Guest blog by Dorcas Franklyn-Bray, Minsmere visitor
In September we hosted my daughter's 6th birthday party at RSPB Minsmere. We were able to hire the excellent Discovery Centre and book one of the lovely experiences available for families. These are run by the amazing volunteers and we chose pond dipping for an hour. The staff and volunteers were friendly, welcoming and could not have been more helpful.
The space offered is great; plenty of tables, chairs and tea making facilities. We bought our own picnic food but the cafe offer picnic boxes for a very reasonable price. The pond dipping was brilliant; the children caught newts, beetles and larvae and they were able to identify them all using the sheets provided. We were lucky enough to catch sight of Wesley the water vole who by some miracle wasn't deterred by 15 excited children (and their parents) squealing at the latest exciting catch!
Wesley the water vole by Ian Barthorpe
Afterwards the children were able to play at being bitterns and sand martins, den build and hunt for unusual mushrooms before home time. Some of us stayed to mooch around the reserve for a bit longer.
Minsmere is one of the loveliest places to visit with children (or without!). The chance of seeing wildlife is good; my daughters saw their first adder here over the Summer and it is one of their favourite places to visit. It gives the perfect opportunity for a different and unique birthday party. So few people know you can hire the Discovery Centre; you don't need to be a member - but for those thinking about it I would definitely recommend becoming one!