Today we travelled to Sidcup in Kent to finally meet the fairies and pixies of Pixie Manor. This has been something we have wanted to do for a few summers now so Ita was very excited! As per usual, she dressed for the occasion too!
We arrived an Pixie Manor for our 11am booking slot and Ita was given a pixie passport to mark off and collect stamps during her experience.
We entered through the garden door and met with grandad in his potting shed! He explained to us that there have been all sorts of magical going ons. He told a story to the children and asked them if they wanted to search for the fairies who have been playing tricks. Of course, they all said yes! This was such a lovely and well thought out way to start the experience.
Off we all went through the magical door which led us into a floral forest where we met a pink fairy who was very eager to teach the children all about different kinds of fairies. Ita and the other children had to spot the fairies hidden in their little gardens and tick them off in their passport.
One thing I will say about this part, is it only works of parents realise they need to stay back! The children are encouraged to stick together as a little group and when overzealous parents were in the way, it means some of the children couldn’t see. If you are one of these parents, please bare in mind how this may feel for a small child who might not have the confidence to push their way in front of you!
Once they had all marked off their passports, they sang a special spell and entered into the dragons cave…
In the cave we met another lovely fairy and Lucky the elf. They explained that the dragon was sleeping but had left the children eggs to decorate with colourful gems.
The children sat down on their toadstools and used the sticky gems to decorate their gifts.
Although all the rooms were beautifully decorated, this one in particular looked unbelievable! The sleeping dragon at the end of the cave looked so enchanting and Ita told me she was worried about waking it!
Once the children had decorated their dragon eggs, they were whisked away to meet the Mother Fairy deep in the forest by the magical tree.
As we entered this part of the forest, the children were encouraged to sit on their log cushions. They were asked whether they wanted to learn how to be fairies or dragons and also learnt a magical spell. Mother Fairy was so impressed that they all received gifts from the enchanted tree!
I asked Ita what she thought and she said it was “so lovely where the fairies lived” and that she “didn’t really want to go home now”. Ita really enjoyed the experience and took part in everything. Usually she is a bit shy but she got stuck in which really is indicative of just how friendly the actors and actresses were.
Pixie Manor is a pop up experience within Ruxley Manor Garden Centre. Opened on 20 July, it runs through until 1 September. It is aimed at children aged 3-8 years and I would suggest this is spot on. A 2 year old may find it fun but I think would struggle with the passport activities and may be afraid of the dragon!
The experience is 45 minutes long although ours was 30 minutes. You can purchase tickets on the door but I’d suggest booking online as there is limited spaces per session. Sessions run every 15 minutes.
Children are £9.99 and adults are £1.99. This price includes a little goodie bag and certificate.
At the end of the experience you have your photo taken with Mother Fairy and you can purchase this. I’d ask to see the photos before leaving this room as once you’re out, you’re out!
The garden centre itself is huge and the restaurant is so spacious with lots of options. If you are travelling quite a bit for this experience then plan to have lunch here whilst the children play in the soft play area (free). There is one swing type ride which is £2 per child.
Click the link below to bring you directly to the Pixie Manor info including booking;
Garcia Family UK 