Oh help! Oh no!

We still love the Gruffalo!

25 years!!!

It made sense when I actually thought about it, but the initial shock on seeing that our faithful purple prickled, warty nosed friend is turning 25 in 2024 was real.

Thus the expressions on the Not-So-Smalls’ faces in the photo above. They both thought it was new when they were little.

Our latest Gruffalo adventure took place in Wyre Forest, which we visited because my friend got us all fun themed maps of the UK for Christmas and we have decided to use them to pick new places to visit through the year. Tori picked the literature map and then we saw that there was a Gruffalo trail we hadn’t done yet within reasonable driving distance, so it was decided! (It was about 1hr 15 in the car to get there for us.)

I love that the Not-So-Smalls are still happy to head out on silly adventures with me – there were other tweens and teens out on the trail with their families and they all looked like they’d rather be at home poking themselves in the eyes with spoons, meanwhile my pair were loving it – posing for photos, interacting with the trail activity prompts, and generally being daft. And I think we were the only family there without a toddler in tow, too.

Yes, Artie carried his ‘stick’ all the way round. He might be enormous, but he still loves a stick. (Tori and I argued that it was more of a log, but he insisted it was a stick, so stick it is. I refused to let him bring it home though.)

There were other things hidden around the trail as well as Gruffalo characters – an eagle sculpture that looked like it was coming in to land at the top of a fallen tree, and a fabulous stag that Artie took one look at and had a total brain fail of excitement and said ‘Look at the giant birdie!’

We also had some pretty tasty lunch at the outdoor cafe, the Not-So-Smalls enjoyed playing in the adventure play area, and had a hilarious half hour failing at outdoor table tennis (it wasn’t particularly windy, but ping pong balls are very light so even the smallest gust causes chaos. Throw in Chase trying to catch the ball every time it left the table, and a general lack of competence at the sport, and I think more laughing happened than actual table tennis.)

There is a Go-Ape course there that looked pretty cool, too. Maybe not as good as the Cannock Chase one (just because the landscape in Wyre doesn’t lend itself to epic zip wires as well), but still pretty good. We will definitely have to get the kids up on one of the courses soon – and not just because I want another go.

Chase also very much enjoyed his adventure in the forest, he was our honorary toddler (he’s two in human years) and was quite happy to pose with everything in exchange for biscuit bribes. He likes any walk that involves getting pets from new people, making new doggo friends, and lots of new sniffs to investigate.

(Artie’s Gruffalo birthday cake is the best cake I think I have ever made, I am debating making another one for someone this year. Just because I can.)

The Gruffalo love remains forever strong in this house. Here’s to another 25 years of Gruffalo Crumble and forest fun!

Artie picked the Food & Drink map for our next trip out, but we haven’t sat and studied it yet so the adventure is wreathed in mystery still. But I’m looking forward to it anyway.