Family-friendly things to do at Morden Hall Park

A girl playing at Morden Hall Park, with fluffy white blossom in the foreground of the shot — Spring at Morden Hall Park | © National Trust images/Megan Taylor

Explore the outdoors and get involved in fun, family-friendly activities at Morden Hall Park. Whether you’re ticking some activities off your list of '50 things to do before you're 11¾', there’s plenty to keep the whole family entertained. Find out what family events are coming up and how best to plan your day with children in mind.

Family events at Morden Hall Park

Throughout the year we put together a variety of family-friendly events and activities. See below what's coming up this Spring:

Young Makers Market, Saturday 17 May, 10am – 4pm

The Young Makers Marketing returns to Morden Hall Park this May showcasing some of the area’s brightest young entrepreneurs, artists and creative talents. They’ll be setting up their stalls in the Stableyard on Saturday 17 May. From handmade cards to crocheted wears, come and support their hard work and see what they’ve got to offer.

Families on a bat walk — Join us on a twilight walk in search of bats and other wildlife this May half term. | © National Trust Images/Chris Lacey

May half term at Morden Hall Park

Weekend of wildlife, Friday 23 – Sunday 25 May

Start the May Half term with a weekend of FREE nature-based activities at Morden Hall Park. Help us survey the mice and voles that live in the park with our small mammal trapping event, come on a twilight walk in search of bats or join in with hands-on activities to find living things in the park.

Small mammal trapping, Friday 23 May 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm (setting the traps) and Saturday 24 May, 6:30 am – 8:30 am (checking the traps)

You’ll be setting traps in the evening then come into the park early the next day to record what we’ve found and release them back into the park. Participants must take part in both activities. Booking essential.

Nature by torchlight, Friday 23 May 2023 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Join us for a torchlit walk in the park to see what animals you can find lurking around at twilight when the park is quiet. Grab your torches and shine a light on amphibians, moths, foxes, and other animals as darkness starts to fall. FREE. Booking essential

Bat walk, Saturday 24 May 2023 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Join us for a twilight walk around the park as we look and listen for bats. Learn about bats and borrow a bat detector to hear their calls and see if you can spot them fluttering above. FREE. Booking essential.

Morden wildlife discovery gazebo, Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 May, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Head down to the gazebo by the White Bridge and meet our team and visiting experts to discover the wildlife that calls Morden Hall Park home. Join in with hands-on activities to find living things in the park and learn more about them. Drop in any time.

Book here

A photo from an outdoor performance of Buzz, set on a green field on a sunny day. On the left are two busy puppeteers, one holds a giant bee puppet and a small boy puppet, he is wearing a yellow and black helmet in disguise. To the right is an eccentric character, an actress dressed as a bee with Amy Winehouse style hair and antenna holds a sign titled 'Bee-rief' with diagrams of a garden split into sectors. — Make a bee-line to Morden Hall Park this May Half Term | © Smoking Apples Theatre

Bee Inspired Week - Saturday 24 May to Sunday 1 June

Join us this May half term for a pollinator party in honour of the humble bee! These tiny black and yellow superheroes are vital to our ecosystem, pollinating plants, promoting biodiversity, producing delicious honey, and serving as environmental indicators. Bring the whole family for a bee-themed half term trail, engaging outdoor theatre, and family-friendly bee talks with honey tasting. It’s a buzzing good time you won’t want to miss!

Buzz - A Bee-rilliant Adventure!, Friday 30 - Saturday 31 May

Make a beeline to Morden Hall Park this half term for buzz-worthy puppet theatre from award-winning Smoking Apples. Join Billy Bumble as he shrinks down to bee-size and learns about the troubles bees face. Featuring spell-binding puppetry and a giant honeycomb set, it’s a whirlwind adventure learning about bees in our ecosystem and ways to look after them. Children will leave each performance with some wildflower seeds to plant and help our black and yellow friends to flourish.

Tickets: £5 for adults and £7 for children. Family discounts available.
Performance Times: 10:30am, 12:00pm, 2:00pm (Gates open 30 minutes before each show)
Running Time: 35 minutes (no interval)

Book Buzz

Bee Friendly: Talk & Honey Tasting, Wednesday 28 May

Join us for a bee-autiful experience with Alison from the Wimbledon Beekeepers Association as she shares her expertise on these incredible pollinators. Learn about different types of bees, their vital role in nature, and how they produce delicious honey. Try on a real beekeeping veil and enjoy a honey tasting featuring honey collected from the park’s very own hives. £5 for children and £3 for adults.

Book here

Looking ahead: Summer family outdoor theatre

Grap a picnic and your deckchairs and enjoy a summer of outdoor family theatre in the picturesque setting of the Rose Garden at Morden Hall Park. Join us for Quantum Theatre's production of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream and Lewis Carroll's, Alice Through the Looking Glass. For younger members of the family join us for the classic tale of Wind in the Willows, from Immersion Theatre.

For performances times and to book, click here.

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.

Danger - Shallow Water

The riverbed depth is less than one meter. Jumping or diving from the Snuff Mill Bridge poses a high risk of injury. Although the river may seem inviting, the water quality is unsuitable for general paddling and swimming. Your cooperation in avoiding the water helps protect river wildlife and prevents damage to the banks.

'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.