 You remember those romantic picnics you had with your bloke before you
were married and he was daddy to your 2.5 rugrats and retriever?
You called into M&S, or Waitrose, chose the sweetest fresh fruit, finest dark chocolate, the stickiest of cakes, a bottle of champers and two plastic goblets.
You skipped happily through the sunshine (it never rained) until you found a secluded (there was never anyone else around) pitch under a fairytale-like tree and relaxed for hours, giggling on your Cath Kidston floral rug.
You held your stomach in and smiled; he didn’t hold his stomach in and smiled.
Fast forward ten years and the scene is a little different.
It’s raining. The kids are whining and sick of walking, but don’t want the bikes you’re inevitably carrying. They’re hungry but there’s no M&S picnic, just some stringy cheese, a half-sucked Humzinger and a Nemo petit filous.
Neither of you are smiling.
In our minds, park visits with the kids will be just like those ones the fit family on the cereal ads have. In reality, they’re not.
But with a bit of thought and pre-planning, you don’t necessarily have to play out the ‘before’ segment on Supernanny.
Here, Baby Surrey looks at some of the county’s most spectacular and, most importantly, child friendly parks.
Richmond Park: www.royalparks.org.uk
Yes, Richmond is a London borough but it is also in the county of Surrey and arguably the prince of parks.
It is a beautiful, no, stunning, park of some 2,500 acres of hills, woodlands, ponds, gardens and grasslands.
At its heights, there is an unprecedented, uninterrupted view of St Paul’s Cathedral and the London Eye up to 12 miles away.
When I took a friend’s boys there with mine last summer, they looked devastated when we left the car, wanting to know where “the rides” were.
Within 10 minutes they were living a real Boys Own adventure - climbing huge trees, watching water birds, spotting pike and best of all, stalking some of the 650 free-roaming deer.
Richmond Park has been designated as a site of special scientific interest and a National Nature Reserve and is perfect for some good old fashioned park fun.
There are various events in the school holidays - we did one of the crafting mornings on offer - but it’s not necessary to make this already fabulous park fun.
It’s open from 7am, but do check the closing times - we got carried away kite flying one day and had to run to meet the clanking of the large iron gates which close promptly at dusk (for specific daily times check the gates).
It’s not a great place to get to by public transport or with a buggy if you don’t have a car;
Richmond station (overground or district line Tube) is a fair step from the park. But, there are six good car parks that are gravelled and ok for buggies. There are also a handful of toilets but it’s better to pack your own change mat.
There is a playground at Petersham Gate and a selection of eateries ranging from snack and ice cream huts to the wonderful Georgian Mansion that is Pembroke Lodge, offering food, alcohol, high chairs and baby change.
There are no gimmicks with Richmond Park - its beauty and the unending capacity for Famous Five fun is all you need to keep both you and the wee ones happy.
Kew Gardens: www.kew.org
I remember being dragged around garden centres on a Sunday morning as a child and hating every petunia-purchasing, begonia-buying minute of it.
So why am I suggesting Kew Gardens as a place to take the kids?
Ask my five-year-old who is in a wheelchair and my two-year old whose boundless energy and goldfish-like attention span make him hard to please. They LOVE it.
Of course, comparing the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew to a drizzly Sunday spin around the Notcutts of my nightmares is unfair.
Kew is outstanding.
More importantly, they really seem to push it as a family place - and the access for our wheelchair, and therefore for buggies, is great.
It is situated on the south bank of the river Thames near Richmond, about 10 kilometres south west of London.
Kew Gardens Tube station is the nearest which is one of the very few on the entire Tube system that has disabled access and is therefore pram and pushchair-friendly too.
There are a number of buses from all over the south of the capital but why not start the day with an adventure and get there by river? You can pick up a boat from Westminster, Putney, Kew, Richmond or Hampton Court. It’s a real Bond-esque way to arrive and the view provides parents with something a little more memorable than the south circular too.
If you have to drive – parking is £5 for the day, although a top tip is that there is free parking in Kew Road (A307) after 10am every morning.
Kew’s incredible range of plants, trees, buildings and scenery speaks for itself. There are countless nooks and crannies to hide in and picnic around: Every inch oozes Alice In Wonderland-style opportunities for make believe.
But if you’re looking for something more structured there are a number of organised “Climbers and Creepers” activities especially for children. These are interactive games and quizzes that explore the subjects of plants, gardens, bugs and butterflies all inside Kew’s “Botanical playzone”.
As winter leaves Kew each year, there is a Children’s Spring Trail and in the summer holidays, for budding botanists, there is a chance to join in a Kew Sleepover.
Eight-11-year-olds can stay overnight in the gardens, search for local wildlife like badgers, bats and owls, play “environmental games” and toast marshmallows around a campfire.
Children are undeniably important to Kew. So important is their education in the environment and its plants that Kew runs a comprehensive schools teaching programme in conjunction with the BBC and also devotes a large part of its website to interactive games with a green message.
The gardens open everyday at 9.30am (except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) and there are plenty of places to eat, though the Victoria Terrace Café and White Peaks were particularly child and buggy friendly.
Adult entry is £13, concessions £12, and children under 17 free.
Painshill Park: www.painshill.co.uk
When something is described as a “tranquil beauty,” it’s not usually the sort of place you would think to take children.
Tranquil? Toddlers?
Torturous.
But a visit to Painshill is anything but.
Its sheer size makes it not only a haven for Mummies tired of soft play germ pits, but perfect also for letting off steam – kid style.
My toddler ran and ran and ran and ran some more at Painshill.
Considering it is not far from the M25 (junction 10) and the A3, it is a gorgeous – and somewhat unexpected - green lung in Cobham.
Created in the early 18th century by painter, plantsman and designer the Honourable Charles Hamilton, yes the park is tranquil but it is also dramatic, atmospheric, attractive, manicured and yet still wild - and above all, welcoming.
Yes, there is a planted “amphitheatre,” American influences, Asian themes interspersed with the very traditional English country garden look, tiered gardens and immaculate lawns, but this is not a park with roped-off areas and ‘keep off the grass’ signs – it is a living park.
When you are knee-high to a grasshopper, the garden he lives in holds little interest for you.
Thankfully, the people at Painshill realise this – and pack the year with some great activities and themes for children to get them to want to learn. They positively encourage them to enjoy the park and at the same time, to understand its flora and fauna.
There are “Discovery Walks” for bird, fish and “mini beast” spotting, “Family Fun” events on various themes and among the summer’s activities are a birds of prey demonstration in June and a circus skills workshop in July.
But the best news for Mums penniless from party bags, is that Painshill also runs party packages for 4-11-year-olds.
The Wood Hill Adventurer party include woodland games, crafts exploring and setting up camp for tea.
The Christopher Robin’s Day Out includes a treasure hunt-style search for Winnie The Pooh’s Hunny Pot and the Neverland Adventure party sees youngsters searching for Peter Pan and Captain Hook’s treasure!
Painshill will provide a party tea and cake if you require it though you can also cater yourself.
The park is open everyday including bank holidays (except Christmas Day and Boxing Day).
Entry is £6.60 for adults, £5.80 concessions, children over 5 £3.85, under fives are free.
Annual membership is available and dogs on a short lead are welcome.
Surrey has some stunning scenery and there are many parks and open spaces throughout the county. Not all have gravel car parks, admission prices and party packages – but they are still brilliant for kids.
The Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty stretches across a quarter of the county from Farnham in the west to Oxted in the east and walking any part of it is a real treat.
With an unharnessed imagination, the odd game of Pooh sticks and above all, a childlike enthusiasm, a stroll through any part of this gorgeous county can be an adventure.
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