Family Gruffalo Day with Woodland Connections

Boom Buddy Family, The Watsons, joined Bonnie and Kate from Woodland Connections for a Gruffalo-themed morning in the woods. Find out what they thought of it and learn a bit more about what else this fantastic organisation provides.

“A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood…” A memorable opening to the beloved Julia Donaldson classic “The Gruffalo” which, along with her other stories, hold a treasured place on our children’s bookcase.

With excitement brewing, myself, my partner, Tom, and our two children Eban, 9 and Abby, 7, set off to drive to one of our favourite places to explore, the ancient Shining Cliff Woods located on the west bank of the River Derwent near to Ambergate in Derbyshire. Only this time was a little different… we were off to partake in a Gruffalo activity day courtesy of Woodland Connections.

Woodland Connections is a professional collaboration between Kate Tuck from Shining Cliff Centre CIC, and Bonnie McNabb from All About the Calm. Kate is a Level 3 Forest School Leader and Forest Bathing Guide and has a background of nursing and working as a Field Studies Tutor in Yorkshire and the Peak District. Bonnie is a licensed Relax Kids coach, Forest Bathing Guide, a Level 3 Forest School practitioner and has worked with children in schools for 15 years.

When we arrived in the woodland car park, we were greeted by a sign asking us to follow the Gruffalo trail for about 10 minutes and suggesting to not rush and enjoy the woods. My kids absolutely adore a trail and dashed off in excitement! However, we were slowed down by the clues and suggestions such as “Can you walk silently like a fox?” which the kids loved to spot hanging down from trees, whilst Tom and I enjoyed the breathtakingly serene woods.

Further down the path, we soon started to hear the welcoming sound of snaps, crackles and pops as we approached a roaring fire surrounded by cliffs and woodland but colourfully decorated with bunting. Here we met Bonnie who asked our names and invited us around the fire that Kate was attending to, and I caught an excited glimpse of something simmering in a large cast iron pot! Hot drinks were also readily available.

Bonnie carefully explained the different activities that were on offer and suggested we have a look around so the kids could decide what they would like to do first. There were craft activities to do including origami foxes, colouring, snipping and hollowing out pieces of branches to make snakes with pipe cleaners, and constructing clay creatures. More hands-on activities were using logs to make a log pile house for snake and a messy Mouse’s Café mud kitchen to make your own scrambled snake, owl ice-cream or even roasted fox! My daughter thoroughly enjoyed a tray with various cuddly animals and painted stones encouraging children to come and tell a story with story stones. We loved this creative idea and can’t wait to paint our own story stones at home!

Further down from the campfire was the woodland shed, home today to a collection of reference books and owl pellets ready for examination. As you can imagine, the kids loved pulling apart the specimens with the provided equipment, even locating part of a mouse skull at one point! Located next to the shed was a scrupulously clean compostable toilet and hand sanitising facilities.

Just a short walk from the campfire you will find the Shining Cliff independent hostel that we were invited to have a look around with the super knowledgeable Kate. The hostel can accommodate up to 20 people in 5 bedrooms and is complete with self-catering kitchen, lounge/dining area and 3 bathrooms each with a sink, shower and waterless toilet. The hostel is an ideal location for families or group get-togethers, school and youth groups and had a wonderful feeling of escapism!

Woodland Connections also offer drop off sessions called “Woodland Adventures” with varying themes aimed at children in the academic year 1 and over as well as family forest school sessions and workshops exclusively designed for home schooling families.

If you would like to immersive yourself and be nurtured by nature, check out the many workshops offered for adults including forest bathing, a Campfire Chill and Chat, Women’s Well-being and a Fettle, Kettle and Cake session!

Back at the campfire with our hot chocolates in hand, we were treated to homemade Gruffalo crumble, thankfully without the purple prickles! It had been freshly made and foraged that morning by Kate with the plumpest, juiciest blackberries we’d ever tasted. It was a wonderful end to what had been a thoughtfully designed, child-led morning of fun activities where our kids had been encouraged to use their imagination in this delightful safe space created by Kate and Bonnie. We can’t wait to return and continue our adventures in this special woodland!