Family-friendly days out

Our family-friendly events and activities take place at our nature reserves all over the region! Take a look at all of our upcoming events here to find out what's on near you.

This does vary. Most of our events, although not all, do require that you book your place in order to attend. This can be done online in just a few clicks.

Some events have a small cost for tickets, whereas others are free to attend and you'll just need to book your space. 

Take a look at our upcoming events and click into a specific event to find out more about how to book.

Many of our regular events and activities are tailored towards children of specific age groups. For example, Nature Tots sessions are suitable for ages 15 months – 5 years; Nature Kids sessions are designed for children from ages 5 - 10; and The Hive is designed with the under sevens in mind.

These are just a few examples; why not take a look at our full events calendar to browse our upcoming family-friendly events and plan your next day out!

We have baby changing facilities at Brockholes Nature Reserve (next to Kestrel Kitchen), Mere Sands Wood café, and the café at Moss Bank Park next door to The Hive.

At Brockholes, we have our restaurant Kestrel Kitchen (open on weekends and school holidays), and our café Peckish (open 7 days a week).

At Mere Sands Wood, we have our café which is open seven days a week.

At The Hive, we have the Café at Moss Bank Park which is open seven days a week.

Learn more about our places to eat and drink here.

Our larger nature reserves, where most of our events take place, have paths that are pram, pushchair and wheelchair-friendly. However some of our smaller reserves do not have suitable footpaths. If you're looking to visit a particular reserve, take a look at our list of places to visit to learn more about accessibility at each reserve.

Brockholes

There is a selection of walking trails that are suitable for pushchairs, wheelchair users and those with limited mobility.

The kissing gates are accessible for smaller wheelchairs. There is a vehicle access gate next to all kissing gates on surfaced paths - if you use a large mobility vehicle or pushchair you can obtain a key to these gates.

Mere Sands Wood

95% of paths are suitable for wheelchairs and prams (shortcut through the pine wood is not suitable for wheelchairs). Six hides, the viewing platform and Visitor Centre are fully accessible.

The Hive

Our activities at The Hive take place on very uneven terrain. The car park, entrance and café next door are all pram-friendly, and there will be a place to park your buggies if taking part in one of our events. Please be aware however, that you will need to carry your little one(s) over unsurfaced paths when taking part in the activities themselves. 

Many of our reserves are dog-friendly, whereas some, including Brockholes, are dog-free zones.

Dogs are beloved companions and part of the family, but to wildlife they’re a big and scary predator. Asking you to keep your dog on a lead at our dog-friendly reserves, and keeping some of our nature reserves solely for wildlife, ensures that the creatures living there are free from disturbance.

Make sure to check our full list of dog-friendly nature reserves here so that you can plan your next day out with your four-legged family members!