Packed full of great ideas to keep the children busy during the 2017 summer holidays. With ideas ranging from attractions, parks, cheap days out, National Trust areas, woodland walks, and free places to visit and have fun, this ‘Things To Do With Kids This Summer In Surrey and Hampshire’ guide is a must read as the summer holidays creep closer and closer.

In Hampshire, the start of the summer holidays is 26 July 2017 and school starts around the 3^rd September. In Surrey, the summer school term ends on 21st and school resumes on 4^th September.

I’ve decided to leave out soft play centres and stay and play/ceramics cafe type attractions because a simple google search will always reveal the closets one to you and I would say, if you’re reading this, there’s probably a good chance you’ve already been to one or two soft play places in your time!

Here is a list of great attractions, days out and walks that will hopefully help you plan your summer. I’ve tried to include as many free and cheap options as possible on the lists, as we all know that being a parent is expensive and, although we want to give our children the best memories, it’s important to remember that what our kids will appreciate more is the time you’ve spent with them, not the money you’ve spent on them! So with that in mind, I hope you’re able to find a few ideas that suit your family and their needs this summer.

I’m also in the process of writing a comprehensive “What’s On For Kid This Summer In Surrey and Hampshire 2018” guide that I would urge you to look at if you want to plan some great events into your summer festivities! Link will be here when it’s live.

PRICES UPDATED IN JUNE 2017
(Prices exclude Gift Aid)

Things To Do With The Kids This Summer In Surrey

Theme Parks/Play Spaces/Farms

• Epsom: Hobbledown Basically the coolest place on Earth – a dreamy adventure farm park jam packed full of fun for children aged roughly between 3-13. Prices vary by time of day, but no matter what time you arrive, under 2’s get free entry.

• Chertsey: Thorpe Park

• Chessington: Chessigton World Of Adventures Liz from Elizabethlucy.co.uk used her merlin family to visit Chessington and share their experiences and what to expect from a day out here.

• Farnham: Go Ape at Alice Holt Forest

• Camberley: Gravity Force Trampoline Park With it being the largest trampoline park in the Surrey area, Gravity Force Trampoline Park has loads of features, including over 50 interconnected trampolines in various shapes and sizes, two epic dodge ball courts, slam dunk basketball lanes with trampoline launch pads and a huge foam pit with over 6,000 foam blocks.

• Leatherhead: Bockett’s Farm Éva from Captain Bobcat has reviewed a day out at Bockett’s Farm, you can read it here. (Adult £10.50, Children 3-17 years £10.95, Children 2 years £9.20, Senior Citizen 60 years + £9.80, Disabled £8.20 and Children Under 2 years go free.)

• Godstone: Godstone Farm The farm offers an array of animals to see and there’s also an animal holding centre where you can hold animals such as rabbits and chicks. There are also tractor rides on offer, outdoor and indoor play areas, a maze and lots more. Admission prices vary according to the time of year and children under 1 go free.

• Guildford: Guildford Lido

• Guildford: Wild Wood Adventure (at Stoke Park)

• Epsom: Horton Park Jungle Adventure Golf  No booking required, just turn up on the day! (Adults £9.75, Children £7.75, Family from £28.00)

Days Out

• Farnham: Birdworld Birdworld is one of those places we have visited countless times, with so many animals to see and the inclusion of “Underwater World”, it’s a must see! (Prices vary with time of year, for peak summer times where the park is fully open, the prices are: Adult £15.95, Under 3 Free, Child 3-6 £12.95, Child 7-15 £13.95, Family £49.95, Concession £13.95)

• Farnham: Rural Life Center (Adult £9.00, Over 60 / Concession £8.00, Child 4-16 £6.00, Family (2 adults & their children) £27.00, Children Under 4 go Free)

• Weybridge: London Bus Museum

• Weybridge: Brooklands Museum We have never been to the Brooklands Museum, but I have heard amazing things about it and it’s definitely on our bucket list! (Adult £11.00, Senior Citizen/Student £10.00, Children (5-16) £6.00, Family ticket £30.00 (2 adults & up to 3 children), Children under 5 free)

• Chertsey: Great Cockcrow Railway

• Thames Ditton: Malden Miniature Railway

• Lingfield: British Wildlife Centre  (Open daily from Sat 22 July to Sunday 3 September 2017)

• Tatsfield: Beaver Water World (Beaver Zoological Gardens & Reptile Rescue Ltd)

• Worcester: Surbiton Raceway/Tolworth Karting

National Trust(Paid Entry)/Gardens/Walks

• Tadworth, Dorking: Box Hill
• Wisley: RHS Wisley Gardens
• East Mosley: Hampton Court Palace
• Hambledon: Surrey Hills Llamas [Pre-booked only]
• Cobham: Painshill Landscape Gardens
• Churt: The Sculpture Park This place is one of Farnham’s little gems; hidden away in the woodland, you’ll find hundreds of magnificent sculptures waiting for you. There’s a brilliant blog post from In Her 30’s which gives you all the details you need to know about the park – especially if you’re taking a buggy!
• Dapdune Wharf
• Dorking: Polesdon Lacey
• Guildford: Hatchlands Park 
• Godalming: Winkworth Arboretum (Adult £7.60, Child £3.80, Family £19.00, Group bookings available)
  
• Dorking: Leith Hill

Free Places To Visit

• Farnham: Waverley Abbey Ruins Open during the day time, a peaceful walk through the grassy ruins of Waverley Abbey. Dogs welcome, limited free parking.

