Embracing the Mud: A Rainy Day at Bewilderwood.

As we know some days don’t go to plan! Sometimes, those turn out to be the best days of all.

We recently visited Bewilderwood with friends, we thought we were all prepared for the rainy day outdoors....

The Boot Incident (Because Every Adventure Needs One)

We arrived in the car park, full of excitement and ready to dive into a day of outdoor fun — only to realise I had left one of our youngest’s walking boots sitting neatly in the garage at home.

Classic!

Those thoughts going through my head... well we'll have to drive back, one of us will have to walk round in our crocs. Quick message to the group (knowing no one else is bigfooted).. "does anyone have spare shoes?!"

For a moment, it felt like the day might be over before it began… but then we remembered the emergency stash of randomness that lives in the boot of the car. Among it? A forgotten PE kit.

Not ideal. Not waterproof. Not stylish.

But perfectly good enough.

And honestly, we just giggled and embraced it and cracked on anyway.

The Joy of Old Friends

One of the most special parts of the day had nothing to do with where we were it was the people.

We were meeting friends I’ve known since we were 4 or 5 years old. The kind of friendships that grow up with you, who have been with you through thick and thin. And now, here we were, watching our own children run off together, making friendships of their own.

Seeing that next generation laughing, exploring and getting just as muddy as we were all those years ago was genuinely magical.

There’s something incredibly grounding about being with people who’ve known you for that long. No pressure, no pretending, just shared history, shared chaos, and now shared parenting.

It made the whole day feel even more special.

Rain? Mud? Who Cares.

The weather was… enthusiastic.

Rain fell steadily, the paths turned to glorious squelching mud, and puddles appeared faster than we could avoid them.

But when you're dressed for the occasion (or at least mostly dressed for it), the rain stops being a problem and starts becoming part of the adventure.

There’s something freeing about giving up on staying clean.

The kids ran wild, and before long, everyone was happily muddy and laughing, the kind of messy joy you just can’t recreate on a sunny, pristine day.

The weather cheered up as the day progressed, still muddy, but free!

What Is Bewilderwood?

If you’ve never been, Bewilderwood is an imaginative woodland adventure park built entirely around outdoor play and storytelling.

Instead of rides and screens, you’ll find:

• Giant wooden play structures hidden among the trees

• Wobbly rope bridges

• Slides, climbing towers and zip wires

• Storytelling areas

• Craft zones

• Den-building opportunities

It’s less of a theme park and more of an invitation to explore.

The whole place feels like you're in a story, one where children are encouraged to climb, balance, crawl, swing and imagine their way through the woods.

Picnic Perfection

It's very picnic-friendly.

There are plenty of spots to stop, refuel and warm up with a flask while the kids continue their adventures and opportunities to buy a hot drink to warm your cockles.

Accessibility & Family-Friendliness

Bewilderwood is designed with families in mind:

• Wide woodland paths suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs in many areas

• Plenty of rest spots

• Clear signage

• Facilities for younger children as well as older adventurers

Some of the play areas are more challenging (treehouses, climbing nets, uneven woodland terrain), but that’s part of the magic, there’s something for every confidence level.

Staff are friendly and the atmosphere is refreshingly pressure-free.

No rush. No queues for rides. Just space to explore at your own pace.

Top Tips for Visiting with Kids

If there’s one thing our missing-boot moment taught us, it’s this:

Preparation helps… but flexibility is everything.

Here’s what we’d recommend bringing:

• Waterproofs (for everyone)

• Spare clothes

• Proper footwear (and maybe a backup pair!)

• A picnic

• A sense of humour

Because whether it rains or not, the best days are the ones where you lean into the adventure rather than fight it.

The Real Magic

The mud washed off.

The PE trainers survived.

And the memories? They stuck.

A rainy day at Bewilderwood reminded us that time outdoors doesn’t need perfect conditions - just good company and a willingness to embrace the unexpected.

Because life rarely goes exactly to plan… and that’s often where the magic lives.