Family-friendly things to do at Clumber Park

Family enjoying the outdoors | © John Millar

Clumber Park is an ideal spot for families on an spring day. With 3,800 acres of parkland and the Discovery Centre for some indoor respite, there is an endless amount of fun to be had and plenty for kids to explore.

Planning your family visit

The Woodland Play Park is open every day from 10.00 - 17.00.
The Cycle Hub is open from 10.00 - 17.00 at weekends, bank holidays and every day during Nottinghamshire school holidays. Last hire is at 14.30.
Baby changing facilities are available in the Turning Yard and Discovery Centre in the main visitor facilities, as well as next to Central Bark and in the walled kitchen garden
A Changing Places toilet can be found in the Turning Yard within the main visitor facilities. It is accessible with the users radar key and users are asked to bring their own strap for the hoist
Powered mobility vehicles are available to hire free of charge from the Information Point, subject to availability and weather permitting. Booking is advisable. Monday - Friday, please call 01909 476592. During weekends, please call 01909 511039, or speak to a member of the team.
Our new sensory space within the Discovery Centre provides a much-needed break from the hustle and bustle of the park. It offers a calm space with busy boards for visitors to enjoy, and a relaxation space with engaging and calming lighting. Available from 10.00 - 17.00.
Sensory bags are available to borrow from the Information Point in the Laundry Yard, next to the shop.

May Half term at Clumber Park

Join us from Saturday 24 - Sunday 1 June for a host of sports related fun on the Front Field. Enjoy football, rounders, badminton, tennis and more.

Within the Discovery Centre, you'll find our ‘50 things’ room, celebrating all the fun that can be had whilst connecting with nature. Start your journey this half term with den building in the woodland and climbing, hiding and exploring in the hidden Woodland Play Park.

Clumber is home to over 20 miles of cycle tracks, suitable for all ages and abilities. Bring your own bike or hire one from the Cycle Hub which is open every day throughout the Nottinghamshire school holidays.

On Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 May, create stick art with the team at Lake Brew, by the lake in Hardwick village. Free event, no booking required.

To find out what other activities and events are taking place during your visit, click here.

Natural Play

As you explore Clumber Park, you'll discover lots of natural play areas to keep children entertained. Whether it's den building in the woods, discovering mini beasts in the leaf litter, coming across a fallen tree or splashing in a muddy puddle, wrap up against the elements and enjoy nature at its best.

The perfect spot is in Leaping Bar which can be found between the hard standing car park and Central Bark dog cafe.

Boy adding a branch to a den he has built in the woodland — Den building | © James Dobson

Cycling at Clumber

Getting out on two wheels is the perfect way to explore the parkland, woods and lakeside views of Clumber Park. Accessible routes and woodland paths cover over 20 miles of beautiful trails through a variety of landscapes, offering routes for all ages and abilities to enjoy.

Our Cycle Hub has a large selection of bikes for adults and children as well as accessible cycle equipment, including a side by side bike and a wheelchair platform bike. Hire is available on a first come, first served basis, pre-booking is not available. For opening times and prices, click here

Ready to ride? Balance bikes are a great way for children to find their feet before progressing to a pedal bike. Let your little ones keep up with you on family outings by hiring one from the Cycle Hub.

Discovery Centre

Take a break and head inside to the Discovery Centre. It's a great place to learn more about Clumber Park's amazing array of wildlife and get involved in fun, seasonal activities. The Discovery Centre is also home to our pondlife exploration tank, where you can spot water beetles, water snails and try and spot the stick insect.

Head into the '50 things' room which celebrates all the fun that can be had whilst connecting with nature. With everything from creating wild art and making friends with a bug, to playing pooh sticks and keeping a nature diary. Collect a '50 things' sheet, head outside and cross some activities off your list. More details below.

Wildlife at Clumber

The parkland, heath and woodland are home to an abundance of wildlife for you to discover, observe and enjoy in spring. Our circular lakeside walk is the most popular visitor route and looks especially stunning on a bright, sunny morning.

Bring your camera if you're a keen photographer and keep a look out for birds such as buzzards, great spotted woodpeckers, jays and woodlarks. Find squirrels and deer in the quieter parts of the park, and longhorn cattle in the heathlands.

Don't miss the busy Bird Hide, off the beaten track by Cow Pastures, where you can enjoy some quiet time in nature.

A great spotted woodpecker on the branch of a tree — Great spotted woodpecker | © Steve Bradley

50 things to do before you're 11¾ activities

The National Trust's ‘50 things’ list was created to encourage families to play in nature together and build a connection with the natural world. It's a lot of fun too!

Below is some of the activities you can enjoy at Clumber. Find out more and see the full list here

No. 4 - Build a den
What will your den be? A meeting place for spies, a pirate hideout or maybe a fairy castle for the night? Start by looking for a sturdy tree with lots of nooks and nobbles, or a low branch. This will help keep your sticks in place when you start building.

No. 11 - Explore on wheels
Whether you’ve got a bike, scooter, wheelchair or skateboard – you’ll explore further and faster on your wheels at Clumber Park, and it’s also a fun way to exercise.

No. 18 - Create some wild art
When it comes to creating wild art, the only limit is your imagination. Try and find things that vary in colour and texture so that you had even more choice and can pull together something really wild.

No. 31 - Make friends with a bug
Ladybirds, spiders, caterpillars, woodlice – there are all kinds of minibeasts hiding at Clumber Park. Great spots for searching include under stones and wood, the branches, bark and leaves of trees and in long grass.

No. 33 - Go cloud watching
On a dry day, find a patch of grass, lie back and watch the clouds go by. With a little imagination you can create whole worlds from the shapes you see in the clouds. Imagine being a bird and flying through the clouds - what do you think it would feel like?

No. 44 - Watch a bird
Our feathered friends can be found anywhere and everywhere, but to see something a little out of the ordinary, head to the Bird Hide by Cow Pastures. Be as quiet as you can, sit tight and record what you can see.

A circle of wild art created using twigs — Wild art created at Clumber Park with local artist James Brunt | © James Brunt

Looking ahead to Summer of Play

From Saturday 19 July - Sunday 7 September, Summer of Play will return for the third year. Bigger and better than ever before our 2025 event offers 9 interactive play zones for children of all ages to explore, and it's free to enjoy.

This year's zones located on the Front Field include Active, Nature, Performance, Loose Parts and Creative, as well as a Toddler zone and Dog Agility zone so every member of the family can get involved.

In addition, you'll find our Heritage zone in the Lincoln Stables, and the Sensory zone in the walled kitchen garden will provide a much-needed break from the hustle and bustle for those needing a calmer space.

There’ll also be a straw bale creation giving a bird's eye view of Clumber's lost mansion

With refreshments and snacks on hand, and shaded areas to relax in, Clumber Park’s Summer of Play is one that you won't want to miss! No booking required, admission into the park applies.