At some point during the school holidays, there is usually a themed trail to follow at Black Park. The girls and I have done quite a few different ones – Easter trails, fairy trails, bugs and beasts. We loved doing the trails together but I hadn’t done one with Sophie since Jessica died. In the last week of the holidays, we met up with one of Jessica’s school friends A and her mum to hunt for dinosaurs on the dinosaur trail.
The trails tend to follow a similar route around Black Park. They’re a good length – long enough to be a nice walk but short enough for little legs to manage. Some of the locations along the way bring back memories of previous trails. Jessica used to point out where we’d found certain things. The troll’s hands on a bridge over a little stream was one that must have been particularly memorable as we never passed that spot again without her mentioning it. This time it was A who remembered it.
Our trail map had a series of questions to answer as we found each of the dinosaurs. The answers to the questions could be found on the information board at each dinosaur location.
I have to admit I know very little about dinosaurs. I can recognise a few of the better known ones, such as Tyrannosaurus Rex, Stegosaurus or Triceratops. Other than that, my knowledge is very limited. I found the information board at each of the dinosaurs very interesting and learned a few things along the way. For instance, did you know that the brain of a Stegosaurus was about the size of a plum or that a Triceratops had 800 teeth?
A had brought a T Rex pincher toy with her. Sophie loved this and the two girls had fun taking it in turns to make their dinosaur “eat” the ferns in the woods or pick up sticks in its teeth.
As well as hunting for dinosaurs, Sophie enjoyed collecting sticks and leaves. Some of them were a bit too big for Mummy to be willing to take them home though!
Once we had found all ten dinosaurs on the trail and answered the questions, we returned to the visitor centre to collect our prizes. The girls got to choose their prize from a selection of dinosaur-themed goodies. Sophie couldn’t resist the pink pterodactyl rubber ducky.
It was lovely to have a day out with one of Jessica’s friends. I enjoyed catching up with A’s mum and Sophie loved having a playmate. It was lovely too to be able to chat so easily and naturally about Jessica and to revisit some happy memories of similar days out. It will always be bittersweet to make these new memories without her but she was still very much a part of our day out and that meant a lot to me.
This looks like a lovely place and a fun day out with lots of happy memories old and new. ‘Plum brain’ is going to be our new family phase for those of little intellect from now on!! I reckon you’ll know a few more dinosaur details before Sophie is very much older too and I love that giant stick. We used to have car-fulls of sticks and not-so-small branches after days out like this. Glad you had such a lovely catch up. #CountryKids
Lol I like “plum brain” as a phrase to use in that way! It was a fun way to learn more about dinosaurs 🙂
Visiting any of these favourite places for the first time must be so hard, just when you get through one “first time” another comes up. I do admire how you handle each situation, how sensible to bring a friend of Jessica’s, good company for you and Sophie. As for the dinosaurs, fear not, you are going to become a dino expert as Thomas grows up! I’d love to know where they get the dinosaurs from and where they go after, I’m always searching for something really impressive like this for one of our trails. #CountryKids
There are so many places that we visited and had fun memories from and the first time going back to each of them is always the hardest. I would imagine that the team at Black Park have contacts at Pinewood studios for getting things like this especially as Pinewood borders Black Park and there is often filming taking place somewhere in the park. There was some filming going on when we visited – half the car park was taken up with film trailers. Not sure what film it is though x
This looks like such a lovely place to visit and I love that they do different themed trails so that every visit can be different. It’s lovely that you can be reminded of happy times with Jessica when you visit places like this – I am so sorry for your loss.
#CountryKids
Thank you. It is a lovely place to visit and we have so many happy memories of days out.
That looks like lots of fun. You wait until your little man is a bit older, you will know everything about dinosaurs then! My son seems to have been born with an inbuilt knowledge of them! #Countrykids
Lol yes I am sure I will learn more from the children as they get older!
How fabulous that you were able tok meet up with one of Jessica’s friends and to chat away and share your love for her. It looks like a lovely day out. Mich x
It was a lovely day and so nice to spend time with one of Jessica’s friends and her mum.
It’s a ‘raa’ from my little ones here as that’s what dinosaurs do right? I’m sure my youngest would say Sophie made a great choice. #CountryKids
Thank you, she really enjoyed it 🙂
I love Sophie’s big stick! What a lovely day out – it must’ve been so nice to share happy memories. #countrykids
It was a lovely day out and so nice to be able to chat about those memories too.