Cedars Park
ENTRY
Free
SETTING
Outdoors
WHERE
Waltham Cross
What it’s like
A free park with a play maze, ponds and woodland trails to wander with the kids, open from 7am all year round.
There's a play maze to get lost in, a play trail for the kids to clamber over, and ponds to lean over and spot whatever's swimming about. Beyond that it opens out into woodland walks and an arboretum, so a toddler can toddle the short bit near the play area while an older kid disappears off down the paths for longer.
It's free to get in, which is the main thing worth knowing here. No entry fee means you can pop in for twenty minutes after nursery pickup or make a whole afternoon of it, and nobody's watching the clock on you. The Cedars Nature Centre is there too if you want to break up the walking with something a bit more structured.
Opening hours shift a fair bit through the year, which catches people out. You get until 9pm in June and July, but by December and January it shuts at 4pm, so a winter visit after school is going to be a rushed one if you're not careful. The park picked up Green Flag status back in 2019, which is really just a nod to how well it's kept, but it does mean the grounds are decent underfoot for buggies and wandering toddlers rather than a muddy scramble.
Because it's outdoor and spread across woodland and open paths, this suits kids who are happy walking or being pushed a fair distance rather than a quick five-minute stop. The maze and play trail are the bit they'll remember, everything else is the wander round it.
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
Nothing, it's free to get in.
Do we need to book?
No booking mentioned, you just turn up.
What time does it open and close?
It opens at 7am every day of the year. Closing time moves with the season, as early as 4pm in December and January, as late as 9pm in June and July.
Is there anything for younger kids?
The play maze and play trail are the main draws for kids, alongside ponds and woodland walks.
How long should we plan to stay?
That depends how much walking your kids fancy, the woodland walks and arboretum mean you can stretch a visit out well beyond just the play area.
Is it any good in winter?
You can still visit, but the shorter winter hours (as early as 4pm close) mean less daylight to use, so an after-school trip in December needs planning.
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