Family-friendly things to do at Morden Hall Park

Children playing on play park at Morden Hall Park, London — Children playing at Morden Hall Park, London | © National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra

Explore the outdoors and get involved in fun, family-friendly activities at Morden Hall Park. Whether you’re ticking some activities off your list of '50 things to do before you're 11¾', there’s plenty to keep the whole family entertained. Find out what family events are coming up this Autumn and how best to plan your day with children in mind.

Planning your family visit

Baby-changing facilities are available in the Stable Yard, Snuff Mill and Potting Shed café (when open).
Click here to access the full Accessibility Guide for Morden Hall Park
There are buggy-friendly pathways around the park (you can find a map here).
Ball games are allowed in the parkland but not allowed in the historic Rose Garden.
Spend hours in Natural Play Area
The Potting Shed café is located next to the car park with indoor and outdoor seating areas, offering a children's menu and high-chairs are also available.
- During weekend and school holidays we open an additional outlet in the Stableyard serving snacks, drinks and ice cream. There are also plenty of picnic benches around the Stableyard to sit down and enjoy your own picnics. Large picnics are welcome in the White Bridge lawns, but not in the Rose Garden.
Pocket money gifts are available to buy in the Garden Centre
Children second-hand books are available to buy in the second-hand bookshop in the Stableyard.
Your are welcome to breastfeed here.

What's on at Morden Hall Park

A photograph of a kingfisher sitting on a branch in Wetland at Morden Hall Park — Join us on the Big Wetland Birdwatch at Morden Hall Park, London | © Frederick Bryan

Big Wetland Birdwatch -Sat 18 Jan, 11am-3pm

Grab your binoculars and meet our expert volunteer bird watchers in the Wetlands and see what birds you can find.

More info

A close up of a headdress made from willow whips decorated with red ribbons and green foliage, hanging on the back of a chair — Come and make a headdress before heading off on our Wassail at Morden Hall Park | © Lucia Pedone

Wassail - Sat 25 Jan 2025

Join us for a spirited revival of the ancient tradition of Wassailing, where we’ll bless the orchard for a fruitful harvest in the coming year. Make your own headdress or lucky wand and follow our lively procession to the orchard where together we'll be driving away unfriendly spirits and giving blessing for a fruitful harvest this autumn.

Book here

A female mallard duck and her ducklings in the courtyard at Little Moreton Hall, Cheshire | © National Trust Images/John Millar

Duck Detective self-led trail: Sat 15 Feb - Sun 30 Mar

Pick up a trail sheet for £2 and take yourself on a tour of the park solving puzzles and finding clues along to way. A great family activity exploring the park whilst learning about the birds and habitats of Morden Hall Park.

Find out more

a great tit feeding from a fat ball — Make a fat ball at our Birds and Brushes event | © Steffen Vogel

Birds and Brushes: Storytelling and Crafts - 17-19 February

Join us this half-term for story telling and craft sessions celebrating the birds that live in Morden Hall Park. Come along to the Stableyard and listen to a story told by one of our volunteers then design and create a drawstring bag and make a fat ball to take home to feed birds that live near you. There are five 45 minute session each day. Dress for messy creative play. £7 per child.

Book here

1 of 4

Family-friendly things to do in the parkland

Natural play area

Let off some steam in the natural play area (just past the white bridge) where you can climb, balance, swing and leap. There's plenty to keep your imagination active and your feet busy – what memories will you take home with you?

Go orienteering

Add an extra challenge to your walk or run through Morden Halk Park and have a go at orienteering. Whether you're walking with family, exploring an area or going for a run, download the map and look for the 14 posts in the park. Your challenge is to find the quickest route to each of the posts.

The route has been created by Mole Valley Orienteering Club and you can download the map from their website or the Go Orienteering website.

Danger - Shallow Water

The riverbed depth is less than one meter. Jumping or diving from the Snuff Mill Bridge poses a high risk of injury. Although the river may seem inviting, the water quality is unsuitable for general paddling and swimming. Your cooperation in avoiding the water helps protect river wildlife and prevents damage to the banks.

'50 things to do before you're 11¾'

Whether you've come to fly your kite in the meadows or to look for birds in the wetland, there are lots of '50 things' activities you can try on a day out at Morden Hall Park. Here's a few suggestions to get you started:

No. 1 Get to know a tree: Pick your favourite tree and visit it each time you come to the park. You could even take a photograph of it in each season to record the way it looks from spring all the way through to winter
No. 7 Fly a kite: If there's a bit of wind in the air when you visit Morden Hall Park, head into the wide open spaces of the meadows to see if you can get a kite up into the sky
No. 8 Spot a fish: Keep your eyes peeled along the stretch of river by the main green gates – the shade of the trees here makes this a good place to spot fish. There are six types of fish swimming in the River Wandle as it winds through the park, including eels
No. 12 Have fun with sticks: There's nothing a stick can't become with a little imagination: a magic wand, a conductor’s baton or even a knight’s sword. And with over 3,000 trees in the park you're bound to find a few lying on the ground to choose from
No. 19 Play Pooh sticks: The White Bridge at Morden Hall Park was voted the one of the top places in the country to play this fun game. Just choose a good stick each, let them go on one side of the bridge and see whose stick comes out first on the other side
No. 44 Watch a bird: If you’re quiet enough you’ll be surprised what shy wetland species you can catch a glimpse of. Keep your eyes peeled for kingfishers, mallards and herons.