Outings with Kids

Oxford’s largest park with aviary, paddling pool (July & August), duck pond, three playgrounds and a miniature steam railway fromApril to October. If driving, you can enter the park via Harbord Road (off Banbury Road).

Stoke Wood

An ancient, well-maintained 88-acre wood with some very pretty footpath routes which are good for buggies and young children. It’s filled with bluebells and primroses at springtime.

From Ardley at J10 of the M40, go onto A43 and turn right at the Esso garage roundabout (Baynards Green) onto the B4100. Take the first turning on the right. A short way down is a car park on the left hand side where you will also find a map of the woods. 

Port Meadow

The largest area of common land in Oxford, Port Meadow runs alongside the River Thames, and is home to lots of horses and cows, and ducklings in the spring. Park in Wolvercote car park for a nice but long circular walk. You can also walk into centre of Oxford from here.

National Trust

Properties with lovely grounds accessible with a buggy are Waddesdon Manor, near Aylesbury and Stowe Landscape Gardens in Buckingham.

See www.waddesdon.org.uk and www.nationaltrust.org.uk/stowe

More suggestions

Also Oxfordshire County Council has downloadable leaflets on short easy walks in the county under a mile  long and accessible to all users including those with mobility difficulties, wheelchairs, and pushchairs. For more information, please click here.

Walks for small children without a buggy

Lower Heyford circuit

From Heyford station car park, cross the bridge over the railway, and go left along canal, over the lift bridge and back through the village. Turn right at the pub then down the footpath at the end of the lane, and back over railway bridge.

Points of interest for children: railway bridge for watching trains, ducks to feed, bridge to pull up and down, park just over bridge, Bell Inn pub with garden (good for hide and seek) or Kizzies waterside bistro.

Kirtlington Quarry

Park down the bumpy track behind village green. The quarry is about 1/4 mile walk down the track. Steps, lane or path leading down in to quarry, big flat area to run around at bottom, scree to scrabble around in, some trees, canalside, picnic benches. More of a place to run around than a walk though you might be able to walk down the canal path if it’s not too muddy.

Evenley Wood Garden (9.3 miles)

Lots of woodland paths with beautiful flower displays through out the year, starting with snowdrops in February. There’s a cafe and a children’s scavenger hunt. Admission £9 for adults , £1,50 for children age 4 to 16, family season ticket (2 adults and up to 3 children) £75.

National Herb Centre, Warmington near Banbury (14 miles)

Specialist garden centre and café with a play area and access to nature trails and paths Also a variety of activities throughout the year.

Wroxton Abbey, near Banbury (14 miles)

Abbey Grounds open but no facilities and no dogs allowed. Park on street. Particularly nice in the summer as you can take a picnic and walk around the lake.

Steeple Barton

Park outside the church (pictured here) in the little car park. Go through the churchyard, down the path to the stream opposite the Abbey and gardens. There’s a small waterfall, lots of daffodils etc in spring, leads along edge of gardens up to open fields/hill, at which point you turn around unless you want a much longer walk, but very pleasant.

 

 

Eating and Drinking

We are very lucky to have numerous pubs and cafes in our own village and surrounding villages where you could stop and get a drink or something to eat and then go for a walk and enjoy the surrounding countryside:

               Red Lion, Steeple Aston

               The Grainstore, Middle Aston

               The Bell, Lower Heyford

               Kizzie’s, Lower Heyford

               White Horse, Duns Tew

               Falklands Arms, Great Tew

               Deddington Arms, and Red Lion, Deddington

               Croughton Tea Rooms, Croughton

               White Horse and Butcher’s Arms, Kings Sutton

 

Playgrounds and Play Areas

Steeple Aston has a very good and popular play area, but there are plenty of others nearby.

Ardley – in football ground – very small play area, but the bit behind the football building (free access) has a zip wire/ pulley.

Souldern – big slide and reasonable range of other park stuff, big field, good for throwing leaves in the autumn (and strict anti-dog fouling policy), nice pub in village with garden (haven’t eaten there).

Waddesdon (NT) – good play area with zip wire etc.

Windmill, Deddington – good playground and lots of activities

Middle Barton – wooden playground next to big field to run around.

Spiceball Park, Banbury – this is large and a very good place to let children run around and there is a picnic area with tables. It has facilities for all age groups such as swings and a climbing frame for small children seesaw, and various roundabouts as well as swings and a climbing frame for older ones plus a skate park.

Garth Park, Bicester – entrance off Launton Road. A nice selection of playground activities plus lots of space to run around near the band stand. Cafe and skate park. Small car park, or use town centre car parks.

Cutteslowe Park – this has a variety of attractions including a train, an aviary, a playground and lots of space to run around in and fly kites. If driving, go through Kidlington and you can enter the park via Harbord Road (off Banbury Road).

Upper Heyford – has a climbing frame where children can only get high if they can climb there (ie it does not have easy steps up which could otherwise enable small children to get dangerously high for their climbing ability). On left when you go down Camp Road but difficult to park.

