If you’re looking to keep the family entertained this Spring or over half term, look no further than the city’s beautiful parkland! The Parks Trust, the charity caring for green spaces in Milton Keynes, hosts a heap of activities including free and low-cost ways to get outdoors.
On your doorstep are more than 40 different parks with a huge choice of free play areas, leisure routes, trim trails and world-class outdoor artworks as well as events which include:
Milton Keynes Walking Festival 9 - 12 May offers a four-day programme packed with exciting ways to discover the city’s parks and green spaces.
Accessible Guided Walk 12 May at Campbell Park.
Descriptive Guided Walk: Gyosei Art Trail 16 May at Campbell Park.
Workshop: Wellbeing Wander for Families 16 May at Shenley Wood.
Big Doggie Do 18 & 19 May at Willen Lake.
Discovery Stroll 21 May at Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve.
Tree Tots every Thursday morning at Howe Park Wood, offers 50-minute nature play sessions for pre-schoolers.
As May marches on and the Spring half term arrives, there’s a jam-packed programme of family fun that you just won’t want to miss:
Parks & Ride
26 May, 11am at Furzton Lake
Swap screens for scenes on a two-wheeled guided tour for families to uncover the sights and sounds of MK’s parks. Parks & Ride events take a steady pace along a mixture of leisure routes and Redways, for about an hour, with no road riding or substantial hills. Free to join, but booking is required.
Walk & Talk: Tree ID for Families
28 May, 4pm at Campbell Park
A family outing to learn about British tree species, including how they grow and how to identify them. The route will be mostly on a woodland path, which will be bumpy in places and may be muddy. Suitable for ages 5 and over, booking is required and tickets are just £2.
Howe Park Wood Open Mornings: Trees
28 – 30 May, 9:30am - 12:30pm
Open Mornings are completely free for everyone. May dates are Tree themed, so simply drop-in to learn all about the natural world by exploring nests, skulls, feathers and more that have been collected from local parks. Enjoy nature-themed challenges, take a self-guided trail through the woodland, or book tickets to a Nature Craft session.
Howe Park Wood provides a safe home to many endangered animal and plant species and has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its wildlife value by Natural England.
Family Litter Pick
29 May, 10am at Stanton Low Park
A great way to get the whole family outdoors and help your local environment, with all equipment for a safe litter collection provided (including special pickers for children). This 1-hour session is led by Parks Trust staff, who also take the rubbish away for disposal.
Plus, there’s plenty more for the whole community to get involved with:
Colour Obstacle Rush 1 June at Willen Lake.
Parks & Run 2 June at Caldecotte Lake.
Community Litter Pick 3 June at Broughton Brook
Workshop: Wellbeing Wander for Adults 5 June at Linford Wood
Great Linford Manor Park Guided Walks last 90-minutes and occur twice monthly, the second Friday at 10.30am and the last Sunday at 2pm.
Women’s Walking Network meet on the first Thursday each month at varying locations (2 May at Stanton Low Park, 6 June at Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve).
5 Ways Cafe at St. Andrew's Church at Great Linford Manor Park is a dementia friendly community café on the second and fourth Tuesday every month, 11am – 1pm.
Julie Dawes, Events and Community Engagement Manager at The Parks Trust says “We’re so excited for the warmer (and drier) weather! Through winter, our landscape teams, contractors, and volunteers have been busy maintaining the green spaces in readiness for another season of spectacular events. We’re really looking forward to welcoming the community to a programme of great activities in the city’s great outdoors”.
Head to theparkstrust.com to find out more about parkland events coming up.
