With the summer holidays now upon us I’m sure you will all be planning what to do to keep your little once occupied.
With the weather holding out for us at the moment I wanted to give you a few of my favourite days out in the great outdoors in Surrey.
Mayfield Lavender Fields
The Mayfield Lavender Fields are truly a sight to behold and I would question anybody that is not stunned by its beauty.
They can be found just outside Banstead, Surrey and are well worth a visit.
This year the car parking is only £1 but be warned it gets extremely busy and there is not a great deal of parking.
There is a lovely little cafe where you can stop to get refreshments while taking in the sights. And new this year they have also included a tractor ride.
Mine are more than happy running in between the flowers and searching for bugs whilst I try and capture the beauty on my camera.
Godstone Farm
For me Godstone Farm is great as it covers a variety of ages.
They have massive fields that you can walk around whilst looking at the larger animals such as cows, pigs and donkeys.
The children have a chance to get hands on with the smaller animals of the farm in the petting area. Mine all love this as they can stroke and hold the rabbits and chickens.
There are set times during the day where you can watch the animals being fed which is always great fun.
The play activities here are endless. There is a huge adventure playground at the top of the field with everything you could imagine.
There is a section with ride on toys for the younger children as well as several sandpits.
Mine all love the large soft play area that also homes a small cafe so you can relax whist the children play.
As far as eating goes there is a good cafe that serves reasonably priced hot and cold food. Or there is the option of picnicking with ample picnic areas.
Priory Park
This is our all time favourite park. It has everything you could expect to get from a local park and more.
They have a beautifully designed playground with the usual swings and slides with the added extras of a large sandpit and water features that are perfect for the summer.
The grounds are vast and have a wonderful fountain, surrounded by pretty gardens we often picnic by.
At the opposite end of the park there is a beautiful lake where you can feed the ducks and take a leisurely walk around.
Numbers two’s favourite park is the large skatepark which is perfect for older children.
During the holiday there are always lots free activities put on for the children, and in the past we have taken part in bug hunting, den building and a great sports activity day.
Lastly in the centre of the park is a great cafe Pistachios In The Park offering great food and snacks that really adds to the whole day.
Chessington World Of Adventures
We are lucky enough to have annual passes for this great theme park and visit many times a year.
It gets bigger and better each time we visit and covers all of my children’s ages from 1-18.
I tend to let the oldest two wander off by themselves and go on all the thrill seeking rides that CWOA has to offer.
I can then take the younger ones to explore the Sealife centre, petting farm, massive zoo full of wonderful animals and to ride on the fabulous rides that are more suitable for their age.
We don’t normally take food with us as its a lot to carry around and there are plenty of great restaurants to chose from.
All of mine love to watch the exuberant Madagascar show that is put on a couple of times a day and the sea lion and penguin shows always go down a treat.
It really is a fun packed day and I would advice to get there early to ensure you get a go on the biggest and most popular rides without to much of a queue.
Priory Farm
This is a garden centre with a difference!
There is a large garden centre with all the usual things on offer which also houses a great coffee shop with wonderful hot and cold food, and the most wonderful cakes.
Attached to this is a newly refurbished play area that we have yet to visit this year. Across from here is a huge pirate ship that mine all love to play on and a picnic area directly next to it which is fantastic to sit and watch them play.
Our favourite part of the farm is the discovery walk. You pick up your quiz sheet at the start which takes you around all the different parts of the trail answering questions as you go. At the top we usually stop for a rest and take in the views. Near the end there is a chance to feed the fish which is my favourite part!!
Our day normally finishes with a walk around the well stock farm shop to pick something nice for our tea.
Chartwell House
If you are a reader of my blog you will know that National Trust venues are my favourite.
Chartwell House is one of the best for my family as it has such a lot to occupy tiny minds.
The gardens are exquisite and there is something different everywhere you turn.
I love the tiny playhouse that would have been used by the house owners for so many years before.
You can really educate the children in a fun way here as they are taking in information and not knowing it!
Keep an eye on their website as there are always some great cheap or free activities going on that mine all love.
We are yet to venture into the house as in not sure my nerves could take that until the small ones are a little older.
Flower Farm
Fruit picking is a brilliant activity for all the family. It teaches children where the fruit originally comes from, gives them some exercise and they get a yummy, healthy treat at the end.
At flower farm there is always a good variety of different fruit and vegetable to pick at good prices.
They also have a lovely farm shop and a small tea room that is unfortunately closed for refurbishment at the moment.
I hope you have found some inspiration for days out here and I will be posting another list very soon so keep your eyes peeled.
