Things to do with kids in Aylesbury this summer

Are you looking for things to do with kids in Aylesbury this summer? Don’t worry; I’ve got you covered. Whether you’re into soft play, parks, swimming, museums or something else, I’ve put together a list of everything that’s on offer.

Aylesbury often gets a lot of slack from it’s residents, myself included. It was even listed as the worst place in the UK to live on 2022’s list! However, there is quite a lot of things to do with kids in Aylesbury, and if you’re able to travel a little, it’s connected to some other brilliant places too.

The summer holidays can be long, and I’m a keen advocate for keeping screen time at a minimum. So how can you fill those long summer days?

Come rain or shine, here are some of the best things you can do with kids in Aylesbury this summer!

Farmer Paul’s

Farmer Paul’s is a fantastic local farm, just on the outskirts of Aylesbury. In August, they open for sunflowers, in September they open for corn and in October they open for pumpkins! Compared with other seasonal pop-up farms, they’re much smaller, but also much more affordable. For a couple hours of summer fun at a low cost, they’re definitely the place to go!

I’ve previously written a post with all the info you need about the sunflowers in August, which you can read here.

Bucks Goat Centre

The Bucks Goat Centre is a firm favourite of ours! You can easily spend a couple of hours there and entry is just £6, making it one of the more affordable things to do with kids in Aylesbury. Whilst goats are the main attraction, there are also many other animals on offer, including alpacas, pigs, ferrets, a silver fox, rabbits, guinea pigs, ducks and chickens!

You can purchase animal feed at the entrance, for just £2 a bag, and get up close and personal with all the animals, which is really popular with little ones.

As well as seeing the animals, there’s an extensive play area with ride on diggers and other such toys, a gift shop and a cafe. It’s a great family run business and well worth a visit!

Rogue Leisure 

Rogue Leisure is home to so many fun activities that are suitable for grown ups, children and families alike! Inside, you’ll find:

• 14 ten-pin bowling lanes, which can take up to seven people per lane. Bowling is fully accessible, and (my favourite part) you can wear your own shoes! I hate borrowing bowling shoes!
• Indoor go-karting with the fastest indoor go karts in the U.K.  
• Karaoke, with a private pod for up to six people and a whopping 80,000 songs to choose from!
• Games bar, with three pool tables, E-darts, table tennis and more. 

You can also buy food and drink on site, with the menu featuring classic arcade favourites; pizzas, hotdogs, nachos and ice cream. Vegetarian options are available, and they also have a fully stocked bar if you fancy a trip here without the kids!

One game of bowling costs £9.75 per adult and £9.00 per child. Two games cost £16.95 per adult and £15.95 per child. However, they frequently run special offers, such as one game and a drink for £10. 

Karting is a bit more expensive, at about £28 per child aged 8 or over, plus an additional £5 for hire of equipment such as helmet and gloves (or you can bring your own). However, throughout the summer you can use code “summer22” for 10% off online bookings!

The Arena Games Bar has varying prices depending what you want to book. An hour of E-darts costs costs £15 per hour for up to six players. The table tennis costs £6 for 30 minutes, and the pool tables are pay as you play. 

Karaoke can be booked at £8.50 per person for a one hour session. 

Whatever you’re visiting for, you’re bound to have fun with the whole family. 

Lynx Gym

The Lynx Gym has a free car park or can easily be reached by bus. Whilst it is an official gym, home to two Olympian’s from Buckinghamshire, there are also several ‘fun’ classes for kids. If you’re looking for active things for kids to do in Aylesbury, this is a great place to go.

Every week, there are various ‘Play With Me’ sessions, where the gym is open to children under 5 for two hours. It costs just £6 (or less, if your child can’t walk) and you have full access to the gym equipment, a bouncy castle and even some other fun toys like a little slide, ride on trikes and hula hoops. Disney music is blasted out throughout the session and there is a water machine, cafe and toilets (including a disabled toilet) all on site.

