Summer holidays in Oxfordshire 2024: What’s on for kids
There are so many activities to do with kids over the upcoming summer Holidays So, I have created a What’s on Guide: Your ULTIMATE LIST OF ALL LISTS, so you don’t have to browse through many pages.
Whether you want an outdoor activity in the gardens, in the farms, in the National Trust properties or in an indoor space or a train, or even Puppets and live shows, I have it all covered!
I also have another list of OXFORDSHIRE KIDS HOLIDAYS ON A BUDGET. It only includes wallet-friendly activities, hidden gems, and thrifty tips that will keep your children happy and entertained, while leaving your budget intact. You can access the post HERE. If you are looking for Holiday camps and clubs instead, then check our dedicated post HERE.
Here is to a fantastic summer!!
Gardens and Stately homes:
- Shaun The sheep at Adventure play Blenheim Palace (Monday 22nd July – Sunday 1st September)
Ewe herd it here first…Shaun the Sheep is coming to Adventure Play this summer! Come and have a baa-rilliant time on our Fun with the Flock augmented reality trail featuring Shaun the Sheep, Bitzer the dog and of course the rest of the Flock from Mossy Bottom Farm
🎟Price: You must have a Palace & Play pass or a valid day ticket for entry. There is a the Palace and Play Pass available at £150 for a family of four (two adults and two children) and at £50 per adult and £40 per child for individual passes. Existing Family Annual Pass holders (two adults and two children) can upgrade to the new Palace and Play Pass for £51 and individual annual passes can be upgraded for £18 per child and £12 per adult.
The much awaited, “The Lost Garden” has finally opened as well. Read our review HERE. I have also written a children/ family focussed post on Blenheim Palace, which you can access HERE. -
Oarsome’ adventures and horses to meet at Blenheim Palace:
Take a boat out on the Great Lake with a loved one or get active in a paddleboard or kayak with all the family. The Lake is looking bluer and better than ever after being dredged last year, so why not enjoy the opportunity to row out and see the Palace, Grand Bridge and Gardens from a new perspective? Trot over to the Stables in the East Courtyard during weekends from 27th July until 1st September to meet horses, ponies or Shire horses and find out all about their important roles during Blenheim Palace’s history.🎟Price: Pre-book your slot via the Live Free Adventures website. You will need to purchase entry tickets to Blenheim Palace to access these activities.
- FREE Oxfordshire Association Play-Days Programme – find out more about the Oxfordshire Play Association.
- South Abingdon Playday event @Southern Town Park on 6th July
- Wheatley and. Holton play day on 13th July
- Rose Hill Playday event on 20th July
- Eynsham Play & Activity Day on 26th July
- Carterton / RAF Brize Norton Playday on 27th July
- Bicester Elmsbrook @Gagle Brook school on 29th July
- Banbury (Peoples Park) Play & Activity Day on 31st July
- Witney Play & Activity Day on 1st August
- Faringdon Play & Activity Day on 2nd August
- Heyford park play and activity day on 3rd August
- Henley Play and Activity Day on 13th August
- Banbury – Summerfest – Princess Diana Park Playday on 14th August
- Summer garden trail at Waterperry Garden: (24th July to 1st September 2024) Have a hoot this summer – orienteering family fun throughout the summer holidays. Using directions and clues follow the sculpture trail throughout the ornamental gardens to discover ten fabulous Owl sculptures!
🎟Price: £4.50 per child with a prize (compass supplied), tickets available from the Gift Barn, pre-booking not required. Children must be accompanied by an adult for whom the standard garden entrance fee applies.
(read our review of Water Perry gardens HERE) - Wild Summer at Tumblestone Hollow, Stonor Park:
🎟Price: Tickets starting at £10.5 for children over 5 years, Child 3-4 years £8.5, adults £9.5Read our review from before HERE
Henley Country Craft Show – The UK’s biggest, quality craft show, will return to Stonor Park 23rd- 26th August 2024
Gifford’s circus will be back at Stonor Park with its new show AVALON (July 11th- July 22nd 2024) - Take part in the activities at Compton Verney on various days
Read our review of Compton Verney HERE and HERE.
