10 of the best Easter attractions & family days out
With the Easter holidays fast approaching and lock down easing, we thought you may like some inspiration for getting out and about… beyond ‘a walk’!!
No sooner have the kids gone back to school than they are back home for Easter!
So, with two weeks to fill (thankfully without home-schooling this time), at MarlowMums we wanted to give you some options of fun things to do to keep your kids occupied during Easter and beyond, keeping your sanity in place…
1. Willows Activity Farm – Reopening Monday 12th April
Willows Farm, otherwise known as ‘Peter Rabbit World’ is near St Albans, about 40 minutes away. This is a must visit for any Peter Rabbit fans and will keep pre-schoolers and KS 1 children occupied all day. There is a fab indoor role play village, lots of great outdoor Peter Rabbit themed play grounds and during peak periods there are also themed shows and performances.
How to get tickets: All members and non-members must book an online ticket. You can also call them on 0333 3312060.
2. Stoner Park – Reopening Friday 2nd April
Stonor Park opened to the public a few years back and since then it has been continually improved and extended. It’s about 20mins away out toward Henley. It feels like a national trust park, but it’s actually privately owned by the Stonor family. Last year the play area was extended significantly to include a large natural wood play structure set amongst the trees. Kids love the sand and water play and the beautiful walled gardens to explore. Entry is about £25 for a family of 4 plus car parking charges.
How to get tickets: Stonor is running a special Easter trail called ‘Tumble Stone Hollow’ which requires booking in advance but guarantees a refund in the event of cancellation. Adults are £8.50 and children are roughly a tenner. Children under 92cm go FREE!
3. Hobbledown Adventure Farm – Reopening Monday 12th April
This is a fantastic day out for all the family. Hobbledown is roughly 50 minutes from Marlow heading south around the M25 near Chessington. The journey is well worth it as there is so much to see and do. The park is themed around the Hobbledown children’s book, a fantastical and magical book about Hobblers battling with Skibblers! There are so many fantastic and novel things to explore at this adventure park that it’s better to take a look at it than to try and describe it. A family of 4 entry costs around £70. A bit punchy but worth it for a special day out. FYI: when Hobbledown re-opens on the 12th April, the indoor play barn will be closed; it re-opens on the 17th May.
How to get tickets: You can book in advance up to a maximum of 6 tickets at one time. Annual Pass members are not charged. £17 per person.
4. Wellington Country Park – Reopening Monday 12th April
Wellington is about 30mins from Marlow towards Reading. It’s a favourite kiddy day out for many, offering plenty to keep the kids entertained for a full day. There are multiple great climbing frames, fantastic slides, train rides, animals, bouncy pillows, rides on – everything you would hope for whilst catering for toddlers and primary schoolers up to the age of 8. A family of 4 will cost just over £60 for entry. 2’s and under free.
How to get tickets: You have to purchase tickets for a pre-booked time slot, and the rule of 6 or 2 household applies. Tickets are non-refundable for any reason, but you can move your booking 48 hours prior to your booking.
5. 4 Kingdoms Adventure Park & Family Farm – Reopening Monday 12th April
4 Kingdoms is about an hour from Marlow, near Newbury. We felt the journey was well worth it for a great and affordable day out. The set-up is a little different from some of the other attractions in that there are lots of ‘ride on’ style toys and things here which you wouldn’t find somewhere else. The best bit is that once you are in, there is nothing else to pay for. The kids can go-kart, pedalo, dragon ride and train ride until their heart’s content (without it costing you extra!). A family of 4 will cost about £45 for entry.
How to get tickets: The site currently says it’s still temporarily closed; however we their Facebook feed confirms opening on the 12th.
6. Dinton Pastures Country Park – Play Park is open!
Roughly 25 minutes from Marlow, Dinton Pastures Country Park offers a fantastic FREE day out (you will just need to pay for parking). The park is set within a massive area of woodland, meadows and lakes with trails to explore. There is a cafe and wonderful large natural play area which kids young and old enjoy.
How to get tickets: You can book online for the Play Park, however the slots do get booked up so you will likely need to book well in advance.
7. Beckonscot Model Village – Reopening Monday 12th April
Bekonscot Model Village and Railway is the world’s oldest and original model village, opening for the first time in 1929. With 90 years of history, a huge model railway, 1.5 acres of immaculate gardens and finely detailed model buildings, Bekonscot holds a special place in our hearts. We would say it’s ideally suited to toddlers, pre-schoolers and perhaps KS1 age children – or of course any train enthusiasts of all ages! There is a cafe, play area and train ride. A family of 4 costs £36. Under 2s are free.
