Family-friendly things to do at Morden Hall Park

Quacky Races

Sat 13 September, 11am-3pm

The legendary Morden Hall Park Quacky Races returns to mark the end of summer and start of autumn. Join us by the Snuff Mill to pick your duck and launch your duck down the river. £2.50 per entry with all proceeds going toward the care of Morden Hall park. 

Community Tales - Storytelling and Craft 

Visit every Saturday between 27 September and 25 October to enjoy storytelling and craft mornings from our rich and diverse community. Ideal for children 3 - 6 years. £6/child. Booking in advance is advised. Swipe the image gallery below for more detail about each event. 

Spiders aren't so scary

Fri 17 and Sat 18 October

Think spiders are spooky? Think again! Join us for a fascinating and family-friendly adventure uncovering the secret lives of these misunderstood minibeasts. Join us in the Snuff Mill where you'll learn about the incredible world of spiders before embarking on a guided walk in the dark to see how many different spiders you can spot on the trees, reeds, bridges, and walls. Booking essential. £7/adult and £5/child.

Autumn Community Bunting Workshop

Mon 27 October

Textile artist, Sarah McAlister and community arts group, Made in Merton, is hosting an autumn-inspired workshop to create bunting flags from recycled fabrics. Your final pieces will be added to the bunting string and displayed in the park later in the year. Find us between 2pm - 4pm in the Stable Yard Exhibition Space. No booking required.

Half term pumpkin carving

Tues 28 and Wed 29 October

Get crafty with our frightfully fun pumpkin carving sessions. Prepare to get messy as you choose and hollow out your pumpkin ready to carve your pumpkin character. Once you're done, you can take it home ready for Halloween.  £6 per pumpkin (booking not required). Find us in the Stableyard between 11am and 4pm. 

Spider Secrets Trail

Sat 27 Sept - Sun 2 Nov

Autumn is spider season, when you'll notice more webs in your garden, their dew-covered webs glistening in the morning light. Come to Morden Hall Park and follow our self-led trail through the park in search of clues to solve the mystery word in the web. £3 per trail throughout the autumn season. Available from the Garden Centre.

Family-friendly things to do in the parkland

Natural play area

Let off some steam in the natural play area (just past the white bridge) where you can climb, balance, swing and leap. There's plenty to keep your imagination active and your feet busy – what memories will you take home with you?

Go orienteering

Add an extra challenge to your walk or run through Morden Halk Park and have a go at orienteering.  Whether you're walking with family, exploring an area or going for a run, download the map and look for the 14 posts in the park. Your challenge is to find the quickest route to each of the posts. 

The route has been created by Mole Valley Orienteering Club and you can download the map from their website or the Go Orienteering website. 

'50 things to do before you're 11¾'

Whether you've come to fly your kite in the meadows or to look for birds in the wetland, there are lots of '50 things' activities you can try on a day out at Morden Hall Park. Here's a few suggestions to get you started:

• No. 1 Get to know a tree: Pick your favourite tree and visit it each time you come to the park. You could even take a photograph of it in each season to record the way it looks from spring all the way through to winter
• No. 7 Fly a kite: If there's a bit of wind in the air when you visit Morden Hall Park, head into the wide open spaces of the meadows to see if you can get a kite up into the sky
• No. 8 Spot a fish: Keep your eyes peeled along the stretch of river by the main green gates – the shade of the trees here makes this a good place to spot fish. There are six types of fish swimming in the River Wandle as it winds through the park, including eels
• No. 12 Have fun with sticks: There's nothing a stick can't become with a little imagination: a magic wand, a conductor’s baton or even a knight’s sword. And with over 3,000 trees in the park you're bound to find a few lying on the ground to choose from
• No. 19 Play Pooh sticks: The White Bridge at Morden Hall Park was voted the one of the top places in the country to play this fun game. Just choose a good stick each, let them go on one side of the bridge and see whose stick comes out first on the other side
• No. 44 Watch a bird: If you’re quiet enough you’ll be surprised what shy wetland species you can catch a glimpse of. Keep your eyes peeled for kingfishers, mallards and herons.

Planning your family visit

• Baby-changing facilities are available in the Stable Yard, Snuff Mill and Potting Shed café (when open).
• Click here to access the full Accessibility Guide for Morden Hall Park 
• There are buggy-friendly pathways around the park (you can find a map here). 
• Ball games are allowed in the parkland but not allowed in the historic Rose Garden.
• Spend hours in Natural Play Area
• The Potting Shed café is located next to the car park with indoor and outdoor seating areas, offering a children's menu and high-chairs are also available.
  • During weekend and school holidays we open an additional outlet in the Stableyard serving snacks, drinks and ice cream. There are also plenty of picnic benches around the Stableyard to sit down and enjoy your own picnics. Large picnics are welcome in the White Bridge lawns, but not in the Rose Garden.
• Pocket money gifts are available to buy in the Garden Centre
• Children second-hand books are available to buy in the second-hand bookshop in the Stableyard.
• Your are welcome to breastfeed here. 
• Our full park regulations can be found here.