EXCLUSIVE: 'I took my daughter on her favourite safari day out, but I made a big mistake'
Camp Knowsley is offering bags of educational fun for youngsters at Knowsley Safari Park this summer holidays - The Mirror was invited to try out the unique experience
From seeing lions, tigers and giraffes up close to traditional fairground fun, Knowsley Safari Park is filled with thrills and spills for the whole family this summer.
This August the popular attraction in Prescot, Merseyside, is stepping things up a gear with Camp Knowsley, an outdoor experience offering the opportunity for kids to hone their survival skills.
The safari park has teamed up with camping experts The Outdoors People to offer everything from traditional fire lighting to stone age tool crafting and even - if you dare - sampling edible bugs.
Invited to check out Camp Knowsley for The Mirror, my six-year-old and I naturally headed straight for the tipi at the heart of the action, where she was immediately taken with the idea of making a survival bracelet.
READ MORE: Places where kids eat free or for £1 this summer holiday - full list by regionMost Camp Knowsley activities are free but this one costs £5, which I thought reasonable given the impressive end result. Turned out my little one was a dab hand at weaving her bracelet out of strong, durable cord, with the jewellery having multiple uses in the wild, including for first aid and securing gear.
My daughter wasn't quite as keen to try out the edible bugs on offer even if they're meant to be tasty so we opted for traditional fire lighting next. Kids of all ages will love all of the activities on offer here and with a flame successfully achieved using flint (under careful supervision of course), we headed into the woods to learn how to purify water.
I loved the picturesque camp set up, with a small group of youngsters gathering round the fire to turn plastic bottles, paper, charcoal and sand into homemade water filtration systems. Once this was achieved and the water was turned from a muddy brown to clear liquid which could be boiled in the final part of the process, our camp leader rewarded the kids with a tasty hot chocolate for their hard work.
We are big Knowsley Safari Park fans in this household, with the wide variety of fun on offer perfect for kids who like to utter the dreaded words: 'I'm bored'. The highlight for us is always the Safari Drive, which offers the chance to spot lions, rhinos and loads of other wild animals.
To my daughter's squeals of delight this time around, our tiny car was attacked by three ostriches, who did their very best to pull off our windscreen wipers and wing mirrors. The comical creatures thankfully failed in their mission so buoyed by a sense of false security, we decided to drive into the baboon enclosure rather than take the route safe for cars.
Signs are everywhere telling you that driving into the baboons' home comes at your own risk, with the road littered with car parts pulled off by the cheeky primates. A huge baboon soon jumped onto our car and did his best to remove a washer, which was left hanging on by a thread.
There is also a Foot Safari, with tigers and giraffes among the animals on view and there are fabulous birds of prey and sea lion shows to enjoy throughout the day too. My daughter loves the theme park rides which are perfectly tailored for pre and primary school aged children and include a pirate ship, rollercoaster and carousel. I think the unlimited rides wristband, which costs £12 in advance and £14 on the day, is great value.
Everything at Knowsley is reasonably priced, with adults allowed to accompany children for free on most of the rides and a kids lunch box including an animal mask - my daughter got a giraffe - not costing the earth either. If you live nearby it's definitely worth considering an annual membership.
Camp Knowsley is running in the week until August 31, included in the cost of admission to the park and we'd highly recommend heading along. Book online in advance for the best prices - visit knowsleysafariexperience.co.uk