ANIMAL MAGIC

Adam Henson’s Cotswold Farm Park in Guiting Power is a top family day out. Kids will love the Animal Barn where there are farmyard creatures a-plenty to pet. Listen to daily talks from keepers and have-a-go at lamb and goat bottle feeding sessions (hold on tight, they get hungry) or go to the chick hatching room. Younger ones will love Dolly’s Den soft play area and the Farm Safari rides. In July & August visit the glorious Flower Fields, where you can pick your own sunflowers to take home.

Over in Burford, check out Cotswold Wildlife Park (above). Here you can walk on the wild side with rhinos, see penguins and lemurs being fed and go eye-to-eye with a giraffe on the amazing Giraffe Walkway. Over in Chipping Norton, Fairytale Farm does what it says on the tin, with storybook-themed attractions, playgrounds and walks, as well as pigs, miniature ponies, alpacas and more. Farmer Gow’s in Faringdon is another family fave for its petting experiences with cows, goats and sheep. Plus the farm shop is always worth a quick trolley dash before you head home. 

Bourton-on-the-Water is the destination for some birds of paradise. Birdland Park & Gardens is a popular visit, meet over 500 birds, from cranes and flamingoes to emus, plus see England’s only breeding group of King Penguins.

Did you know alpaca trekking is a thing in the Cotswolds? There are several alpaca farms to choose from around the AONB, but our favourite is a walk with a woolly camelid through the lanes of Painswick. Sandy and Shaun at Tibbiwell Alpacas will whisk you off on an hour and a half’s tour with a fascinating talk (and alpaca selfie) from £20pp.

Have reptile fans in the fam? Crocodiles of the World in Brize Norton sounds nutty, but it’s a great day out if you want to get up close and personal with crocs (plus the meerkats are adorable if you prefer your animals a little fuzzier). For more animal magic, check out Cogges Manor Farm in Witney. It has ‘Meet the Animals’ experiences at the weekends, pretty gardens to explore, a great café in the old milking shed and an adventure playground.

CASTLES

Castles aren’t two a penny in the Cotswolds so a trip to Winchcombe’s Sudeley Castle is a pretty special day out. Soak up 1,000 years of history, it’s the only private castle in England to have a queen buried in the grounds – Henry VIII’s wife Katherine Parr – so you can give them a history lesson on the sly too.

There’s a fantastic adventure fort here for them to play in, a 10-piece obstacle course, zip wire and swings, as well as pop-up events all year round. Reuel at the great café which serves up all-day food, drink and snacks.

The jewel in the crown in Oxfordshire, near Banbury, is the magnificent Broughton Castle, a filming location for Wolf Hall, Shakespeare in Love and Jane Eyre. Kids are welcome to roam around the medieval manor house and the maze-like planting in the landscaped gardens.

MUSEUMS

There’s tons of Roman-themed fun to be had at Chedworth Roman Villa in Glos. Follow a fascinating trail around the archaeological site, dress up as a Roman, play with some Roman toys and get creative with historical crafts. Refuel afterwards at the café, serving sandwiches and snacks and visit the shop with Roman-themed souvenirs to plunder.

Muddy also loves the family friendly Banbury Museum, which delves into the town’s history with displays on the English Civil War and costume displays dating back to the 17th Century.

NUTS FOR NATURE 

Westonbirt Arboretum is a brilliant place to visit at any time of the year. Kids can run around like crazy things whilst you take a sedate stroll through the stunning tree-scape. Special activities run all year round and dogs, scooters and bikes are all welcome. Don’t forget to take a walk on the Skywalk – a bridge that takes you right through the tree canopy.

Bring the whole family to WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre if they love nature. This award-winning nature retreat on the edge of the Cotswolds in Glos. There are always trails and activities going on. Borrow the binoculars and telescopes and take a peek at bird life like you’ve never seen it from the cool hides. A lovely place for learning all about wild things and running off some energy.

