Things to do near Southwold, Suffolk with a one year old and three year old!

[LittleTipple]

Off for a holiday near Southwold and would love some recommendations on places to visit with two small children. x

The beach and pier at southwold are beautiful. You could easily spend lots of time there.

Kessingland wildlife park zoo thing (not sure what it is called now Suffolk zoological society?) and if you want to go further, they also have a nice little zoo at Banham too. A bit further still is Bressingham steam museum.

Lifeboat museum on the harbour, looking at guns on gun hill, visit the lighthouse. Dunwich heath, Sizewell tea cafe in leiston, aldeburgh look at their bigger lifeboat. Southwold pier, walking along front looking at beach huts. Visit dunwich itself where city fell into sea. Blythburgh church where the black dog scratched the door. Lowestoft fishing museum.

I could go on, I may have spent a large portion of my childhood and adolescent years in Southwold.

All of the above plus Africa Alive near Kessingland and there is a cinema in Lowestoft plus soft play for rainy days. Although they're too young for crabbing you might want to take them along to the bit in Southwold where the ferry crosses to Walberswick and someone will show them a bucket of crabs.

If it's a nice day, then a day on the beach.

Go crabbing in Orford and then go across to the Ness on the National Trust boat.

Snape Maltings sometimes do concerts for children. It’s a nice place to explore anyway.

Rendlesham Forest has loads happening.

Check out Suffolk Wildlife Trust website for events at their various nature reserves.

Go to Landguard Point and watch the ships coming in at Felixstowe.

Thorpeness is nice - you can hire a rowing boat and admire the House in the Clouds

Wow, lots of great ideas. I shall get Googling! Thank you x

Minsmere is great too - they often do nature walks suitable for families and pond dipping.

Suffolk Punch horse centre too, nice for a walk around and beautiful horses.

It’s a lovely part of the UK and so much for families to do!

Bewilderwood...it'll be about an hours drive but it's amazing and perfect for their age.

Moo Play Farm at Brampton (about 20 mins from Southwold) provides all year round entertainment for the children and a cafe to relax with a coffee, snack or lunch.The indoor barn has a soft, safe play area for toddlers and a more challenging playframe with slides and ball pool for older children. The outdoor playground caters for all ages and the petting farm invites you to meet the alpaca, pony, goat, Peppa pig and friends.
Lowestoft is 30 mins north slightly closer than Aldeburgh. Lowestoft also has more to do with young children. There's a transport museum where you can ride on working trams, trolley buses and narrow gauge railway! There's Africa Alive which has been mentioned above. The Royal Plains fountains consist of 74 individual water jets that form a range of displays throughout the day. The attraction is popular with children on a warm summer’s day who can safely play in and out of the water discovering where the next jet of water will come from. Every 30 minutes from 10am – 10.30pm there's a musical display. In Kensington Gardens, there's a small boating pond for model boats. Lastly, the sandy beach is nicer for children to play on than the one at Southwold.

Ricekrispie thanks for such a detailed response. I’ll defo check those out.

PrincessHairyclary I was wondering about bewilderwood. I’m Googling now! x

Google is telling me that Moo Play Farm is no longer open, but I’ve made a long list of all the other ideas! Thank you for great suggestions. x

If they’ve ever watched the dreadful Grandpa in My Pocket, they will recognise a lot of Southwold!

Oh and Jimmy’s Farm is a great day out too!

And we thought the Wilford Bridge pub at Melton was really nice and good for kids (they gave them colouring packs). www.debeninns.co.uk/wilfordbridge/

Hire boats on the lake at Thorpeness.

Bugs Play Cafe (soft play) is at Bungay, which is popular with younger children, and about 30 minutes drive from Southwold. There is also the Oasis Camel Centre near Halesworth, and if you have good weather, Beccles Lido is lovely.

The whole Suffolk coast area is lovely, and suits families who like the outdoors: bucket and spade (where there is sand rather than shingle: the dunes at Walberswick), picnics on the Heath, walks. It is low key rather than full of ‘attractions’ which is part of it’s charm.

Get the "ferry" over to walberswick and go crabbing...Boating on the mere in thorpeness

Lots of wonderful suggestions! We certainly won’t be short on things to do 😊 x

Framlingham and Orford castles, especially if you're English Heritage members. Moats and ditches to run about in, as well as the castle proper.

Jolly Sailor at Orford has lots of outside space.