A family day out at Leigh Woods

Boy crawling through the coppice crossing at Leigh Woods

Leigh Woods is a great place to tick off some of your '50 things to do before you're 11¾', whatever the weather. Bug hunting, bird watching and more can be done here as you complete our list of not-to-be-missed nature-based activities.

Natural play 

The woods are a great place to get out and about and explore.

When you visit, keep an eye out for our new natural play trail, created thanks to a generous donation from Bristol law firm, Barcan+Kirby, and grant funding from Ibstock Cory Environmental Trust.

The trail has been created using natural materials and includes a range of activities - including balance boards, hollow logs, a woodland fort and a giant basket swing - which are spread out around the woodland.

 

50 things

Get your kids closer to nature with ‘50 things to do before you’re 11¾’. There’s plenty of outdoor activities to do all year round, from watching the sunset to creating some wild art.

Top 50 things activities at Leigh Woods

Visitors with umbrellas in the garden at Bateman's, East Sussex.

No.6 go welly wandering 

Rain can be really fun, so pull on your wellies and splash through the puddles. Look at how it falls from the sky in long silver ropes. Can you hear it tapping on the hood of your mac?

Family discover a den built on the Natural Play trail at Box Hill, Surrey.

No.4 build a den 

Build a den out of sticks on a flat spot in the woods, cover it with leaves, and you've got a pirate hideout or a meeting place for spies. There are loads of National Trust places with perfect spots for den building.

A family playing with leaves in autumn

No 1. Get to know a tree 

The trees here are hundreds of years old, and come from all over the world. Get to know them by studying their bark and leaves, and help us to protect them by not climbing them.

Downloadable family trail

On a visit to Leigh Woods, why not follow Franklin the Fox around the hill fort on our fun family trail?

Franklin and his family have lived at Leigh Woods for centuries so he's got lots of stories to tell about what you can see today.

You can download the trail here:

Family on a trail at Leigh Woods

Leigh Woods downloadable family trail 

Exploring the history of Leigh Woods with Franklin the Fox is lots of fun...

A place to picnic

Why not bring a picnic and make a day of your visit to Leigh Woods?

You can spread out a blanket on the plain or take a seat on the wooden sofa in our picnic area, which was carved by our ranger team.

Remember, Leigh Woods is a delicate site with rare woodland and wildlife, so please make sure you take any rubbish home with you.

Our carved wooden sofa is a great place to stop for lunch
Children eating lunch on the carved wooden sofa at Leigh Woods
Our carved wooden sofa is a great place to stop for lunch