Two under 2 and wet days in Oxfordshire

[lavender11]

Any new ideas on where to take 2 under 2 on wet days in oxfordshire? We have been to the living rainforest which is very popular with our little ones, and sometimes to indoor shopping centres where they can run arnound a bit (but not exactly a "constructive" day out!!). I am thinking weekend but any time of the week if there is somewhere good "inside" which people know about I would love to hear about it. Happy to pay if it is good (although free or cheap is always fantastic too!)

River and Rowing Museum in Henley? You have to pay , but you pay once for the whole year.

Jamboray in Oxford. Right next to the Kassam stadium isn't bad. Very big indoor soft play place. That's quite reasonably priced.

Good luck.

[whispers] there is always soft play, where abouts in Ox are you?

Natural History Museum on Parks Road in Oxford. Park at Norham Gardens at the top of University Parks (it's about £2 for 2 hours or thereabouts) and walk the 5 mins to the museums. Might be a little old for them at the moment but good to have in reserve.

Bus Museum in Long Hanborough, about £2 IIRC and loads of buses to climb on and off. There's a small play area with toys and colouring as well.

thanks so much for these ideas, you are my life savers.....

Soft play at Bicester Garden centre

Apparently it's £1.50 if you join the gardening club (which I think is free)

Playtime in Carterton (just near the main entrance to Brize)

erm..

I often go to Ikea on crappy weather days as DS can run around without annoying too any people, there's a very cheap lunch, and he loves it there :)
(far from the cheap option though, sadly)

Ah... they might be a bit young yet, but there are often childrens films at cinemas on a Saturday morning for about £1 each. Typical kids films.

Blenheim Palace.. Pay once, free for a year.

Rugrats in Banbury

thanks Jareth, is there much indoors for children at Blenheim I wonder? I will google it, I have been before and I liked it but it is so long ago i cannot remember in detail what there was and whether it might be ok for my 2 yr old. will look now thanks for your ideas

Farmer Gow's at Appleton or other similar farm place (some animals indoors, covered playroom, hay to play in)
We are big museum fans (even if you only spend 30 mins in it, at least it's an outing!)In addition to the University museum, as above, Museum of Oxfordshire at Woodstock, free (nearly 2 year old might like some of the exhibits, guessing the younger one too small to do much really?), Museum of Oxford in city centre (dressing up clothes and mad hatter's tea party), free
Blenheim has limited indoor things (butterflies, bygones display)
Soft play: depends where in the county you are. We like snakes and ladders in Abingdon and also Rugrats in Banbury (has special under 2s area which is nice)
Garden centres surprisingly entertaining: try Yarnton nurseries (tropical fish, pets) or Notcutts on Oxford-Dorchester road

ah yes, Notcutts is v good.. there's a talking parrot

I know it sounds bizarre, but churches? If your children have ever seen a baptism, for example, they are old enough to look for the font, and maybe the organ; some places will have a tower you can climb, a gargoyle etc, and every child likes to put a 5p piece in the box in the wall [mean]. Some stuff about historical features here. It might take some ringing ahead to be sure which churches will be open, but I can start you off with one - St Margaret's Binsey. there are some nice goats next to the churchyard as well, and the treacle well (healing well supposed to have been founded by St Frideswide, patron saint of Oxford).

We also like snakes and ladders and the living rainforest. Lots of great ideas here for us to try, I also have 2 under 2. My toddler loves the rain though so we sometimes go to the park in the rain - no queuing for the swings then!

Best value for money (not always great in the rain though) is the £50 annual entry pass for cotswold wildlife park. under 3's are free and even if it's a bit of a drive for you it's so worth it in the summer.

sorry, posted too soon - meant to say worth it in the summer/sunny winter days.

Burford ggc is ace. V tempting to spend mucho money there, but I used to frequently take DD1 when she was a little younger and I was mateless at a loose end. Still go there now quite often. There's a fabulous outdoor play area, but if the weather is rubbish, there's a really nice children's cafe, just off the main resteraunt. Plus a little 'children's cinema'.

Will keep my eye on this thread too for other things to do. Oh, Wyevale in Bicester (see it's mentioned above) is just lovely at Christmas time - there's a grotto plus lots of lovely big mechanical animals.

loving this thread :)

Rindercella - how could I forget the cinema at Burford! Perfect in the middle of winter (OP - leave your cards at home, they have such beautiful things there - NOT a cheap place to visit)

I can spell, honestly!

Perhaps we should arrange a MN meet up at Burford?

great idea, I go there a lot with DS because he loves the playground so much (perhaps I've seen you there already :)) how old are your DC?

DD1 is 3 years old and DD2 is 6 months. How about yours?

DS is 3 in November :)

Hi - What is Burford GGC, please?

This is a great thread, my DD is 14 months and I'm looking for inspiration about what to do with her. I'll definitly give Burford a go - with my credit card in hand!!

Ronx - it's Burford Garden Centre I think

Thanks for that, blue22.

I have a boisterous 2.5 year old and we live in a cottage with a tiny garden, so I'm always on the look-out for things to do.

The Modern Art Gallery in Oxford has some activities for children on Sunday afternoons. It is a great gallery - small enough that you can see a whole exhibit with children and it is very family friendly.

What about music? The Jacqueline Du Pre Music Room at St Hilda's has children's concerts too.