Throughout the summer, Lynx Gym is also hosting ‘Reach for the Bars’ sessions, where children who will be starting infant school in September can attend sessions specifically for the school they’ll be going to, to get to know their classmates and make friends.

Find out more about the sessions on offer and the timetable here.

Stay and Play Aylesbury

Stay and Play Aylesbury is the most popular soft play in town, and is a winner when it comes to things to do with kids in Aylesbury! Located in the Hale Leys shopping centre in the middle of Aylesbury town, Stay and Play caters for little ones – or not so little ones – up to the age of 12! Best of all, parents and guardians are able to enter free of charge. There’s even a cafe, ‘The Lounge’, that you can sit in, grab yourself a coffee and relax whilst your kids let off steam! If coffee and cake aren’t quite ticking the boxes, they even have an on site pizzeria with a more extensive menu to peruse.

There are two different areas at Stay and Play. The toddler section is suitable for children up to the age of four and includes a ball pool, soft play blocks for building and an area for a treasure hunt. It’s situated in front of The Lounge, so you can easily keep an eye on your toddler without having to get into the soft play yourself (if you’re like me, and soft play isn’t your thing but it’s very much your little one’s!)

For older children, there is a two-tier play structure to explore, along with swings, slides and other puzzles they can work together to solve.

During the holidays, prices are as follows:

Under 1’s – £3.00

1 – 3 years – £5.95

4 – 12 years – £6.95

Alternatively, you can buy an annual pass for £130, and visit as often as you like.

Discover Bucks Museum

The newly renamed Discover Bucks Museum has undergone a bit of a revamp since it’s “Bucks County Museum” days. The museum is a charity, responsible for the care of over 130,000 artefacts that tell the story of Buckinghamshire from as far back as 200 million years ago!

Located in the centre of Aylesbury, the Discover Bucks Museum offers not only great learning opportunities for children (and adults!) but they also offer a variety of interactive events and activities on a regular basis too. You can find out exactly what’s on this summer here. With so much to see and do, this is one of the best things to do with kids in Aylesbury on a low budget.

There are two different types of tickets on offer from 25th July – 3rd September. Choose a summer discover ticket, that ranges from free to £5.50, or a summer explorer ticket that ranges from free to £30. Book the right ticket for you and your family here.

Roald Dahl Children’s Gallery

The Roald Dahl Children’s Gallery is located in the centre of Aylesbury town, right next door to the Discover Bucks museum. If you’re after whizzbanging, fizzpopping fun, then step into the Roald Dahl gallery! Crawl through Fantastic Mr Fox’s tunnel, ride in Willy Wonka’s Great Glass Elevator, be transported into a tv like Mike Teevee – it’s like stepping into your imagination.

Full of incredibly exhibits and unique sensory experiences that give you a peek into the mind of Roald Dahl. An incredibly unique gallery, this is definitely a brilliant one for a rainy day!

As it is linked to the Discover Bucks museum, the prices are as above, as tickets can be combined for entry to both museums. I used to love visiting as a kid, and can’t wait to relive my childhood when I take Jett here!

Watermead Lake

Grab some duck feed, pack a picnic and head on over to Watermead Lake. In fact, there are two lakes! Easily accessible by bus, car, bike or on foot, you can easily fill a good few hours at Watermead. Buy some bird feed from the shops on the square and then spend time dawdling around both the lakes, feeding the ducks, skipping over the stepping stones and looking out for the stray terrapin!

Some of the ducks really are quite friendly and will come right up to you for food! There’s also a little island with a band stand, a small play park area with some workout equipment, and the balloon field, where you can watch hot air balloons taking off.

Once you’ve fed the ducks, why not feed yourself? The Watermead Inn is a gorgeous gastro pub that offers an incredible range of high quality food. If it’s nice, you can even sit outside on under a pergola on the lake, which is truly beautiful at sunset.

