Visiting the Moomin Adventure at Kew Gardens

It was a tad disappointing that Baby Boy didn’t quite realise how lucky he was to be at the fun Moomin Adventure in stunning Kew Gardens. Several friends had recommended me to visit the event, and for me there was nowhere else I’d rather be on a gorgeous sunny spring day in London. 

The sweet Moomins, created by Finnish author Tove Jansson, are characters I remember from growing up in Scandinavia and Baby Boy and Big Girl are familiar with the Moomins from books.

One of the key themes in Moomin stories is closeness to nature, and the Moomins live in a remote place where they lead an outdoorsy lifestyle. With this in mind, I think Kew is an ideal setting for a Moomin-themed Easter festival, and the Moomin activities on offer at Kew now reminded me of some of the things I feel my children might miss out on when growing up in London. 

The event, which finishes on 17 April, includes a Moomin trail, starting from the Victoria Gate. When following the trail, families can learn fun facts about trees and plants, such as Redwood trees and Tulips.

The real highlight, however, is the Moomin festival campsite where there are tents with activities for kids–crafts, den building, face painting and planting. The site is near the natural wood log trail, which is a Kew family favourite that is spot on for a Moomin adventure and fun for testing balancing skills.

Baby Boy and I arrived at the campsite close to 4pm when the daily activities finish, but we still had a chance to buy three mini pancakes with Nutella (£4) from the snack tent at the site.

On the way out I noticed there was also a puppet show we could have booked tickets for if we’d visited on a weekend or bank holiday, and there were lots of sun loungers by the lake for those wanting to make the most of the beautiful weather. 

And with the chance to see a Moomin in the garden too I think the Moomin Adventure at Kew was pretty great for a sunny day–even for Baby Boy who preferred to watch Snorkfroken from a safe distance. 

Remember to pick up a Mommin event newspaper by the entrance, as it’s worth looking at the map to find the Moomin festival campsite. The Moomin meet-and-greet sessions are 11.30am-noon and 2-2.30pm daily, but we came later and were still lucky enough to see a Moomin. For families wanting to spend a full day at Kew Gardens, there are also a number of other things to do in the garden, such as visiting the Climbers and Creepers play area and the outdoor playground in the same area

Photo credit top pictures: © Moomin Characters ™

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