Visiting Ickworth with the family

Summer of Play

19 July - 2 September

Are you ready for a Summer of Play at Ickworth? This year 'An Ickworth Playcation' is travel-themed and it will weave throughout the activities and games taking place this summer.

Summer of Play is running at Ickworth from 19 July - 2 September for the school Summer Holidays. Those of you who came last year will be familiar with our large Walled Garden, which will once again be transformed into an adventurous and colourful play garden, with room for children to run and explore, games to challenge them and activities to keep a range of ages entertained. 

Summer of Play is sponsored by Starling Bank

What to expect

The Walled Garden is a large, informal space in Ickworth's parkland. There are different areas to discover and, during Summer of Play, the garden is divided into a series of 'play zones', each one offering something different, appealing to children of all ages.

Key areas include active zones, with sports aimed for teens to get a little friendly competition going; a sensory play area with sounds and textures to experience; a performance zone with a stretch tent that is new for this season and will host a mix of performances and hands-on crafts to ignite curiosity, creativity and self-expression.

The zones

• Creative Play - the stretch tent and performance zone
• Nature Play - a blend of play and tranquility to foster a connection to nature
• Loose Parts Play - arrange building blocks and natural materials to stimulate the imagination
• Sensory Play - a peaceful place with tactile panels and textured paths and objects
• Active Play - sports like football and cricket will help youngsters blow off steam
• Chill-out Zone - an area of calm, tucked away from the hubbub, to relax, eat and chat

During the course of your day in the garden, children (and adults!) can wind their way from zone to zone enjoying the elements of each of them. Get creative, explore nature and play in the great outdoors.

There will be a member of the Visitor Experience team down in the Walled Garden during Summer of Play, so you always have a staff member on hand if you need anything.

How to get involved

While usual admission charges will apply for entrance to Ickworth Estate (members of the National Trust are free), there will be no additional charge for the Summer of Play activities. The play garden is located down through the estate past the church. It is about 10 or 15 minutes walk from the Welcome Point. There will be a little shuttle running for those with additional mobility needs.

Spend the day

There will be seats and covered areas down in the Walled Garden so you will have plenty of shade if you want to spend the day down there. There are toilets located at the corner of the Walled Garden and a food and beverage trailer, along with a BBQ will also be located down in this area for the summer. Dogs are welcome in the Walled Garden so the whole family can enjoy spending the day together.

Elsewhere on the estate

Rotunda

The mansion is full of a wonderful collection of artworks. On the ground and first floor there are many incredible pieces to spot. For children there will be activity stations dotted throughout the rooms with things to do. Down in the servants' basements, children can get hands-on discovering life for staff in the 1930s. There will be games down here and the spaces are more informal. 

North Lawn

For picnics, the North Lawn makes a lovey, wide-open space to sit and relax to a view of the Rotunda. Bring your picnic blankets or take advantage of the deck chairs dotted around, and the food and drinks outlets nearby 

Cycle Hire

Cycle Hire runs from the main carpark for the duration of the summer holidays. Hire bikes or trailers for two hours or for the full day and take them down to the Walled Garden, or explore the wider estate. Visit our cycle page here

What to do when it's raining

We know that the British weather can often be unpredictable but we don't want to let a bit of rain spoil your visit to Ickworth. If you don't want to don your waterproofs and brave the rain then you can get out of it by visiting our hands-on and child-friendly basement in the historic house. You can open the drawers and discover the tools and materials that would have been used by the servants, seeing how they lived and worked. There are even some games you can try out in the servants' hall.

What to do when it's a bit warmer

We have plenty of shady spots to keep you cool in hot weather during your visit to Ickworth Estate:

• The Servant's Quarters in the Basement are nice and cool and there's lots to keep youngsters entertained.
• The Albana Walk is dense with trees and has plenty of leaf cover. There are always birds chirping and squirrels scampering around.
• The outdoor seating area behind Porter's Lodge is great if you want to sit with a coffee or a bite to eat.
• The Stumpery in the Italianate Garden offers cool dark relief from the sun when it's too hot. There are hardwood stumps, evergreen trees and shade loving ferns here all year round. (Sorry assistance dogs only).