Family days out can quickly add up and put a serious dent on your bank balance. There are lots of free places to visit in Buckinghamshire with kids. But what about a special treat that won’t add up to £100!
The family days out and activities below come to £50 or under for 2 adults + 2 kids. If you have younger kids or visit off peak, it works out even cheaper for a few places. Book online in advance to save and don’t forget to pack a picnic and snacks to keep costs down during the day.
1. Treasure Map Trails (Amersham, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, High Wycombe) £4.99
Discover your home town in a different way or explore further afield with a Treasure Map Trail. These beautifully illustrated treasure maps are based on the town’s real road layout so you can find their way around, but feature a fantasy theme to add to the fun. Your challenge is to find treasures that include statues, sculptures, carvings and quirky signs. Maps are A3 glossy posters with the second side including facts about the town, clues and details of the Treasure Map Trails academy.
Find Treasure Map Trails here and get 10% off with the code REDKITEDAYS
This contains an affiliate link which means they give me a little bit if you click on the link and buy the map. A Red Kite Days Bucks editor has tried them out (she paid full price for the map and gave it a thumbs up so I’m happy to share as a recommendation)
2. Hellfire Caves (West Wycombe, near High Wycombe) – £24
The Hellfire Caves in West Wycombe have been attracting children since 1754 when they were completed. A wonderfully different and a little bit spooky to your regular family day out!
3. Discover Bucks Museum & The Roald Dahl Children’s Gallery – £25
Discover the story of Bucks people and landscapes from 200 million years ago, head to the Roald Dahl Children’s gallery for hands on discovery or check out one of their school holiday special events.
4. Lillingstone PYO (Lillingstone Drayell, near Buckingham) – £26
Open seasonally through the year, family run Lillingstone PYO is great fun and down to earth. Meet the lambs in spring, explore the maize maze and sunflowers during the summer, pick your own pumpkins in the Autumn and meet Father Christmas in the winter. They do great trails and have a fab play area too.
5. Roald Dahl Museum & Story Centre (Great Missenden) – £31.80
Step into the wonderful world of Roald Dahl in Great Missenden. It’s a fascinating visit for all ages and they really know how to do story time. School holiday events are packed with activities and what’s more your ticket converts to an annual pass so you can visit again for a whole year. Brilliant value!
Roald Dahl Museum & Story Centre Review
6. The Patch MK (Milton Keynes) – £32
Family run farm, The Patch MK is just outside the hustle and bustle of Milton Keynes. Open seasonally for events, their summer sunflowers, wildflowers, maize maze and games are a must visit. They’re open too for pumpkin picking in the Autumn if you’re looking for a great October half term
7. Chiltern Open Air Museum (Chalfont St Giles) – £36
Absolutely love the Chiltern Open Air Museum and it’s totally family friendly too. If you’re visiting with kids then Tuesdays during the school holidays are a must as they have lots of extra activities laid on and they’re all included in the admission. Do check their website for special weekend events too with re enactors bringing history to life.
Chiltern Open Air Museum Review
8. Buckinghamshire Railway Center (Quainton) – £36.60
Steaming days at Buckinghamshire Railway Centre run from April-October on Sundays and some Bank Holidays plus most Wednesdays during the school holidays (check their website in advance). Enjoy steam train rides, plus ride the miniature railway, watch the model trains, visit the Railway Museum and Visitor Centre with shop and cafe, plus lots more.
9. Bekonscot Model Village (near Chipping Norton) – £39.50
The model village and railway is located in the charming town of Beaconsfield, and it’s a great to be a fab location for a morning out with small ones!
Bekonscot Model Village Review
10. Tumblestone Hollow (north of Henley) – £40
Tumblestone Hollow is the perfect family place to escape into a magical world of adventure and exploration. The adventure playground has numerous routes and pathways to explore as well as the double twisty slide. Little ones aren’t left out either with their own dedicated space which includes a working water pump which my son loves.
11. Hogshaw Farm (Hogshaw) – £43.80
You can easily spend a whole day out at Hogshaw Farm & Wildlife Park, making it great value. Meet the animals, head the wildlife zone for flying demos, leap on the bouncy pillow, get stuck into the new sand and water play feature, enjoy the play park and run off some energy in the soft play.
Hogshaw Farm always have great special events during the school holidays too. We’ve loved their tractor rides and live theatre and looking forward to meeting Father Christmas.
