Stick Man, oh Stick Man, beware of the mud…
I think that’s probably what we should have been chanting as we went round Wendover Woods just after Christmas. After loving the Super Worm trail last year we had been invited back to try out the new Stick Worm trail and we were not disappointed.
Stick Man seems to have become a huge celebrity this Christmas. Not only did he get a Christmas Day show on BBC1, but he was also on the cover of the Christmas Radio Times. Do you get any more famous than that?
Master C has really taken to all the Julia Donaldson books lately and Stick Man has become a huge favourite. In the run up to Christmas he was insisting that it was read to him every night, so when we told him we were off to the Stick Man trail he was super excited. Little Miss C was rather keen too – especially as she’s now able to read books like this to her brother.
Whilst the Stick Man trail covers the same route that has been used for previous trails, the activities that you are all asked to do as you go round are different and my two had an absolute ball throwing sticks, building towers with them and learning lots about what is made of wood, and how animals and birds keep warm in winter.
Stick Man Trail Wendover Woods
We were sent activity packs to use as we went round (available to buy for £3 each) and the kids particularly loved the fact that these included a wax crayon so they could do some bark rubbing and also a Stick Man rubbing at one of the check points. The soaking wet trees made the bark rubbing a little tricky, but they were amazed at the results of the Stick Man rubbings. Such a simple thing, but hugely effective.
The packs also contain lots of things that you can do once back home, or even whilst enjoying a hot chocolate in the Cafe in the Woods afterwards. The pipe cleaner was ideal for making your very own Stick Man, but be warned that you may end up with a child like mine who now thinks that every stick he sees in a puddle is Stick Man drowning. This morning’s school run took somewhat longer than normal as we had to stop and rescue several Stick Men on route!
The Stick Man trail at Wendover woods is flat and suitable for buggies, although with all the rain that we’ve had lately I would recommend wellies!
There is a den building area part way round, a fantastic Gruffalo statue at the end, a great playground near the car park (which is the only thing you need to pay for), conveniently located toilets and a lovely cafe. In fact, everything you could need for a family day out in the fresh air.
You can find your nearest Stick Man trail here and trails will be open until June 2016. You can also sign up on the Forestry Commission website for free Stick Man activity sheets via email.
Disclaimer: We were sent two Stick Man activity packs and a parking permit to allow us to try out the Stick Man trail at Wendover Woods. All opinions are my own and not influenced by this. This post contains an affiliate link.
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