woodland. The setting is lovely and there are a selection of perfect little wendy houses around the centre which the children can hide and play in. 

There’s a keen angle on conservation with information on hedgehog hotels and creating habitats for bugs. 

Demonstrations

There are lots of talks and demonstrations during the school holidays. We found there was plenty of interest to listen to. My children are 9 and 6 but there were younger children there as well who found it just as enjoyable. 

We listened to a chat on alpacas, woodland animals, handled an owl, and then watched a series of flights with different birds of prey. 

Lastly, we went to see the ferret racing which was very quick but hilarious and the children loved it. It was fascinating to hear about the personalities of all the creatures they take care of at Willows. 

 Where To Eat

Of course not an hour (if you’re lucky) goes by without someone asking for a snack! There is a sweet cafe called Blueberry situated just outside the entrance to the centre. It’s all part of the same complex so you just go out to the cafe which has outdoor and indoor seating. Grab something to eat and head back into the Birds of Prey Centre when you’re ready. 

We stopped twice as we were there 5 hours in the end! The cafe is perfect for kids, it serves hot foods such as sandwiches, lattice pastries, sausage rolls and scones. Or cakes and tea/coffee. It also has soups on offer, salads and children’s sandwich bags. 

What Do The Kids Think?

We went 3 days ago to visit Willows and the children want to go back next week and show it all to their dad. They had such a brilliant time. 

As a parent I found the ticket prices to be really reasonable (£6.99 for an adult) plus there’s free parking and the cafe wasn’t expensive. 

We would definitely visit again, you can tell how passionate the people who work there are and how much knowledge they have about these incredible birds. 

To book head over to: Willows Birds of Prey Centre