Family-friendly things to do at Calke Abbey

The Garden of Imagination

Back by popular demand, the Garden of Imagination returns to the Kitchen Garden, packed full of every flavour of play.

With nine different zones to explore, unleash your imagination and participate in a range of activities, from racing in the hobby horse championships and helping bees pollinate flowers to creating your own den or tackling the giant obstacle course – the possibilities are endless!

Go wild in the natural play area

Discover natural play nestled in the woodland at Calke Explore and spend the afternoon climbing, swinging, and spinning amongst nature.

With cover amongst the trees, the natural play area is a great way to enjoy time in the outdoors, no matter the weather.

Embark on a two-wheeled adventure

Get pedalling this summer along the Tramway Trail. With a relatively flat route and fantastic views across the ancient parkland, what are you waiting for?

Gear up at the close-by cycle hire facility and choose from a range of bikes, including trailers for little legs or dogs.

Cycle hire is available every day from 24 July – 1 September, 10am – 4.30pm.

Little wheels cycle skills sessions

Put your cycling skills to the test on a balance bike course at Calke Explore.

With a new course every Thursday, build your confidence on two wheels by weaving through slalom poles, balancing over bridges, and tackling ramps.

Summer of Play is sponsored by Starling Bank.

Family friendly things to do around the estate

If you go down to the woods today, you'll discover lots of family-friendly activities at Calke Explore. Nestled into the woodland, Calke Explore is the perfect base for family adventures in the outdoors, including an exciting natural play area, open all year round.

You'll also find easy access to walking and cycling routes, along with cycle hire for all the family, and nature-themed activities during school holidays.

Follow the signs on the driveway to park at Calke Explore, where there's a refreshments kiosk, toilets, Changing Places facility and plenty of picnic benches.

Visiting Calke with a pushchair?

Planning a visit for you and your little one? Here are a few tips to bear in mind when visiting with a buggy.

For a level walk around the parkland, head to Calke Explore and venture onto the multi-use Tramway Trail. With hard paths and the choice between a shorter or longer route, its perfect for a family walk all year round.

Calke’s waymarked walks may include some areas of uneven terrain and steps, which can be navigated with a pushchair if you’re able to lift the buggy up shallow steps. You can find specific information about the terrain of each walk outside the ticket office.

If you’re planning a visit to the house or tunnels, it may be better to leave the buggy in the car as they can’t be taken inside. There is a space to leave them outside the house, but this is not undercover. Hip carriers are available for you to borrow to use around the house, subject to availability.

Buggies must be left outside the house. To avoid walking back down to the house to collect your buggy after emerging from the tunnels, leave them behind in the car and borrow a baby carrier from the house, subject to availability.

See displays all year round in the gardens, with wide paths suitable for pushchairs. There are no steps in the gardens; however, there is a slope up to the gardens and some narrow paths in the Physic Garden you may wish to avoid.

There is level access in the café and one step at the far end of the seating area in the restaurant. At busy times, we recommend the café or the raised seated area of the restaurant where there is more space between tables.

'50 things to do before you’re 11¾'

Plot an outdoor exploration, get creative in nature and explore over 600 acres of green space as part of your '50 things to do before you’re 11¾' adventure at Calke Abbey. We’ve picked out the best spots to get you started:

• No. 4 Build a den: The woods at Calke Explore are perfect for building dens, or why not venture into Serpentine Wood to build something spectacular? Cover your den with leaves to create an awesome hideout.
• No.6 Go welly wandering: Dress up in waterproofs and wellies, and splash about in puddles this winter. With over 600 acres of parkland to explore, there's plenty of puddles to jump in at Calke.
• No. 11 Explore on wheels: Fasten your helmet, ring your bell and explore Calke on two wheels. The Tramway Trail is the ideal circular cycling route for family bike rides, with cycle hire now available at Calke Explore – the perfect place to begin your two-wheeled adventure.
• No. 31 Make friends with a bug: There are lots of places to search for bugs at Calke Abbey, from the gardens to the woodlands, where millions tiny creatures make their homes. If you're visiting Calke Explore, don't forget to pay a visit to the bug hotel to see how many bugs you can spot.
• No. 35 Discover what's in a pond: There are lots of ponds at Calke Abbey, easily accessible from the main car park and at Calke Explore. Spend a little time by the water's edge and see what you can spot beneath the surface.