UPDATED! The sun is shining and it’s time to get out and enjoy the weather…while it lasts! The pressure is on…how can you squeeze the most of of this heatwave?! We’ve got you covered with places to splash, shady walks under canopies and relaxed outdoor dining options – all families welcome. Click on the headers for more info.
Splash parks and lidos…
🥽 Hinksey Open Air Pool (already open)
This has been an Oxford sunny staple for so long and families flock here when the sun shines. This season they are offering 2 hr and half day sessions aswell 🙌 After school outings are our faves (it’s open until 7pm on weekdays) and there’s usually a coffee truck and ice-cream van too. A visit to the splash pad next door and the park across the grass is mandatory! Check out all the details here.
💦 Hinksey Splash Pad (already open)
This new splash pad and mini bike track is everything you need on a hot day to cool down. A £330k investment has been money well spent to re-vamp this tired (and constantly broken!) splash-pad last year. There’s usually a coffee truck outside the gate too. Hurrrrrrrrrrah! Check out all you need to know here.
🏊🏼♂️ Northcroft Lido (already open)
This is a special one and wouldn’t look out of place at a Eurocamp in sunnier climes! Slides, splash pad and an Olympic sized pool make this feel like a HUGE adventure! Just to be clear, this is as fun for the big kids (that’s us!) and little kids! More info on this cracker here.
💦Woodstock Open Air Pool (open from 23rd May)
A short hop from Blenheim Palace, this 25m pool – with diving board- is always very popular with locals and families. Before you stampede down there, it comes with a big caveat: it’s not heated until the 20th July! In other words, it’s freezing. If cold water swimming is your bag, go for it (lots of health benefits!), or head for one of the other heated pools and return in July.
💦Cutteslowe Splash Pad (already open)
This park has so much to it but it’s the splash pad that’s the draw on sunny days. Playgrounds, sandpits, miniature railway of dreams, crazy golf, huge areas of grass to run around and more. Check out the miniature railway timetable and enjoy everything at the same time. We can’t guarantee the sun but we guarantee the good times.
🌈The Leys Splash Park (open from 22nd May)
Yet another splash park revamp! Bright rainbow colours and accessible water features make this one stand out. It was already a great park, now it’s even better!
🥽Wallingford Riverside Splash and outdoor pools (open from 23rd May)
Another refurbed splash park (did the council get a job lot?!) with an outdoor pool beside it. The pool isn’t as big as Hinksey but it’s fun and it’s in a gorgeous location along the river so lots of opportunities for other activities too like canoeing or boat trips.
🦢 Edmonds Park Splash Pad, Didcot (opens 23rd May)
This splash park is a real cracker and a massive draw for the local community on a sunny day – another that had a revamp last year. Have a look at the opening times on the Didcot Council website as they vary day by day in the first week of opening.
If you are thinking of diving in for a dip in any of Oxford’s rivers or bathing sites, please check the Surfers Against Sewage website for the latest sewage discharges. The free app gives you details about water quality too.
If you want to eat alfresco with the kids…
🍕The Medley
This seasonal bar serves up wood-fired pizzas to write home about in an incredible location by the river. It is busy when the sun shines and it can be hard to get a table…but then you just bring your blanket. It’s next to Port Meadow so you can go for a pre or post pizza run around. An Oxford institution.
🍔 Valley Pizza and FarmBox Burger
A discovery last summer and one that kept us going back to enjoy as many food sundowners as we possibly could. There’s animals to meet whilst the grown-ups sit down at the benches on the grass. A child-friendly, easy place to enjoy some genuinely good food. We’re not keeping it secret – read all about it here.
🍇 Sunnyhill Vineyard and pizza
Vines, fresh pizza, playground, alpacas. Tick, tick, tick, tick! You could be in the Mediterranean on a sunny evening here. Stampede down there as everyone wants a slice of this place. Grab a pizza (really?! 🤦🏻♀️) of the action here.
🛝 The Manor, Garsington
A gastropub with stunning views and great play equipment. The pizzas are served hot straight from the pizza oven in the garden and there’s a BBQ every Friday night in the summer, as well as free children’s activities.
🍻Victoria Arms
Previously named as one of the best beer gardens in the UK! Here’s why: situated on the banks of the River Cherwell with a huge green area and picnic tables. Sit on the edge of the river bank and dip your toes in whilst enjoying a bowl of pub chips. Does it get any better?!
🍰Worton Kitchen Garden
Is this the most beautiful place to have tea and cake? Sit amongst the bursting borders, shaded by the trees and take in the views as you enjoy all the delights the garden kitchen has to offer. It’s real field to fork here; don’t forget to have a little explore to see where it all comes from.
If you fancy a shady walk…
🚶🏾♂️Thrupp Lake
We know you LOVE this as it’s one of our most visited paged on the website. It’s a lovely walk around the lake with lots of tree canopies to hide under and keep you cool. Views of the lake, fairy door magic to find and fallen logs to clamber on will keep little ones entertained too. See how to navigate to this outdoor adventure here.
🚶🏻♀️Blenheim Community Path
Lots of shade on this scenic walk through the estate. It eventually leads you into the Parkland where you can take other paths and extend your walk. Suitable for bikes and buggies too if you have little ones who want to join for a wheeled adventure. All the info here.
Keep checking back as we’ll be adding more as the sun continues to shine!
