Going On A Gruffalo Hunt - Haldon Forest

I've been wanting to take my little ones on a 'Gruffalo Hunt' for ages now! I had seen so many photos of other people going on the trails, and as my little ones love The Gruffalo, it just seemed like a fantastic way to spend the day!
There are Gruffalo trails on all over the UK at the moment, and we visited the one at Haldon Forest. The trails are in collaboration with the Forestry commission, and I just think it's such a wonderful, magical idea to get the little ones outdoors & exploring!

What makes it even more fantastic is that it's a perfect day out if you're on a budget. You only have to pay for parking, plus £3 if you buy the Gruffalo Spotters activity kit. It's just such a bargain.

There's a free app to download which allows you to really see the characters from the book!

So we headed out into the forest to begin our trail! My first thoughts were how beautiful is the scenery!

We then came across Stick Man, which my sister let me know is there because they had previously had Stick Man trails! (I'm sad we missed that!) But how cool is this guy!

The little ones were already getting really excited (as was I!) but pretty much 5 minutes into the trail, they both asked to be picked up! I thought they'd enjoy the walking, but who am I kidding, what child likes walking when they have the option of being carried!

Top Tip - Take a pushchair. I really don't know why we didn't!


What I thought was great about the trail is that there are various clues along the trail, rather than just the areas where you spot the character. The first clue for each character gives you a hint of who you might find! The second stop is a sign shaped like binoculars for you to look through. The third sign for each character is a circular sign, which you point your phone camera at (with the app) and the characters come to life! So all in all there are twelve clues to spot along the way, and they are spread out well!

We came across the super cute tee pee in the forest! (My brother playing Peekaboo with our gruffalo toy! Haha)

Excuse the unflattering picture, but we found Snake! How cool is this?! This is using the Gruffalo Spotters App!

I love this photo of my little girlie and her Grandad. She ran ahead because she wanted to walk with him. So sweet.

Oh Help! Oh No! It's The Gruffalo! Seriously, this app is amazing. The quality is so good, and The Gruffalo was huge!

A lovely ending to the trail, we spotted a Gruffalo statue! The little ones really wanted to show him their Gruffalo toy! 

If you are anywhere near a Gruffalo trail, I highly highly recommend a visit! I was so impressed! Although the little ones had very tired legs because the trail is quite long (but that's our fault for not taking the pushchair!) The app was amazing, and it was so much fun exploring the forest and looking out for all the characters!

Have you read The Gruffalo?

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