Low cost things to do with children (Woking side of Guildford)

[nannynick]

I am looking for ideas on low cost / free things to do in the area with young children.

For example, have you found any good locations for feeding ducks, somewhere there are generally speaking always ducks?

Have you found any free museums that are worth visiting?

Which playgrounds are good, and have free parking near them?

So far we have been to Newlands corner, Frencham ponds, the playground at The Lookout, Box Hill, Stoke park and Frimley Lodge park - All free!!!!

Woking Park is lovely - 2 ponds with ducks.

here is worth a visit

Pyrford Common

The Canal for scooting/cycling/walking

All the local NT places

Alice Holt Forest

Thanks for the suggestions. Think I need to consider NT membership again, especially now that Box Hill charges - least they do at the Stepping Stones carpark. It's only £2 though, but a bit of a pain as you have to use a pay by mobile system (is free for NT members).

We like Box Hill, though 3yr old does moan a bit walking up!

Woking Park - is that where Pool in the Park is?

Not been to Pyrford Common, though it does remind me that Horsell Common is close and is a large area for the children to run around.

Yes it is where the Pool is. The crazy golf is open now too.

Taking buckets and spades to Horsell Common is good, you can also cycle through to Fairoaks airport which has a cafe from which you can see planes taking off. You can also see the Maclaren building.

Pyford park is good (zipwire) but no ducks.

Watching trains at the level crossing in Sunningdale - or a walk down the Basingstoke canal to St Johns (great new cupcake shop there) then over to the railway cutting. If you google you can find times of steam trains going through. There's one or two a week over the holidays.

The park in Byfleet has a pirate/sand theme and is relatively new.

Erm .... I'm sure more will come to me

The PYO in Addlestone - Crockford Bridge- has a great play area, fantastic ice cream parlour, ok restaurant & v expensive PYO.

The Lightbox.

Storytime at Woking Library.

Virginia Water.

Chobham common monument.

Brookwood cemetery.

There's a big duck pond on the green at Pirbright. Ducks may be outnumbered by Canada Geese though!

Thanks. We found ducks today on a small river by a playground in Chertsey. Cost a £1 to park for 3 hours, so wasn't bad. Unfortunately walked into the town and found a small indoor play... so what was quite a low cost trip got a bit more pricey.

nannynick Have you got the book 'Around about Woking - the under fives guide'?

Yes, though several years old edition now. I find it tells of the obvious places rather than the more unusual places. Does the most recent edition list more unusual places, like those duck ponds in villages.

In the section on playgrounds it is quite specific about which ones have ducks/paddling pool/stream nearby. This is the 2010 edition.

Mine is 2004. Maybe I will try them all out and update my book based on what is really at those places now. Noticed that Foxhills Road playground has toilets according to the 2004 edition... hmm, can't recall seeing toilets when I was last there - did I miss them, or have they vanished?

Checked my book - they are in cricket pavillion at the far side of the field! Apparently!

Ah your book is more detailed... that's the sort of detail needed, not just a toilet sign but directions to the toilets. Thanks.

No problem!

I thought of some more.

The garden centre on Egley Road has a cafe and a [http://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/store.aspx?id=100 aquatic centre]]

And this gym club is cheap for younger ones.

There's also a soft play hidden in Woking Leisure centre that is v cheap if you have one of the swimming Key Cards.

aquatic centre

porkchopster the very aquatic centre I just (or rather dh) bought a neon pink aquarium...... what I always wanted....!!

And there's always Waterstones.

And how many times during that purchase did he mutter "it's for my wife"

Nannynick - if you want a new version of Around About.. it's on sale at the Waterstones in Peacocks in Woking.