Ages 11 to 12

Hogmoor Inclosure has a large and varied wooden play area where you can choose sandy play, wild play, adventure play and natural play! This has a...

Farnborough Air Sciences Trust Museum celebrates Farnborough’s aviation heritage and is home to aeroplanes, helicopters, rocket parts, giant wind...

Highclere Road Play Area is a small play area for children to the age of 12 years old, which has swings, a cockerel shaped springer, a small multiplay with a slide...

Southwater Country Park has a bit of everything – paddling, orienteering, water sports, and even a dinosaur-themed adventure play area. At the heart of the park...

With woods and paths to explore, places to build hideouts, scooter and cycle tracks, a gorgeous waterfall, some lost ruins from Rome, and a wooden...

Sitting next to the River Wey, The Phillips Memorial Park has a wooden play area, a field, skate park and also a riverside walk.  The play equipment includes a...

Holybourne Play Area is a wooden play area with a spacious, natural feel and an area where you can become a human sundial! The play equipment includes, a circle...

Scattered along the River Tillingbourne at Chilworth are what remains of the Chilworth Gunpowder Mills. Today the area has been reclaimed by nature...

This pretty pool is actually a ford in the River Whitewater where you can paddle, splash and splosh. It is quiet, peaceful and muddy. From here you can easily walk along...

I have always loved the idea of finding a secret garden, so you can imagine how excited I was to stumble across a secret orchard on Normandy Common. And it’s not...

Hollybrook Adventure Play Area is a modern, adventure play area built between rows of houses. It has equipment, including a basket swing, a spinner, a...

Longleat’s magical Festival of Light uses huge lanterns to create worlds from children’s stories. We have walked through the wardrobe into Narnia, explored the...

In 1822, William Cobbett was surprised to discover Wheatham Hill, “…out we came, all in a moment, at the very edge of the hanger! And never, in all my...

Staunton Country Park Farm is a small farm with lots of curious animals, an indoor and an outdoor play area and a Victorian Glasshouse. Everything on...

Canon Bowrings Recreation Ground is a three acre open space with wooden play equipment and sports fields. The play area’s equipment is for children...

Parson’s Close Recreation Ground is the play area at the end of the magical Leighton-Linslade Children’s Trail. If you visit, you will see that something...

One of the things I find fascinating about Watership Down is that Richard Adams based the rabbits’ journey on actual places that can still be visited today...

Aldershot Park is bursting with things to do – play areas, a sand pit, ducks, sports pitches, a trim trail and river walks. Its two play areas packed with...

Arguably the most interesting stretch of the Basingstoke Canal, this walking or cycle route takes you past 11 of the huge locks that lift the canal 100 feet in just 2...

Norden Station doesn’t have a waiting room, it has a train-themed play area called The Sidings! All aboard… The play equipment is based on Swanage Railway...

Seale Recreation Ground has a small play area with a relaxed fee and wooden equipment. This playground is said to be suitable for children to the age of 13...

No one believed me when I announced we were going on a mission to discover dinosaur footprints at a place called Spyway. Our mission took us through...

Moors Valley Country Park is full of fantastical places to play, some in traditional play area settings and others scattered through its beautiful...

The Rowles’ Family Play Area is a rural play area with wooden equipment and a large field in the picturesque village of Wherwell. The play equipment includes toddler...

Don’t be put off by the steep, tree-covered hill that looms over the Queen Elizabeth Country Park’s Visitor Centre as you arrive. This country park is...

Penns Farm Children’s Play Area is a small, wooden play area next to the Taro Leisure Centre and an expanse of playing fields. The play equipment includes: a wooden...

A cheeky boggart and some wood and water nymphs are just some of the creatures waiting to meet you along the Blackwater Valley Path. You may also spot fish, butterflies...

Municipal Gardens Play Area is a place to let your imaginations run free. Can you sail your pirate ship past seals, sharks and an octopus to a kingdom with a...

Hurst Spit is a shingle bank that juts into the Solent, linking Keyhaven and Hurst Castle. It has beautiful views out towards the Isle of Wight and along the Hampshire...

The tide retreats remarkably quickly at West Beach, transforming it from a stone covered slope into a flat, sandy beach. We were there to...

Hidden along the banks of the River Test, Stockbridge Common Marsh is a tranquil spot for a picnic, paddle and walk. As you enter, you pass a sign that says ‘The...

In the adventure-filled world of Hobbledown, you can mine for Crystallite, explore the Imaginarium, save Fern the Fairy, play at Hobbledown Village...

