The Play Area for Younger Children

The first play area is for younger children up to the age of 12 years and has:

• a sand play area
• toddler swings
• a basket swing
• a seesaw
• a play house
• spinners
• a roundabout and
• an entertaining multiplay with three slides, nets, a climbing wall, fireman’s poles, binoculars, a loud hailer and an easy access ramp.

 

The Play Area for Older Children

The second play area is for older children and has:

• various swings
• a basket swing
• an obstacle course
• a climbing pole
• a rope climbing frame
• a trampoline
• a much larger slide that can be reached by climbing ropes, a climbing wall or a ladder and
• picnic tabes.

 

Sports Grounds

Also at the park are football, rugby and cricket pitches.

 

 

 

 

Scooters and Bikes

A scooter track runs through the play area.

 

 

 

 

 

There is also a surfaced path that runs around the outside of the play area and past the lake, which you can cycle or scooter along. 

 

 

 

The Lake

Around the outside of the play areas is a fishing lake with ducks, swans and geese. 

 

 

 

 

Parkside’s Cafe in the Park

There are also picnic tables, public toilets and Parkside’s Cafe in the Park, a cafe run by a local charity.

 

 

 

 

Blackwater Valley Path

If you fancy a walk then head over the playing fields towards the River Blackwater and the Blackwater Valley Path where we found butterflies, ducks and caterpillars.

 

 

 

Aldershot Park is on Section 2 of the Blackwater Valley Path. 

 

Nearest Town: Aldershot
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: GU12 4BP

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic or eat at Parkside’s Cafe in the Park. 
Facilities: Cafe, snacks, ice cream, picnic area, toilets, and accessible toilets. 

How Long We Spent There: 2 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly

Parking: There is a car park.
Cost of Parking: Free

Wildlife You Might See: Ducks, swans and Canada geese.

Information Written: March 2017
Information Checked: May 2024

 

The Play Area

The play equipment includes:

• swings
• toddler swings
• a tyre swing
• a rocking horse
• a slide built into the hill
• a roundabout
• springers
• a multiplay with a slide and binoculars
• a sunken pirate ship sand pit
• a tunnel
• a wooden climbing frame obstacle course with a slide and climbing wall.

 

Next to the play area are picnic tables

 

 

 

 

and The Plump Duck cafe.

 

 

 

Petersfield Heath

This is ancient heathland with a large pond

 

 

 

 

boat hire 

 

 

 

 

 

and a circular trail. 

 

 

Nearest Town: Petersfield
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: GU31 4LB

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic or eat at The Plump Duck cafe. 
Facilities: Cafe, snacks, ice cream, picnic area, toilets, accessible toilets. 

How Long We Spent There: 2 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly

Parking: There is a car park. 
Cost of Parking: Free

Wildlife You Might See: Lizards, insects, ducks, swans, geese, kingfishers and other birds.

Information Written: July 2022

 

Broadwater Park Play Area

The play area is for children to the age of 14 years old.

The equipment for younger children includes:

• a multiplay and slide a bridge
• a wooden climbing frame with a slide
• a wooden play house 
• a sand pit with sand play equipment and mushrooms
• a play house with seats and puzzle boards
• a Simon says machine
• toddler swings
• a springer seesaw
• a car and motorbike springer
• a spinning cup.

 

The play equipment for older children includes:

• a climbing frame with bars and a climbing wall
• a spinning ring
• equipment to balance on
• swings.

 

Broadwater Park Recreation Ground

Next to the play area are picnic tables and

 

 

 

 

a large field with cricket pitches.

 

 

 

 

 

Also Broadwater Park Multi Use Games Area

 

 

 

 

and tennis courts.

 

 

 

Broadwater Park

This is a large park with fields, a tarmac path you can scooter on,

 

 

 

 

a pond next to the play area where you can feed ducks

 

 

 

 

and a huge lake with another picnic area. 

 

 

 

 

 

The Paths

The paths are generally flat and easy to walk on. Some are surfaced and others are muddy.

Nearest Town: Godalming
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: GU7 1HR

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic.
Facilities: Picnic area, toilets, accessible toilets.

