The Childrens Wood and North Kelvin Meadow

What it’s like

A free, open-access wood and meadow where under-5s can climb trees and potter about, plus a regular under-5s play session.

This is a proper bit of green space rather than a fenced-off play area, and that's the whole point of it. Kids climb trees, poke about in the undergrowth and generally discover nature at their own pace, with an under-5s outdoor play session running Wednesdays and Fridays in term time from 11am to 1pm. There's no entry charge, which makes it an easy one to add to a week when you're watching the pennies.

Because it's open access, you don't need to book for a normal visit or a picnic. That's handy if you're the sort who decides at 10am that today's a park day, but it also means there's nobody checking anyone in, so it's on you to keep an eye on where the little ones have wandered off to among the trees. School groups are the exception and need to get in touch first.

Beyond the daily play, the community runs events through the year, storytelling sessions, a harvest gathering, Halloween and a Christmas fair among them. These give the space a different feel to a normal walk in the woods and are worth building a visit around if the timing lines up. Dog walkers use the space too, which is fine if your kids are used to dogs bounding past but worth knowing if they're not.

The site says you can access the wood and meadow at any time, day or night, which is unusual for anywhere with the word "children's" in the name. In practice most families will be going for daylight hours and the structured play session, rather than an evening wander, but it's good to know the gate isn't locked on you.

Need to know

Best for

Under-5s, with the term-time play sessions built around that age

Picnics

Allowed. Open access space, no booking needed

Dogs

Dog walking permitted in the space

• It's open access day or night, so there's no gate or check-in for a normal visit
• Volunteer gardening sessions run on top of the play times, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays outside summer, and Tuesday evenings from May to August
• Community events like storytelling, harvest, Halloween and a Christmas fair pop up through the year
• Picnics are welcome, no booking needed

Plan your visit

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