How to get tickets: Even though the site is saying ‘book online’ it currently says ‘no sessions have been found’ so our advice would be to call them on 01494 672919 or keep trying on the below link.
8. Dinosaur Escape Adventure Golf – Reopening Monday 29th March
This is a ‘littler’ trip rather than full day out but good fun for something different. About 25 minutes away from Marlow is a dinosaur themed adventure golf park. The dinosaurs are pretty impressive! 1 parent and child under 5 costs £7.50 for a round of 18 holes otherwise it’s roughly £10 per person. For younger children there is a soft play on site which makes a nice place for a coffee and sit down whilst watching the kids burn off any extra energy (when this is open).
How to get tickets: As they open soon, they are taking online pre-bookings with plenty of sessions to choose from. All players must be from the same household.
9. Beale Park Wildlife Park and Gardens – Reopening Monday 12th April
Beale Park is about a 45-minute drive from Marlow out beyond Reading. This attraction has loads to do and is ideal for younger children, pre-school up to KS 1. There are gardens to explore, a train ride, ‘little tikes’ toddler village and playgrounds including sandpits and water play. There are also lots of animals! Plenty to do to keep younger kids entertained all day. A family ticket for 4 is roughly £35
How to get tickets: Pre-booking is now open. Book your tickets online.
10. Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens – Opening date TBC
This is one of our favourite zoo trips! It takes about an hour to get there but you can definitely spend a full day exploring the park and all the 260 different animal species, oh and parking is FREE! There is a great adventure play area, a train ride, cafe and all that you’d hope for on a ‘zoo’ day out. A family of 4 will cost just over £50 for entry.
How to get tickets: Normally you can only purchase tickets a day before you are due to go, however we have been trying to book and there are no options at the moment. Their Facebook feed suggests they will be re-opening, so fingers crossed they open for pre-bookings soon.
We hope you all have a lovely Easter break and we will back in touch soon!
Love Lisa and JoJo xx
With the Easter holidays fast approaching and lock down easing, we thought you may like some inspiration for getting out and about… beyond ‘a walk’!!
No sooner have the kids gone back to school than they are back home for Easter!
So, with two weeks to fill (thankfully without home-schooling this time), at MarlowMums we wanted to give you some options of fun things to do to keep your kids occupied during Easter and beyond, keeping your sanity in place…
1. Willows Activity Farm – Reopening Monday 12th April
Willows Farm, otherwise known as ‘Peter Rabbit World’ is near St Albans, about 40 minutes away. This is a must visit for any Peter Rabbit fans and will keep pre-schoolers and KS 1 children occupied all day. There is a fab indoor role play village, lots of great outdoor Peter Rabbit themed play grounds and during peak periods there are also themed shows and performances.
How to get tickets: All members and non-members must book an online ticket. You can also call them on 0333 3312060.
2. Stoner Park – Reopening Friday 2nd April
Stonor Park opened to the public a few years back and since then it has been continually improved and extended. It’s about 20mins away out toward Henley. It feels like a national trust park, but it’s actually privately owned by the Stonor family. Last year the play area was extended significantly to include a large natural wood play structure set amongst the trees. Kids love the sand and water play and the beautiful walled gardens to explore. Entry is about £25 for a family of 4 plus car parking charges.
How to get tickets: Stonor is running a special Easter trail called ‘Tumble Stone Hollow’ which requires booking in advance but guarantees a refund in the event of cancellation. Adults are £8.50 and children are roughly a tenner. Children under 92cm go FREE!
3. Hobbledown Adventure Farm – Reopening Monday 12th April
This is a fantastic day out for all the family. Hobbledown is roughly 50 minutes from Marlow heading south around the M25 near Chessington. The journey is well worth it as there is so much to see and do. The park is themed around the Hobbledown children’s book, a fantastical and magical book about Hobblers battling with Skibblers! There are so many fantastic and novel things to explore at this adventure park that it’s better to take a look at it than to try and describe it. A family of 4 entry costs around £70. A bit punchy but worth it for a special day out. FYI: when Hobbledown re-opens on the 12th April, the indoor play barn will be closed; it re-opens on the 17th May.
How to get tickets: You can book in advance up to a maximum of 6 tickets at one time. Annual Pass members are not charged. £17 per person.
4. Wellington Country Park – Reopening Monday 12th April
Wellington is about 30mins from Marlow towards Reading. It’s a favourite kiddy day out for many, offering plenty to keep the kids entertained for a full day. There are multiple great climbing frames, fantastic slides, train rides, animals, bouncy pillows, rides on – everything you would hope for whilst catering for toddlers and primary schoolers up to the age of 8. A family of 4 will cost just over £60 for entry. 2’s and under free.
