Grove Ferry Picnic Area

If your looking for somewhere different to go with the kids for a picnic and a play you can't go wrong with a little trip to Grove Ferry (Upstreet near Canterbury). We've been going here on and off for the last 6 years and if like us you own Kayaks or Canoes there is a good entry point to the River Stour.

There is a large grass area with a few picnic benches but recommend you take a picnic rug. Great for the kids to run around and play games, there are a few large trees so you can find some shade if you need it. The River Stour runs alongside and the grass slopes up towards the riverside path so relatively easy to spot if the kids are venturing that way.

There is also a play park with swings, slides etc it is the wooden variety. It has a wooden fence all the way around with one gate so good for those with littlies who like to escape.

If  you want to make the most of your visit you have a few options. The riverside path is part of the Saxon Shore Way and the Stour Valley Way so you can take a little stroll away from the park down river, it's a rough path so better for a toddle then a pushchair. If your hardcore or have older children you can follow the paths out of the park and go stomping for miles and miles. Look out for the boats passing by, the ducks and general wildlife including dragonflies and butterflies. 

To see the river in all its glory why not take a trip on the water with Grove Ferry River Trips. 

The boat pick up point is from the pub near the bridge, although it is completely independent of the pub itself. It runs weekends from mid March through April, Wed-Sun from April and everyday through the Summer holidays, trips start from 12 and run hourly through the afternoon. The boat will take you up or down stream depending on the tide and the weather. It is advisable to book especially at peak times although you can just turn up as we have in the past, next trip time is usually on the board and it's first come first served. Its £9 for adults and £5 for kids for approx 50 minute trip. The kids love it and the Skipper always makes you feel welcome no matter your age. Check out the website for further details or Facebook page.

If your feeling adventurous or have bored teens, why not try a spot of canoeing. Wild Canoes is based here and you can hire a canoe complete with buoyancy aids and life jackets for the littliest. Paddle up or down stream, in either a Canadian canoe (fits 2 adults and 2 Children under 10) or a duo kayak (for 2) for an hour for £20. This is great fun, again it's worth booking in advance at peak times but they are usually set up so you can just ask on the day on the off chance. Check out the website for lots of other options, including half day guided tours from Fordwich to Grove Ferry (and a lift back).

The Grove Ferry Inn is next to the park, it has lots of seating outside along the river and a large garden with a some pigs and chickens. So if you fancy a drink or a coffee, and somewhere else for the kids to play, give it a try. They do food, although it was always on the pricey side and I haven't eaten there since the management changed

There are 2 car parks, one through the gates thats along side the park or if it's busy one opposite the entrance gate. £1.20 weekdays and £2 weekends. The pub also has a car park but only if you are a customer. There are public toilets including disabled which are reasonable and clean. 

Best for: Under 12s
Recommend: Picnic, Picnic Rug
Time: 3-4hrs

Bedgebury Pinetum

I remember when my friend first told me about Bedgebury having 10 adventure play areas on a walk through the woods, I knew we had to check it out! But there was much more to Bedgebury and then the Gruffalo and his friends came to the party!

So it is free to enter the Pinetum and the woods but it's £10 to park Mon-Friday and £12 at weekends. So the more seats in your car/mini van the more value for money but it's worth it anyway! So the question is just where to start?...

If you need some advice or a map head down to the visitor centre by the lake, you can get a free map of the Pinetum or pay for a map of the woods or just take a quick photo of the map on the wall outside which pin points all the play areas. This is also the location of the only toilets so good to stop before you venture further. Toilets are nice and clean with baby change, disabled and showers for those hard core bikers.

So for those with babies, preschoolers and under 12s the adventure play areas in the woods are your highlight but to be fair theres plenty of teens and adults on the stand up log swings, the adventure trail and the Spiders webs too! First stop is the ship wreck adventure play surrounded by sand, with slides, baby swings and don't forget to get a pic of the kids in the pirates throne! 

There are some picnic benches around the playground and also a small undercover pinic area should you need to get out of the sun or the rain. The play village area is great for the littlies, it has wooden platforms,  mini swings, musical chimes and a slide.

Take the woodchip path through the woods up to the log swing. These are great, definitely a team work activity and have seen plenty of adults on this!

I've done the next few play areas in random orders, we particularly love the ants nest! Proper climbing wall stylee on the outside for the bigger kids or little ones if you climb behind. But you can also go up inside from underneath, the hole in the middle has footholds for the shorter kids to climb up. 

There's the tree house, this is quite challenging so good for the older ones and the tree Stump is good fun with tunnels for the little ones to crawl through.

Then theirs the Butterfly, the Adventure Trail, the Dragonfly which will keep them busy...

...then jungle drums and last but not least the Spiders Web!!