Parks to visit

A great, free idea for things to do with kids in Aylesbury is visit one of our many parks! Aylesbury is lucky to have a serious abundance of parks. I’m not even going to attempt to list them all here, and there are some that I’m aware of but don’t know the name of. However, the wonderful Free Time With The Kids has done an extensive list and reviewed them in more depth than I’m going to do, so make sure you check that out here.

Some of our favourite parks in Aylesbury are:

• Vale Park – good parking, easy to reach by bus, on foot, or by bike. Next to a big open park space, the swimming pool, the skate park and town.
• Fairmile Park – always quiet, incredibly clean and lots of varied activities to do.
• Bedgrove Park – parking is available and it’s next to the Spinney, which is great for pooh sticks. It’s also next to a big open park space.
• Turnfurlong Park – Always clean and little to no graffiti (a win for any park I think!) Parking is tricky but if you live nearby, you can easily get to it by bike or on foot.
• White Hill Park – the one in the middle of the newbuild flats. It’s spacious, clean and has lots to do! No parking immediately nearby, but it’s easy to walk to from town.
• Buckingham Park – There are two parks on the Buckingham Park estate. There’s not much parking but you can catch the bus from town or walk from town if you don’t mind the 40 minute stroll!

None of these parks have toilets near to them, but all of them are suitable for little ones of all ages. Fairmile, Vale Park and Turnfurlong Park are particularly great because there is a section for babies/toddlers and then a section for older children.

Fun fact: Turnfurlong Park exists because my boyfriend, Jonny, petitioned for a park in the local area. We jokingly call it his park!

The Arcade 

The Arcade is linked to the Stay and Play soft play, and is home to almost 50 arcade game machines. The machines are what you would expect from an arcade – various target games, claw machines and even a Star Wars battle pod. There are plenty of prizes up for grabs too! If you can’t make it to a seaside arcade this year, Aylesbury’s own arcade is the next best thing for sure.

Entry is free and most games start from about £1 a turn. It’s certainly a great place to take your older kids who may be earning themselves some pocket money!

Flip Out Aylesbury

Flip Out Aylesbury is a relatively new attraction, a part of the wider “Flip Out” brand, and describes itself as a “super centre” for activities.  

Whilst they have no trampolines like other Flip Out Centres, they do have arcade games, mini golf, laser quest, indoor ice skating and much more!

During the school holidays, entry times are as follows:

10am – 8pm Monday – Thursday, 10am – 9pm Friday – Saturday and 10am – 7pm Sunday

Flip Out is definitely one of your pricier days out. An “unlimited fun” ticket, which gives you access to all the activities, costs £19 per child, or £15 if you’re under 1.1m in height if you book in advance. If you walk in, prices jump up, costing £20 per child or £16 if you’re under 1.1m. Under 1’s are free but there’s not a lot they can do!

Spectators (parents!) also have to pay, even if you’re not getting involved at all. You can expect to pay £5 to sit and watch your little ones have fun. 

A great idea for family fun or a rainy day, but definitely an expensive one!!

Visit Aylesbury library

Aylesbury library is a fantastic place to consider when looking for things to do with kids in Aylesbury. Did you know they have a tap refill point? Handy to know if you’re out with little ones!

If you’re a library card holder, you have free access to dozens of books and also the computers. The library had a bit of a revamp a few years ago. It’s now a great, sensory filled place for little ones with flashing lights, cosy corners and bubble tubes.

However, the library also has special events for kids lined up for the summer break. Bounce and Rhyme sessions are free sessions for children and their parents. They take place every week, on Tuesdays for 0-2 year olds and on Fridays for 2-4 year olds. The children sing songs and nursery rhymes with actions before settling down and being read a story. No booking is required, just turn up!

There’s also the ChatterBooks book club for children aged 7-11, Sensory Story Time, Create a Comic Book sessions and more. Find out more about the events, dates, times and how to book (if necessary) on the Aylesbury Library website.

