The Day we found the Gruffalo at Haldon Forest

We’re quite lucky in the South West that we have a lot of places at our disposable to take the family. Although it gets a bit tricky having a 3 year old and a 15 year old, and now with the pup thrown into the mix don’t make for an easy family day out.

Thank goodness for Haldon Forest park!

We didn’t take the teen with us this time as he had other plans but off we trudged with Isabelle and the dog in our boots and armed with coats, umbrellas and treats for the dog.

When we got there, we had a little surprise as the Discovery Trail (the easiest at 1.5 miles) had been set up as a Gruffalo hunt with clues and things to do along the way. This was the easiest of trails so perfect for Isabelle and a nice walk for us.

There were loads of families there and lots of people whizzing up and down on bikes for the different tracks (none of which I would try).

 

There were ample places to stop if you were to take a picnic and pleasingly we didn’t encounter any rubbish, apart from one poo bag (why do people go to the effort of bagging it up only to leave it there!).

 

It was dog heaven for Charlie who saw lots of other dogs along the way including a huge group of Shar pei dogs (belonging to several owners ? dog group).

We saw the Gruffalo’s den and met Mouse, Snake, Fox, Owl and sat on a singing seat. We also played on some giant wooden xylophones and hid from Daddy and Charlie in a maze.

And did we find the Gruffalo?

Yup and he wasn’t scary at all.

We ended the day with a gorgeous ice cream and a bowl of water and treats for Charlie, then home for a roast dinner.

Think we’ll go for one of the harder routes next time.

Lisa x

Originally posted 15.07.14