A spooktacular day out at DMP - More Treat Than Trick event on this half term

Half term may have started for you, but for us it's next week and we are thinking ahead to days out and fun things to do as a family to make the most of Ethan's time off - especially as baby will be here by the time he next breaks up from school.

On Sunday, we headed to Drayton Manor Park for the first weekend of their More Treat Than Trick special event - on now until 1st November 2018. We are big fans of the park, as Ethan loves Thomas the Tank Engine (like so many kids do from an early age) and Thomas Land has so much to offer.

But we also love everything else DMP has to offer, which makes it a packed day out and gives real value for money; the 4D cinema, the zoo, the dinosaur park, the play area, and everything else in between.

Ethan is also much bigger than he was when we last visited, so he's now able to go on some of the other rides, in the rest of the theme park, which is great news for him as he seems to be an adrenaline junkie... with no fear whatsoever, he ran up to each ride, climbed on and didn't stop smiling the whole time.

We always arrive within an hour or so of the park opening, so we have as much time as possible and to get a good start, in case it's a busy day. On Sunday, there were lots of other families enjoying themselves, but we didn't have to queue very long at all for any of the rides, in Thomas Land and beyond, so Ste and Ethan got to do a lot and I wasn't waiting very long, with bump, at the sidelines. It was lovely to be able to watch them enjoy the rides together, and to capture their smiles (check out the 'Days Out' highlight on my Instagram feed for some of the pics and videos from our day out).

We spent a couple of hours enjoying Thomas Land, including Sir Toppam Hat and his assistants who break into spooky song every hour with some really catchy tunes. After, we moved on to try a couple of other rides, including Accelerator which I personally would be terrified to try, and then took our time visiting all the animals around the zoo.

Dinosaurs, play area and a ride back on Thomas rounded off our day and just before Ethan promptly fell asleep in the car, he said it had been the best day ever.

Always somewhere we will look to visit, at any time of year, going when there's a seasonal event makes it extra special. There's plenty to enjoy, the spooky performances are really fun and the decorations are fab, with plenty of photo opportunities as large pumpkins to stand with or climb inside are dotted around in various places, so you can capture some fun memories from your day.

See the video below for more of an insight into the More Treat Than Trick event, visit the website to book tickets (as a guide, from £20-£25 when booked in advance, or four tickets for £80), and check out my top tips for visiting DMP too before you go.

* We were invited to the park to review the event, but opinions are always our own