Gruffalo Hunt

" A Gruffalo ? What's a Gruffalo ?"

" A Gruffalo! Why, didn't you know? He has terrible tusks, and terrible claws, and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws. "

If like me, you love ' The Gruffalo ' you would have loved Nature to Nurture's Gruffalo hunt, that we attended at the weekend.  Nature to Nurture's mission statement is to ' aim to care and encourage the growth and development of a person's wellbeing by fostering positive relationships with the outdoors '. With forest school sessions , early years den making and birthday parties, if you are in or near Liverpool, you should contact Julie and the team to hear more about what they can offer your family.

We first came across Nature to Nurture when we heard about their ' Gruffalo hunt ' at a local country park. The Gruffalo is fantastic lyrical tale, that all the family can enjoy. Both the book and the film adaptation provide laughs for both adults and children alike, so it was safe to say that I was as excited as my daughter, for our very own Grufflalo hunt. The story begins with a little mouse in search of a special nut, so what better way to start our gruffalo hunt with our very own little mouse!

With a scavenger hunt tick sheet, featuring all of the things we were about to see, we all marched off into the woods, in search of our furry friend. The scavenger hunt was a great way of keeping the children entertained as we waited to watch each part of the story. With a list of leaves, nuts and feathers to collect as well as looking out for characters from the book, it was an educational journey too.

Sofia is just coming up to two so was one of the youngest in the group but this did not stop her enjoyment, the delivery of the story catered for all ages. Some would think that a story about a giant ' monster ' that features scrambled snake and owl ice cream would be too scary for toddlers but I love the way the story allows for playful exploration of our fears and anxieties about the unknown. The descriptions of The Gruffalo, with his big claws and purple spike, are playful and the rhyming text adds a fun element to a story about overcoming fears. Each of the characters stayed true to the book but with an added extras that brought the actors take on the animals personalities. I loved the simplicity of the story and I can see how our walk could be adapted to a family walk through the woods.

After lots of ' he's behind you ' shouts and singing along the way, we all cheered and clapped as the quick witted little mouse found his all important nut and there ended a bright and  cheerful interactive journey that really brightened up or Sunday afternoon. We are already looking forward to the next instalment.