The Ice Cream Farm Cheshire - Review

As we are in the Summer Break, I find myself trying to plan days out to keep my 4 year old occupied and recently I discovered that the Ice Cream Farm in Tattenhall has had a revamp so it was time to visit.

We have always enjoyed visiting the Ice Cream Farm in Cheshire, it has animals, a firm favourite with my son as well as a play area, shop and of course delicious flavours of Ice Cream!

Where is it?

The Ice Cream Farm is located on the A41 Chester / Whitchurch Road, look out for the Brown tourist signs for ‘THE ICE CREAM FARM’

Or tap in CH3 9NE into your sat nav for directions.

There is plenty of space to park, the original car park opposite the farm exists and a new car park has been built on the original land of the site.

How much does it cost?

Ok so entry into the Ice Cream Farm is Free, however there is a charge for some of the activities. So you can really plan your day on how much you want to spend.

You can take your own food and eat in the designated picnic area or back at your car, or you can grab something to eat in the fairly reasonably priced 'The Pantry'

I will go into prices for each activity but they range from £1 upwards to around £3.50 but again these can be made cheaper by purchasing a ticket which will bring the price down slightly.

Things to do

HoneyComb Canyon  

0-1 year – Free of charge
1-3 years – £2.50
3+ years – £3.50

I had heard from other parents that you need to take a change of clothes for this activity and after experiencing it I would say that is a definite! An indoor sand and water play that is great for all ages, and I would recommend taking some swim wear to change into that way they really can enjoy the fun.

Lots of ways to experiment with water and sand as they can move the water lifting levers and turning pipes to get the water to run through the system.

Sand on the floor allows them to recreate a muddy play area which all of the children enjoyed running through.

There is also some wooden climbing equipment for children to use within this as well and you are assigned a 3 hour slot to play. We didn't take full advantage of this as we arrived quite late for the day but the children would easily occupy themselves for hours here!

Strawberry Falls

£3.50 per player

All ages are allowed to play on the miniature golf course however at a price per player it can be quite costly if a family of 4 wished to play.

Fudge Farm

Free to access and allows you to see all different kinds of farm animals including

• Rabbits and Guinea Pigs
• Goats
• Donkeys
• Pigs
• Llamas/Alpacas 
• Miniature Ponies

 This in itself is lovely to do with young children as you can often get up close with the animals and stroke them. Something our son loved to do.

Scoop

Is where you will find JCB's for you to dig up the Ice Cream Coloured Sand. Suitable from 4 years and again the cost is £3.50 per play.

 

Daisy's Garden

Probably the busiest and most exciting part for our son. This is also free and contains a magical tree that sprays foam every 30 minutes. Great for the children as they count down and await the white foam to spray over them.

There are lots of activities to keep them all occupied with spinning seats, trampolines and a giant toadstool to explore. A great fun play area that is central to the attractions in the Ice Cream Farm.

Silvercone

The familiar quad bikes that we remember from the original Ice Cream Farm which are £1 per play. The age advice is 4 years upwards.

 

Fun Factory Soft Play

0-1 year – Free of charge
1-3 years – £2.50
3+ years – £3.50

A great Ice Cream Inspired soft play area with a 'melting ice cream slide' and my son's favourite the firing ball pit. Great for keeping them entertained and for the parents to grab a drink and relax.

The Loft

This area we didn't get to see as the minimum age is 7 years. 

Overall there are plenty of things to do and more that I haven't gone into as I have covered it from the eyes of my 4 year old and what he was keen to do.

Eating

We chose to eat at The Pantry and found it reasonably priced purchasing Spaghetti Hoops with toasted triangles for just £1.95. Baguettes were the most expensive item on the menu at £4.50 but were filled generously. I opted for a Cheese and Tomato Toastie which was £2.50 and filling, my only disappointment was the dry salad on the side, just needed a little dressing or coleslaw to help it go down.

The Pantry was busy and a bit chaotic towards the back as this was where people gained entry into the soft play area and at busy times people tended to queue around your table whilst you were eating, so I do think they could do with a designated path for queuing that avoids people hovering over your table.

Overall the changes that have been made make it an even more desirable place to visit with children and an ideal place to go midweek out of term.

Of course I cannot finish the review without mentioning the delicious Ice Cream that they create. 

I opted for a triple scoop this time around at £4.00. Very generous scoops mind!

I had Banoffi, White Choc Chunk and Turkish Delight. Each flavour was spot on but be prepared as there is almost always a queue whenever you go but the ice cream is worth the queue each and every time.

If you are in the area this is certainly a place that you should plan into your visit, great for those days when you are unsure if the weather is going to change as there is something to do both indoors and outdoors.