Magical Malpas is a family farm right on the border where Cheshire meets Wrexham and Shropshire, and it opens to the public for picking seasons rather than all year. October is pumpkin month: £2 a head gets you into the maize mazes, a photo village and the pumpkin patch, with the pumpkins themselves from £2. The farm's donkeys, sheep, goats, rabbits and cats are there to visit, dogs on leads are welcome, and parking is free.
In 2026 the patch opens on Friday 2 October and runs Fridays to Sundays plus Wednesdays for the first three weeks, then every day from 23 October to Halloween, which covers the whole of half term. Days depend on the weather and on pumpkins lasting, and on Halloween it closes at noon. Wellies, cash and a wheelbarrow (£5 deposit) are the kit. There are refreshments, indoor seating and a picnic area.
December is a different, booked affair: a festive tractor and trailer ride, gingerbread decorating, reindeer food, elf games and Father Christmas in his grotto, then the animals. Children are £20 each with a gift, adults £10, and it runs on the first three weekends of December plus 23 December.
What it costs: October 2026: entry to the maize mazes, photo village and pumpkin patch £2 per person; pumpkins £2 to £3.50, large and giant from £5; wheelbarrows on a £5 refundable cash deposit; lucky dip £1.50. Christmas 2026: children £20 (tractor ride, gingerbread, warm drink, games and a gift), adults £10, babies under 12 months £2. Cash preferred; £5 minimum on cards.
A festive tractor and trailer ride, gingerbread decorating, reindeer food, elf games and Father Christmas in his grotto, then the farm animals. The tractor leaves at your booked time exactly, so do not be the family it waits for.
Seasonal: Pumpkins in October, Father Christmas in December. Check before travelling.
Looking for more days out in Malpas?
Sending it to the group chat?
★★★★★ 4.4 across 131 Google reviews.
Read all 131 reviews on Google - filter by star rating there
The best age match of anything on this list. Reviewers put the sweet spot at 2 to 10 and say a 4-year-old can do essentially the whole park; the map colour-codes areas by age and puts mini zipwires beside the full-size ones. Budget four to six hours.
Romantic gardens around a turreted castle, with a play area down by the Mere, a natural play Den and a lakeside trail with a bird hide. Only open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Sundays and bank holidays, so check before setting off.
One email a week: what is on this weekend within a sensible drive, and the places worth booking before they go.