A Family Walk at Haldon Forest
Haldon Forest is one of our go-to places when we don’t have anything else planned. We can take the dog as well which is an extra bonus and Isabelle loves it.
What is there to do?
Go and explore the woods and use your imagination. Try this one on your little ones – If there is a fallen tree with the roots all showing we tell Isabelle that it’s a troll’s house and they’ve popped out for a bit. In other parts of the woods where the Go Ape bits are we tell Isabelle that they are tree people flying through the trees.
She’s nearly seven now so although she knows that the ‘tree people’ are actually people on zip wires, she’s still happy to go along with the troll houses so we’ll go with that.
Follow one of the many trails that they have. Our usual trails are the Butterfly Trail and the Discovery Trail which are the easy routes. There are plenty of things to do along the way such as huge pipes to make your own tune on, huts, and lookouts. The last time we went there horseriders passed us which was nice to see.
Pick out good sticks, leaves, and stones. Play hide and seek and shout to hear your voices echo.
The Gruffalo Trail – Download the Gruffalo Spotter app and have fun spotting the creatures from the Gruffalo and then meet the Gruffalo and Stick man at the end of the trail.
Take the bikes and follow one of the bike-friendly trails.
Go Ape – This is one for kids over 1 metre and there are various different adventures available.
Segway Trails – Suitable for kids over 10 years old. These look really cool but we’ve yet to have a go on them.
Once you’ve finished you can pop into the cafe for refreshments and maybe an ice cream or cake.
How much does it cost?
Visiting the forest is FREE but there is a charge for parking which you can find the info on the Forestry Commission Website.
Get a Gruffalo Activity Pack from the Rangers Office packed full of cool stuff to make your experience in the woods cooler – just £3.00.
How to get there?
Don’t forget to have a look at all our other suggestions for places to take the kids in the South West whether you live here or are visiting and follow the hashtag #SchoolHols2017