Aqua Vale

If you fancy a dip in the pool to cool down, Aqua Vale has three different pools to choose from! Whilst it sometimes gets berated for it’s standards of cleanliness, it is the only pool in Aylesbury that has slides and a designated kids area. The three pools on offer include:

• The competition-standard 25 metre pool, where you can do ‘proper’ swimming
• The leisure pool which has the lazy river and a shallow toddler area with little slides and splash fountains
• The ‘Glass House’ pool, which used to be the outside pool

There are so many different times to swim, including Under 5’s sessions, family sessions and lane swimming, so have a look at the full timetable here.

There is another pool in Aylesbury, at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, but it’s just a standard pool. For a more fun experience, Aqua Vale’s the pool you want!

And on the outskirts of Aylesbury…

Whilst there is so much for kids to see and do in Aylesbury, there are also some brilliant activities on the outskirts of the town. If you’re able to travel a little bit, or make use of any local transportation links, why not try visiting some of these places this summer too!

National Trust sites

Aylesbury is lucky in that there are so many beautiful National Trust sites close by. I’ve already raved about why it’s so great to be a National Trust member – as a family of three (two adults, one child) we pay just £10.50 a month to get free entry to all National Trust sites. Usually, this would cost over £30 per visit, so it’s a great way to save money on day trips!

Local to us we have Waddesdon Manor, Stowe, Hughenden Manor, Missenden Abbey, Claydon and Ascott. Some are easier to get to on public transport than others, but all are well worth a visit! Most have cafes and gift shops on site, but you can take picnics too. Ascott and Stowe are particularly beautiful if you’re into nature and beautiful views, whilst Waddesdon Manor is great at hosting events and exhibitions.

Wendover Woods

A ten minute drive from Aylesbury will take you up to the popular Wendover Woods. Whether you just want to walk the dog, have a family picnic, try the GoApe trail or spot the Super Worm characters, there is plenty to see and do!

You can take the Super Worm trail (for free) and spot the characters from the book. The trail may be familiar to you, as it used to be the Gruffalo trail. But don’t worry! If it’s the Gruffalo you want, he is still in his usual location for you to go and see, albeit surrounded by some fencing. You can’t get up as close as you used to be able to. However, there is a smaller, cut out Gruffalo by the cafe that you can take photos with.

There are several fitness trails that can be completed, as well as horse riding trails, but our favourite trail is the children’s play trail. It’s made up of about 10 wooden play structures, including interlinking tunnels, a wooden ants hill and, Jett’s favourite, the wooden castle.

There’s a cafe on site which is pretty steep in price, but the food tastes great. Indoor and outdoor seating is available, and there are toilets situated next door too.

Parking starts at £2.70 for two hours.

We go to the woods most weekends and always have so much fun! You could very easily spend a whole day here exploring the whole woods, completing all the various trails and having a picnic, BBQ or meal at the cafe.

Tiggywinkles

We are so lucky to have somewhere as special as Tiggywinkles in Buckinghamshire! It is the busiest wildlife hospital in the entire world, looking after approximately 1,000 patients at any one time. Based in Haddenham, Tiggywinkles rehabilitates, looks after and helps all kinds of animals, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Whilst they are predominantly known for rescuing injured and orphaned animals, they do have a visitor centre. This is open to the public Monday – Saturday, 10am-4pm until September. There’s no need to book in advance, you can just turn up. There is always plenty on offer! Craft sessions, having a quiet look into the hospital windows, talks with the animal handlers, exhibitions or even getting the chance to get up close and personal with some of the animals who live at Tiggywinkles permanently, they’ve really got it all. There is also a gift shop on site.

Until September, ticket prices are £6.90 for adults, £4.90 for children aged 3-18 and under 3’s go free!

Home for Retired Horses (The Horse Trust)

I don’t know who loves the Home for Retired Horses more, me or Jett! Officially known as The Horse Trust, it is home to over 140 retired and rescued horses, ponies and donkeys. Some of the retired residents once had incredibly important jobs, such as working for the Met Police, or even pulling the Queen’s carriage!

There is a small exhibition on site about how horses were used in World War 2, and also a small horse museum.