• Farnham: Farnham Castle Keep Assistant dogs only, limited free parking.

• Farnham: Alice Holt Forest We absolutely love visiting Alice Holt Forest; there’s so much to see and do and there really is something for everyone. They even have wheelchair accessible trails and excellent toilet facilities for people in need of height adjustable changing beds and hoists. Here’s what we think of having a day out at Alice Holt. [Parking £1.80 up to 1 hour, £3.00 up to 2 hours, £4.50 up to 3 hours, £6.00 up to 4 hours, £8.00 over 4 hours]

• Farnham: Frensham Great Pond & Frensham Little Pond  [Paid Parking]

• Guildford: Stoke Park

• Guildford: Guildford Castle Grounds

• Hindhead: The Devil’s Punch Bowl To find out more about this wonderful area of outstanding beauty, have a read of Stephanie from Renovation Bay-Bee’s blog post and marvel over those gorgeous views. [Paid Car Park £4 unless unless you have National Trust membership]

• Basingstoke: Basingstoke Canal

• Bracknell: Virginia Water Lake at Windsor Great Park [Paid Parking]

• Bracknell: Swinley Forest [Paid Parking]

• Old Windsor, Berkshire: Visit the dogs and cats at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home (Small donation required to visit)

• Farnborough: Farnborough Air Sciences Trust Museum (FAST) (Open 10:00am to 4:00pm Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays)

• Reigate: Priory Park

• Caterham: Queen’s Park

• Woking: The Lightbox

• Lightwater: Lightwater Country Park

• Elstead, Godalming: Thursley Common

• Grayshott, Hindhead: Grayshott Pottery Tour  Grayshott Pottery occasionally host free behind the scenes tours, advanced booking required.

• Weybridge: Mercedes-Benz World Museum No need to book a driving experience, just wonder through looking at the dazzling race cars and enjoy the museum. You can also watch people using the track from the cafe.

• Banstead: Mayfield Lavender Farm A 25 acre working lavender farm, just a short drive 15 mile drive from central London. Open during the summer months, Manasi from In Her 30’s shows us how beautiful getting lost in hedgerows of purple can look. [£2 car parking fee]
• Frimley: Frimely Lodge Park

Enjoy a lovely walk for FREE on the Surrey/Hampshire border: Ceaser’s Camp!

Things To Do With The Kids This Summer In Hampshire

Theme Parks/Play Spaces/Farms

• The New Forest: Paultons Park (Home to Peppa Pig World!) Paultons Park is a must see attraction in Hampshire, Lucy from Mrs H’s Favourite Things has written a Paultons Park family theme park review which you can read if you want to know what’s in store for your visit!

• Petersfield: Butser Ancient Farm  (Adults £8.00, 5 to 16yr £4.00, Family (2 adults, 2 children) £20.00,Concessions – includes OAP’s, students & disabled. Carer comes free £7.00)

• Southampton: Go Ape

• Southampton: Manor Farm Rachel from The Illustrated Teacup celebrated her little boy’s birthday here and it sounds like they had a magical time. (Adult £8, Child (3 to 16 years) £5, under 3 years FREE, Senior (60+) £7, Family ticket (2 adults, 2 children) £25, Family ticket (2 adults, 3 children) £29)

• Havant: Staunton Country Park and Farm (Adult £8.50, Senior Citizen/ special needs/ student/ unemployed/ helpers £7.50, Essential helpers admitted free of charge, Child – ages 3 to 16 £4.50, Family – 2 adults and 2 children £24, Family – 2 adults and 3 children £27)

• Southampton: Oxygen Free Jumping (Trampoline Park) Oxygen Free Jumping is huge trampoline park that is guaranteed not to disappoint. Rachel shares why at £10 an hour, this is a complete bargain and a great day out.

Days Out

• Portsmouth: Blue Reef Aquarium Adult £10.75 (£8.60 online, 3-12yr £8.25 (£6.60 online), Family of 4 £36.00 (£33.20 online) and under 3’s go free.

• Southampton: New Forest Wildlife Park We recently had a day out at the New Forest Wildlife Park and absolutely loved it!

• Winchester: Marwell Zoo This zoo is an all round crowd pleaser, I’ve been here loads of times and it makes the perfect day out for families. There’s even a train! Read Rachel’s from Illustrated Teacup blog’s review of having a first birthday at Marwell Zoo.