The back seat gasped as we arrived at Jocks Lane Recreation Ground and it was easy to see why – the car park was enclosed by a brightly coloured play area, a splash...

When we visited Pumpkin Time at Sunnyfields Farm in 2020, there were pumpkins galore – piles of pumpkins, a pumpkin tunnel, and a field where you can pick a...

Our visits to Broadmoor always make us feel like jungle explorers on an expedition to find a secret waterfall. I like to think this is because the woods have a wild...

The Emma Sallis Adventure Playground at Black Park Country Park hides amongst the trees next to the lake, cafe and toilets. It has some exciting...

Butser Hill is one of the highest points in Hampshire with a story trail, kite flying and beautiful views that stretch out across the South Downs and onto...

Nestled in the Surrey Hills is Friday Street, a quiet hamlet with paddling spots, a mill pond, shady woods, and even some scarecrows. It’s a beautiful place to...

“The Mystical Tale of Nevi-Wesh” leads you along a story trail through a small area of the New Forest, following in the footsteps of two children as they meet...

If you know someone who longs to discover more about birds of prey, then consider a visit to the Hawk Conservancy Trust. Their mission is to conserve birds of prey...

Pendon Museum houses model railways showing scenes from England during the 1920s and 1930s, some real and some imagined. The level of detail...

As well as all the activities on offer, the Basingstoke Canal Centre has a small wooden play area with a circular obstacle course. You can also walk along...

About 2,500 years ago, Danebury Hill Fort was a series of earthen ramparts, ditches and gateways protecting a central area. As you can imagine, it has a spectacular...

Along the Blackwater are patches where you can find four and even five leaf clovers. These are very rare so be sure to only give one to someone you love very...

Don’t be fooled by the Basingstoke Canal Centre’s unassuming appearance – it’s a convenient gateway to the beautiful Basingstoke...

I can only guess this play area is called Jurassic Park because of its monster-sized slide, cargo nets and climbing walls, not to mention one of the biggest slides we have...

Leafy Liss Forest Recreation Ground and Play Area hides a place to play pétanque and a wooden play area. The play equipment includes swings, toddler swings, swings...

Frensham Little Pond is a picturesque place for a paddle and a pond dip, surrounded by the fresh scent of pine, sandy beaches and Frensham...

Water Lane Play Area in Farnborough has two play areas for a range of ages and lots of sports facilities. The play equipment for younger children includes toddler...

A trip to LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort is a fun-packed adventure into a kingdom full of play areas, splash pads, rides, shows...

Our challenge was to find the source of the Thames. We began at Buscot Lock, walking upstream to the river’s last lock and the statue of Old Father Thames...

Balmer Lawn is a beautiful spot to splash around in the Lymington River.  Both banks are grassy and there are areas of shade too. The river is shallow...

The variety of things on offer at Jake’s Indoor Play Barn and Mini Farm is quite something – farm animals and reptiles, sand pits and water play, construction...

With a bit of imagination, you can spend your day at Beale Park as jungle explorers, railroad engineers and marauding pirates and still have enough energy left for a dip...

Ockford Ridge Play Area has: swings, toddler swings, a small balance course, a multi-play with a slide, ladder, space-themed climbing wall and climbing...

With its evocative name, connections to Thor and great online reviews, I was expecting a lot from Thundry Meadows. In many ways, I was not...

At Frimley Lodge Miniature Railway, the atmosphere bustles with calls of, “All aboard,” whistling steam, and puffing engines. Each train journey lasts about...

Ancells Farm Park Play Area is a well equipped adventure play area with equipment for children of all ages. Over the road is Ancells Farm Nature Reserve, a...

“Danger at Danebury Hill Fort” is a story trail that helps you to explore Danebury Hill Fort, imagine yourself living there during the Iron Age, then role play...

Walking through the forest at Rushmere Country Park is like strolling through a fairy tale. It feels every bit the enchanted forest with fairy doors, giants’...

The sandy Bourne Recreation Ground has a wooden play area with a cafe, a field and easy access to Bourne Woods. The play equipment includes toddler...

If you have ever caught a fleeting glimpse of a deer and wished the experience had lasted longer, then Bolderwood is the place for you. Famous for the herds...

The St James Play Area is one of two play areas in the beautiful Farnham Park. The play equipment is aimed at children from 0 to 14 years old and includes...

Furzey Gardens hides an enchanted fairy kingdom, complete with a castle, a ferry company, wooden hideouts and about 40 fairy doors scattered throughout...

