WE may have only just had a bank holiday, but there’s another one on the way and more importantly – if you’ve got kids or grandchildren – half term is coming up.
Vibe has scoured the area for the best free days out for families. Let’s just hope the sun shines.
Belvedere Splash Park, junction of Woolwich Road and Heron Hill
One of the largest free-access public wet play parks in the country, the two hectare area in Belvedere Recreation Ground has a lagoon, a safety-surfaced ‘beach’, sprinklers, showers, bubble jets and sprays.
The water is monitored, trained staff are on hand and there’s even a kiosk selling ice cream and sweets, sun cream and swimming nappies and the like.
Horniman Museum and Gardens, Forest Hill
Shortlisted for Art Fund’s Museum of the Year 13, the Horniman has six galleries of anthropology, musical history and natural history as well as an aquarium and award-winning gardens.
There’s a whole list of activities going on for half term, too, including interactive art fun for the family, getting hands on with exhibitions and learning about frogs and other creatures that live under water.
Go to horniman.ac.uk
Greenwich Park
reat views, greenery near the middle of town, and more places to visit than you can possibly fit in a single day.
Greenwich Park is the oldest enclosed Royal Park, established in 1427, and it encompasses Roman remains and the Queen’s orchard which opened last month.
The little ones will love the playground, boating lake and deer park and there’s something quite special about being able to stand on the Prime Meridian Line.
Go to royalparks.org.uk
Knole Park, Sevenoaks
Knole is Kent’s last medieval deer park.
This half term there are activities such as skittles in the walled garden, on Tuesday (May 28) and Tudor dress up days on Saturday (June 1) where the whole family can get kitted out and have photos in the giant picture frame in the Great Hall. Admission charges apply for the house.
Go to nationaltrust.org.uk/knole
Swanley Park, New Barn Road
This park has the lot: play areas, a sandpit, paddling pool, bouncy castle, battery bikes and a cafe.
A popular miniature railway totters around 950 metres of track through cuttings, past a signal box and turntable, to a station. The trains are built and run by volunteers and cost just 60p for a child single and 70p for an adult.
The park has two car parks (£2 during holidays), a boating lake with pedal and rowing boats and canoes to hire, and cute ducks.
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