Best Free Family Day Trips
There are times to splurge on day trips and times to just keep it simple with a low budget outing – and let’s face it, often they are just as much fun.
Here’s our top 10 recommended FREE places to take the kids to burn off some energy and get some fresh air. These are places where you can look to spend at least half a day and take a picnic.
Hughenden Park
This is one of our faves. Hugheden Park is next door to Hughenden Manor in High Wycombe. It’s a public space and not part of the National Trust ‘pay to enter’ area but it is on part of the same land. The wooden adventure playground was newly built in 2018 with input from local school children. We think they did a great job as it’s got plenty to keep the kids busy with things they wouldn’t find in other local playgrounds. It’s ideal for both young and older kids.
The playground is set within lots of open countryside and there is a stream running through the park land. Worth taking a picnic (and a towel!) if it’s a sunny day!
Black Park
Black Park is slightly further away at about a 30 minute drive, near Stoke Poges. We love that you can easily spend a good chunk of the day here. Park up (fees apply) and walk or scooter around the lake to get to the playground and café. Our boys love the woods for sticks and stones and water to throw a few stones in! The playground itself is a wooden style adventure playground, set amongst the trees with interesting structures to explore. Black Park has a great café making a perfect spot for lunch or there are picnic tables too. If you are looking for paid for extra fun, there is the Go Ape Nets Adventure and Go Ape High Ropes onsite.
Dinton Pastures
With current covid regulations at the time of writing, this is one you will need to book – but there are no charge beyond car parking. If you are yet to take the kids to Dinton then you’ve been missing out! Dinton is about a 25 minute drive away from Marlow towards Reading. The country park is set amongst 335 acres of meadows, woodland, lakes and river and there is a beautifully designed playground. A lot of thought has gone into designing something unique and interesting. Our kids ask for a trip there every school holiday. There is a lovely café with good reasonably priced food, indoor and outdoor seating. You can spend a full day here spending very little (maybe just the one coffee?!). Or if you want something more exciting you can hire a boat or the kids can book instructor led outdoor climbing wall sessions.
The Lookout & Discovery Centre
The Lookout discovery centre can be found within Swinley Forest near Bracknell, approximately 30 minutes drive from Marlow. There’s lots to do here from Go Ape to the indoor science centre and discovery role play area, to the outdoor adventure playground, woodland and cycle routes. For a free day out (you will only need to pay for parking) the kids can spend ages enjoying the multiple wooden adventure play areas and forest walks. There are lots of benches to picnic on and a great café too. There is indoor seating if you need it within the café. Our kids love the play structures and attempting to build dens in the woodland. The science centre is paid entry but well worth trying out.
Ockwells Park
Ockwells Park has saved the day for us many a time before the kids started school. Being just a stone’s throw from Marlow in Cox Green, it was always perfect for those last minute ‘get me out’ moments! With the kids now being at school, we hadn’t been there for a while but we went again recently and it’s still a winner! Easy free parking right by the playground, a great playground with sandpit, climbing structures for little and larger children as well as the fitness trail walk. There is a very reasonably priced café and when covid releases us, there is a small indoor play area too for little ones (there is an entry fee for this). What’s not to love!
Denham Country Park
This has been a relatively new find for us. For some reason we haven’t tended to venture towards London, more out West. That said, it’s less than half an hour away and super easy to get to just down the M40, the junction beyond Beaconsfield. You need to pay to park but that’s all. There is a fun adventure playground, cafe and a lovely nature trail where the kids can do brass rubbings (remember to take some paper and crayons!). We also enjoyed walking along the canal watching the long boats negotiate the locks.
Windsor Changing of the Guard
This is something a little different and perhaps best aimed at pre-schoolers. Our kids used to really enjoy this little experience. Firstly – at the time of writing, covid regulations mean that the changing of the guard ceremony is suspended. This said, we are heading out of lockdown, so I am being optimistic that it will be re-starting again soon. We used to drive to Windsor and make a day trip out of visiting the playground, watching the changing of the guard ceremony, seeing the outside of the castle and finally and most eagerly anticipated – visiting the amazing toy shop at the top of Daniels department store! If it’s a ‘free’ day then this could be a good ‘recce’ opportunity for future birthday or Christmas list items!
Wycombe Rye
The Rye in High Wycombe is a large area of grassland and woodland with two playgrounds including a fantastic wooden style adventure playground. The Rye is also home to The Dyke which is a large stretch of water ideal for taking little ones on a mini rowing boat adventure. Further down the stream (beyond the rowing area) there is a mini waterfall and stream which is ideal for tiddler fishing. This is a great place to meet friends for a half day or more, take a picnic and a football or other open space games and the kids will be happy for hours!
Pinewood Adventure Playground
We found this park recently and it’s a place i’m sure we’ll be going back to. With free parking as well as free entry this truly is a free day out (well.. except for the petrol!) The park is in Wokingham which may sound quite far but actually it’s under half an hour away from Marlow. There are two adventure playgrounds, a miniature railway, a trim trail and nature walk. Oh and a very reasonably priced cafe. Normally we are loathed to buy much food out, as it always seems so overpriced. After a long morning play and walking on quite a cold day, it was a real treat to say “Yes” to bacon butties all round!
Henley Park (Mill Meadows)
Henley Park which is officially known as Mill Meadows is a lovely space next to the river Thames. It consists of two separate play areas and a large flat green space overlooking the river. In the summer months you can sometimes be lucky enough to hear a brass band playing in the bandstand or catch a ride on one of the visiting merry go rounds. The park itself is a short walk to the town centre which makes for a nice detour for lunch, although there is a café at the park and the park itself is a perfect place to picnic.