A walk to St Catherine’s Hill involves the River Wey, bridges, a lock, a sacred spring and water meadows. St Catherine’s Hill used to be called Drakehull (or...

Rectory Road Play Area has a safari-themed multiplay where you can drive a jeep to a treehouse hideout and slide down an elephant! The play equipment is for children...

Rowan Field is unusual – a nature reserve split in half by the A331.  On the other side of the dual carriageway is Shawfields, an area of ancient meadow. Rowan Field...

There’s lots to enjoy at Thatcham Nature Discovery Centre – two wooden play areas, Thatcham Lake and ducks galore, a cafe with indoor and outdoor tables...

The obstacle-packed Juniper Adventure Play Trail hides amongst the trees at the very top of Queen Elizabeth Country Park, right next to an adult-sized assault...

The picturesque ruins of Waverley Abbey are surrounded by open fields, the River Wey and a small lake, which is home to herons, ducks and swans. Some of...

Aldenham Country Park’s brightly coloured adventure play area is full of places to play. It is situated next to the SEND pavillion and has bookable sessions that...

Loseley Park’s gardens are small but enchanting. When we visited they were awash with forget-me-not flowers, butterflies, ducklings and geese. We investigated...

Wellington watches over the start of Wellesley Woodlands’ brass rubbing trail, which leads you through the woods to 10 different posts and a WW1 firing wall...

Howard Cole Way Play Area, also known as Alexandra Road Play Area, is a small, local play area on the main road. The play equipment includes a slide, toddler swings...

Beaulieu is home to all things with motors – everything from famous motors and racing motors, to model motors and vintage motors. You can race model motors...

Have you ever heard of a cockatrice?  How about witch bottles? Or a hill fort? These are all on display at Andover Museum, along with exhibits about Iron...

The Poohscape Play Area is a perfect place to play before mounting your Expotition to the enchanted places of Ashdown Forest. This sandy play area has...

The windswept purple heath and woodland of Ashdown Forest inspired A.A. Milne to write about the adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh, Christopher Robin and friends...

Latchmoor Brook is a shallow stream on the edge of the New Forest where you can see ponies, picnic, paddle and hunt for fossils. You will definitely need your...

Following the Riverside Railway Walk is just like riding a train. The route is fairly straight, passes old railway relics, crosses several sturdy bridges and...

I first fell in love with Basildon Park whilst watching Mr Bingley gaze longingly after Jane Bennet from the house’s balcony in the 2005 film of Pride and...

East Clandon Recreation Ground is a small, well maintained play area. The play equipment is for children to the age of 12 years and includes swings, toddler...

Wellies on and crayons at the ready! Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to search Snaky Lane Nature Reserve for 10 brass rubbing towers. Once...

Zebon Copse Play Area is a fantastic play area with modern equipment, a large playing field and plenty of nature nearby – both the Zebon Copse...

Upper Green Play Area has an open, rural feel and wooden play equipment, including an obstacle course and a zip wire. The play equipment includes a multiplay...

We visit Victory Field Recreation Ground to drive the train and race around the obstacle course. The play equipment is said to be suitable for children to...

Longhill Park has 23 hectares of woodlands and meadow a toddler and a junior play area and also a BMX and skate park. The toddler play area...

Inside The Look Out Discovery Centre is a fun-packed, hands-on science centre with over 90 activities including an indoor stream, a building...

A pirate ship has run aground at California Country Park! Its crew – a parrot, an owl and an octopus wearing a Jolly Roger eyepatch – man the decks but...

Frimley Lodge Park has a second play area hidden in shady woodland. This is a very small play area for children under the age of 10 years old. This quiet little play area...

Greenfields is a tranquil play area with a rural feel and views over the surrounding countryside. Inside the enclosed area is equipment for children to the age of...

There can’t be many places where you can see creatures from the Great Barrier Reef, the Ganges and the deep sea all under one roof, but Oceanarium: The Bournemouth...

Abinger Common Play Area is a small play area in the Surrey Hills with a range of play equipment. It is next to a large field and the Abinger Hatch...

Flowing through the trees of The Savill Garden is the newly opened Adventure Play, a group of beautiful wooden huts, tree houses and tube slides connected by...

Sitting high on a hill, Corfe Castle guards a gap in the Purbeck Hills, and is a fun castle to explore. Corfe Castle dates back to about 1066 and the Norman invasion of...

Deep in the swamps of West Sussex is a secret island where you can find dinosaurs alongside tar pits, jungle walkways, quick sand and an erupting...

