PR Invite. We were kindly invited to experience Autumn Fun on the Farm and Pumpkin Village at Bluebell Dairy. There was no requirement for us to publish this review, and all opinions are our own.

I know, I know.

If you read my last review of Peppa Pig Space Adventure, you will remember me saying that could potentially be our last proper adventure before Baby Ssali makes an appearance.

Apparently, I lied.

Well… unintentionally.

Because then an invitation to Bluebell Dairy landed in my inbox and, honestly, what was I supposed to do?

It is October.

Pumpkin season has officially begun.

And seeing as pumpkin spice lattes are currently off the menu for me, waddling around a farm surrounded by actual pumpkins seemed like a perfectly reasonable alternative.

So off we went.

And yes, we have been here before.

Last year we visited Bluebell Dairy for its School of Witchcraft & Wizardry and autumn fun, but this time there was one very important difference.

Sunshine.

Actual sunshine.

We were walking around in roughly 17-20 degree weather instead of questioning every life choice while trying to keep three small children warm.

Already winning.

Anyway, enough about the weather.

Let us get stuck in.

Worth it? Yes – especially if you want more than ten minutes choosing a pumpkin and heading home.

Best for Families with younger children, pumpkin-loving bambinos, animal lovers and anyone looking for an easy autumn day out around Derby.

What stood out Pumpkin Village, the farm animals, outdoor play, Sticky Toffee Fudge Mountain and the sheer number of opportunities for the kids to disappear in different directions.

Watch out for Bluebells offers different ticket options. If you want the animals and main farm play areas as well as Pumpkin Village, book the Autumn Fun on the Farm / full Farm Park option.

Kid rating Judging by the number of times I heard “again!” throughout the day, apparently very high.

Parent tip Buy animal feed before setting off around the farm. It buys you approximately seven minutes of peaceful parenting and instant celebrity status with the goats.

Would we go back? Considering this was already our second autumn visit, I think they have got us.

Kids, We Are Going to the Farm!

You know those rare parenting moments where you announce the plan and everybody is immediately happy?

This was one of them.

“Kids, we are going to the farm.”

“YAAAAAY!”

“I love animals!”

“I want to see cows!”

“Are there pigs?”

Look at me.

Mother of the Year.

No negotiations. No one asking whether there is Wi-Fi. No one suddenly deciding they hate leaving the house despite having begged to go out ten minutes earlier.

We were off.

On arrival, we headed to the kiosk, collected our tickets and walked in.

And straight away, you knew autumn had arrived.

Pumpkins. Seasonal displays. Halloween touches. Orange everywhere.

But before heading towards Pumpkin Village, we decided to have a wander around the farm first.

That was my first mistake.

Because my children spotted the animals.

And apparently that meant all previous agreements about “staying together” had expired.

Off they went.

One towards the ponies. Another had spotted something completely different.

Meanwhile I am several months pregnant, moving at the speed of airport security when you are already late for your flight.

I am not chasing anybody.

So we had officially reached Stage Two Parenting.

Government names.

Amazing how quickly a full first name restores somebody’s hearing.

Farm Animals: Basically Celebrity Spotting for Kids

If you are visiting with younger children, give yourself time for the animals because this was one of those lovely reminders of how exciting completely ordinary things can still be when you are little.

To us? A Shetland pony.

To them? A MAJESTIC TINY HORSE.

There were Highland cows standing around looking magnificent, with the sort of hair that requires significantly less effort than mine yet somehow looks better.

Alpacas observing everybody with that permanently judgemental expression they seem to have mastered.

Peacocks casually wandering about like they own several acres and are merely allowing us to visit.

And then, of course, came the animal feed.

Parent tip: pick some up from the ticket office before making your way around.

Because if merely seeing a cow was exciting, apparently giving said cow a handful of food was the equivalent of meeting a celebrity.

Hands out. Giggles. Arguments over whose turn it was.

“Mummy, look!”

“Mummy, it ate it!”

“MUMMY LOOK!”

Yes, darling.

I am looking.

I have been looking for approximately 40 consecutive minutes.

But seeing how excited they were?

Worth it.

Moo Meadow: Where Parents Go to Lose Sight of Their Children

High on life after feeding the animals, we headed towards Moo Meadow.

Or, as my children apparently interpreted it: RUN.

Slides. Climbing frames. Rope bridges. Things to scramble over. Things to launch themselves down.

The excitement level immediately went from a respectable seven to approximately 147.

There is also a sand pit.

Now listen.

Normally I am all for sensory play. Explore. Create. Let children be children. Beautiful.

Not today.

I looked at that sand, looked at three children, looked down at my bump and calculated the amount

of sand that would somehow make its way into the car, shoes, socks, pockets, hair and eventually my house.

