Activities We Love Doing with Babies & Toddlers in & around Yalding

Having had two little ones ourselves (they are now 4&6), these are six of our favourite easy outings from Woodlands Cottages Yalding.

1. Kenward Place Yalding

Kenward Place is one of those wonderfully easy places to visit when you do not want to turn the day into a major expedition. We would not recommend walking, but it is just a 3 minute or so drive.

It is just outside Yalding and has lovely grounds to wander through, animals including alpacas and goats, a small play area and, importantly, somewhere to stop for coffee and cake.

It works particularly well with babies and toddlers because you can stay for an hour or make a little morning of it. There is no pressure to see everything or get your money's worth out of an expensive day ticket.

2. Kent Life

If you want a proper toddler day out, Kent Life is difficult to beat.

There are farm animals, tractors, play areas and lots of space for little legs to explore. There is also indoor play, which can be extremely useful when the Kent weather decides not to cooperate.

It is particularly well set up for younger children, so you never feel as though you have brought a toddler along to something really designed for much older kids.

You can quite easily spend most of the day here, although with very small children we are also great believers in leaving before everyone has had enough.

3. Leeds Castle

With babies and toddlers, we do not really go to Leeds Castle to spend hours walking around the castle itself. It is however a great option for a multi generational family group.

The real attraction for us is everything around it. The grounds are beautiful, there are ducks everywhere, plenty of space for children to run around and the little land train always goes down well. Squires' Courtyard is particularly good for younger children and is designed with little ones in mind.

It is also a lovely place for a buggy walk if you have a baby who is refusing to sleep anywhere other than while moving. The restaurant is surprisingly good, it is a bit of a walk from the parking to the castle & grounds. A little transport train is available but a buggy is important.

4. Haysden Country Park

Sometimes the best outing is one that costs very little and does not involve a timetable.

Haysden Country Park near Tonbridge is perfect for that.

There are lakes, ducks, open spaces, easy walks, picnic spots and a children's playground near the main parking area. It is ideal for a couple of hours outside without committing yourself to a full day at an attraction.

For babies, it is a lovely buggy walk. For toddlers, there is enough going on to keep things interesting without it becoming overwhelming.

5. Walk into Yalding Village & Let Them Loose at The Kintons

This is probably the most Woodlands-specific one of the lot, because you can do it straight from the garden.

Head out through the gate at the bottom of the Woodlands garden and wander down into Yalding village.

Have a little explore, stop for a coffee at the village cafe, then carry on towards The Kintons, our local playing field and playground.

There is play equipment for younger children and plenty of space for them to burn off some energy before wandering back to Woodlands. Outside summer months wellies are recommended.

6. Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats

Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats at Boughton Monchelsea is a rather brilliant little outing.

This is not a petting zoo but a genuine goat sanctuary, caring for goats that have been abandoned, neglected or simply needed somewhere to call home. The lovely bit for children is that many of the goats roam freely, so you can wander around amongst them and get surprisingly close to the residents.

There is also the chance to feed the goats in the designated feeding area, and a little tearoom for drinks, cakes, snacks and ice cream.

It is small enough not to feel like another enormous family day out, which is exactly why we like it with younger children.

Enjoy!