The eldest Mini-Mumbler, Henry, just loved his visit to Skelf Island, so much so, he insisted that he would write the review. We have all been so excited since we learnt that a new exciting playground was on its way, added to by the arrival of a beautiful invitation complete with wax seal, the children were beside themselves. We expected it to be amazing and wow, it is!
Henry and Eliza have already asked when we can go back. Safe to say, we will be returning this summer. It is all included in the admission price, so Castle Howard has to be a must visit destination. Castle Howard had recruited a Skelf Council from local schools (aged 8 – 13 yrs) who have advised throughout the process, this is a great place for children, developed by children! It is open from Saturday 12th July and head down towards the Boathouse to start the adventure…
“It’s amazing, please let us stay, we can’t possibly go home?!” said Henry as I tried to motivated the team homeward bound.
Henry wrote:
Skelf Island is across the dormant waters of Castle Howard. Here, there is an amazing adventure playground hidden amongst the trees. You reach it by the high wobbly bridge or the path from the existing playground. Once there, there are lots of experiences from bridges and slides to climbing walls, nets and tunnels.
The Skelves live on the island and have a fantastic time….. they call the trees by names and live at one with nature! I loved the pictures of Skelves riding all types of birds, especially the chaffinches, kingfishers, swans and owls. They are bigger than you would think but still live in a tiny house, this is the magic of Skelf Island.
We had a great time and I didn’t want to go home. Eliza also loved it but needed a bit of help from Mummy. This is perfect for school age children. 4 years and over will be ok with a bit of help. Each time the younger kids go, they will get more confidence and tackle the next bit. I just loved it! Running round exploring Skelf Island was great fun – it is a great place to play.
My favourite experience was the zip wire.
Eliza’s favourite experience was the bridge on the way there and back, as well as the stepping stones. “The bridge is wobbly but fun!”
Mummy’s favourite bit was that she could sit down below, whilst we ran around above her head!
A special mention must also go to the sparkly Skelf Mischief Potion from The Potions Cauldron – Eliza and I loved them!