How Long We Spent There: 1 hour
Buggies: Buggy friendly

Parking: Car park next to the park and near the play area.
Cost of Parking: Free

Information Written: July 2022

 

Little Beaulieu Adventure Play Area

This fantastic adventure play area has equipment that includes:

• a tube slide
• other slides
• a basket swing
• toddler swings
• an obstacle course
• climbing walls
• a fireman’s pole
• a zip wire
• talking tubes
• musical instruments
• puzzle boards.

 

 

 

There is also a Toddlers’ Play Area for children of 5 years and under, which has equipment that includes:

• the Beaulieu open-topped bus with a slide
• a wooden play house with a bridge, ladders and a slide
• a sand pit with chutes, buckets and pulleys 
• picnic tables.

 

 

Secret Passages and Paintings

Inside the castle there are secret passages to find and explore, including one that goes behind a bookcase

 

 

 

 

and paintings with moving eyes…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Role Play

There are places to role play too, including a race car

 

 

 

 

 

 

a jeep

 

 

 

 

 

a tractor

 

 

 

 

 

and a petrol station. 

 

 

 

 

Beaulieu National Motor Museum 

At the heart of Beaulieu is the National Motor Museum, which as you’d expect is packed full of cars

 

 

 

 

including famous cars like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

 

 

 

 

Mr Bean’s mini.

 

 

 

 

 

The Monorail and Bus

Beaulieu is also home to the oldest monorail in England

 

 

 

 

and an open topped bus that drives you gently around the grounds. 

 

 

Nearest Town: Hythe, near Southampton
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: SO42 7ZN

Adult Cost Range: Various – please see their website for details. 
Child Cost Range: Various – please see their website for details. 
Free if: Under 5 years

Opens: Daily

Where to Eat: Cafe and picnic areas.
Facilities: Ice creams, snacks, cafe, shop, picnic areas, toilets and accessible toilets.

How Long We Spent There: 4 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly.

Parking: There is a large car park.
Cost of Parking: Free

Information Written: January 2023

 

The play equipment is said to be for children under 14 years and includes:

• swings
• toddler swings
• a multiplay with a slide and easy to climb stairs
• a sand pit with chutes 
• a seesaw
• an area for younger children with a little ship
• hopscotch
• a small obstacle course
• things to balance on
• a spinner 
• a climbing frame for older children and
• seats. 

 

 

 

Daily Mile Circuit

Three laps of the field makes a mile!

 

 

 

 

 

There is also a basketball court and football pitch. 

 

Nearest Town: Farnborough
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: GU14 6JX

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic and a blanket.
Facilities: None

How Long We Spent There: 1 hour
Buggies: Buggy friendly

Parking: There is a car park.
Cost of Parking: Free

Information Written: July 2022

 

Paultons Park

Paultons Park itself is a family theme park that also has

 

 

 

 

dinosaurs to spot

 

 

 

 

 

animals to watch

 

 

 

 

 

adventure play areas and splash pads

 

 

 

 

 

a wide variety of rides for all ages

 

 

 

 

 

and a train and several garden walks for anyone who prefers something a little more gentle. 

 

 

 

 

Peppa Pig World

This Peppa Pig themed part of the park brings the Peppa Pig stories, characters and illustrations to life and allows you to explore Peppa’s town

 

 

 

 

meet her family and friends

 

 

 

 

 

ride in their trains and boats

 

 

 

 

 

cars and helicopters

 

 

 

 

 

and even meet Peppa herself. 

 

 

 

 

 

Peppa Pig Prep!

Believe it or not, we visited Peppa Pig World without having watched or read anything about Peppa Pig!

 

 

 

 

We still enjoyed our first visit, even without knowing the characters, but reading the books definitely made subsequent visits more magical!

 

 

 

 

George’s Spaceship Playzone

This is a soft play area with slides and climbing frames

 

 

 

 

as well as an area for smaller children. 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs roam around the Lost Kingdom!

We spotted several, including Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, Velociraptors and the staggeringly large Argentinosaurus. 

 

 

The Dinosaur Tour Co. offer dinosaur safaris by Jeep! 

 

 

 

 

 

Water Kingdom

Paultons Park has two splash parks – a large splash pad with tipping buckets, fountains and water shooters and another smaller one called Muddy Puddles.

 

 

 

Adventure Play Areas

There are three adventure play areas, including one that is themed around Mr Potato from Peppa Pig and another dinosaur-themed one where you can dig for fossils. 

