On Saturday we were invited to the opening of the Lauren Child exhibition and Adventure Trail at Mottisfont National Trust. Lauren Child is the author behind the super successful Charlie and Lola brand. We have visited Mottisfont before when Baby was about one; it is such a beautiful property with stunning gardens and we were really keen to head back there for this event.
We are lucky to have this super day out *almost* on our doorstep (about 30 minutes away). When we arrived we picked up a Wild Play map and the Charlie and Lola Adventure trail map. There are two trails, one for under 5s and a longer one for older children, all for an additional donation of £1.
We wandered past the stunning house to the marquee where Charlie and Lola stories were being read to hoards of children.
It wasn’t long before Lauren Child made an appearance and answered questions from the audience. She also signed books that were on sale.
Baby need to stretch her legs, so we headed for the start of the trail.
Give our girl a map and she is beyond happy, so this was right up her street. She loved running around the trail finding the markers and the extra bonuses.
There was just time for a quick sit down to consult the map and make sure we were going the right way.
As she is only 27 months old, I didn’t think she would get as involved in the trail as she did.
The gorgeous on site shop had a large selection of Charlie and Lola merchandise, including limited edition prints.
Baby loved the Shepherd’s hut where the Pesky Rat was hiding with his ‘rat-sized clothes’ hanging out to dry. She was thrilled to see lots of baby ducks on our travels too.
In the courtyard by the shop, there was a craft room boasting a large tree. The children collected a sheet of paper with different shapes on (Baby chose the bird) and then they decorated their shape with crayons, and pieces of ripped up paper. Once her masterpiece was finished, I pinned it to a ribbon on the tree and her Daddy added her name. She was so happy to see her picture up there!
We then went to the art gallery in the house to see the exhibition and I even grabbed a selfie with Lola! The exhibition featured art works from Lauren’s personal collection together with a preview of the illustrations for her new book, celebrating 15 years of Charlie and Lola.
We finished our day with a couple of snaps by Mr Hubby before we set off home, with a VERY tired Baby. We made a little video of our day too.
We had such a lovely time, thanks so much to Jo from the National Trust for inviting us to experience the exhibition and event.
Disclosure: We received free admission to this event. All opinions are my own.
*Baby wears – Tommy Hilfiger top, Little Bird skirt and sandles and H&M hat. We were gifted the top, but we love it.