If you’re after something a little more low key, Foxholes Nature Reserve near Chipping Norton is a peaceful little woodland alongside the River Evenlode and is great for (whisper it) springtime bluebells as well as spotting birds like treecreepers and nuthatches. It hasn’t got a carpark but there’s a nearby layby for three cars and there’s a waymarked 1.75 mile Wildlife Walk.

SIGHTS

Everyone loves a trip up to the iconic Broadway Tower, 20 mins walk from the village of Broadway. It’s totally worth the mini hike – you can see over 16 counties on a clear day. Buy a ticket for the Tower and it includes the Tower Museum with roof platform and the Deer Park (book in for a family deer encounter). A little more low key but no less breath-taking is Faringdon Folly Tower, which has views over five counties and is surrounded by woodland with walking trails dotted with wooden sculptures.

Little legs getting tired? Hire a bike, trailer or e-bike from the Tower Barn at the top of the hill and do one of the stunning cycling trails. Refuel at Broadway Tower’s great cafés, Morris & Brown or the Espresso Bar.

Other great freewheeling include the cycle trails from Rodborough Common, Moreton-in-Marsh, Burford and the Windrush Valley. A good kid-friendly one to start off with is the Sarsden Circuit, an easy 1-2 hour circular trip around (pretty flat!) Kingham and Churchill.

SPLASH ABOUT

Located on the edge of Cirencester Park, the 27m heated Cirencester Open Air Pool is an oasis in the heart of the market town. Hugely popular with all ages it has a separate children’s paddling pool, tuck shop and sunbathing patio. Open from May – Sept, it’s the perfect place to cool down on a sunny day. Or head to Chippy Lido in Chipping Norton, which also has a great toddler paddling pool, lawn and cafe.

If you’re dreaming of gliding elegantly down a Cotswolds waterway (or at least that’s the idea) then Moi’s SUP School based at Newbridge near Witney is one for your little black book. With trips, private and group lessons, or regular weekly SUP sessions (think Silver SUP for over 50s and the women’s-only Healing Hour) as well as SUPYoga, that’s every kind of paddler covered.

THRILLSEEKERS

There’s so much to do at the Cotswold Country Park & Beach, kids won’t be bored for a nanosecond. Dig sandcastles on the beach – it’s the UK’s largest inland paddling beach with sand imported from Padstow – or slip and slide on the exhilarating AquaVenture course.

Come early and spend the whole day in the sunshine, the Beach Shack Café does amazing surf n’ turf burgers, or hire one of the BBQs and cook up your own feast with friends. 

QUIRKY COTSWOLDS

The Model Village in Bourton-on-the-Water is the only Grade II listed model village in the country. Built of Cotswold stone it is a one-ninth scale model of the actual village, complete with model village within the model village! It’s a very Alice in Wonderland-style experience, listen to music in the tiny model church and wander the little lanes peering into all the different buildings.

ZIP WIRES

Apart from being one of the tallest High Ropes in Europe, the aerial adventure at 270 Climbing is one seriously exciting day out. Let them scramble over 60 testing obstacles across seven routes over five challenging levels.

The action gets going on the high ropes starting from four metres on Level 2 and soar all the way to the clouds! Ok not quite, but Level 6 is a dizzying 18 metres tall – that’s over 59ft! If you get a chance in-between the action, you can enjoy some truly spectacular views of the Cotswold hills and Gloucestershire countryside – and way beyond.

If you want some thrills closer to the ground, the adventure playground at Blenheim’s Walled Garden is the King of play areas – it has towers, walkways, climbing walls, cargo nets, slides, swings, three zipwires and a river feature that kids can skip across. It’s all beautifully planted and elegantly landscaped, with a café and pizza restaurant at hand to turbocharge knackered parents. The downside? Tickets cost £7 for adults and £5 for children – but you’ll also need a Park and Gardens Pass which costs £80 for the year for a family of four. An investment, but Muddy reckons it justifies repeat visits.