... for free during the holidays would be nice but that's not always possible. We nearly always do the picnic & walk to a nearby forest, country park or stream.
My kids don't potter - it's full steam ahead from the moment they wake up, however they do sleep well!
So, today I scoured the internet for recommended playgrounds for us to visit, still with picnic in tow to keep the cost down. This is what I've come up with. Any other recommendations? Please feel free to comment. I haven't found that many really good playgrounds for FREE!!!!! Maybe you know of some.
Local to us:
Lydiard Park, Swindon, Wiltshire - FREE
Bowood House, Calne, Wiltshire
National Trust properties with woodland play areas - great to make use of your membership:
Polesden Lacey, near Dorking, Surrey (I've read that there is an outdoor play area called Squirrels Corner hidden in the woods - yet to find images, can anyone confirm?)
Belton House, Grantham, Lincolnshire
Cragside House, Morpeth, Northumberland
Chirk Castle, Wrexham, Wales
Killerton House, Exeter, Devon
Other Adventure Playgrounds
Ragley Hall Park & Gardens, Alcester, Warwickshire
Lower Leas Coastal Park, Folkestone, Kent - FREE
Chatsworth, Bakewell, Derbyshire
Floors Castle, Kelso, Scotland
Harewood House, Harewood, Leeds
Cannon Hall Farm, Cawthorne, South Yorkshire
Princess of Wales Memorial Playground, Kensington Gardens, London - FREE I think
Wilton House, Wilton, nr Salisbury, Wiltshire
Bewilderwood, Hoveton, Norfolk - can voucher for this one, my kids had an amazing time in the pouring rain!!!
Moors Valley, nr Ringwood, Dorset - FREE (sort of, you have to pay to park the car)
Puzzlewood, Forest of Dean - looks lovely, yet to be tried.
Wellington Country Park, Reading, Berkshire
Go Ape - 27 locations, age 10+
Jungle Parc - Liverpool & Wellingborough, age 4+
Thanks for this list- a few I haven't heard of there. It might be a bit far for you, but we often go to Millets Farm near Abbingdon- there is a small park, but also a few farm animals, woodland walk, lake with ducks on etc all for free. There's a restaurant, farm shop and garden centre there, so I suppose they throw the other stuff on for free in the hope that you'll spend your pennies in there!
ReplyDeleteThen in the summer hols they have a Maize maze which you do have a to pay a bit for and some old fashioned fairground rides etc. Always good for a thrifty day out, if you can resist the delicious farm shop!