Let children explore their wilder sides in the High Weald with seasonal forest school sessions and outdoor playgrounds and trails in natural settings.
Adventurous family walks
Nothing beats spending some quality time together as a family in the outdoors, and the High Weald countryside is a natural playground with plenty to feed young imaginations. For activities to keep children entertained on a walk and engaged with the natural environment, visit our five ways to turn a family walk into an adventure.
Ashdown Forest Mini Explorers (toddler group)
Explore the wildlife of Ashdown Forest through a short walk with seasonal crafts and activities and outdoor games organised by the Conservators of Ashdown Forest. For toddlers under 5 years accompanied by an parent/carer.
Monday 20 January - next session.
Monthly sessions at the Ashdown Forest Centre, Wych Cross.
10.00 to 11.30am, £5 per family + booking fee. Booking essential.
See: Eventbrite.
Wild Child Winter Woodland Days
Project Rewild offers children a place to have fun, discover, explore and play in nature, making friends and learning new skills. For children of 5 to 14 years, able to spend the day away from parents/carers.
Monday 30 December 2019 - Church Wood, Hollington, St Leonards on Sea
Friday 3 January 2020 - Church Wood, Hollington, St Leonards on Sea
10.00am - 3.30pm, £25 per child. Booking essential.
Visit Project Rewild.
Family Winter Woodland Evening
A free family woodland event with Project Rewild. An evening of seasonal woodland activities, stories and songs around the fire..
Friday 27 December 2019 - Church Wood, Hollington, St Leonards on Sea
3pm to 6pm. Bring food to share, donations welcomed, proceeds to Project Rewild's work in the local community.
Visit Project Rewild on Facebook.
Groombridge Place - tree top walkway and enchanted forest
Groombridge, near Tunbridge Wells.
Visit the enchanted forest and the Robinson Crusoe-themed playground with a large wooden ship, treehouses, rope bridges and different levels of decking and platforms, sheltered under sail roofs. Climb up to the viewing tower and marvel at the High Weald countryside view.
Closed 25 and 26 December 2019 and 1 January 2020.
Ticket entry prices apply.
See: Groombridge Place
Hever Castle - Tudor Towers adventure playground and Acorn Dell
Hever, Edenbridge, Kent.
The adventure playground is a 9m tall wooden castle with moat, towers to climb, suspended netted tunnels and fireman’s poles to escape down. Acorn Dell, the natural play area for younger kids up to seven, has a living willow structure, a giant sandpit, tunnels, a slide and climbing frame. For the under five's there are swings, rocking wooden horses and a climbing frame with slide. There is a historic English yew maze and a water maze in the grounds.
Closed 25 and 26 December 2019.
Children under 5 go free, otherwise ticket entry prices apply.
See: Hever Castle
Sheffield Park - woodland family play trail
Sheffield Park, near Uckfield, East Sussex.
Set in an enclosed woodland copse, the natural woodland play trail allows youngsters to build dens, climb trees or sit on one of the story-telling chairs and let their imaginations run wild. There are stepping stone logs, a log climbing wall and wood carvings to discover. The steam train on the Bluebell Railway stops at Sheffield Park station.
Closed 24 and 25 December 2019.
Ticket entry prices apply.
See: Sheffield Park and Garden
Wakehurst Place - tree trunk trek and natural play spaces
Ardingly, near Haywards Heath, West Sussex.
Acres of gardens, woodland and a nature reserve to explore on a day out with the children. There's an adventurous woodland log trail to crawl and climb on, with natural play spaces to explore throughout the grounds, woven willow structures to run through, talking totem poles, a labyrinth and an acoustic chair.
Closed 24 and 25 December 2019.
Children under 16 go free, must be accompanied by an adult. Parking charges and adult ticket prices apply. See: Wakehurst.