There are times to splurge on day trips and times to just keep it simple with a low budget outing – and let’s face it, often they are just as much fun.
Here’s our top 10 recommended FREE places to take the kids to burn off some energy and get some fresh air. These are places where you can look to spend at least half a day and take a picnic.
Hughenden Park
This is one of our faves. Hugheden Park is next door to Hughenden Manor in High Wycombe. It’s a public space and not part of the National Trust ‘pay to enter’ area but it is on part of the same land. The wooden adventure playground was newly built in 2018 with input from local school children. We think they did a great job as it’s got plenty to keep the kids busy with things they wouldn’t find in other local playgrounds. It’s ideal for both young and older kids.
The playground is set within lots of open countryside and there is a stream running through the park land. Worth taking a picnic (and a towel!) if it’s a sunny day!
Black Park
Black Park is slightly further away at about a 30 minute drive, near Stoke Poges. We love that you can easily spend a good chunk of the day here. Park up (fees apply) and walk or scooter around the lake to get to the playground and café. Our boys love the woods for sticks and stones and water to throw a few stones in! The playground itself is a wooden style adventure playground, set amongst the trees with interesting structures to explore. Black Park has a great café making a perfect spot for lunch or there are picnic tables too. If you are looking for paid for extra fun, there is the Go Ape Nets Adventure and Go Ape High Ropes onsite.
Dinton Pastures
With current covid regulations at the time of writing, this is one you will need to book – but there are no charge beyond car parking. If you are yet to take the kids to Dinton then you’ve been missing out! Dinton is about a 25 minute drive away from Marlow towards Reading. The country park is set amongst 335 acres of meadows, woodland, lakes and river and there is a beautifully designed playground. A lot of thought has gone into designing something unique and interesting. Our kids ask for a trip there every school holiday. There is a lovely café with good reasonably priced food, indoor and outdoor seating. You can spend a full day here spending very little (maybe just the one coffee?!). Or if you want something more exciting you can hire a boat or the kids can book instructor led outdoor climbing wall sessions.
The Lookout & Discovery Centre
The Lookout discovery centre can be found within Swinley Forest near Bracknell, approximately 30 minutes drive from Marlow. There’s lots to do here from Go Ape to the indoor science centre and discovery role play area, to the outdoor adventure playground, woodland and cycle routes. For a free day out (you will only need to pay for parking) the kids can spend ages enjoying the multiple wooden adventure play areas and forest walks. There are lots of benches to picnic on and a great café too. There is indoor seating if you need it within the café. Our kids love the play structures and attempting to build dens in the woodland. The science centre is paid entry but well worth trying out.
Ockwells Park
Ockwells Park has saved the day for us many a time before the kids started school. Being just a stone’s throw from Marlow in Cox Green, it was always perfect for those last minute ‘get me out’ moments! With the kids now being at school, we hadn’t been there for a while but we went again recently and it’s still a winner! Easy free parking right by the playground, a great playground with sandpit, climbing structures for little and larger children as well as the fitness trail walk. There is a very reasonably priced café and when covid releases us, there is a small indoor play area too for little ones (there is an entry fee for this). What’s not to love!
Denham Country Park
This has been a relatively new find for us. For some reason we haven’t tended to venture towards London, more out West. That said, it’s less than half an hour away and super easy to get to just down the M40, the junction beyond Beaconsfield. You need to pay to park but that’s all. There is a fun adventure playground, cafe and a lovely nature trail where the kids can do brass rubbings (remember to take some paper and crayons!). We also enjoyed walking along the canal watching the long boats negotiate the locks.
Windsor Changing of the Guard
This is something a little different and perhaps best aimed at pre-schoolers. Our kids used to really enjoy this little experience. Firstly – at the time of writing, covid regulations mean that the changing of the guard ceremony is suspended. This said, we are heading out of lockdown, so I am being optimistic that it will be re-starting again soon. We used to drive to Windsor and make a day trip out of visiting the playground, watching the changing of the guard ceremony, seeing the outside of the castle and finally and most eagerly anticipated – visiting the amazing toy shop at the top of Daniels department store! If it’s a ‘free’ day then this could be a good ‘recce’ opportunity for future birthday or Christmas list items!
Wycombe Rye
The Rye in High Wycombe is a large area of grassland and woodland with two playgrounds including a fantastic wooden style adventure playground. The Rye is also home to The Dyke which is a large stretch of water ideal for taking little ones on a mini rowing boat adventure. Further down the stream (beyond the rowing area) there is a mini waterfall and stream which is ideal for tiddler fishing. This is a great place to meet friends for a half day or more, take a picnic and a football or other open space games and the kids will be happy for hours!
Pinewood Adventure Playground
We found this park recently and it’s a place i’m sure we’ll be going back to. With free parking as well as free entry this truly is a free day out (well.. except for the petrol!) The park is in Wokingham which may sound quite far but actually it’s under half an hour away from Marlow. There are two adventure playgrounds, a miniature railway, a trim trail and nature walk. Oh and a very reasonably priced cafe. Normally we are loathed to buy much food out, as it always seems so overpriced. After a long morning play and walking on quite a cold day, it was a real treat to say “Yes” to bacon butties all round!
Henley Park (Mill Meadows)
Henley Park which is officially known as Mill Meadows is a lovely space next to the river Thames. It consists of two separate play areas and a large flat green space overlooking the river. In the summer months you can sometimes be lucky enough to hear a brass band playing in the bandstand or catch a ride on one of the visiting merry go rounds. The park itself is a short walk to the town centre which makes for a nice detour for lunch, although there is a café at the park and the park itself is a perfect place to picnic.
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