Nearest Town: Romsey, Near Southampton
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: SO51 6AL

Adult Cost Range: Various prices depending on when you go. Please see their website for details.
Child Cost Range: Various prices depending on when you go. Please see their website for details.
Free if: Under 1 metre tall

Opens: Various times and days throughout the year. Please see their website for details.

Where to Eat: Various restaurants, cafes and picnic areas.
Facilities: Toilets, accessible toilets, shops, cafes, snacks and ice creams.

How Long We Spent There: 5 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly 

Parking: Large car parks
Cost of Parking: Free

Wildlife you might see: Penguins, giant tortoises, flamingos, pelicans, tropical birds, owls, fish, lizards and insects.

Information Written: July 2017
Information Checked: April 2021

 

Hobbledown has an unbelievable amount to do, including:

 

The Crystallite Mines  

A sandy play area mining town where you use water, buckets and chutes to pan for little green Crystallite gems.

 

 

 

 

You can swap an ounce of Crystallite (about twenty gems) for a lolly.  

 

 

 

 

The Fairy Tale Castle Play Area

Complete with tube slides, walkways, tunnels, a dragon and a fairy to save!

 

 

 

 

It also has a water pillow to tackle, which is one of the strangest experiences – like you are walking on water. 

 

 

 

Hobbledown Village 

An adventure play area that is home to the Hobblers and has towers, tube slides

 

 

 

 

more walkways and bridges

 

 

 

 

 

obstacles to climb and a network of tunnels.  

 

 

 

 

Here you can also fly on Rumpletump and the double zip wire.  

 

 

 

 

 

The Imaginarium

An area with reptiles and insects

 

 

 

 

 

water play

 

 

 

 

 

and an interactive jungle. 

 

 

 

 

 

The Courtyard Play Village

An outdoor sand and water play area with a huge ball run

 

 

 

 

and a Rube Goldberg water machine – can you fill the tanks?!

 

 

 

 

 

The Indoor Play Barn

An indoor play are that has a wooden climbing section with ball turrets, climbing walls and role play rooms

 

 

 

 

a second soft play frame with tubes and slides (including an area for the under 3s)

 

 

 

 

and a cafe with indoor and outdoor tables. 

 

 

 

 

 

Animals

Hobbledown is also home to animals, including wallabies, rheas, goats and sheep.  

 

 

 

 

The Characters and Books

Hobbledown sells books about the characters its adventure areas are based on. Details of how these can be bought are on their website.

Next time we visit, I will read these stories to my children beforehand so they know who and what to look out for. 

Nearest Town: Epsom
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: KT19 8PT

Opens: Daily

Adult Cost Range: From £11
Child Cost Range: From £11
Free if: Under 2 years.

Where to Eat: Cafe or picnic areas.
Facilities: Cafe, shop, snacks, picnic areas, toilets and accessible toilets.

How Long We Spent There: Full day
Buggies: Buggy friendly

Parking: There is a large car park. 
Cost of Parking: Free

Wildlife You Might See: Lemurs, armadillos, camels, meerkats, wallaby, prairie dog, otter, goats, maras, alpacas, rabbits, capybara, sheep, pigs, rheas and birds of prey.

Information Written: October 2022

 

Fun at the Beach…

The pond has several sandy beaches where you can have fun wading, paddling and splashing.

You can also pond dip, build sand castles and feed the ducks.

 

 

The biggest beaches are on the car park side of the pond but there are a few smaller beaches in other parts too. 

 

 

 

 

…but No Swimming

Swimming is not allowed at Frensham Little Pond to protect the pond habitat, but you can swim at the nearby Frensham Great Pond. 

 

 

 

 

The Tern Cafe

The Tern Cafe is next to the pond and only a short walk from the car park.

It offers snacks, drinks and ice creams and has picnic tables, some under cover. 

 

 

 

Bird Hide

What will you spy from the bird hide?

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Walks

Although this is called Frensham Little Pond, it is not small – it took us about an hour to walk all the way around.

 

 

 

 

There are benches and a boardwalk along the way. 

There is a Frensham Little Pond Family Trail you can follow around the pond. 

 

 

 

The Paths

Most of the paths were easy to push a normal buggy across. Some do have tree roots.