Absolutely not.

Mummy has limits.

We redirected.

Successfully, might I add.

Until somebody spotted Sticky Toffee Fudge Mountain.

Sticky Toffee Fudge Mountain – Sadly, Not Dessert

Let me clear something up before anybody gets as excited as I initially did.

Sticky Toffee Fudge Mountain is not edible.

A disappointing naming decision if you ask me.

It is, however, one of the farm’s toboggan-sledge attractions, where the kids grab a sledge, climb up and whizz back down again.

And again.

And again.

And…

“MUM! AGAIN!”

There it was.

That word.

Again.

Such a harmless little word until you are standing at the bottom of an attraction hearing it for the eleventh time.

The children absolutely loved it.

I, meanwhile, had reached the stage of motherhood where enthusiasm is mainly delivered from a stationary position.

“Woohoo!”

“Well done!”

“That was amazing!”

“Go again!”

Notice I said go again.

Mummy will be remaining right here.

Then Came the Main Event: Pumpkin Village

Eventually, we made our way over to Pumpkin Village.

And this year?

Bluebells clearly said: we are not playing.

It looked brilliant.

Pumpkins everywhere. Seasonal displays. Wheelbarrows. Photo areas. Different varieties laid out ready to choose from.

And before I could even finish saying, “Right guys, stay togeth-“

Gone.

Again.

Z and E had already grabbed mini wheelbarrows and were marching around like two tiny farmers who had just received an urgent order from Waitrose.

Suddenly pumpkin selection became very serious business.

One was loading. One was inspecting. One apparently needed a pumpkin roughly the size of his torso.

Nobody had discussed who would actually be carrying these pumpkins back to the car.

Spoiler: it was not going to be me.

Not All Pumpkins Are Created Equal

One little touch I genuinely liked was that this was not simply a case of staring at 200 pumpkins and choosing whichever one looked least wonky.

There were different pumpkin varieties displayed with information explaining their names and what they were good for – whether that was soups, cakes, cooking or decoration.

Which meant you could actually choose something useful instead of getting home with a beautiful pumpkin and Googling: “Can I eat this?”

Very handy.

Especially if, unlike me, you have ambitions beyond carving two triangles and a questionable smile into one.

Into the Pumpkin Patch We Go

In the distance was the pumpkin patch.

Naturally, the children saw it.

Naturally, the race began again.

Off went Z and E with the confidence of two people who had absolutely no concerns about how they would be getting back.

There is something really lovely about letting children explore a pumpkin patch properly rather than just picking one from a supermarket box.

They were checking them. Lifting them. Comparing them. Finding increasingly ridiculous ones.

Every pumpkin was apparently “THE ONE” until another pumpkin appeared approximately four seconds later.

It was simple fun.

No screens. No elaborate entertainment required.

Just kids, wheelbarrows, pumpkins and the freedom to explore.

Sometimes those are the bits they enjoy most.

Bluebells Has Removed Your “We Did Not Get a Nice Picture” Excuse

Now parents, content creators and reluctant Instagram husbands…

They have thought of us.

There are pumpkin displays and dedicated photo spots dotted around Pumpkin Village, so getting that autumn family picture requires considerably less effort than usual.

No desperately moving three pumpkins into a corner yourself.

No trying to make a random fence look “autumnal.”

No pretending the bins are not immediately behind your child.

Bluebells has built the backdrop for you.

All you need to do is somehow convince your children to: look at the camera, stand in roughly the same area, stop touching each other and smile like they actually know you.

So basically, they have done 95% of the work.

Good luck with the remaining 5%.

Marshmallow Toasting: Because Apparently Pumpkins Were Not Enough

Then we spotted the marshmallow-toasting stations.

Oh dear.

Because children can sense sugar from approximately four postcodes away.

Suddenly everybody had forgotten the animals. Forgotten the pumpkins. Forgotten Mother.

There was fire. There were marshmallows.

The day had peaked.

There is something about handing children food on a stick and allowing them to hold it near a flame that makes them feel like they have suddenly become wilderness survival experts.

Very serious faces. Very careful rotating.

Followed almost immediately by: “Mine is burning!”

Autumn memories.

Pumpkin Catapult and Bottle Smash: Enter Competitive Mode

The Pumpkin Catapult and Bottle Smash were back too.

And this is where that sweet family day out starts becoming slightly competitive.

Because there is always somebody who suddenly takes it far too seriously.

Children lining up. Parents “just showing them how it is done.” People studying angles like an Olympic medal is on the line.

The Pumpkin Catapult does exactly what it says on the tin – send that pumpkin flying and see where it lands.

Simple. Ridiculous. Very satisfying.

Then there is Bottle Smash.

