Monday, December 15, 2014

Timberline's Country Christmas

I've always heard of Timberline Ranch so I was really excited to finally have a chance to go and check it out.  Timberline is a Christian based camp and retreat centre in Maple Ridge that focuses on outdoor education.  They provide various camps throughout the year and I noticed that they even had a Rocks & Ropes one that Kai would probably love.  Right now they have their Country Christmas on from December 12-21st.  If I could use three words to describe it, I would say: relaxing, intimate, and country.


We live in Surrey and it only took us about 20 minutes to get to Timberline Ranch.  There's something very nice about few traffic lights and FREE parking.


You need to register ahead of time and our family was set to start at 6 pm.  They send about 20 people through every 20 minutes so that you can move through the stations without it being too busy.  As a person who gets overwhelmed with my kids in crowds, I definitely liked this part.


We were 10 minutes early so we went to the waiting room which was filled with air hockey, ping pong and a foosball table.  Kai said this was actually the highlight of the night for him.  I recommend putting your kids (and self!) in layers.  You are in about 6 different locations, inside and outside.  You're always undercover but the temperature varies greatly in each place.


Then it was our turn to start and we went to the Bakery in the Town Hall first.  Each person is given a cookie to decorate.  Fortunately the kids had their own icing bowls because Nya basically spooned the icing straight into her mouth.


There are friendly staff and volunteers EVERYWHERE.  Super helpful.  Very appreciative of that.



Then we left the Town Hall and went to the Lodge.  We started off with `Snowville' which is like a snowball toss.  The boys LOVED this.   They actually skipped `Storytime' to try to shoot some more snowballs (white plastic balls) into the holes.



Nya and Kai made snowmen ornaments.  They are actually really cute and again, there were so many volunteers to help out.  


For some reason Koen didn't want to make one but I think it's because he's sad we left the Snowville station.


The steps are all written on the wall with pictures which was super helpful because I had no idea what to do.


Then we went to the `Origins' section where there is trivia about traditions at Christmas.  Kai liked this part and it's probably because he could read it all.



Then we went next door to Storytime.  The boys skipped this part and went back to the snowballs.  Nya and I tried this part but she wasn't really into it so we left a bit early.  I think it may have been more interesting to them if it was a picture storybook for kids.


Then we hopped on the Wagon Ride to get to the barn where the Petting Zoo and Pony Rides were.  Nya LOVED this part.  Everything runs on a schedule so the wagon left every 20 minutes.



A pony ride is $5 per kid and it was worth it for our kids.  They were sooooo excited as it was their first time on a horse.



Gary walked alongside Nya to make sure she was okay.  I think it may have been the highlight of her life :)



There is a very small petting zoo there with sheep, goats and ducks.  We were able to pet the goats and the boys tried to feed them some hay.


In the barn, the boys played horseshoes, too.  We were at the barn for 20 minutes until the next Wagon Ride came to pick us up and bring us back to the Lodge.



We went back to the Lodge and picked up our dried ornaments and went home.  All together, the circuit takes about 1.5-2 hours.


The cost is always something that matters to me.  We were given passes to review it but it would've cost our family $56 plus tax  (including the pony rides).  It's definitely a kid based event so I wouldn't recommend it for a date night.  

Kai gave it a 9/10 and Koen said 7/10, therefore, I recommend it as a family activity!  Our kids are aged 2-8 which seems like the ideal age for it.   And if you go, and your kids have never had a pony ride, definitely do that.  


It's only open for one more week and the hours are:
 Mon/Tues/Thurs/Fri 4:00-8:00 pm
 Saturdays 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
 Sundays 1:00 - 8:00 pm
Make sure you register ahead of time.

If you have any questions, ask away.  Thankful for a relaxing Country Christmas evening with my family!  Thank you, Timberline.

Love, 
Louise

*Disclaimer: We were given tickets to facilitate this review.  All opinions are our own.*

2 comments:

  1. Sounds like another successful family outing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I used to volunteer here during summers in high school. Such good memories!!!! If I was a kid, the horseback riding would DEFINITELY be my favorite too. So fun!! :)

    ReplyDelete