Bewilderwood

Website: https://www.bewilderwood.co.uk

Weather: It has been pleasantly warm and bright with scattered showers both times we have been - it’s almost like the weather is happy for us to visit this place. Thanks weather. 

Logistics: I think there are shuttle buses but we went by car. There is a large car park but it fills up very quickly so it’s worth getting there early. There’s so much to do that it’s worth it anyway. 

Activities: 

As someone who has been forced to listen to the audiobook of A Boggle in Bewilderwood at least a hundred times (I am not exaggerating - bloody kids) it is testament to how great this place is that I have at no point punted a twiggle into the lake. (Twiggles are tree elves, for those not in the know.) It is full to the brim of whimsy but manages to remain likeable. I think it is the care with which this world has been built. There is a really loving attention to detail in the creation of this place that I honestly think is only rivalled by Disney. Nothing seems aggressively commercial and the experience of the children is at the heart of every single activity on offer. There are certainly fancier places, but I am not sure there are many that are as kind and inclusive. 

Big Man lost Rock Paper Scissor. Ha!

Visiting adults should be warned that this is a very active day. The majority of the equipment has been designed so that adults can also take part in the running, jumping, climbing trees, sliding, zipping and dancing that is on offer. (Be warned, you will have very achy legs the next day) When the kids were little and needed constant supervision to stop them braining themselves I found this delightful. Now they are old enough to look after themselves, the big man and I did end up playing a few curmudgeonly games of Rock Paper Scissors to decide who would be ‘enjoying’ the experience alongside the kids. Mind you, a couple of trips on a zip wire and apparently I am up for anything. This place is so good even jaded forty-somethings can find their joy. 

The action mainly centres on some very large, very complicated climbing frames. There are also areas for arts and crafts, den building, puppet shows and a few other bits and bobs. There are areas where you can really get stuck in, running up and down walkways and clambering over nets in a race to find the clues or calmer places where you can watch the world go by. There are regular shows in the theatre area  and the children are encouraged to join in, panto style, or have a dance with a few of the main characters. 

Coffee: This place truly understands its clientele. The coffee is excellent, as it should be when over a third of your customers are under five and their carers neeeeeeeed that caffeine hit to make it through the day. 

Food: As it’s a full day out we brought picnics both times - there are plenty of seating areas all over the site. Make sure you get an ice cream though, they are fantastic. 

Accessibility: Bewilderwood is partially accessible to wheelchair users and they have certainly thought about accessibility in some of the newer areas. The main place where Bewilderwood shines though is in its support for kids with Autism. It feels like they have organically created a space that kids with Autism can engage in and the team have very gently supported and encouraged this. When we were there a charity for people with Autism was offering face painting for a donation and making money hand over fist. 

Overall: Both times we have been we spent over 7 hours here and had a thoroughly brilliant time. It is one of the very few places in the world where I actively want to spend money in the gift shop: for me, there is no higher praise.