family gatherings

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At The General Stores we take children’s entertainment and safety very seriously.  If the children are happy, then the grown ups are too we reckon!  There is an easy grab first aid kit on a high hook  in the porch by the back door and further first aid items locked in the cupboard under the sink in the wet room.

We have equipped the house along the lines of a Montessori ethic, with all toys being made from wood and having some kind of education merit, and we deliberately avoid toys with flashing lights and sound effects.  You are here for the weekend to relax not be surrounded by a cacophony of noise!  Each area where adults might be sitting relaxing has a selection of toys at ground level for small children to enjoy .

Please try and return toys to the rooms where you found them and leave out anything which becomes broken so we can fix it before the next lots of guests.

Downstairs kitchen – there are two baskets of IKEA picnic sets for small children to clatter around with as they sit on the floor or to use outside for BBQs and al-fresco eating

The Downstairs Snug has a wooden rocking horse and toddler trike, a wooden work bench with tools, a wooden hammer set and various trucks with post in animals and finally a wooden car ramp and garage with cars.  There is also a nappy changing station in this room, a complete toilet trainer set, (potty, step and trainer seat) a baby bouncer chair and a feeding pillow.  And a wall mounted TV/DVD for longer distraction at bed time.

The Main Sitting Room has toddler toys in the red wooden trunk to the right of the Chinese TV cupboard, board books and amazing Baby activity books on the two lower shelves of the TV cupboard, wooden slot in jigsaws for toddlers in the right hand drawer and wooden dominoes, card games and block puzzles in the left hand drawer.  There are also extensive DVDs for children of all ages in the wall cupboard, along with older childrens board games etc

The Jovial Colliers Pool Room has a dolls house by the door, two wicker baskets, one with building blocks, the other with a BRIO train track – and two shelves of musical instruments and percussion toys, with music books above.

The Jovial Colliers Bathroom has a selection of foam bath books on the bottom shelf

The Upper Malt House Dining Area has a double sided dollshouse with lots of furniture, a noah’s ark with animals and a rocking horse called Dobbin

The Garden

• The garden is spread over a couple of different levels and areas – we aim to keep it neat but not are not so precious about it that we don’t want you to have fun during your stay.
• But please try and dissuade small people and dogs from trampling in flower beds!
• Thankyou

• Level top lawn getting evening sunshine
• Sand pit, swing, rope ladder, gymnastic ring, commando net, small castle den and platform tree house in the shade of the Yew Tree
• Toddler swing for under ones
• NB Stone steps and stone seating around hot tub
• Small herb garden through the gate beyond the hot tub – you are welcome to pick fresh fruit and herbs with your children, but please do not allow your children to stampede in the vegetable area un-supervised.
• Layered garden with stone rockeries – the owners would like to warn guests to watch small children. (Our own five year old has had free reign since toddling, but we cannot be held responsible for accidents with unsupervised and less confident children)
• Large wooden table and benches next to the hot tub and in front of kitchen window – there are plenty of IKEA plastic picnic plates, cups, bowls and cutlery for outdoor eating for children
• Small round table with four seats, receiving early morning sun, outside arched French doors from downstairs apartment
• Bench seat and stone seats by built in stone BBQ area, getting sun all day long in summer time
• Selection of childrens wellies in varying sizes, which you are welcome to use if you forget yours!

Local activities are great for kids too – to name but a few, on our doorstep are

• Harts Barn Cookery School – www.hartsbarncookeryschool.co.uk
• Dick Wittington’s Farm and Indoor Play Area – www.dickwittington.org
• Mary Rose Younge Ceramics – www.maryroseyoung.co.uk
• Beechenhurst Sculpture Trail – www.forestry.gov.uk/website/recreation
• Mallards Pike Lake and Go-Ape!
• Cannop Ponds
• Puzzlewood