How often do you go to the park with your kids?

[scoobysnax]

Our local parks aren't usually very busy, and for some reason seem to have more tourists or visiting foreign academics than local people!

Just wondering how often people take their children to the park nowadays - or if different venues have taken their place in the world now?

Zebra, I must be v lucky then, because Peckham is as deprived as can be but we are surrounded by well-maintained pleasant parks. The one at the top of my road is lovely. And Dulwich park is v glam! The new tearoom is all tongue-and-groove panelling and Farrow & Ball paint. Very Living Etc indeed.

Zebra, I must be v lucky then, because Peckham is as deprived as can be but we are surrounded by well-maintained pleasant parks. The one at the top of my road is lovely. And Dulwich park is v glam! The new tearoom is all tongue-and-groove panelling and Farrow & Ball paint. Very Living Etc indeed.

And last week they had a charity fundraising day with a barbeque and YES! free shiatsu massage. South London is the new North London you know, darlings

I take the kids to the park more or less every week, sometimes more, sometimes less but our nearest one is more suitable for older kids and the one thing which is good for toddlers keeps getting vandalised over and over again and now they have locked the area it is in completely. I'm quite cross about it. We go to a variety of parks but none of them round here are much cop really. Shame as where we lived before had a fantastic park nearby...

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We haven't been able to enjoy our local park this summer. For some reason the council decided that the summer holidays would be the ideal time to rip out the old play equipment and start building a new cafe. So it has been a building site for the last two months.

To be honest, we don't usually use it very often anyway (once a fortnight?) but that's because we have a large garden - plenty of space to run around, climbing frame, etc.

Parks in Nottingham are much less busy than Battersea Park was when I lived there. Reflects the housing around it though I suppose - in London we lived in a 6th floor 2 bed flat, no terrace/balcony.

sueW - the frustratio of parks being closed during the summer holidays - tell me about it.

Two of our parks have suffered arson attacks. Someone tried to set light to the play equipment. When you arrive you see blackened metal and melted rubber flooring. If one piece of equipment has suffered, the whole park is closed. Most years the school holiday arsonists just amuse themselve with setting fire to the grass on the common. I guess this year they were more bored that usual.

Just as well that in this patch of SE London we are rich in parks, then. Agree with Aloha on that, though I don't live in Peckham any more. I know Dulwich Park too - there's a good (if a bit expensive) annual county show held there. I haven't been since the refurbishment of the cafe, but will venture there sometime soon. I haven't hired out one of their fun wheeled vehicles for years.

As I said on another thread, I go to parks at least 3 times a week. I have 3 big ones and 4 small ones to choose from (when there are no arson attacks). And that's just parks with playgrounds. Add green spaces and there's more. And a farm, too. Two of the parks have free open air paddling pools.

I also take my children for a walk in the woods a few times a month. We have one big wood and a few smaller ones within a 10 minute drive. I find this a more relaxing thing to do on a hot day.

Do any of you know Swanley Park? It's about 15 mins from the Brands' Hatch Turnoff on the M25.
We have only discovered it this year. It's got attractions over and above the usual. You can hop on a minature steam train which takes you to and from the playgrounds for approx 50p return. Alight at the little station and you see two playgrounds, a paddling pool, a sandpit, all free of charge, and also a small fairground, beach buggy circuit and bouncy castle. There is a boating lake and you can hire out a variety of boats, but the biggest attraction for my sons at least is that the lake is full of fish. Children just have to drop a net in the water and the fish almost leap in by themselves. You have to put them back of course.

Always meant to go to Swanley Park before leaving Bromley. Didn't get round to it. Agree that SE London is rich in parks. We had 2 within walking distance of our house in Bromley- one was lovely with horses. Have a very happy memory of ds1 laughing his leg off at some pigeons cooing in Dulwich park when he was pretty small. Of course realise now that was probaby the first sign of autism

Not so many parks down here in Devon, but then we do have Dartmoor I'm not complaining.

Talking of arson, I used to go to a baby clinic with ds1 in a park, until the arsonists burned it down!

The moors and the beaches. You lucky thing, jimjams. Not so lucky about the parking prices at some of the beaches, though I suppose Devon is rich in play centres and children's farms too. If you live there, at least you can always buy a season ticket.

Do you know Sorely Tunnel by any chance? It's one of the nicest play places of its kind I think.

Jimjams - I love Dartmoor. It is just the BEST place in the world. My parents live on the outskirts of it, and we visit regularly, and always go walking. Generally it is just my father and I disappear off for the day, leaving ds and dh if he is with us with my mother, but recently ds has wanted to start wlking with us too. Which is great fun (and means we go for shorter walks!)

