With the school summer holidays in full swing, families across the UK are on the lookout for engaging day trips to keep their little ones amused. Manchester Evening News reporter Dianne Bourne took her children to Twycross Zoo in Leicester and found it to be a hidden gem. She described the zoo as "underrated" and recounted how her family enjoyed a "fun-packed" day, with her kids still reluctant to leave even after spending the entire day there.

Dianne shared her experience of the zoo, noting: "When we arrived it was still a little chilly so it suited us to have an hour for the kids on the playbarn while sipping a coffee after the drive. You pay an extra fee for the playbarn, which is £8.50 for 90 minutes, or if you're an annual member of the zoo this reduces to £3.

50." She added that the entry fee covered most attractions, including the new animal bricktacular trail, Gruffalo Land, and a splash park conveniently located next to the penguin enclosure, which they saved for last to avoid carrying wet clothes around. The visit to Gruffalo Discovery Land was a highlight, where children can collect a free map and enjoy finding characters like Owl, Snake, and Fox, reports the Mirror .

The mum-of-two was full of praise for the Gruffalo Discovery Land, saying: "What's also great is that animal attractions are themed around it too - for example you walk through the owl section and right next to it are real-life African Eagle owls. There's also a bird enclosure and goat walk-through i.