How to get tickets: You have to purchase tickets for a pre-booked time slot, and the rule of 6 or 2 household applies. Tickets are non-refundable for any reason, but you can move your booking 48 hours prior to your booking.
5. 4 Kingdoms Adventure Park & Family Farm – Reopening Monday 12th April
4 Kingdoms is about an hour from Marlow, near Newbury. We felt the journey was well worth it for a great and affordable day out. The set-up is a little different from some of the other attractions in that there are lots of ‘ride on’ style toys and things here which you wouldn’t find somewhere else. The best bit is that once you are in, there is nothing else to pay for. The kids can go-kart, pedalo, dragon ride and train ride until their heart’s content (without it costing you extra!). A family of 4 will cost about £45 for entry.
How to get tickets: The site currently says it’s still temporarily closed; however we their Facebook feed confirms opening on the 12th.
6. Dinton Pastures Country Park – Play Park is open!
Roughly 25 minutes from Marlow, Dinton Pastures Country Park offers a fantastic FREE day out (you will just need to pay for parking). The park is set within a massive area of woodland, meadows and lakes with trails to explore. There is a cafe and wonderful large natural play area which kids young and old enjoy.
How to get tickets: You can book online for the Play Park, however the slots do get booked up so you will likely need to book well in advance.
7. Beckonscot Model Village – Reopening Monday 12th April
Bekonscot Model Village and Railway is the world’s oldest and original model village, opening for the first time in 1929. With 90 years of history, a huge model railway, 1.5 acres of immaculate gardens and finely detailed model buildings, Bekonscot holds a special place in our hearts. We would say it’s ideally suited to toddlers, pre-schoolers and perhaps KS1 age children – or of course any train enthusiasts of all ages! There is a cafe, play area and train ride. A family of 4 costs £36. Under 2s are free.
How to get tickets: Even though the site is saying ‘book online’ it currently says ‘no sessions have been found’ so our advice would be to call them on 01494 672919 or keep trying on the below link.
8. Dinosaur Escape Adventure Golf – Reopening Monday 29th March
This is a ‘littler’ trip rather than full day out but good fun for something different. About 25 minutes away from Marlow is a dinosaur themed adventure golf park. The dinosaurs are pretty impressive! 1 parent and child under 5 costs £7.50 for a round of 18 holes otherwise it’s roughly £10 per person. For younger children there is a soft play on site which makes a nice place for a coffee and sit down whilst watching the kids burn off any extra energy (when this is open).
How to get tickets: As they open soon, they are taking online pre-bookings with plenty of sessions to choose from. All players must be from the same household.
9. Beale Park Wildlife Park and Gardens – Reopening Monday 12th April
Beale Park is about a 45-minute drive from Marlow out beyond Reading. This attraction has loads to do and is ideal for younger children, pre-school up to KS 1. There are gardens to explore, a train ride, ‘little tikes’ toddler village and playgrounds including sandpits and water play. There are also lots of animals! Plenty to do to keep younger kids entertained all day. A family ticket for 4 is roughly £35
How to get tickets: Pre-booking is now open. Book your tickets online.
10. Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens – Opening date TBC
This is one of our favourite zoo trips! It takes about an hour to get there but you can definitely spend a full day exploring the park and all the 260 different animal species, oh and parking is FREE! There is a great adventure play area, a train ride, cafe and all that you’d hope for on a ‘zoo’ day out. A family of 4 will cost just over £50 for entry.
How to get tickets: Normally you can only purchase tickets a day before you are due to go, however we have been trying to book and there are no options at the moment. Their Facebook feed suggests they will be re-opening, so fingers crossed they open for pre-bookings soon.
We hope you all have a lovely Easter break and we will back in touch soon!
Love Lisa and JoJo xx
Family walks
Frieth Village Short Walk
This walk starts in Frieth village and does a short loop through the joining fields, into a small bit of woodland before returning on a circular loop. The walk finishes with walking through Frieth village itself. It is such a quiet village that we didn’t find it a problem walking the kids down the road.When […]
Turville Heath Family Walk
Turville Heath is a ‘green’ type area where The Barn Cafe can be found. This café is unique in that you cannot reach it by car. That heath is a lovely place to rest and refresh half way through a walk. We love this walk for the beautiful countryside with fantastic views and woodland for […]
Marlow Bottom Woods Walk
There is a stretch of woodland that sits between Marlow and Marlow Bottom. These are great for exploring with interesting trees to climb, a fab rope swing, fields and great spots for blackberry picking when they are in season. On the map below I’ve suggested one route but you can make this walk as long […]