We don't really "do" play centres or farms at the moment- but there do seem to be quite a few around. We did have a lovely day at Pennywell Farm in May though. I have seen a leaflet for Sorely tunnel but haven't been brave enough to try it.

Definitely agree about beach car parks. We tend to drive up to Princetown. The car park there has a little slot for posting the money which ds1 loves, and lots of lovely walks. Dartmoor was one of the main reasons I wanted to move back. I'll look out for you on Dartmoor Oakmaiden - I think ds1 ca be fairly recognisable at times He's the one with no depth perception trying to throw himself of sheer cliffs

Jimjams - my parents live in Horrabridge, which is reasonably close to Princetown - certainly a lot of our walks are on that side of the moor. In fact I think last time Daddy and I got my Mummy to drop us off in Princetown, and then walked back to their house. I just love it! DS is only just beginning to enjoy it - mostly, i think, because he knows that Mummy has a habit of disappearing every fortnight (used to be every week) to walk on Dartmoor, and he feels that he is missing out on something!

I grew up pretty close to Horrabridge- that's a pretty decent length walk from Pincetown! Atm ds2 is still in a buggy so we tend to stick to a little walk along the disused railway. We used to shove ds2 in a pack and be a bit more adventurous but then ds1 started refusing to walk on grass and by the time he'd got over that ds2 was too heavy for the backpack. One of my fave spots on the southern moor- is nun's cross farm. don't know why- it's just so bleak and desolate. Thinking of going for a walk this afternoon, but may go swimming instead.....

Princetown to Horrabridge isn't a walk I would take ds on - when he is with us we do stuff like from a roadside stop to Black Tor and the stone row just beyond there, or up to Little Mis Tor, or from Warren House down to Golden Dagger Mine. with a big picnic, usually. DS just loves eating outdoors.

Nuns Cross is nice - i remember stopping for lunch there one day, on one of our longer walks. Actually we went there 2 weeks running, but the first week the weather was appalling (typical Dartmoor!) so we did it again the next week because we hadn't wanted to explore Eylesbarrow Mine in the driving rain!

we used to walk up to Pew Tor, and spent many a happy day scrabbling over rocks...and seeing who was the first to fallin at the river there or at Postbridge or pennycumquick outside Tavistock. and walking along the river at Mary Tavy. and there used to a brilliant wlak along the Tavy and we'd get the bus home form Horrabridge. Dartmoor can be a bleak and dismal tho...
Sorley woods - we had a very good day there with my kids and going to Trehorne (I think) it near Launceston was brilliant. Ok I'm rambling - time to get the monsters outof the bath and off to bed.

I love the bleak and dismal bit though. My favourite day on Dartmoor is a bleak and dismal one - spent walking with a heavy rucksack leaning into the wind. SO when you get home and have a bath you're still leaning forwards to balance.

Camping at the Plume of Feathers in Princetown was always good. Open fire in the evening, and very delicious breakfast in the morning.

Pennywell Farm - we've been there too. It's very high up with sweeping views, if I remember.

The year we went (just before christmas) the organisers did an inpromtu nativity play in one of the barns. Those children who wanted to take part were dressed up as sheperds and angels etc, and the animals and straw were of course the real thing. After the play we walked in the winter late afternoon darkness to another building to visit Father Christmas. I remember it well.

I don't know dartmoor well, unfortunately. I like a good walk myself, but sadly neither my dh or my sons follow in my footsteps as it were.

I used to go to school with the Langtons who owned the 'Plums of Feathers'... and we used to have good picnics at Merrivale. Jim jams did you go letterboxing??/

I was more of a ten tors girl myself- but I did do some letterboxing, and some 10 letterbox walks. PLan is to take up letterboxing with the boys when they get a bit older....

I was more of a ten tors girl myself- but I did do some letterboxing, and some 10 letterbox walks. PLan is to take up letterboxing with the boys when they get a bit older....

Where were you at school?

Tavistock Comprehensive - I did try the 10 tors once, but we didn't practice enough and just weren't fit and one girl had fallen off her moped the week before, and one girl we didn;t really get on with so we ended up wimping out in all the rain (hoping for a helicopter ride with the army..no such luck).

oh god- depending on your age - I could well know lots of your friends..... I used to spend most of my time with everyone from Tavistock comp in the 6th form. Friday nights in the Bedford Arms...... Ahhh memories......

jimjams - where's the park with horses in Bromley you mentioned? Have just enjoyed a great holiday on Exmoor - would be great to live out there but unfortunately conflicts with dh's work.

Norman park Jude, between Bromley common and Hayes. It's a good place for kids to ride bikes as well (just mind the dog poo)