Half-term adventures at Hardwick

Children playing in the Hardwick gardens — There is plenty of fun and games to be played at Hardwick

Summer in sight, May half-term is that time of year outdoor adventures get to last all day. With woodland walks, nature spotting, den building, games of hide and seek, picnics and more the possibilities are endless.

Hands on and have a go in the stableyard

Over half-term there will be a range of activities to get stuck into. Making the most of the season and with a nod to some of May’s traditions we'll be making ribbon streamer wristbands, streamer sticks and nature crowns.

Out on the lawns of the stableyard, the sports equipment will be out for some sporting challenges including our shiny new hobby horse course. Bring on the championships!

Ever wondered what a ranger does all day? Come along to our special family What's a ranger day on 30 May and you can find out with a taste of some of the things they get up to. You get to sit in one of the estate vehicles too.

Rangers hold an event in the stableyard at Hardwick — Come along to a 'What's a ranger?' day to find out what the rangers do to help look after Hardwick

Out in the park and gardens

See what trees you can spot across the park with our spotter guide. There are lots of native ones to look out for plus one or two not so familiar. A walk along Lady Spencer's Walk is great for wildlife spotting and there's they natural play trail too.

In the gardens, see how many different herbs and flowers you can find.

Other things to do

A visit to Hardwick is always a great place to tick off some of those 50 Things to do Before You're 11¾ . There’s the chance to have a go at den building, wild art, hunting for bugs, and you can always take a walk barefoot or run around in the rain!

Children den building at Hardwick — The woods along Lady Spencer's Walk are a great spot for den building

All over Hardwick there are some great picnic spots in the park, down by the ponds, and in the gardens.

What's inside?

There's the chance to get a closer look at some of Hardwick’s amazing (and pretty old) collections with pop-up collections handling sessions led by some of our team.

As you go round the Hall, see if you can spot the large safe in the wall near the Harry Potter-like muniments room, or some of the 'bones' of Hardwick through glass hatch in the floor of the Long Gallery.