Build more fun into your Lego visit

The UK’s only LEGO® Brick Wetland Safari returns to Washington Wetland Centre this spring and is bigger and better than ever!

Join us for a wild day out with a difference as you meet 16 GIANT colourful Lego brick animals, forming a fun interactive trail around our wonderful wetlands.

Past favourites including Lottie the Otter, Fred the Frog and Katie the Kingfisher are back, as well as newer additions Percy the Pelican and Sam the Short-eared Owl, plus Camille the Curlew – BRAND NEW for 2022 and on show for the very first time!

Here are our Top Tips for building even more fun into your visit while you’re here this spring…

Go on a Lego safari

Pick up a LEGO® Brick Wetland Safari trail leaflet at admissions and explore our wetlands, woodlands and exhibits to learn more about the creation of these unique large-scale Lego models, as well as the real-life species they’re sitting alongside.

Complete the questions and enter our prize draw to win an awesome Lego goody bag!

(Safari open daily from 10am-5.30pm, Saturday 9 April-Sunday 5 June, included in admission, last entry one hour before closing).

Be wowed by fantastic feathers

Our wetlands are home to so many different, beautiful ducks. They are extra fascinating and flamboyant at this time of year, as the male ducks show off their bright breeding feathers.

Taking the time to look closely, be in the moment and marvel at our feathered friends will help make the most of your spring visit and may even lift your mood too!

If you find a feather as you wander through our wetlands, give it a close look. Feathers are truly amazing. You’ll see how it’s made of thousands of individual strands. Not only do they look pretty special, they also keep birds warm and waterproof, enable them to fly and help them communicate with each other.

If your visit leaves you feeling inspired by our real-life birds, why not get creative and sketch your own duck species at home, thinking about your favourite ducks from your visit. Our activity sheet may help.

Look out for pink

Yes, our Chilean flamingos will be out daily from 10am until 4.30pm for visitors to enjoy. Watch as they display with their wings outspread and perform the 'head dance' around their exhibit.

Their sandy island is the perfect place to rest their feet, giving you great views as they preen those famous pink feathers. Don't forget to spot Flavia the Lego® flamingo too!

Build on your Lego experience

Take your Lego experience to the next level during your visit and join us for an interactive hour-long workshop, where you’ll take part in a group building challenge before making your own Lego duckling mini-model to take home.

Daily sessions are running from Saturday 28 May-Sunday 5 June (**Easter sessions fully booked**) with slots from 10.30-11.30am or 1-2pm. Cost is £7.50 per person and the workshops are advised for ages 4+. Adults are welcome to attend free of charge but general admission costs apply to all.

Book now at https://bit.ly/WA-Lego-workshops

Make a memorable moment

As spring unfolds, we are treated to an endless succession of ‘firsts’, making it a great time of year to enjoy memorable moments of nature together.

See the first tadpoles, the first green shoots and buds, the first waders returning to nest on Wader Lake.

Bring your brood to meet ours and watch a winding trail of waddling ducklings following their mother around our stream channel or see gangly grey heron chicks in the tree tops opposite Wader Lake hides, while dainty avocet chicks hatch in their shingle island nests below.

These experiences can fill us with a sense of wonder and possibility. What firsts will you see and how will they make you feel? For a special memento of spring, have a go at making a spring-time nature mobile.

Learn something new

We’re so excited to see the LEGO® Brick Wetland Safari return and we know how much the models are loved by you too!

As well as being a great day out, the event is a brilliant way to highlight some of the wetland species that the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust has worked hard to save, such as the iconic Hawaiian goose and incredible spoon-billed sandpiper.

The newest addition – Camille the Curlew – also helps tell a key conservation story about our role in the ongoing Eurasian curlew recovery project, which is working to reverse the decline of this enigmatic wading bird.

Our hope is that these wetland conservation messages will engage a young audience who will one day become adults that care deeply about wetlands and wildlife. What will you learn during your visit? What amazing facts will you be telling your family or friends afterwards!?

Switch on your senses

Turn nature sleuth and switch on all your senses as you walk around to discover spring wildlife on a whole new level. As an extra challenge (particularly with little ones in tow!) stand still, stay quiet and close your eyes…

What do you hear? What does it feel like as you lift your face to the sky on a sunny day? Spring has a smell too! You could turn this into a fun game and use our special senses scavenger hunt activity sheet on your visit or at home.

Play, play, play

We all need an outdoor adventure every now and then. And what better place to embrace the joy of playing outside than in our wonderful wild wetlands!

Visiting our green (and blue!) spaces gives you the perfect opportunity to explore nature’s playground and have lots of fresh-air fun, with unique wetland wildlife to spark imaginations and help you really connect to nature.

You can also discover the clever ways in which we use water in our award-winning Working Wetland Garden. Turn the giant rain wheel to hear the magical sound of gentle rainfall or pause a while on the decking area and take in the seasonal flora

No kid’s visit is complete without running off some energy in our Playscape area, where the elements of fun and water meet! A climbing frame, Archimedes Screw, scramble net, sand pit and giant slide are just some of its best bits. On your marks…race you to the giant tap…

Be inspired to help protect the natural world

After a day spent having fun amongst amazing wetlands nature, don’t forget to continue the adventure at home!

You might leave us feeling inspired to attract more wildlife to your garden or care for the nature around you. Being more compassionate about the natural world makes us feel good and strengthens our connection to it.

Plant pollinator-friendly flowers, create a toad shelter or a bug hotel. From visiting our wetland centre you’ll see that all wildlife benefits from the addition of water, so why not build a garden pond and feel the satisfaction of watching wildlife thrive?

It doesn’t have to be anything huge or expensive - a micro pond, bog garden or mini wetland can be made with things you already have and they are eco-friendly too!

• Share this article