🎟Price: General admission Adult £17.00, Children (aged 0-18) FREE - Woodland Tribe at Compton Verney: 2nd – 4th August 2024
Compton Verney children will be given the chance to get hands on with the Woodland Tribe team and using real tools to build a large wooden structure on site. Maybe a bridge, or a tower, a pirate ship or even a castle! Recommended for children over the age of 6. Read our review of our adventure last year HERE
Child – £10, Member adult – £5 (Discounts at checkout), Non-member adult – £23 - Biggest summer in history at Warwick Castle 23rd July – 3rd September 2024- For a limited time only, Horrible Histories®- Wicked Warwick returns to reveal the terrible truth behind the turrets. Fill your day with fun with the full line-up of shows and activities. From The Realm of Zog to War of the Roses LIVE!, there’s something for everyone. Dragon Slayer and Sundown Spectacular festival also returns on selected dates. Tickets from 34£pp
Read our review form previous visits HERE
- Hands on History at selected weekends (06 Jul – Sun 01 Sep 2024, Legendary Joust (20-21st July 2024) and Knights tournament (24-26 August 2024) at Kenilworth Castle
🎟Price: Entry to Kenilworth Castle FREE for English Heritage or CSSC Members. Small charge may apply for the events - Knight school at Oxford Castle and Prison on 27 Jul – 30 Aug 2024
Don your armour, sharpen your sword and prepare to set out on a quest.
🎟Price: 14£/child, under 2s free and Accompanying adults go free.
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if you would like to be featured here, please contact us
if you would like to be featured here, please contact us
Museums, Libraries and education centres:
- Plenty going on for FREE at the Natural History Museum. Read our review from the previous visit HERE
- Out of the deep on Saturdays and Family Sundays at Natural History Museum: Come along to ocean world to touch real ocean specimens and make your own ocean-themed crafts to take home!
- Wild Life Watch: Pop along to our summer holiday activity stand to learn about how new technologies are being used to track and monitor awesome animals. Play games and get hands-on with our touchable animal specimens. Recommended for children of all ages.
- Jurassic Packs: Discover the Museum’s prehistoric underwater reptiles with trailblazing female palaeontologist, Mary Anning. Recommended for ages 7-11. The backpacks are free to borrow and booking is not required.
- Biodiversity of life on Earth on 23nd August. For young people aged 10-14. The workshop is free but please email in advance to book your spot.
- Family History Days at Earth Trust:
This summer, take a trip back in time with our fantastic immersive history-based family events as we bring the ancient world to life – with you in a central role! Be transported to Ancient Britain and Medieval times to learn the life skills from the time, handle genuine artefacts, build survival shelters and cook on an open fire.
There are four sessions and each one is distinct and unique in its own right, together providing a wide view of thousands of years of history in Oxfordshire. Choose your favourite period or come along to all four sessions to explore the different ages.
Price: £25 per 1 child & 1 adult, additional children £10, additional 1 adult free - The Story museum brings a brand-new immersive exhibition in the Treasure Chamber. ‘Here Be Dragons, co-curated by Cressida Cowell and Toothless’ opening on Saturday 13 July and explores these mythical creatures, including fearsome foes and faithful friends. Tickets: from £14 per person
The Small World area designed for 0-5 year olds costs 6£pp. - The Oxfordshire Museum offering Quentin Blake inspired family activities along with many others over the summer holidays. Link HERE
- Oxford Westgate Library:
- Lego Club! Mondays 3.15pm-5pm. No need to book, just drop in.
- Tabletop RPG/Board Games Thursday , 4.30pm-7pm. for ages 13+
- Wallingford library:
- Code club: Are you are aged 8 – 13 years old and would like to learn about coding and make fun games and activities in code? The Club runs every 2 weeks on Saturdays, 11.40am to 12.40pm. FREE
- Lego Club! Alternate Saturdays, 10am to 12.30pm. No need to book, just drop in.
- Story time: Stories in the children’s area. Relaxed, drop-in session. Re-occurs each week except Bank Holiday Mondays.
- Museum of Oxford has many events happening over summer. Read our review of Museum of Oxford HERE.
- Awesome Archaeology Family Day: 29 July |FREE
- Family Object Handling: 5 August|FREE
- Science Oxford: Planet Power! 15 August|£10: This workshop is suitable for children aged 5-9. Children must be supervised at all times by a parent or carer. Parents and carers go free with a child’s ticket. Booking in advance is strongly advised due to previous demand.
