I’ve never taken my one-year-old daughter to a zoo before, so I was interested to see how she would fare when we visited the South Lakes Safari Zoo on Friday.
Images courtesy of South Lakes Safari Zoo
We were lucky with the weather as there is a lot of walking involved at this attraction so dry and bright is preferable- bear this in mind if you are planning in your own visit.
Although the walkways are pram friendly, they aren’t on the flat, so be prepared for some walking.
When you first enter, you are faced with a giant playground so if you and your baby are accompanied by an older child, this is a good pitstop to keep them entertained at the start or the end of your journey around the site.
The zoo is deceptively large- the scope of the place isn’t obvious but let me assure you that good walking shoes are a must. Another piece of advice is to be vigilant with your pram as there are plenty of slopes for it to roll down. Make sure you have good breaks- you will need them!
As it was a weekday, we were blessed with a quiet day. Only a handful of people and us were making our way around the zoo, so the animals were confident to come up close to us as we made our way around. There were very few attractions where we saw nothing as most of the animals were comfortable going about their business with so few spectators.
We were even able to pat a Reeve’s Muntjac Deer on the nose who came right up to the pram- my daughter was delighted. Some of the animals were at pram height but we took her out and carried her when we went to see the monkeys, birds and the wolves so she could get a better look. Be prepared for a bit of toing and froing in and out of the pram.
The restaurant in the centre of the zoo has a children’s menu which has a small selection of meals for little ones as picnics are not allowed on site. Bring along some extra cash for after you’ve paid your entrance fee if you want a bite to eat, drink or an ice cream of which there are plenty of stops around the walkways. There was a microwave in the restaurant and the café however if you would rather bring your own baby food and heat it up.
There were some basic changing facilities for babies next to the restaurant, however the changing tables didn’t provide straps or padding, so you may like to take a foldable mat for your baby to lie on if you plan to visit to make the experience a little more comfortable.
We were lucky enough to see the penguins swimming and being fed by a large group of school children- my daughter took a particular shine to these as they made a funny noise! Consequently, her nan bought her a stuffed one on the way out!
If you choose a fair-weather day, the zoo is an ideal place to take your baby and expose them to sights, sounds and smells that they would never come across in everyday life. There was enough to hold her attention for the few hours we were there and plenty to point at- as children love to do.
If you want to get your baby a little memento from the day- there is a generous range of gifts suitable for the tiny folk in the gift shop- from budget friendly prices to more extravagant keepsakes depending on your budget.
The staff we encountered on our visit were all friendly and we tagged onto a guided tour of the monkeys, Emperor and Cotton Topped Tamarins which was very informative. If you can join one of the tours, I would highly recommend that you do as they provide more personal information about the animals from the people who look after them every day.
Overall, my mum and I enjoyed our time at the South Lakes Safari Zoo and most importantly my daughter did too. If you are looking for a more stripped back and relaxed zoo to visit – this is the place for you if you have a small person in tow.
The zoo offers all the facilities you need for a day out with a baby- just remember to pack your essentials and make sure your little one is wrapped up warm in case the weather turns. The shape of landscape means you can be exposed at times.
Thank you to everyone at the South Lakes Safari Zoo for making my little girl’s first zoo experience so enjoyable.
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