Anyone know of any free / low cost places to visit with children this week in Surrey / Hampshire / Berkshire?

[nannynick]

As per the title... looking for ideas on places to visit with children (aged nearly 2yrs and 5yrs) this week. Ideally fairly low cost.
Surrey Berkshire Hampshire area... ideally West Surrey, East Berkshire, North Hampshire.

Can't help with North hampshire, but Royal Armouries near Portsmouth is free but check the website, because they charge a fee if it's an events day

Is there anything on at Lightbox in Woking? Staines resource centre? Any of the museums or libraries?

Royal Armouries is great... alas they are doing a Halloween special event for which they are charging and that is taking place in the underground tunnels - which is the bit children like best when visiting the fort.

Thanks for the suggestion though, as that is just the sort of place I'm looking for... just struggling to think of places like it.

CarGirl - don't think there is anything suitable for a under 2. Chertsey is doing some activities but says age range 5-12. Lightbox has some activities but again it's age 4+. Finding toddler friendly events is part of the difficulty.

Went to Lookout today... it was rather busy but at least both children had fun and it didn't cost too much as I have annual pass - they like it there.

Bracknell Lookout discovery centre, which isn't free in itself, but they do have a nice outdoor play area which is free, and is based in Bracknell Forest which is great for walking/cycling.

Alice Holt (Forestry Commission woodland near Farnham) is great for walking and they have free/cheap events going on all the time e.g. lantern making for Halloween

Basingstoke museum is a way of killing a rainy day, and they often have events on.

Nice walks along Basingstoke canal

Frencham Ponds if the weather stays okay?

I think I mainly did play dates when the girls were toddlers as not much on in the hols for them.

Anyone been to Reading: Museum of English Rural Life?

Lots of places to go walking... may suggest Alice Holt as haven't been there for a while - I used to nanny near Rowledge, so know that forest well.

Basingstoke museum - do you mean Willis? Is that quite good, never been there.

The Willis museum currently has a China exhibition on. It's only on the ground floor, but has some interesting displays.

It's very small though, hardly the British Museum .

Or, there is the Milestones museum in Basingstoke. Life-size indoor 'working' town & buildings. I don't think it's too expensive.

I meant Milestones, but the Willis looks nice too (not been)

Milestones works out at £12 for admission. Have been in the past as had Tesco voucher... alas no vouchers this time. Will save that one for a rainy day.

Would love to go to the Science Museum but the cost of getting there is quite a bit (SWT aren't doing any special train rates are they?) and I don't fancy taking the children on the Underground - can you get there by bus?

Will second Alice Holt.

Wish there were more indoor things to do in this area - especially during winter!

Pick your own pumpkins at Garsons Farm?

To get to Science Museum you could change at Clapham Junction to a Victoria train, then get a bus from Victoria. Quite easy.

When we go to Guildford we can kill half-an-hour in the art gallery on the high street (free entry). It isn't huge, but we look in detail at a couple of pictures. There is an art trolley too, usually with copies of some of the pictures. Toddlers love to play on the wide stairs too (at least mine does).

Also Guildford castle is good for running about, the grounds are lovely, but best saved for better weather.

Can also get a bus from Vauxhall to science museum.

mercedes benz world

Another Alice Holt fan.

Godstone Farm? I hear it's opened again.

Bocketts Farm is good too.

wheres the nearest wyevale garden centre? ours in oxfordshire has halloween events and are doing a spooky storytime twice a day.

reading's rural life museum - lived up the road from it and used to enjoy it 20years ago. not taken my dcs though so can't really say if its improved.

there was another thread recently that said that Vu cinemas were showing fantastic mr fox for 75p every morning in half term. there must be one of those near you.

Tried the cinema today... movie was Ice Age 3. Online booking and telephone booking systems both wouldn't work... only let me get to a certain point then kept saying I hadn't selected any tickets! So went to the cinema without pre-booking... to find the film was Sold Out - wish the online system had said that, instead of saying I hadn't selected the right tickets. Ended up paying a lot more money to see Fantastic Mr Fox, which having now see, I didn't feel was that fantastic.

I hope it is sunny tomorrow, as I feel it's walking in Windsor Great Park day.

If you would consider walking in the Great Park, how about Virginia Water? Don't know if you have to pay though. Maybe for the parking?

Bit of water always adds interest and provides duck feeding opportunities.

Milestones is good and they have a special exhibition about workhouses on this week. Not sure what sort of state the Willis is in - they were still refurbishing it last time I went up that end of town.

Beale Park near Pangbourne is good - animals and a railway but they charge and only under 2's are free.

Wellington Country Park is supposed to be good although haven't been. However, £12 for entry (one adult one child).

There isn't much that is free, is there?

Its terrible. Tryint to think of what we did last year. Think we might have had Tesco vouchers so went to various museums. Mind you, back then oldest was 4 so not as costly as some places don't charge under 5.
Was considering walking around V.Water lake. Our friends are going to Legoland... 5yr old's pass expired so can't do that. Think a new pass may needed for Easter hols next year.