Stumbling across a canal flowing over a bridge is one of the biggest surprises I have had on a local walk! The Ash Aqueduct and three play areas all wait along Section 3...

Green Way Play Area has a multi-play boat with flags flying and three sections – the upper deck, the lower deck and the bow. The upper deck and the...

“Blast off into space and help save Christmas!” promised the Space Mission for Santa write up. High stakes stuff! We had no idea what was going to happen but...

Tongham Recreation Ground has a colourful play area for a range of ages. It also has a a multi-gym and a large recreation ground where you can play football, tennis...

When you’re in the mood for a bit of natural drama, consider the Ashford Hangers National Nature Reserve, a part of Hampshire that has been referred to as...

Centred around a large green with a pretty duck pond and brightly coloured play area, Pirbright Green and Play Area is an interesting place to spend an...

Crockford Bridge Farm hosts an annual Pumpkin Festival with pumpkin activities, carving and displays along with a play area and food and drink...

We had no idea what to expect as we cautiously peered through a hole in the trees and down a dark footpath. We had accepted a challenge to find the...

Sandhurst Memorial Park is full of things to tackle, places to explore and activities to try, including varied play equipment, a picturesque pond...

King George V Playing Fields and Play Area is a well equipped play area with a range of equipment for children of all ages. The play equipment is said to...

Winchester Science Centre is packed with hands on exhibits exploring science, maths and technology including the chance to walk through a human...

The back seat gasped as we arrived at Jocks Lane Recreation Ground and it was easy to see why – the car park was enclosed by a brightly coloured play area, a...

What would you discover if you “took a stroll through a deep dark wood”? In Alice Holt Forest, it could be almost anything – play trails, cycle tracks...

This tranquil stretch of the River Wey offers you a choice of walks – in one direction is Newark Lock and the ruins of Newark Priory and in the other is Papercourt...

Deen City Farm adds some much needed rural tranquility to the heart of South London. There is a small play area and entry is completely free! The small...

Chapel Pond Drive Play Park is a small and local play area. This playground is said to be suitable for children to the age of 11 years old and has equipment that includes...

Cove Green Recreation Ground has a small play area on one edge. The play equipment includes swings, toddler swings, a multiplay with a slide, tunnel and a...

Carrington Recreation Ground has a small play area with four slides to choose from! The play equipment is for children to the age of 12 years and includes...

Zebon Copse Nature Reserve was all wonderfully overgrown when we visited. We followed the path to the boardwalk, winding our way through woodland...

Puttles Bridge is another beautiful spot in the New Forest where you can explore the woods and find places to paddle. Next to the car park is a bridge you can paddle...

Oareborough Play Area is a small play area in Bracknell with equipment that includes swings, a toddler swing, a tractor springer, a double twist, a see...

South Warnborough All-Games Play Area has a lovely location, with views over the surrounding fields towards RAF Odiham, and a good mixture of play and...

On a sunny day, the sparkling, white sands and cool, blue waters of West Wittering Beach make you feel like you are abroad. The sand is soft and makes great...

We were surprised by how much there is to see at Didcot Railway Centre. As well as two operational railway lines and a science exhibition, there is a...

Like a scene from Peter Pan, Byfleet Recreation Ground and Play Area has a pirate shipwreck with a grinning crocodile lurking nearby. You can almost hear the...

Lightwater Country Park has everything younger children enjoy and all in a relatively small space. At its centre is a newly refurbished adventure play area and...

Chineham Library has a welcoming children’s section, plenty of activities and is also the first stop on the Story Trail quest to find Great Binfield the Giant. We...

The river meanders through River Hamble Country Park, past expensive yachts and a medieval ship wreck, play areas and a World War 2 training...

Pirate hats at the ready for a visit to Aarons Hill Play Area – there are not one but two ships to sail over sandy seas! One ship is a multiplay with sides to climb...

According to the information boards, Hawley Meadows gives an impression of how the Blackwater Valley would have looked 100 years ago. It must have...

Borough Hill Recreation Ground and Play Area is a local play area on the side of a little hill with views of Butser Hill. It is also next to a railway line and a...

Rowhill Nature Reserve hides the source of the River Blackwater amongst charismatically named areas like Stickleback Pond, Rhododendron...

Normandy Common is a series of mini-adventures all within easy reach of Normandy Common Play Area. Will you try street snooker or table tennis? Will...

Burford Lodge Play Area is an airy play area with a large playing field, Elstead tennis club and a footpath to the River Wey. The play equipment includes lots of...