Oh but waiting there's loads more to do... if you love a family bike ride or your kids have outgrown the whole play park thing then explore the rest of the woods! You can take your own bikes or hire bikes, kids seats and trailers from Quench Cycles located next to the car park. There are various trails through the woods so ask advice for what's best for your group but the 4.5 or 9km blue trail is suitable for families . If your hardcore or a little accident prone don't worry there are showers down at the visitor centre to wash the mud off! To get a different view point of the woods there is also the Bedgebury Go Ape course which you can incorporate into your day for the usual fees, and can be viewed from below around the adventure play trail.

Not finished yet, there's still the Pinetum to go!! So heading back to the visitor centre... refurbishment was completed last year making the café larger and providing more inside seating. They've also landscaped out the front adding lots more picnic benches by the lake. The cafe provides various sandwiches, hot food, cakes, ice creams, prices are reasonable but not cheap so I would recommend take a picnic but stop for tea & cake or ice cream. If your sitting up by the café you will be asked not to feed the ducks as they've recently become rather more agressive in their demands for food!

So first the Forestry Commision had the Gruffalo trail, then the Gruffalo's Child trail but this year we have the Stick man trail! You can purchase the pack from the visitor centre for £3, it includes the trail sheet with questions, a pencil, extra paper and crayon for a brass/picture rubbing and some pipe cleaners for making your own stick man near the end. Suggest you look out for stickman shaped sticks on way but don't tell the kids.

You only really need one pack unless your kids really can't share, my 4 year old held the 'map' (trail sheet) and answered the questions whilst the 8 year old read the clues and did the writing. You follow the stickman signs to each of the numbered boards which have a question/task to complete on the sheet but also information and challenges to do.

Also look out for extra character picture cards that you tick off as you find them. It is a great way to see the Pinetum and get those less inclined to walk moving. The normal route around the Pinetum is accessible but there is a section of the stickman trail that is more off road.

At the end you find the enormous Stickman! Gruffalo and Gruffalo's Child are also still in the Pinetum (but you miss them on the stickman trail). If those with little legs have over done it on the adventure play the nice people in the visitor centre will let you in on the secret location and you can go straight to them,  not far to walk from the entrance.

At Bedgebury they also have the Gruffalo Orienteering trail which is £1.50, this consists of a basic map and the aim is to find each of the Gruffalo markers using the map. Recommended for under 8s. Obviously there is also all the usual activities in the woods, tree climbing at your risk of course, scavenger hunts and stick wands! Dogs are also welcome but need to be on a lead in the Pinetum,  play areas and visitor centre. For further information and events visit the website Bedgebury or follow on Facebook

Best For: Everyone
Recommend: Picnic, Bikes
Time: 3-5hrs

Reculver

We have been visiting Reculver's infamous towers and the beach for years for days out but now it has the added bonus of a new adventure playground!

Now two main starting options depending on the age of the kids and the time you've got. With the little ones I head straight along Reculver Lane until you reach the dead end and the car park which is £1 to park all day. They usual open up a field for additional parking at peak times but it can still get rather busy. Alternatively with the bigger ones you can instead head for Bishopstone Road at the other end of the country park, where you can park and then take a half hour stroll along the Saxon Shore Way cliff top walk to Reculver.

There is lots to do in Reculver so take your pick or do everything. When the tide is out head west of the car park down on to the beach under the cliffs. This is a fantastic area for rock pooling, there is no access for pushchairs to the beach so walk down or use carriers for little legs. You don't have to go far to find some interesting specimens but the rock pools stretch a long way out so plenty to keep everyone busy. If your not sure where to start Kent Wildlife Trust runs guided rock pool sessions in the summer with the Education Officer and volunteers for a small charge. Check out the website for details. This is also the section of the beach you are most likely to find 'fossils' but don't get too close to the cliffs for safety reasons.

Next to the car park is the new adventure play park. A combination of a castle and pirate theme with lots of access points, rigging, ramps and climbing walls. Steering Wheels, telescopes and perescopes for the little ones. There are swings, slides and some more challenging bits for the big ones.

Unfortunately the council has yet to update the seating with still only a handful of old picnic benches set out on the grass but they are useable but take a picnic blanket if you think it might be busy. They are also a bit short of rubbish bins after busy weekend so you might need to take your rubbish home. There are public toilets which are clean and functional, with a disabled and baby change (if it's locked the visitor centre has a key). The toilets are open all day but specific hours change depending on the season.

The Visitor Centre is run by Kent Wildlife Trust. The centre offers displays and information on Reculver, it's history and the local wildlife. There is a gift shop and books about the area, if it's not busy ask if you can see the Mammoth tooth fossil. The centre is usually open everyday except Wednesdays between April and September.

 

 

 

 

You can also take a walk up by the towers this is fully accessible paths with information boards about the Towers and the Roman Fort. Follow the path past the towers and take a walk, scoot or cycle East along the sea wall by the pebbly beach. If your feeling energetic you can walk or cycle all the way to Minnis Bay a good 40 minute bike ride or couple of hour walk. We usually go so far then go on to the beach for some stone skimming then make our way back.

