FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY

There's something for kids of all ages to enjoy at these two great British family attractions

- NATALIE BOWEN AND LIZZIE SMITH

KNOWSLEY SAFARI

Most parents will be able to recite Michael Rosen’s classic We’re Going On A Bear Hunt by heart – and now they can recreate the story for real at Knowsley Safari.

The 550-acre park in Prescot, Merseyside, is best known for its drive-through safari route featuring lions, baboons and ostriches, but this year it has two new residents – Bahia and Chui the Andean bears. This is the species that Paddington was based on, linking them to another childhood favourite.

To find their enclosure (named “Bear Country”) visitors need to hunt through Knowsley’s foot safari then use sharp eyes to spot Bahia and Chui among their platforms and trees. Sadly, on our visit they were hiding from the drizzle in their cosy den, and our preschooler had to settle for learning from a guide all about the breeding pair and conservation efforts to protect their relatives in the wild.

Luckily, she wasn’t disappointed for long, as Knowsley has a fantastic fairground, perfect for children under the age of eight. A £12 ticket allows unlimited rides – our daughter particularly loved the carousel and small pirate ship ride.

If bears aren’t your thing, there are more than 1,200 other animals to see. The main safari drive is a great experience. Huge Bactrian camels – the ones with two humps – and a small pride of stately lions were completely unfazed by the vehicles driving close by, while the curious baboons and ostriches were only too happy to come and say hello – keep those windows wound up! (If you’d rather not risk having cheeky monkeys pull your windscreen wipers off, you can skip that section altogether or board the Baboon Bus.)