Summer is the ideal season to discover the UK’s stunning gardens, many offering family-friendly activities that encourage outdoor play and learning. From building dens and playing games to embarking on exciting bug hunts, these gardens provide the perfect opportunities for families to connect with nature and enjoy quality time together.
The National Trust’s ‘Summer of Play’ initiative features numerous family-oriented events across its properties, while the RHS, English Heritage, and the National Garden Scheme also host diverse activities supporting health charities.
Here’s a selection of gardens guaranteed to delight children and adults alike:
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At Anglesey Abbey, children can enjoy a beach-themed ‘Summer of Play’ with a giant sandpit, seaside arts and crafts, and games like badminton and volleyball scattered across five interactive seaside play zones designed to inspire creativity and teach about coastal nature.
Belsay Hall’s expansive 30-acre Grade I-listed gardens, revitalized by renowned designer Dan Pearson with over 80,000 new plants, showcase the dramatic Quarry Garden—a former stone quarry with its own microclimate supporting exotic flora including giant rhubarb dubbed “dinosaurs' food.” The gardens feature trail markers guiding visitors along the Wild Man Trail to the castle, plus a fantastic new play area with climbing frames, slides, rope nets, and swings. There’s also a toddler play zone.
Castle Ward presents five distinct play zones set within its historic estate: the Active Zone with medieval sports, the Quest Zone for adventurous dragon battles, the Creative Zone for artistic expression, the Nature Zone with fossil digs, and the Quiet Zone for peaceful reflection. The garden’s two contrasting landscapes—Victorian and 17th-18th century pleasure grounds—offer visitors a rich horticultural experience.
Nestled within a 10-acre woodland garden, a hidden Gloucestershire gem invites children to explore a maze, spot peacocks and bees, and enjoy a Victorian walled garden featuring greenhouses and a croquet lawn. The garden opens for the National Garden Scheme on July 20.
Chirk Castle’s gardens burst with summer colors and fragrances, showcasing cistus varieties, foxtail lilies, exquisite topiary, and the scent of Lime Tree Avenue. The castle’s Big Play Adventure includes four themed zones—Forest, Meadow, Stream, and Kitchen Garden—each packed with activities to spark imagination and active play.
Brodick Castle on Arran features the ‘Isle Be Wild’ wooden playground blending into the woodland, with the Squirrel Tower, high tree walkways, rope bridges, and the Otter area with a glass-bottomed tunnel. Visitors can also enjoy the Silver Garden Trail and Plant Hunters’ Walk or explore ponds, waterfalls, and woodland trails that might reveal red squirrels.
Fountains Abbey, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with one of England’s largest ruined Cistercian monasteries and an elegant 18th-century water garden, offers children’s activity stations including circus tents, soft archery, and space-hopper racing. It opens selected Thursdays through summer from July 17 for the National Garden Scheme.
On an extensive 180-acre equestrian estate with formal terraces, topiary gardens, perennial borders, and glasshouses, children can meet rescue ponies, donkeys, and chickens. Nearby Brodsworth Hall’s Victorian gardens have been meticulously restored, featuring formal topiary, a fern dell, quirky garden buildings, a charming 1864 ‘privy’, and the Target Range mosaic display. Families can explore the wild rose dell, playground themed on the family’s history, and enjoy live brass bands during summer National Garden Scheme days.
At West Green House, children marvel at a miniature railway amid 54 acres of garden and woodland, dotted with quirky sculptures including teepees, giant angels, and cacti. The venue hosts a thrilling medieval joust event from August 5-7, where knights representing legendary figures compete in a spectacular show.
Logan Botanic Garden, recently awarded Family Venue of the Year, benefits from a near-subtropical climate thanks to the Gulf Stream, allowing exotic plants to flourish. On July 31, children can participate in a ‘Fun with Flax’ event, learning to weave flowers and animals from multicoloured flax leaves grown in the garden.
These gardens combine natural beauty with engaging activities, making them perfect summer destinations for families eager to explore, play, and create lasting memories.