Perfect for children.

Also, if we are being truthful, potentially quite therapeutic for parents who have spent all morning saying: “Put that down.” “Come back.” “Stop running.” “Leave your brother alone.”

Have a go.

Consider it autumnal stress management.

Both are optional extras, so bear that in mind when budgeting for the day.

Bale Mountain – Yes, I Checked the Name

And then there was the enormous pile of straw bales.

Officially called Bale Mountain.

Which is exactly what it sounds like.

A towering pile of bales that everybody – children and fully grown adults who had temporarily forgotten about their knees – seemed determined to climb.

The kids?

Straight up.

No hesitation.

Meanwhile I stood at the bottom looking at the bump, looking at the mountain, looking at everybody having fun…

Maybe just one-

No.

Absolutely not.

There comes a point in pregnancy where your brain still believes you are 24 but your pelvis immediately sends a strongly worded email reminding you that you are not.

The joys of being young.

Go on, children.

Mummy will take the pictures.

One Important Thing to Know Before Booking

This is worth knowing because Bluebells has more than one way to visit Pumpkin Village.

The Pumpkin Village-only ticket is currently listed at £3.50 per person and gives you access to

Pumpkin Village, but it does not include the wider Farm Park, animal areas or play areas.

If you want the full day we experienced – animals, play areas and Pumpkin Village – book Autumn Fun on the Farm / the option that includes full Farm Park access.

Pumpkins are not included in the entry price and are bought separately. Some seasonal extras, including marshmallow toasting, Pumpkin Catapult and Bottle Smash, also carry an additional charge.

That distinction matters.

Particularly if you have spent the entire drive promising a four-year-old they are going to see cows.

Nobody needs that argument in the car park.

Prices, dates and inclusions can change, so check the official Bluebells booking page before travelling.

Is Bluebell Dairy Pumpkin Village Worth It?

For us?

Yes.

And I think what makes it work is that it does not have to be rushed.

This is not one of those family activities where you are watching the clock because you have exactly 53 minutes before somebody ushers you towards the exit.

You can wander. Feed the animals. Let the kids play. Choose your pumpkins. Stop for photos. Go back to something they loved. Stand at Sticky Toffee Fudge Mountain while somebody shouts “again” until you begin hearing the word in your sleep.

It feels like an actual day out rather than simply a pumpkin-picking appointment.

And that is the difference.

Would We Go Back?

Well, this was our second autumn visit, so I think that answers that.

Last year gave us the colder autumn experience.

This year gave us sunshine, farm animals, wheelbarrow races, pumpkin negotiations and three children living their best little farm lives while their heavily pregnant mother followed behind pretending she could still keep up.

Different visit.

Same verdict.

We had a brilliant time.

If you are local to Derby or coming from the surrounding area and looking for something to do on an autumn weekend, Bluebell Dairy is definitely one to consider.

Because realistically, how else were you planning to spend a beautiful Saturday?

Cleaning the house?

Doing laundry?

Walking around a retail park buying things you absolutely did not leave home needing?

Exactly.

Go and pick a pumpkin.

At least when you come home £20 lighter and carrying something unnecessarily large, this one can become soup.

And if the Derby weather turns your beautiful Saturday into sideways rain, our

Oxygen Derby review is a handy indoor family-day-out backup.

Bluebell Dairy Pumpkin Village FAQs

Where is Bluebell Dairy?

Bluebells Farm Park is at Brunswood Farm, Locko Road, Derby, DE21 7AR, around two miles east of Derby.

When is Pumpkin Village open in October 2026?

The main 2026 Pumpkin Picking / Autumn Fun dates are 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 16-23 October.

Check the live booking page before travelling in case availability changes.

Does the Pumpkin Village ticket include the farm animals and play areas?

No. The Pumpkin Village-only ticket does not include the wider Farm Park, animals or play areas.

Choose Autumn Fun on the Farm if you want the full Farm Park experience as well as Pumpkin Village.

Are pumpkins included in the ticket price?

No. Pumpkins are purchased separately.

Do you need to pre-book?

Bluebells currently states that Pumpkin Village-only tickets must be pre-booked online. For the full Autumn Fun experience, booking ahead is the sensible option, especially on busy October weekends.

Are there extra activities?

Yes. Seasonal extras can include marshmallow toasting, Pumpkin Catapult and Bottle Smash for an additional fee.

Is Bluebell Dairy Pumpkin Village good for young children?

For us, yes. The mix of animals, play areas, mini wheelbarrows, pumpkin picking and simple seasonal activities worked particularly well with younger children who like to explore at their own pace.

For more honest family days out, hotel stays and travel adventures with the bambinos, follow Ssali Explorers on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube at @ssaliexplorers.

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