- WhatNot Theatre presents Boxes and Flotsam and Jetsam’s Voyage to the Trash Vortex on 22 August|£8
- Enjoy FREE heritage bus rides @ Oxford Bus Museum at 2.15 and 12.15 on first and third Sundays from April until September 2024 and also Bank Holiday Monday 26th August.The exhibits at the Oxford bus museum include a historic preserved horse-drawn tram, motor buses, coaches and a wide selection of artefacts – including bus stops, ticket machines, timetables, posters and staff uniforms.
🎟Price: Adult £8, Child (aged 5 to 15 years) £5, Family (2 adults & 2 children) £17 -
Vale and Downland Museum, Wantage: Not advertised yet
Tickets £4.50 per person (age 3 upwards) - Banbury Museum & Gallery offers a year round programme of events and exhibitions for all the family
- Brick Madness returns with buckets of Lego very Tuesday and Friday during the summer holidays, only for £3.00/child. Booking is essential.
- Many other events run every Monday and Wednesday during the holidays, for FREE to £5.00/child. Please check HERE
- Family fun at River & Rowing Museum :
The Games at Henley exhibition explores over a century of global competition and looks ahead to Paris 2024 in the historic setting of Henley-on-Thames. The exhibition will examine both the 1908 and 1948 Games, the people who made it possible, and the legacy the Games have had for the modern Olympians and Paralympians who call Henley home.
🎟Price: Adult £9, Child £6, Under 4s FREE–read our review of the museum HERE - May the Toys be With You’at Discover Bucks Museum encompassing the new exhibition with amazing Star Wars toys and movie posters. Enjoy creative crafts on Make-A-Toy Mondays, Out-Of-This-World Wednesdays and Fantastic Fridays and of course the Roald Dahl Children’s Gallery.
Read our review of Discover Bucks museum HERE
🎟Price: Discover Bucks museum is FREE for children but admission prices apply for adults and extra activities - Get the Picture – Summer of Design at the British Motor Museum from 19th July to 2nd September. From Sketch To Street is opening on the first day of the summer holiday activities! Visit the Exhibition Hall during the summer to explore the transformative nature of car design, through a broad range of exhibits and interactives. Each day from 19 July to 30 August, one of the Museum’s resident car designers, Dottie and Dougie, will be running fun and informative Car Designer Family Tours exploring different features in car design. If you want to get stuck into some designs of your own, visit the Car Details Garage to design a fascinating new vehicle of your own!
This in addition to the over 400 British classic cars from the vehicle collection, take part in themed trails, experience the touch screen exhibits and understand how a car works in our Interactive Zone.
🎟Price: Adult £14.50 Child (aged 5 to 15 years) £9 - Chiltern Open air museum have a number of events over the summer holidays like Clash of the queens, Britain at war, terrific Tuesdays, Viking Raid, Victorian Weekend etc- Ticket prices vary.
Farms, Indoor and outdoor play areas:
- Millets Maze at the Millets Farm this summer (20th July – 3rd September 2024)
Get ready to race into the fun at the Olympics Themed 2024 Millets Maize Maze! including 3 maize mazes, a fort maze and 3 woodlands, go-karts, an obstacle course and hay bales to climb on… Plus a courtyard full of games, activities, ride on tractors, puzzles, sand pits and much much more!! Read our review of the previous visit HERE.
🎟Price: £8 adults, £9.50 for 3+,£5 for toddlers . (Under 2’s free of charge). PYO also opening soon - Teddy Bears’ Picnics at Millets Farm on 29-31st July 2024
🎟Price: £24.99 per child which includes 1 accompanying adult.
Read our review of Sprouts play barn HERE - Fairytale Farm: Not advertised yet
Read our review of the previous visit HERE
🎟Price: Adults and Child (2 to 16) £8.99 each (and £0.50 booking fee) - Summer in the farm at Hogshaw farm and wildlife park (24 July- 1 Sept 2024): all the usual fun of the farm, plus extra seasonal stuff including tractor rides, straw bale activity play area, summer splash pool sessions, end of day water fight and special summer trail.
🎟Price will be £14.45 adult / child (under 2’s free) or Summer Pass for £29.95 per person for unlimited visits all summer
Read our reviews from the previous visits HERE and HERE-
Meet the Gruffalo – all the usual fun of the farm but with a special wildlife focus this August Bank Holiday Monday. Plus character appearances from The Gruffalo at regular intervals throughout the day.
