The Day We Found the Hydra – Family Days Out Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight Follies
Jun 12
4 min read

Updated: Jun 13

It Changed the Way We Spent Time Together

We were not what you’d call “outdoorsy.” As far as family days out on the Isle of Wight go, we’d perfected the art of the precise opposite by staying indoors, in different rooms, on different screens, all vaguely coexisting under one roof. That is, until we saw a Facebook post about a new mythical island thing caught my attention, and it completely rearranged our weekend.

The Day We Found the Hydra – Family Days Out Isle of Wight

Listen to a story here... The kids loathed walking, so much so that they made it known by an implied declaration; walking is a universal injustice in an age of cars! My partner and I, on the other hand, were acutely aware of the cost-of-living black hole, and our tight budget meant excursions had to be short, free or at least low-cost, and preferably involve bribery in the form of sweets.

Then came the idea.

“It’s a mythical creature hunt,” I said.“Do I have to walk?”“You get to quest.”“That sounds worse.”“There may be monsters.”“Fine. But if I get eaten, I’m haunting you.”

Family Days Out Isle of Wight: A Healthy Day Out That Didn’t Feel Like Exercise

We chose Ventnor. Random enough, reachable enough, and allegedly Hydra-infested. The Isle of Wight Follies website had some cryptic news reports (our youngest was delighted to find the Island News claimed a gnome had been caught catfishing in Shalfleet) and an interactive portal that picked our location. It was delightfully daft. And oddly compelling.

Armed with our phones and what the kids called “mythical energy,” we set off.

The kids started spotting things, odd tracks, scratch marks on a lamppost, an unusually wide puddle, and a peculiar shape. It was imagination meets reality in the best possible way. They checked QR codes in windows, compared clues, and even debated creature footprints like amateur cryptozoologists.

For the first time in a long time, they weren’t just looking at their phones. They were looking through them, into the real world.

People Talking to People, Imagine That

At one location, a shopkeeper glanced at our sticker and grinned.

“Seen anything unusual today?”“A Hydra in the bushes,” said one child.“Classic Tuesday,” he replied.

We ordered sandwiches because we needed to sit down and ponder the adventure so far. As we waited, the kids excitedly spoke of the strange breeze, the eerie sense, those dents in the ground that looked like footprints and that led to a conversation about the size of the creature, it must be huuuuge! As we received our tea, cake, and sandwiches, the cafe owner approached us and discreetly handed over a clear plastic bag, gesturing to be quiet about it and that they needed to be careful with it. Inside was a form and a small piece of evidence, very small, barely even visible. The form could be read, and it gave some important details.. Turns out FOLLIES is a top-secret team that catalogues mythical creature sightings.

Federation Of Legendary Lore Investigation & Evidence Specialists

The cafe owner warned us, "Never open that bag, especially on a full moon" he went on to tell us it contains almost real, actual and factual evidence. The kids were silent, jaws hitting the ground, eyes fixed on the bag. The owner leaned closer and whispered, “If you do open the bag, make sure you eat some peanut butter immediately, it won't help, but it'll distract you from the horrors, such as cursing your goldfish to speak in German or your dog stealing your pizza!”, the cafe owner carried on about his businesses.

The kids took a photo of the evidence bag and talked about that on the Ventnor group page (giving future travellers some tips and adding a story). They also reviewed the cafe and awarded it a glowing appraisal. They still weren't done; the next step was to send a report to the Island News, and there was a bit of embellishment in their story. We're looking forward to seeing that in print ;-)

The Follies got two new fans, and we've got 43 more proper family days out.

Unexpected Benefits (Other Than Hydra Hunting Bragging Rights)

What struck us most was the unexpected bonding. Usually, one kid would be gaming, the other doom-scrolling, and we’d be juggling household logistics and wondering when family time stopped being a thing.

This? This was different.

We walked. We talked. We swapped jokes, invented lore, and shared a single narrative. And it was ours: play, purpose, and the occasional panini.

The kids began planning the next outing before the first one ended.

“Let’s go to Newport next. I heard a Dragon’s been spotted in the arcade.”“No, East Cowes. Someone saw a Minotaur at the bowling alley.”“Mum, can I write a report for Island News? I want to warn people about Hydra drool at the bandstand in Ventnor.”