Pensthorpe partners with toy manufacturer for prehistoric themed summer
A local nature reserve is winding back the clock this summer with new experiences all about the evolution of animals.
Pensthorpe has created the new beasts and beaks trails so families can learn about mammoths, elephant birds and the transformation of dinosaurs into modern day birds.
The first trail will see explorers hunt for clues across the 700-acre park and discover fascinating facts about pre-historic animals and insects including the Archaeopteryx the earliest known bird and their similarities with today’s flying dinosaur descendants.
In the second trail, visitors can find where real-life mammoth tusks were discovered at Pensthorpe and learn about these gigantic trunked creatures.
Taking place from Saturday, July 23, until Monday, September 5, the nature reserve is adding additional activities throughout the summer including free arts and crafts, dinosaur activity workshops with Dodo and Dinosaur, pop-up wildlife and fossil talks, pond dipping and mini beastie discoveries.
Younger children can have fun following two trails created by internationally renowned toy manufacturers, Orchard Toys.
The Mammoths Maths Hunt and Creature Hunt takes place in the award-winning eco outdoor play area, WildRootz, where children can climb through tunnels and splash through the stream.
As part of the collaboration, the Wymondham-based organisation will provide activity sheets and giveaway prizes to Pensthorpe visitors every day through the summer holidays.
Ali Brown, marketing manager at Orchard Toys said: "We are delighted to be working in partnership with Pensthorpe.
"It has an exciting activities programme for the summer, with so much on offer for families and young children.
"It’s great to be able to enhance that experience with our collaboration through the delivery of an Orchard Toys trail throughout the WildRootz area."
As part of its Prehistoric summer programme, the park is also hosting a GoGoDiscover 2022 mammoth, named Quercus which has been created by local artist Phil Daniels and Sam Vellana and is also a key sponsor of the learning programme by the charity BREAK, which is a free county-wide trail for summer.
Natalie Douglas, head of marketing at Pensthorpe said: "As I’m sure parents know, the question of where things come from is a common one asked by children, and we want to harness their quizzical minds even further with our new trails.
"To collaborate with Orchard Toys for the summer is really exciting as a local company with a global remit that’s respected by parents and professionals across the world, its bespoke trails will combine the best of education and natural play, which aligns with the values of Pensthorpe wholeheartedly.
"With more activities than ever before, we’re providing families with a bumper day out and with the 50 per cent off ticket prices on a return visit in the summer holidays, there’s an opportunityfor visitors to do more another day."
The Pensthorpe Explorer will be running for an off-road adventure to some of the remote areas of the estate which are not accessible on foot, and there’s also the park’s onsite shop and café which will be selling mammoth burgers to explore.
