Family days out at Dyffryn Gardens

Planning your family visit

Here’s the information you need at a glance to help plan your next day out at Dyffryn Gardens:

• Children under five visit for free.
• There are baby-changing facilities at regular intervals around the gardens as well as accessible toilet facilities.
• There are pram, wheelchair and mobility scooter-friendly routes and wheelchairs and a mobility scooter can be rented (free of charge) from the Welcome Centre.
• We have two log stack play areas.
• For safety reasons we can’t allow any kind of children’s bike, scooter or trike in the gardens unless it has a long handle on the back and is controlled by an adult at all times.
• Dogs are welcome so even the family pup can join in (please see here for information on visiting Dyffryn with your dog).
• The cafe serves children's lunchboxes and a range of hot and cold food and drinks, as well as treats for your four-legged family members.
• We also welcome picnics.

Christmas at Dyffryn Gardens

Get all the cosy festive family feels at Dyffryn Gardens this Christmas. Discover merry scenes nestled in the gardens, play lots of family games and take photos in Father Christmas’ sleigh or in front of the giant Christmas tree. Don’t forget to swing by our second-hand bookshop where there'll be Christmas crafts and jolly events taking place throughout December and the Christmas holidays. Find out more here.

Winter highlights

It may be winter, but the gardens at Dyffryn are anything but bleak. There’s still lots of nature to explore and uncover including scented shrubs like Christmas box, winter sweet and winter honeysuckle as well as snowdrops and early crocuses. Inside our tropical glasshouse you’ll find intriguing and exotic plants flowering in an oasis of colour and warmth. Our Log Stack play areas are also open all winter for adventures and den-building.

February half term

During the short month of February, gather the family for a game of Y Mis Bach Bingo – a little fun for a little month! Collect a free bingo sheet from the Welcome Centre to tick off all the little things found in the gardens. We've also thrown in a few fun games in there for good measure so you can learn about nature in the winter and have a lovely family day out too.

Log Stack play areas

There are two Log Stack play areas at Dyffryn, one outside the pay barrier near the Welcome Centre and a larger one in the Arboretum. These wild play areas have plenty of space for youngsters to run, jump, explore and play.  

Balance along enormous trees which were felled as part of the arboretum revival plan, jump from log to log along the stepping stones and have a picnic on hand carved picnic stumps. 

The area is home to squirrels, birds and lots of creepy crawlies, so bring a magnifying glass or some binoculars and get spotting. 

Sensory and Explorer Backpacks

At Dyffryn there are two different backpacks you can borrow to help you and your littles explore the gardens in new ways.

Sensory Backpacks

These backpacks contain ear defenders to help support children who struggle with unfamiliar or loud sounds, a children’s book (both English and Welsh) which can encourage some quiet or calm time reading in nature, worry stones and fidget toys to help soothe over-stimulation and improve focus and a kaleidoscope to create magical visual illusions.

Explorer Backpacks

These backpacks are inspired by ‘50 things to do before you’re 11 ¾’, with a compass to find your way, a tennis ball to measure velocity when rolling down hills, a magnifier for viewing bugs, binoculars for birdwatching and a tape measure and instructions for how to measure and age a tree. There’s also seasonal spotter sheets and a nature book.

The sensory and explorer backpacks are free for anyone to borrow with no booking or deposit required (they’re available on a first-come, first-served basis). Ask the Welcome Team to borrow a backpack next time you visit and watch your little ones experience Dyffryn Gardens in new and fun ways.

Even in between events, Dyffryn is a great option for a family day out. With every new season the gardens change and evolve so there is always something new to see. 

We also have self-led seasonal trails to enjoy. Pick-up a trail leaflet at the Welcome Centre to be guided round the seasonal highlights of the gardens. Please see the Visit the gardens at Dyffryn page for more information on the current seasonal walk.

And with a café, shop and second-hand bookshop (with a great selection of children's and YA literature), there’s always plenty to do at Dyffryn Gardens. So whenever you choose to visit, you know that you and your family will make some lovely memories.