The Stick Man Trail at Moors Valley 2016

The Stick Man trail was last at Moors Valley back in 2013 and the kids loved all the activities there were to do as we walked around the self-led trail and now it is back with new challenges and a new route to explore until the end of February and because the kids saw the film on Christmas Day they were even more excited to take part and of course Stick Man himself had to come with us.

We planned our visit around a break in the rain to help Stick Man find his way back to his family tree and be reunited with his Stick Lady Love, and his Stick children three.

The trail is basically the play trail backwards and leads you through the forest using activity points with activities based on the Stick Man book allowing them to live the epic adventures of Stick Man, finding characters from the book and learning about the importance of forests for people, wildlife and timber.
Stick Man Trail

We had to build a cosy nest, trying and hit a pine cone with a stick from 3 metres away, find a curves stick to make a bow and arrow and of course, make our very own Stick Man.

You can also buy activity packs for £3, which include a fun-packed activity leaflet, sheets to create your own Stick Man rubbing and pipe cleaners to make your own Stick Man, a chunky crayon and a pencil, but they are not essential as the boards have all the challenges on and the trail is clearly signposted.

Stick Man Trail

The kids had lots of fun doing all the activities, squelching in the mud and sploshing their way through the muddy puddles and as they did so well I promised them a visit to the park afterwards. The park for the older kids was open but for no apparent reason the park for Sebby’s age was closed off which was a real shame as there was nothing really for him to do apart from watch the miniature train as it trundled around the outside of the park.

Moors Valley

Despite the park being closed, we had a lot of fun doing the Stick Man Trail and you can sign up to the Stick Man and friends email newsletter to receive exclusive offers, free activity sheets, information on events and more.

Paul Smith Top - Lyst

Fashion for Busy Mums!

I have to admit I have let my sense of style slide in recent years. I always used to keep up with the current trends … Read more

LEGO NEXO KNIGHTS Review

In the futuristic world of LEGO NEXO KNIGHTS, watch horses change into racing fighting machines. Nexo Knights is a fantasy-based Castle theme with elements such as … Read more

Ringstead Bay

A Winters Day at Ringstead Bay

As a family we have challenged ourselves to visit every beach in Dorset and we made a good start in 2015 by ticking off Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door, Swanage, Portland, Charmouth, West Bay, Lyme Regis, Kimmeridge Bay and Burton Bradstock as well as the 7 miles of beach we have in our home town of Bournemouth.

Yesterday we headed to the Sea Life Centre in Weymouth and had planned to go up in the Sea Life Tower too but sadly it was closed. I was going to take the kids onto the beach in Weymouth but as we drove in I remembered seeing a sign for Ringstead Bay, somewhere which had been recommended to me but we hadn’t yet visited, so we headed back out-of-town in search of somewhere new to visit.

Ringstead Bay lies on the Jurassic Coast and is known for its natural beauty and fossils. The car park is a short walk from the beach and as we rounded the corner of the path to get a view of the beach it was a real “WOW” moment.

Ringstead Bay

Ringstead Bay has a pebble and shingle beach with some sand and Sebby wasn’t sure at first as the shingle was quite tricky to walk on, however he soon found his balance and headed down towards the water where they all threw pebbles into the water to make different sounds.

Ringstead Bay

There was lots of seaweed and other debris washed up on the beach thanks to the recent storms and we found a couple of mermaids purses, but Eliza was far more interested in spinning around and using the seaweed like a gymnasts ribbon.

We then headed around the corner and down the wooden steps to another section of the beach. This was framed by clay cliffs and the kids were fascinated by the soft texture of the clay which was dotted along the beach. We didn’t find any fossils as I didn’t want the kids too close to the cliffs as they are unstable because of the amount of rain we have had recently.

Ringstead Bay

We spent a good two hours exploring the bay and playing on the beach. We even spotted a couple of Cormorants on top of a pole who appeared to be having an in-depth conversation with each other.

Ringstead Bay

It was a lovely afternoon by the sea and we certainly be back when it is warmer as there is a small outcrop of rock which appears when the tide is low which we want to explore. We could just make it out as waves were breaking over it.

Ringstead Bay

Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

Ringstead Bay

Project 366 2016 – Week Two

This week we have finally seen the back of the rain and although the temperature has dropped we have been out enjoying some much-needed sunshine.

Last Sunday was the last day of non-stop rain but we headed out to our local Beefeater for a yummy roast dinner.

The arrival of the cold weather mean’t we could dig our hats out and Sebastian was super excited to wear his new Thomas hat that Callan got him for Christmas.

On Thursday I met my friends in their gorgeous new house in Southbourne and as it was literally 2 minutes from the beach we took Sebastian down for a walk along the prom to Hengistbury Head.

The beach was also our destination on Saturday. We started at the Sealife Centre in Weymouth and also planned to do the Sealife Tower but it was closed which was a real shame as the skies were so clear. On the way into Weymouth I spotted a sign for Ringstead Bay and a cafe so I decided to head there with a promise of a fun beach walk followed up with a warming hot chocolate.

The kids had a whale of a time running up and down the shingle, making pictures with seaweed and throwing stones into the sea to make different sounds. Sadly we found the cafe was closed so they had to wait for their hot chocolate until they got home.

Here is my week in pictures:

week 2

10. Waiting for our roast dinner at Beefeater

11.  Lego Building Fun after school

12.  New Thomas hat!

13.  Daddy helping out with the school run

14.  A chilly walk along the beach

15.  Stickman hitching a ride on Sebby’s smartrike

16.  Exploring Ringstead Bay

TheBoyandMe's 366 Linky