Rectory Farm, Stanton St John – free, bouncy castle and slide, sand pit, climbing stuff, café and pick your own fruit and veg. 

 

Seeing Animals

Birdland , Bourton on the Water (19 miles)

Birdland has over 500 birds in a natural setting, including the only King Penguins in England. There are over 50 aviaries as well as toucan, tropical and desert houses. Café and children’s playground.

Cotswold Farm Park, Guiting Power near Cheltenham

This is very good for little children, allowing them to stroke the rabbits, see baby animals. 

Cotswold Wildlife Park, Burford

There is a wide variety of birds, mammals (including rhinos, camels and zebras, reptiles and insects. It also has a train and adventure playgrounds for children of different ages.

There is a restaurant as well as refreshment kiosks around the park and picnic areas ,

Odds Farm, High Wycombe

“A kid’s farm for all ages!” Lots of animals, playground, facilities for under-fives. Fab! See www.oddsfarm.co.uk.

 

 

 

Oxford Castle Unlocked

For the first time in 1000 years, the secrets of Oxford Castle have been Unlocked revealing episodes of violence, executions, great escapes, betrayal and even romance.Walk through these ancient buildings and experience the stories that connect the real people to these extraordinary events. Activities such as science workshops, Victorian theme days etc. For more information, go to www.oxfordcastleunlocked.co.uk.

 

 

The Oxfordshire Museum, Woodstock
The museum is in Fletchers House, Park Street in the centre of Woodstock. It has a Children’s Gallery and a programme of free children’s activities. The garden is suitable for young children to run around in, but the café is too small for buggies. See www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/the_oxfordshire_museum.

There is a Dinosaur Garden with:

• Fossilised megalosaur footprints discovered at Ardley Quarry which have been carefully installed in the walled garden
• Meet the life-size megalosaur – as big as a bus!
• Explore the new garden with its Jurassic plants

There are also dinosaur costumes to try on and other dinosaur-related activities for children in the Children’s Gallery. Children must be accompanied at all times.

The garden is suitable for young children to run around in, but the café is too small for buggies. See www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/the_oxfordshire_museum.

Outings for older kids

Older children and teenagers will enjoy many of the outings suggested above, but here’s a list of activities that might appeal to them especially. Many thanks to Alison Moran and Anna Thatcher for many of these suggestions.

Junkyard Golf, Westgate Centre, Oxford
Under-18s are only permitted on Sunday to Thursday before 6pm, and they must have an adult with them. Off-peak price £8.50 per person. Advanced booking recommended.

Gravity Golf, Oxford
36-hole indoor adventure golf. Open from 10.00am daily during the school holidays. 

The Wave, Coventry
Indoor water park with high-speed slides, a  splash zone, the Wave Pool and the Lazy River.Open Friday evenings and weekends in term time, every day in the school holidays. Online booking only. Cost £12 for kiids, £16.50 adults

Clip and climb, Bicester
Suitable for adults and children from 4 years. Open daily during the school holidays. From £10 for one-hour’s climbing.

Climbquest, Milton Keynes
From age 4. Under-13s must be accompanied by an adult. Costs £14.50 for under-16s for a 90 minute session, including safety briefing.

Indoor Skydiving, Milton Keynes
Flying in a wind tunnel, From age 3.  Flyers under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian (over 18 years of age). Prices from £29.99.

Scramm Live Escape Rooms, Banbury
Three different escape rooms. Groups are locked in a room for 60 minutes and have to use their puzzle solving skills to find a way out. From age 10. Groups of up to 4 need at least one participating adult. Costs from £20 per person.

Escape Hunt, Westgate Centre, Oxford
Indoor and outdoor games for kids from age eight. Under-16s must be accompanied by a paying adult over 18. Also, remote escape rooms via Zoom. Costs from £25 per person for an indoor game.

Parkrun, Spiceball Park, Banbury, Langford Fields, Bicester, Cutteslowe & Sunnymede Parks, Oxford & elsewhere
Parkruns are weekly community events which take place all around the world. Saturday morning events are 5k and take place in parks and open spaces. On Sunday mornings, there are 2k junior parkruns for children aged four to 14. Entry is free but you must register online before your first visit.

Heythrop Zoological Gardens, Chipping Norton
A private zoo which specialises in exotic animal training. Private visits and animal encounters must be booked in advance. Animal encounters have different minimum ages eg 14 years for zebras and sloths, 10 for hippos.

Ten-pin bowling and karaoke, Banbury
Costs £7 for kids, £8.50 for adults. Less for a group.

Ten-pin bowling and arcade games, Oxford
Costs for kids from £6.15, adults £7.15. Hollywood-style diner.

Go-karting, Aylesbury
Children aged between the ages of 8 and 13 are classed as child drivers (or ‘cadets’) and can take part in family race experience sessions. Adult drivers are 14 years or over. The minimum height for cadet drivers is 1.3 metres tall, and for adult drivers is 1.52m.

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Local clubs and classes for children