Visiting the excellent Holloway Hill Recreation Ground and Play Area is like walking into a fairy tale village with bridges, a tower or lighthouse and a cottage...

A visit to Farnham Park’s Adventure Play Area can be like questing your way through a fairy tale. Can you creep through the tunnel without waking the fox and...

Boundstone Recreation Ground is a small play area on top of a hill with a zip wire. The play equipment is for children to the age of 14 and includes a wooden climbing...

Our mission today was to show the children how enormous dinosaurs were before Dippy the Diplodocus skeleton leaves the Natural History Museum on 4th January...

Hidden amongst the pine trees at Pinewood Activities Centre are play areas, pond dipping, woodland walks, a miniature railway, a cafe, a trim trail, sports field as...

Hollowdene Recreation Ground has a small play area with equipment for use by children under the age of 14 years. If you walk down past the playing fields you come to...

Hidden within a large housing development is Langdale Drive and its charming, woodland play area. Inside the enclosed junior area are: toddler swings a see...

The atmospheric ruins of Nymans overlook rolling countryside from the top of a hill. Beautifully manicured gardens surround the house and...

With spectacular views, stretches of sand and clay full of fossils, it’s not hard to understand why we love Highcliffe beach. When we arrived the sun...

With views across the countryside, Manor Fruit Farm Play Area is a pleasant place to spend an afternoon. There are two open fields, a play area and a...

We love this happy play area with its smiling faces, vivid colours and wobbly bridge that is suited to younger children. The play area is built on a small, grassy...

It’s not often you are given the chance to visit the 1940s but a trip on Swanage Railway is one of those occasions! This full-size heritage railway operates a range...

Abinger Hammer Play Area is a small, wooden play area next to the River Tillingbourne. When we visited the river was shallow, slow flowing and...

The trains of Moors Valley Railway huff and puff their way between Lakeside and Kingsmere stations travelling over a bridge and through two...

There is something magical about finding your own way across a river, and jumping across the River Mole on the famous Box Hill Stepping Stones is no exception. Once...

Oh no! King Fisher has been captured by the toad army. Can you help the animals of Winnall Moors Nature Reserve to free him? “The Adventure of Winnall...

The water-meadows of Runnymede are where King John sealed Magna Carta in 1215, taking a step towards freedom and modern democracy. They are also home...

The Blackwater Valley Path follows the River Blackwater from its boggy source in Aldershot to its end at the River Loddon in Swallowfield, near Reading. Along the way are...

This stretch of the Blackwater Valley Path offers clear views of the tree-lined river and some colourful graffiti, if you will brave its puddled paths. This section is 2...

Finding the well-concealed Rotherwick Play Area and Cricket Ground was worth the effort. It had unusual equipment, a peaceful atmosphere and a...

A smiling dragon watches over Broomhall Recreation Ground, a traditional-style play area with a range of play and sports equipment. The play equipment...

Manor Farm transports you back in time to a Victorian farm with costumed farm workers, historic farm buildings, free-ranging animals and antiquated...

Four Marks Recreation Ground and Playground is fantastic fun. The choice of equipment is brilliant, the condition is excellent and the location is spacious with a...

Runnymede Pleasure Grounds is on the banks of the River Thames and has a play area, splash pad, amusements, boat trips, and a cafe. It is a great place to...

Fordingbridge Pumpkin Picking Patch is full of pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. There is also a Halloween Maize Maze – daytimes are child friendly but things...

Legend has it that the heart of Tumblestone Hollow is an old maple tree surrounded by magical stones. The protectors of these stones live in an enchanting...

150 million years ago, the Dorset coast was a shallow, tropical sea patrolled by huge marine reptiles, predators and fish. All that remains today are fossils...

Once described as a ‘delicious house’ by the Queen Mother, Polesden Lacey is a gorgeous place to spend a day, with plenty of places to play and...

The River Blackwater rises in Aldershot and flows to the River Loddon in Swallowfield, near Reading. The Blackwater Valley Path follows the river on its...

If, like me, you have ever longed to adventure through 100 Aker Wood with Winnie the Pooh and his friends then consider visiting Aldenham Country...

Lower Common Play Area hides in a shady woodland clearing. With adventure play equipment, picnic tables and a short walk through the woods, it can be a cool...

Hook Meadow Playground is a well equipped play area encircled by a scooter track complete with road markings, twists and turns and little humpback...

From the top of Holmbury Hill you can see London’s towers, Gatwick Airport, the South Downs and even the glistening sea. It’s only a five minute walk from the...