 

 

 

 

There are sandy stretches onto Frensham Common that are tougher.

 

 

 

 

 

Frensham Common

Frensham Little Pond is part of Frensham Common, an area of open and airy heathland with woods and beautiful viewpoints.

 

Nearest Town: Frensham, near Farnham
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: GU10 3BT

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic or eat at the Tern Cafe. 
Facilities: Cafe, snacks, ice cream, picnic area, toilets, accessible toilets. 

How Long We Spent There: 3 hours
Buggies: You can push a buggy around the pond but choose one that can cope with sand and roots. 

Parking: There are several car parks but they can be very busy when the weather is warm.
Cost of Parking: Free for National Trust members or from £1.50 per hour.

Wildlife You Might See: Lots of birds, including ducks, swans, coots, moorhens and squirrels.

Information Written: March 2016
Information Checked: November 2023

 

Frensham Great Pond

Swimming is permitted from one of the two sandy beaches at Frensham Great Pond. 

 

 

 

 

Frensham Little Pond

Frensham Little Pond is the smaller and more wild of the two ponds.

It is a peaceful, picturesque and pine-scented place to explore. 

 

 

 

The Cafes

There is a cafe at each of the nearby ponds that sell snacks, drinks and ice creams.

 

 

 

 

The Paths

The paths around Frensham Common vary. Some are easy to walk on, others are deep sand;

 

 

 

some are on steep hills and others are flat. 

I would not take a buggy with me on a walk here. 

 

 

 

Where to Start?

The easiest way to access Frensham Common is to either start at one of the two ponds or to use the little lay-by next to St Mary’s School in Frensham (GU10 3DS).

 

 

 

From here you can head into the woods and up onto Frensham Common.

It takes about 10 to 15 minutes to reach the spot where you can see both ponds. 

Nearest Town: Frensham, near Farnham
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: GU10 3DS (the lay-by), GU10 2QB (Frensham Great Pond), GU10 3BT (Frensham Little Pond).

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic or eat at one of the cafes at Frensham Little Pond or Frensham Great Pond. 
Facilities: There are cafes, snacks, ice cream, picnic area, toilets, accessible toilets at each of the ponds. 

How Long We Spent There: 3 hours
Buggies: I wouldn’t bring a buggy – some of the paths are deep sand and there are some steep hills. 

Parking: There are a few spaces at the lay-by mentioned above and large car parks at both ponds (see above for the post codes) but they can be very busy when the weather is warm.
Cost of Parking: The lay-by is free. Parking at either of the ponds is free for National Trust members or from £1.50 per hour.

Wildlife You Might See: Lots of birds, including ducks, swans, coots, moorhens, squirrels and sand lizards.

Information Written: May 2022
Information Checked: November 2023

 

The Two Beaches

You can paddle and swim from either beach within the area marked with buoys and ropes. Neither has much shade so you may want to bring some with you. 

Both of the beaches are near the car park, cafe and toilets.

 

The first beach you come to is the larger of the two.

 

 

 

 

The second beach is a little further from the car park and is smaller but often less busy.

 

 

 

 

Sometimes the pond has to be closed to bathers so be sure to check the Frensham Great Pond website before you go to make sure swimming is allowed.

 

 

 

The Cafe

There is a cafe next to the beach and car park that sells snacks, drinks and ice creams and has picnic tables.

There are also public toilets in this building.

 

 

 

Frensham Little Pond

Frensham Little Pond is about a five minute drive. It offers more shady spots but swimming is not permitted there.

 

 

 

 

Frensham Common

Both ponds are part of Frensham Common, an area of heathland with beautiful views, heather and lots of paths to explore. 

 

Nearest Town: Frensham, near Farnham
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: GU10 2QB

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic or eat at the cafe. 
Facilities: Cafe, snacks, ice cream, picnic area, toilets, accessible toilets. 

How Long We Spent There: 3 hours
Buggies: It is sandy so it can be hard work to push a buggy to the beach. 

Parking: There is a large car park but it can be very busy when the weather is warm – the website suggests arriving before 10am.
Cost of Parking: Free for National Trust members or from £1.50 per hour.

Wildlife You Might See: Ducks.

Information Written: May 2022
Information Checked: November 2023