This life-sized Candyland is the stuff of holiday dreams

Some of us wanted to be Princess Lolly, others thought Queen Frostini was the coolest (quite literally). Regardless, my friends and I always chose Candy Land over all the other board games waiting in the closet. Hungry Hungry Hippos and Chutes & Ladders could wait. Candy Land was the jam.

It seems the folks at Lake Metroparks of Kirtland, Ohio, agree: they’ve created a life-size Candy Land with a “natural twist.” The Penitentiary Glen Nature Center’s Wild Days of Winter game, based on the iconic Candy Land game, is free and open to the public! How cool is that? For those of us who always wanted to live in Candy Land, now we can at least visit! This larger-than-life Candy Land has regular visiting hours from noon to 5 PM through January 3, 2016. Never have I been more envious of Ohio residents.

Using the Candy Land theme as a guide to teach visitors about the “natural” flavors of nature, the game invites players to draw a card, move from space to space, and explore nature throughout the year. For children or adults who are tired of walking around the Wild Days of Winter, refreshments, activity books, and holiday-themed crafts are available.

As Wild Days of Winter naturalist Wendy Pittenger explained, “[Wild Days of Winter is] reinterpreting a classic childhood game but, because this is a nature center, we want to bring nature into it. But the best part is that, instead of just walking around looking at stuff, you become part of it.”

We think this idea is a fabulous one, and urge all Gigglers in the area to go visit! For those who don’t live close enough, maybe we can build our own life-sized board game with an educational twist. If you need me, I’ll be letting Gramma Nutt feed me some chocolate while she complains about her neighbor Mr. Candy Cane.

(Image via Twitter)