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- Flower Festival at Cotswold Farm park offering full access to the Flower Fields, Maize Maze, craft activities, and more (20th Jul – 31st Aug 2024). Read our review from the previous visit HERE
🎟Price: Adults: £14.95, child over 3: £12.95 - Head to the Science Oxford Centre for a unique, science-themed day every Saturday during holidays. Explore, discover and play in the Exploration Zone, where children and grown-ups alike have fun experimenting with interactive exhibits plus 15 acres of woodland and ponds
🎟Price: Suitable for ages 3+ (all welcome) £7.50 per person (includes Eventbrite fee). Read our review HERE - Roves Farm Not advertised yet but there will be character dates on 3, 17. and. 24th August 2024 Plus everything else Roves farm has to offer. Read our previous review HERE
🎟Price: £10.80- 15.80 £ pp (for ages 3 and above), 2-3 years old: 5-9.50£ - Head down to Odds Farm park for acres of amazing outdoor adventures, splashtastic sand & water play, entertainment, animal encounters and stacks more fun (24th July to 3rd September 2024)!
🎟Price: for over 2 year olds ££19.99. Summer pass for £34.95 per person! - Wellington country park has plenty planned over the summer holidays including Dino take over, spectacular sports weekend and Bouncy castles etc (29th July – 1st September 2024)
Read our review from previous visit HERE
🎟PRICE:£19.95 £ pp (for ages 2 and above) - Sensory summer at Thrift Farm (20th July until Sunday 1st September): There is a NEW Sensory Play, NEW Messy Play, NEW Barefoot Walk and NEW Sensory Trail. Chicken Egg Collecting is back too
🎟Price: 18 months and over £, adults 8.95£— read our review of the previous visit HERE - Farmer Gow’s welcomes families to ‘hands on’ farm fun during summer holidays 25 July until Wednesday 4 September
🎟Price: Adults: £18.80, child 3-16 £ 11.75, 2 years old 5.50£ - Beale Wildlife Park (Lower Basildon) have not revealed special activities for the school holidays period on their website yet but they do have all the usual animals, play activities and keeper talks.
🎟Price: ADULT £14.50, CHILD (>2 years) £11.5.
Zoo Academy runs from 25-29 July, 8-12 Aug and 30 Aug-2 Sept which can be booked HERE - Children’s play village Toddlers & Walking child ticket is £13.95, adult admission is £2.50, active babies & crawlers tickets is £6.95 and babies in arms are free– read our review of the previous visit HERE
Family Theatre, Puppets and Live Music:
- Oxford Playhouse offering ZOG and the flying doctors ( –
- Wild Goose Theatre presents: Twelfth Night (1 Jul – 27 Jul 2024) and Hamlet (29 Jul – 10 Aug 2024) at Oxford Castle and Prison
- Folksy Theatre showing Folksy Theatre present ‘As You Like It” and ‘Angelica Sprocket’s Pockets’ at Millets Farm
- Gifford’s circus will be back at Stonor Park with its new show AVALON (July 11th- 22nd 2024)
- “The Wizard of Oz,” Immersion Theatre at Evenley Woods garden on 4th August 2024
Read our review of Evenley Wood garden HERE - The Gruffalo will be appearing at intervals throughout the day at Hogshaw Farm on 26th August 2024
Trains:
- Plenty going on at Buckinghamshire Railway Centre: Read our review of the previous visit HERE
- Children go for £1 Running from Wednesday 24th July until Sunday 1st September, you can bring your children to Steaming Days (not special events) for just £1 each. Under 3s are free anyway. Special events are not included – Emergency Services Day and Pre88 Classic Car Show
- On other selected days, you can still enjoy the steam railway, unlimited steam train rides and trip on the miniature trains for a small fee of £1.20 per person.
- August Bank Holiday Autofest ( 26th August 2024)
- Emergency services day on 11/8/24: Special admission price of only £7 each – under 3s go free as usual. PLUS! Like last year, all Emergency Services personnel (including NHS, Police and fire service workers) get FREE ENTRY!