• The Newforst: Beaulieu National Motor Museum

• Portsmouth: Portsmouth Historic Dockyard Museum

• Portsmouth: Spinnaker Tower While you’re in Portsmouth, check out Gunwharf Quays and visit the Emerites Spinnaker Tower – you can even get abseiling experiences if you’re brave enough.

• Andover: Hawk Conservancy Trust

• Alton/Alresford: Mid Hants Railway Watercress Line An amazing day out for any train fans you have, because who doesn’t want to see real life Thomas The Tank Engine? We’ve gone with Luke and we had the absolute BEST time ever, you can read our review here!

• Chawton: Jane Austen’s House Museum

• Southampton: Solent Sky Museum (Adults – £7.50, Concessions – £6.00, Children – (5 – 16) £5.00)

• Basingstoke: Milestones Museum (Adult £11.00, 5-16yr £7.30, Under 5 is free. Group bookings available)

• Stockbridge: Museum Of Army Flying (Adult – £12.00, Child – £7.00, Senior/Student – £9.00, Family (2 adults and 3 children) – £35.00. Under 5’s free. Free admission for qualifying military members.)

• Winchester: Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium Emma has some great tips on how to get to the science centre cheaply and describes some of the activities available and their suitable ages over on her blog post Easter Days Out Round Up. (Adults – £10.91, Senior / Student – £8.73, Children – (3 – 16) £7.64, Children 0-2 Free.)

National Trust(Paid Entry)/Gardens/Walks

• • Romsey: Sir Harold Hillier Gardens  (Adult £10.40, 5-16yr £2.40, Under 5 is free. Family tickets available.)

• • Portchester: Portchester Castle (Adult £6.20, 5-16yr £3.70. Family tickets available)

• New Forest, near Beaulieu: Exbury Gardens Prices vary depending on whether you are just visiting the gardens, or whether you want to enjoy the steam train as well.

• Romsey: Mottisfont (Adult – £14.50, Child – £7.25, Family £36.25)

• Winchester: Winchester Cathedral

• Fareham: Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve (Adults £4.25, Senior Citizens, students and groups £4, Children (5 to 15 years) £2, Family Ticket (2 adults & 2 children) £10, Visitors registered disabled £4 (helper free)

Free Places To Visit:

• Portsmouth: Southsea Southsea makes such a great day out, it’s another place that we regularly visit. In fact, it’s actually where my boyfriend and I had our first date, so it’s extra special to us. It’s a great family destination too, as Emma explains in her post about why Southsea is a great day out for all the family.

• Yatley: Yatley Common

• Winchester: The Great Hall, Castle Avenue Suggested donation of £3 for entry.

• Portsmouth: Southsea Castle Free of charge between March and October every year.

• Southampton: Netley Abbey

• Fleet: Fleet Pond [Free parking]

• Chobham, Chobham Common

• Lyndhurst: New Forest National Park

• Moors Valley Country Park  [Paid Parking]

• Horndean: Queen Elizabeth Country Park Entry free [car par £1.80 per hour / £3.50 per day]

• Netley, Southampton: Royal Victoria Country Park [Car park Up to one hour only £1.80, over one hour £4]

• Itchen Valley Country Park [Car parking up to one hour: £1.10, one to four hours: £2.60, over four hours: £4]

• Exbury, Southampton: Lepe Country Park (April to November – 2 hours £2.30, 4 hours £4, all day £6. November to March – 2 hours £2.30, all day £4)

• Lyndhutst: Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary With a big car park, cafe, toilets and the occasional ice cream van – not forgetting the incredible Fallow Deer that live here, Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary is a wonderful day out for families in the New Forest.

• Hayling Island

• Winchester: St Catherine’s Hill A huge area of grassland with a nature reserve, wild flowers, butterflies and wild grazing animals and an amazing view from the top! Renovation Bay-Bee has some great photos from St Catherine’s Hills over on her blog.

• New Forest: Reptile Centre A few minutes away from Lyndhurst, this is a hidden gem. There are toilets, a walk through the New Forest and lots of reptilesand amphibians to see, including Adders, frogs and toads, slow worms and lizards.
  

• New Forest: Deerleap With plenty of opportunities to paddle in the summer, ponies and cattle grazing, hills and long walks, Deerleap is a great place to go for a family walk.
• New Forest: Ashley Walk The New Forest is full of beautiful walks through grassland and woodland, and this walk is beautifully photographed and described by Stephanie at Renovation Bay-Bee.

There you have a directory of attractions, days out, beaches, gardens, national trust gems and a whole bunch of free adventures to embark on with the family this summer. Please do let me know if you’ve found this guide useful! I’ve poured loads of time into this guide to try and make it as simple and user friendly as possible, but without missing out any important information. If you have any suggestions or exciting places you think should be added to the list, please feel free to comment on this post, tweet me at @gloryiscalling or email me at lukeosaurusandme@gmail.com.