Enjoying the last of the good weather per bicycle
As the weather is still nice and the girls and I haven't spent that much quality time together lately I decided we would go for a bike ride today. With Jordan on the back of my bike and Reagan riding her own we set off for Ruinerwold, a village about 5 kilometers from our home in Meppel.
On the way to Ruinerwold there are some very nice houses so I took some pictures of those. If it had been up to the girls I would have taken a picture of every horse and cow as well but I got away with taking none... Just before we got to the village of Ruinerwold I saw a sign for an ice cream farm and outdoor playground but suddenly there were no signs anymore. Don't you hate it when that happens? In the centre of the village there was a take-away so I went in to ask and got some soft-serve ice cream as well.
We continued the trip and true enough, we found the place. We got there at the same time as a group of about 20 people but managed to go in just before the whole group gathered together. It turned out there was a maze in a corn field, a large outdoor play area, and a cafe. I was expecting to see the ice cream made but this was not possible. We spent a very nice couple of hours here, for more info see my seperate review. After all the cycling, walking and playing we had to go home again on the bike, which fortunately went a lot quicker than expected! I think the girls will sleep well tonight....
I did have a problem with my camera today as the battery I had just charged was flat in a matter of no time so not many pics...
There is a maze in a corn field, which was fun. If you can, bring your own rubber boots, if not, they provide them at the farm but of course they may not be your exact size. (We definitely needed them today, the ground was still very muddy from all the rain we've had...) While going through the maze there are challenges, which have been adapted to specific age groups. The one for the youngest kids (3-6) has pictures of baby animals which you have to match to the adult version. For the next group there is a game which involves naming a particular crop of which examples are found in jars (finished products) and this is combined with a word game. The adult version involves naming parts of a cow, not easy may I add! It was a lot of fun, and there was a little prize in the end (for the kids). The only thing that I found a little disappointing was that the answers weren't checked and that I still have no idea where some parts of the cow are!
The play area is quite big, with different corners with different equipment. There are a lot of plastic tractors and other farm equipment to ride around on, and you can climb, jump or play in the sand. There are benches and seats around the place for the parents, and when you're hungry or thristy they provide for that too, although if you prefer you can bring your own food and drinks.
Inside, you can see how cows are being milked with the help of a milking computer. It is amazing to see this computer scan the udder to "see" where the teats are, to then attach the milking machine to them! Of course you can also buy the ice cream that is made here, as well as some other local goodies, postcards and more.
For everything that there is to do at this place, you can pay seperately or combine. So if your kids just want to play in the playground, no problem! You will only pay for that and the parents get in free.
