52 PLACES TO VISIT OVER THE SUMMER…

Posted by Michelle Casey on 15 Jul 2021

With summer holidays hurtling towards us, some of you may be facing it with varying levels of trepidation. A whole 6 weeks to fill, and some of it still possibly somewhat more restricted than summers gone by.

With that in mind, we have put together a selection of ‘days out with kids’ ideas for you. Plenty of them are very local (we are quite spoilt for fun things to do in the area I reckon!) and some are a little further afield.

Farms

Always a hit with kids of all ages. They can enjoy the animals and learn about the produce grown, and there is always, without exception, awesome play equipment at these places which quite often means the poor animals get forgotten about…

• Hobbledown, Epsom
• Bocketts Farm Park, Leatherhead
• Godstone Farm, Godstone
• Garson’s PYO, Esher
• Tulleys Farm, Crawley
• Deen City Farm, Morden
• Mayfield Lavender Farm, Banstead
• Priory Farm, Nutfield

On our doorstep, Hobbledown is fantastic and has a new Raptor Centre check out Dee’s blog here. But we also thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Bocketts Farm. A hit for us as it had the animals, great play equipment and an area for little ride on toys. Win, win, win!

National Trust/ RHS Beauty Spots/Forestry England

Surrey is awash with stunning spaces which are immaculately kept and just wonderful for a day out. They usually have good facilities too which is always a bonus. Bring a picnic, or enjoy lunch at a café on the grounds (best check they definitely have one first) and have an adventure with the kids.

• Claremont Landscape Gardens, Esher
• Morden Hall Park, Morden
• Headley Heath, Headley
• Polesden Lacey, Dorking
• Wisley Gardens, Wisley
• Box Hill, Tadworth
• Alice Holt Forest, Hampshire

Wisley Gardens is a favourite with us right now. The landscaping is idyllic, and the kids love the playground and den building area. It is a place where you really can’t help but love life- a total joy.

Parks With Playgrounds

Sure to burn off some energy, parks with playgrounds are a great option to while away the day.

• Beddington Park, Wallington
• Bushy Park, Hampton
• Cheam Park, Cheam
• Nork Park, Banstead
• Richmond Park, Richmond
• Painshill Park, Cobham
• Priory Park, Reigate
• Wimbledon Park, South Wimbledon
• Ashtead Recreation Ground, Ashtead
• Stoke Park, Guildford

We are loving Ashtead Rec at the moment- the playground is great and there is a sandpit and water pump for even more amusement.

Beaches/ Pools (outdoor and indoor)

• Camber Sands, Rye
• Goring Gap, West Sussex
• West Wittering Beach, Chichester
• Littlehampton, West Sussex
• Guildford Lido, Guildford
• Hampton Open Air Pool, Hampton
• Pools on the Park, Richmond
• Paddling pool and playground, Stoke Park, Guildford
• Guildford Spectrum, Guildford

Recently, we enjoyed a morning at Guildford Spectrum. When you book a swimming slot, you choose what pool to use. We chose the learner pool where we had a quarter of the pool cordoned off to ourselves. It was perfect for us (a nervous 3 year old and a 6 year old developing his skills).

Soft Play

If the weather refuses to co-operate, you’ll need a contingency plan. Enter soft play…

• Giggles Soft Play, Ewell (unfortunately now closed for August)
• Rainbow Leisure Centre, Epsom
• Kidspace, Croydon
• Kingston Soft Play Centre, Kingston
• Rascals, Epsom
• Cottage Brew and Play, Worcester Park
• Wacky Kingdom, Redhill

We have enjoyed a trip to Rainbow Leisure Centre soft play recently. Both kids really enjoyed it. We had great fun having a little kick about and target practice in the footie area.

Museums

Museums offer lots of interactive experiences as well as the chance to enjoy and learn about the artefacts on display.

• Brooklands Museum, Weybridge
• Horniman Museum, Forest Hill
• Natural History Museum, Kensington
• Science Museum, Kensington
• Whitehall, Cheam

We adore the Natural History Museum. It has a moving T-rex and an earthquake simulator- what more could you need?!

Other Experiences

Kids in the mood for something a little bit different?

• Go Ape, Farnham
• Mercedes Menz World, Cobham
• Indoor skydiving, Basingstoke
• The Sculpture Park, Farnham
• Afternoon tea in a carriage, The Tea Terrace, Cobham
• Thorpe Lakes Aqua Park, Chertsey

Hopefully these suggestions will come in useful for you and your little ones over the summer holidays.

Have a great summer!

Michelle

xx