Once you’ve said hello to all the residents, you can stop off at Black Beauty’s tea room for some sandwiches, cake or a pot of tea, all served on/in the most gorgeous, vintage plates and teacups.

Admission is £5 per car, and all tickets must be booked in advance.

The Roald Dahl Museum + Story Centre

If you have already visited the Roald Dahl Children’s Gallery, try the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre. It is similar to the children’s gallery, in that you can come face to face with many of Dahl’s best loved characters, but it is also a little more ‘real’, as you have access to more of Roald as a person, including his famous Writing Hut.

During the summer holidays, you can visit Tuesday – Sunday, 10am-4:30pm, with last entry to the museum at 3:15pm.

Under 5’s can visit the museum for absolutely free, and anyone over the age of 5 pays £7.95. However, tickets are valid all year long. So if you pay £7.95 for one ticket, that’s £7.95 for a year worth of entries! Bargain, right?

There is so much going on at the museum throughout August, including:

• Danny’s Awesome Activity Week, 2nd – 7th August
• 17 Stories – spot 17 Quentin Blake illustrations around the museum, all summer long
• Danny’s Trail – a free trail throughout the museum and grounds, all summer long
• Roald Dahl’s Wonderous Woods, all summer long
• Summer storytelling, all summer long
• Writing Hut talks, every Friday, all summer long

There is also going to be various food stalls in the courtyard all summer! Find out who will be there, and when, here.

You can also bring your own food, with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating.

Essentially, this makes for a fantabulous day out!

Buckinghamshire Railway Centre

Jett loves trains, and that means the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre is somewhere he really enjoys visiting!

There is so much to see and do at the Railway Centre, which is in Quainton. Whether you’re visiting the museum, watching the model trains go round intricate tracks, or riding the miniature train, you can easily spend a good few hours here.

There’s a cafe for refreshments, indoor and outdoor seating, and they regularly host special events, like having a Thomas the Tank Engine train.

There is a whole host of stuff going on during the summer holidays, as well as their ‘Steaming Sundays’. If you’ve ever fancied riding a steam train, get booked in! August’s biggest event looks to be their Paw Patrol day, but you can find the full calendar of events here.

Aston Clinton Park

Aston Clinton Park offers a bit more than your average park. Of course, there is a park area with all the usual play equipment. But there is also a skatepark, a community centre that often hosts play sessions and a cafe (with toilets!) too.

If you want to spend more of a day here, you can walk through the surrounding open park space and woodlands. There’s even a shallow body of water that children can enjoy paddling in!

Take a picnic or just sunbathe whilst the kids run around with a football; there’s plenty on offer here for families, for little to no money at all.

Tring Reservoirs

Just 10 minutes up the road from Aylesbury, you can find yourself immersed in the beauty of the Tring Reservoirs. There’s very little shade, but there’s plenty of walking to be done. You can do a circuit around the reservoirs or walk along the length of the canal.

You can bring your own picnic and sit watching the ducks, or try one of the nearby pubs. There’s one next to the small car park, one further along from the entrance to the reservoirs and one along the canal.

Parking can be a struggle – the car park is small, and there is limited parking outside the reservoirs. However, you can easily spend a couple of hours here stretching your legs and taking in the sights! Bring a camera and practice your photography, walk the dog or create a nature scavenger hunt with your little ones.

And it doesn’t stop there!

As you can see, there is actually a tonne of things to do with kids in Aylesbury. And remember, Aylesbury is just one small part of Buckinghamshire. We are surrounded by excellent neighbouring counties and cities, like Milton Keynes, Northampton and Oxford!

If you’re looking for even more to do in Buckinghamshire, Free Time With The Kids has literally everything covered on her website! If you’re willing to travel a little further, Lisa over at Keyne to Explore has done a complete summer holiday survival guide with some fantastic places to visit!

What are your favourite things to do with kids in Aylesbury? Leave a comment below so you can help parents to create long lasting memories this summer!