Little Creatures Family Festival
at ZSL London Zoo
Reviewed by Amanda Hayes
We had a fabulous day at London Zoo which we visited especially for the Little Creatures Family Festival, the weather was good and there was non-stop entertainment for the children. Being a city centre Zoo the actual area covered is fairly small but they manage to fit a lot in a small space and it certainly seems like you have walked miles at the end of the day!
We arrived and parked easily, parking costs £14.50 for the day which is good value for Central London. There were long queues for buying tickets at the gate, but short queues for pre-paid tickets so it would definitely pay to book in advance.
We looked at the monkeys, gorillas and birds of prey and then decided to have an early lunch at the new Terrace restaurant; there is plenty of seating both inside and out and a good selection of hot food, salads, cakes and sandwiches. It is expensive but on a par with most places in London these days.
We then set off around the animal exhibits and everywhere we turned was another children’s activity. There was pom pom making, shadow puppet making in the aquarium, outdoor games and water games which seemed to go down particularly well. All these and more were included in the entrance charge. There were also some chargeable activities such as face painting, bouncy castle and fairground rides.
There is a great little petting farmyard with goats and sheep and the children could be a mini keeper with little wheelbarrows, brooms and rakes. My son really enjoyed petting the animals and there were plenty of sinks and signs asking you to wash your hands after leaving the farmyard which I thought was a great idea.
We found the old architecture fascinating as some of the buildings, such as the aquarium, had been there since the 1920’s. All the areas new or old were well kept with no rubbish and staff were plentiful.
Just some of the animals we visited were penguins, reindeer, otters, lions, tigers and giraffes. The enclosures were on the small side but the Zoo is restricted on space being in Regent’s Park.
We spent all day at the Zoo but still missed out some of the animals and lots of the activities; there is lots to keep a family entertained, both young and old but the Little Creatures festival was specifically aimed at younger children and any child under ten wouldn’t be disappointed with the mixture of entertainment offered and getting close to the animals.
A great day was had by all of us, we left happy but tired, highly recommended.
The Little Creatures Family Festival is a great day out for ALL the family.
Rating: 5/5 
The Little Creatures Family Festival runs from Friday 30 August to Sunday 1 September. For more information or to book tickets click here.