 

If you are truly worn out by all that, stop at the King Ethelbert pub for some refreshments or a hearty lunch or dinner. I can also recommend the traditional cafe for a cuppa and a bacon sarnie. They also do take outs and stock ice creams if you need to cool down.

Its also worth noting that once a year there is access into the towers looked after by English Heritage, which allows you to climb up inside and get some fantastic views. This is part of Heritage Open Day and is normally in September, check the website for details.

Best For: Everyone
Recommend: Scooters, Bikes, Buckets and Nets.
Time: 2-6 hours

Riverside Country Park

Discovered this fab country park by the River Medway in Gillingham last year with the help of some friends!

The main focus for the kids is the large adventure playground located just behind the visitor centre. With plenty of slides, swings and climbing frames to keep them busy. We particularly like the sunken pirate ship. As usual I can always trust my kids to go a bit off piste, they had lots of fun rolling down a little artificial hill on the playground rather than using the purpose built slide and why not?!?

I particularly like the layout of this play park with various sections for little and bigger ones. The whole area is mostly visible from the picnic benches so you can keep an eye on the bigger ones at a distance! Or spot a run away toddler pretty quickly, and only a couple of exit gates which always helps.

Like all the best play parks there is a cafe serving the usual drinks, snacks and Ice cream. There are also good toilet facilities  including baby change and disabled, located at the front of the visitor centre.

If you can drag yourself away from the play park take a walk along the accessible paths opposite the visitor centre. We had great fun with the erm,  sound tube thingy on the way...

With views over the Medway there is plenty of wildlife to spot on the mudflats and marshes. With the little ones just go for a little wonder or take a pushchair but its easier with alterrain wheels on the substrate paths. For a short circular walk approx 45 minutes take the path out on to the peninsula out to Horrid Hill, the path loops around and takes you back the way you came. Click here for the route Horrid Hill Walk For the bigger ones and teens take a stomp up river along the path or get on those bikes. It's also a good place to walk the dog.

There is a large pond which is good for a spot of pond dipping. They run bug hunt sessions in the school holidays for a small charge but make sure you book in advance. They also run beginners bird watching, and Art & craft activities, check out the website for details Riverside Country Park Events

The car park is free and a reasonable size although it can get rather full in the school holidays. 

Best For: Everyone
Recommend: Bikes
Time: 2-4 hrs

Shorne Wood Country Park

Shorne Wood Country Park is just off the A2 Junction for Cobham/Shorne yet with nearly 300 Acres it feels like your a million miles away. Even the most hardcore child needs a nap in the car on the way home!

We normally start off with a walk, there are a variety of different routes to choose, from the eco visitor centre. We usually combine a few options to suit whoever we have in tow. If you want a short, very accessible walk take the circular Orange Route which takes in the sensory garden, the centre of the park and the dog pond... as the name suggests a pond your dog can swim in! Good for Pushchairs and little legs. There are also 'Tramper' mobility scooters for hire. Country Park Route Map

If you've got school age children (or your a hardcore baby wearer) and enjoy a good stomp the red route is great with a few hidden gems like the fairy ring and a mountain of steps up to the knole but it's worth it for the view! This is also a good place to stop for a drink, snack and a rest! You can still get to see the view if you've got a good alterrain pushchair (and can get heavier toddlers to walk up the steep bits!) by picking your own route with a bit of purple, blue, red and orange.You can also do the Blue Route on bikes, particularly good for teens!

If your kids need more encouragement to walk around the woods, you can buy a themed kids trail activity sheet to complete along the way. There is a permenant Orienteering course, information is available online or buy a map. There are also some geocaching points, if you don't know what it is, check out the website Geocaching.

Walk done or if it's really not your thing, take your picnic and head for the adventure playground. There is plenty of space for picnic blankets and a run around. Then the little ones can head over to the enclosed adventure playground, swings, slides, tunnels etc there are a few benches inside so you can sit and supervise so no one escapes out of either access gate. The big ones aren't left out here either with a large adventure playground up on the slope including slides, scrabble nets and swings. The section at the top is surrounded by trees so you might want to keep an eye on where the not so big kids are!

If you need hot drinks or its too chilly for a picnic the visitor centre has a large café and during spring/summer the outside kiosk makes fresh pizzas and sells ice creams!

The main toilets are at the visitor centre including disabled and baby change facilities. There is also a toilet block nearer to the playground/car park which is open in school holidays and summer weekends.

The Car Park only £2 for all day in the week or £3 at weekends.

Visit the website Shorne Woods for further information on other activities available.

Best For: Everyone
Recommend: Picnic; Wellies when Wet.
Time: 3-6hrs