- Didcot Railway Centre have Brick Adventures – July 13/14, Bluey and Bingo – July 20, The Railway Children – August 2 and Paddington – August 26 2024
(Special Events 🎟Price: Adult £22, Child (3 – 18) £16.50)
Steam days on weekends and Wednesday during the break. You can take unlimited rides behind an engine built for the famous Great Western Railway, explore the original 1932 engine shed, and see magnificently preserved locomotives on steam days. 🎟Price: Adult £19, Child (3 – 18) £13
Discovery days on other days hen Trains will not be running, but there’s the chance to get up close and see them at close quarters. 🎟Price: Adult £11 Child (3 – 18) £8.50
- Cholsey and Wallingford railway have Midweek School Holiday Specials. Thursday 25h July, 1st August, 8th August, 15th August but prices not released yet
LAST YEAR 🎟Price: Adult £12, Child (3 – 18) £5, Exclusive use of table of up to 4 passengers – £24 - Kids-for-a-Quid on selected School Holiday dates for your travel between Chinnor and Princes Risborough or vice versa and infants and toddlers under 3-years of age (0-2) travel free! (Adults £15.00)
National Trust and English Heritage properties:
It’s the perfect time of year for outdoor play at NT properties in Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire. They have lots of family-friendly things to do with the kids.
- There are hills to roll down, exotic birds to spot in the aviary and a hillside playground in which to run, climb and swing at Waddesdon Manor. There is plenty to do at Waddesdon Manor for kids at summer of play. Until 26 August, children get free admission to the house and grounds at Waddesdon! There are other events taking place on different dates during the summer holidays including theatre experiences and Chilli fest on 30th August -1st September.
Our review of Waddesdon Manor is HERE. - Hands on History at selected weekends (06 Jul – Sun 01 Sep 2024, Legendary Joust (20-21st July 2024) and Knights tournament (24-26 August 2024) at Kenilworth Castle
🎟Price: Entry to Kenilworth Castle FREE for English Heritage or CSSC Members. Small charge may apply for the events - Little People, BIG DREAMS Trail at Stowe: Join Stowe for Little People, BIG DREAMS! Inspiring all kids to believe BIG, think BIG and dream BIG! Follow the trail based on the books and see how various individuals dreams as little children grew to become their reality. You can also take part in the Big Butterfly Count between the 12 July and 4 August.
Read our review of the Stowe HERE and HERE
🎟Price: Free for NT members; otherwise entrance fee applies - Go for Gold: Summer of Play at Hughenden: Enjoy time together over the school holidays and Go for Gold in a Summer of Play at Hughenden, featuring a programme of activities there is something fun for all the family. Dive into a world of play, performance, and adventure. Create in our crafting workshops.
Also Meet the Beekeepers at Hughenden on 8 & 29 June, 20 July & 17 August and Big Butterfly Count between 2th July and 4th August
Read our review of the Hughenden grounds HERE - A walk in the woods trail and Summer evening Jazz at Upton House and Gardens
The Great Central Big Band will perform a range of styles including a selection of hits from the swing era, some classic and modern songs you’re sure to recognise and some fun, Latin pieces to entice you to your feet. The concert is open air on Upton’s south lawn. Bring a picnic and a blanket and get ready to sing along! Tickets booked online in advance: Adult £18:50, Child £11:50, Family £50 On the night at the venue: Adult £20:50, Child £12:50 Family £52 - Discover a summer jam-packed with fun at Basildon Park from 25 July to 3 September . Did I say you will love the ball runs scattered in the woods. Read our review HERE
- Get the whole family outdoors and closer to nature at Cliveden. Whether it’s taking a boat trip on the river, getting lost in the maze or simply reconnecting with nature through the National Trust’s ’50 things to do before you’re 11 ¾’; there’s lots of fun to be had come rain or shine.
Holiday Camps and other activities:
If you are looking for Holiday camps and other activities instead, then check our post HERE
What else can you do?
- Go hunting for treasures such as statues, carvings, quirky signs and street decorations around the Oxford city centre with treasure trail map (copies start from 6.99£ but you can use my affiliate link for 10% off HERE or simply by using the coupon code OXFMUM)
- Visit a splash park, Lido, outdoor swimming or paddling pool to break the heat
- Take your skate boards, cycles and scooties to your choice of pump/ BMX track or skate park
- Go on a FREE family friendly walk
- Enjoy a FREE day out from Oxfordshire
- Some ideas for FREE things to do in Oxfordshire
- Bounce around in an indoor Soft play.
- Visit a local park: For a list of all the bigger/country parks in and around your area, CLICK HERE, or for smaller but more local choices, CLICK HERE
