Discover more in Sussex
Sussex is a place of iconic coastline, gardens, literary greats, rolling South Downs, vast art collections and a castle.
Family-friendly places to visit in Sussex
Discover great places for family days out with the National Trust in Sussex, including Nymans, Bodiam Castle, Petworth and more. Whether you’re popping in for a couple of hours or planning a bigger adventure, you’ll find acres of space, summer holiday activities, natural play areas and café stops.
Come out and play at these places around Sussex
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The Tiger Who Came to Tea at Nymans
Explore this very special teatime through extracts and illustrations from Judith Kerr’s classic story, The Tiger Who Came to Tea, on a family trail around the garden, produced in partnership with HarperCollins Publishers. 4 May - 14 Jul 2024.
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Petworth House and Park
Petworth Park is an exciting place for families to explore. Roam through acres of parkland and look out for the fallow deer herd. The ancient tree trail includes hollow trunks big enough to crawl inside, plus there are games and activities every school holidays.
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Sheffield Park
Whether you are visiting with friends or family, there are plenty of new things to discover and fun ways to get active in nature at Sheffield Park and Garden.
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Standen House and Garden
Find out the family-friendly things to do on a day out at Standen, from taking a walk in the woodland and building a den to seasonal trails to follow in the house and garden.
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Birling Gap
There’s so much for you and your family to see and do at Birling Gap. Hunt for ocean finds along the strand line and look for fossils on the beach. Don't forget pop in to the café for an ice cream or a slice of cake too.
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Bateman's
Planning a day out with family? There’s plenty of things to see and do waiting to be discovered at Bateman's.
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Family-friendly things to do at Bodiam Castle
Discover things to see and do on a family visit to Bodiam Castle. Join in with activities and let your imagination run riot in this Medieval setting.
Summer holidays in Sussex
Looking for a day out in Sussex that’ll keep the whole family entertained? Find the best family-friendly places to visit and discover the fun-filled activities on offer as part of our Summer of Play, sponsored by Starling Bank.
Summer of Play at Nymans
Play your way through the summer holidays. Comber’s field is jam packed full of races, games and active challenges, while the play glade is the perfect shady spot for nature explorers with den building and a woodland cabin to discover. and a woodland cabin to discover. 20 July - 1 September 2024.
Summer of Play at Sheffield Park and Garden
Come on an exotic animal hunt in the gorgeous gardens. Spot artist Tom Sears’ giant, colourful illustrations of monkeys, leopards, anteaters and more. Kwik Cricket is back every Wednesday in the holidays, plus stand up paddle boarding on the picturesque lakes and a pop up play area in the stream garden. 20 July to 1 September 2024.
Bodiam Castle
Roll up, roll up! The Medieval Fair is back, packed with family games and activities. From mini jousting to soft play archery, hobby horses to quoits. Drop in to Knight School (18 to 26 August) and train up as a brave defender of the realm with action-packed activities. Try longbow archery, solve puzzles on the ‘The Castle the King Built’ trail and look out for storytelling and medieval armour displays too. 24 July to 1 September, select dates and fee applies for some activities, see website.
Summer of Play at Petworth
Every day throughout summer there are free games and activities Every day throughout summer there are free games and activities to enjoy. Join us for Thursdays and immerse Tudor Tuesdays and Thursdays and immerse yourself in the court of Henry VIII. Activities include jousting, archery and crafts, inspired by Petworth’s real-life archaeological dig. 20 July to 1 September 2024.
Bateman's
Will you succeed in The Jungle Book Games? Have a go at Mowgli’s rhythmic ribbons, keep your balance in the Kaa sack race, score high in the Hathi hoopla and create your own games’ opening song on Baloo’s music station. There’s plenty to keep the whole family busy on this action-packed trail. Discover new adventures with live, drop-in storytelling sessions in the gardens on select dates too. Or decorate your own ceramic animal plant pot, treasure chest or wooden snake. 13 July to 1 September, select dates and fee applies for some activities, see website.
Summer holidays at Standen
Escape to the country at Standen on a family trail around the garden. Try your hand at mini golf & croquet, race to build a train set, play games on the lawn & dress up in the woodland den. Plus try out the newly opened adventure play area. 6 Jul - 1 Sept. £3 per trail with a prize.