Plan the perfect day at Wakehurst with young kids

Buggy-friendly paths

With fresh spring days on the way, a walk in fresh air can be very tempting for families of all ages.

Wakehurst boasts spacious, smooth paths across the wild landscape, without any steps or stiles to navigate around.  Benches are also aplenty, so it’s perfect for those just finding their feet – new parents and toddlers alike!

Stroll through our American Prairie for sweeping grasslands, search for winter blooms in the Winter Garden or explore the forests of Australasia in Coates Wood.

Baby-friendly café with kid’s lunch menu

Designed for families, the Stables Kitchen is a great spot for children-friendly meals, warming up bottles, using the baby-change facilities or just taking a load off your feet with a hot beverage.

With comfy booths, high-chairs and plenty of space for buggies, it’s a restaurant to bookmark your visit with little ones. If you need a discreet place to breastfeed, our friendly team can help.

Or follow your taste-buds to the Stables Pantry for a new takeaway menu featuring locally-sourced sweet treats, filled croissants, and grab-and-go salads and focaccia. Perfect for parents and carers with minutes to spare, and those who want to eat al-fresco.

Wild play

If you have toddlers with you, a visit to Tree Trunk Trek is a must. Scramble and climb on our log trail in this adventure-playground with a difference.

Our Children’s Walled Garden is popular with children of all ages, and is open all year round. Cook up some mud pies in our infamous Mud Kitchen, plant your own sunflower seeds or sit amongst our giant vegetable patch.

Baby sensory

As an alternative to baby classes or toddler groups, why not connect and spend some time with your little one in nature?

A walk outdoors supports early sensory development and allows your babies to experience new textures and materials in an unstructured environment.

Try a barefoot wander on the Mansion lawn so babies can feel the grass between their toes, or push prams through our wild woodland to show them the sunshine and shadows through the leaves.

You can start working on fine motor grasping skills using something as simple as blades of grass, leaves or stones from our pathways, and children will love exploring the different textures of Wakehurst’s treescapes – from the peeling bark in the Pinetum to the ancient roots of an oak.

For toddlers, why don’t you create your own nature scavenger hunt, or use our free Wakehurst Spotters Guides to tick off butterflies, bees, birds and wildflowers that you encounter?

Let your children be inspired by their surroundings and collect acorns, leaves and fallen petals to create their own nature art, story sticks or musical instruments when they get home.

Workshops: Free entry for siblings

Did you know that Wakehurst hosts a range of children’s workshops, all-year-round?

From interactive musical adventure in our secluded woodlands, to story-telling workshops in the Children’s Walled Garden or the latest Nature Heroes mission, sign up to our Wakehurst newsletters to hear the latest about what’s on in the gardens for under 5s.

This Easter, listen to the story of Superworm told by Lucy’s Little Forest School and meet some of the minibeasts that live in our woodlands and gardens in our Wormery Workshop. Enjoy free entry for one adult and siblings under 2.

For the ultimate baby sensory experience this Christmas, bring your little ones to explore Glow Wild, our enchanting winter lantern trail. Under 4’s go free and the whole family are welcome for an unmissable evening of winter wonder.