Spring – hello! Still making it’s mind up on the weather but there’s warmer days ahead people!
FREE activities at the Big Open weekend at More Leisure Centres across Oxford! Barton, Ferry, The Leys and Oxford Ice Rink. FREE activities, free soft play, free swimming with inflatables, free taster sessions (swimming and ice skating), classes, advice, special offers and more! Check out this link which will take you to the webpage where you can choose what leisure centre Big Weekend offers you would like to see.
Saturday 7th March
📚The Story Museum: Half price entry
To celebrate World Book Day (5th March) tickets to The Story Museum on Saturday 7th March will be half price! This includes Small Worlds for younger visitors too! Dress up as your favourite character and celebrate the utter joy of books at this most unique and wonderful shape-shifting museum.
📅 Saturday 7th March ⏰10am – 4.30pm 💴 Half price: Adult and child (5+): £7.70 per ticket, Child (1 – 4 years old): £3.85 🎫 Pre-booking recommended ℹ️ More info on the Story Museum website and our visits here.
🦕Oxford Natural History Museum: Super Science Saturday
This is a big one! Touch real museum specimens. Peer through microscopes. Try exciting experiments and tricky challenges. Explore everything from buzzing bees and slithering snakes to gigantic whales, extraordinary corals, mighty dinosaurs, and even tiny (but powerful!) viruses!
Build your very own bug hotel to take home, roar like a dinosaur and see your sound waves in action, and discover why scientists wear lab coats. Play ‘Guess Who? – Bee Edition,’ test your detective skills by spotting which images are AI-generated, listen to real whale sounds and uncover what they’re ‘saying,’ and explore the wonderfully weird immune systems of animals — including your own!
📅 Saturday 7th March ⏰12pm – 4pm 💴 Free 🎫 No pre-booking required ℹ️ More info on the museum website.
🏃🏾♀️Thames Valley Orienteering: Run the Oxford Parks
This is the first in the Run the Oxford Parks series and kicks off at Hill End. Very family friendly and with a super short routes starting at 1km up to 5km. Race between a series of checkpoints and using a map and special timing chip. This is extremely low pressure and lots of fun, done it leads of times with my boys and love it.
📅 Saturday 7th March ⏰Starts between 10:15 am – 11.45 am 💷 Different prices for different routes 🎫 Booking essential ℹ️ More info on the Thames Valley Orienteering Club website.
🚴🏾♂️Dr Bike at Flo’s The Place in the Park
Bike diagnosis, safety checks, tune-ups and repairs. Have a coffee or bite to eat at the café whilst you wait.
📅 Saturday 7th March ⏰2pm – 4.30pm 💷 Frees 🎫 No booking required ℹ️ More info on the Flo’s Facebook page
👶🏽Tap Social: Bring your Baby Pub Quiz
No, your baby isn’t answering the questions (although they would probably still score higher than me in most pub quizzes 😬). The quiz take a slower pace than traditional ones as you are juggling ‘baby brain’ with baby distractions! Baby change is available, including the legendary mobile baby change which means you don’t need to leave the quiz to change baby.
📅Saturday 7th March ⏰12 noon onwards 💴Price per amount of people per table 🎫 Booking required ℹ️ Book via Eventbrite.
Sunday 8th March
🎥 Ultimate Picture Palace: Kino Kids Club
James and the Giant Peach – what a classic. Forced to live with his cruel aunts, James finds a way out of his bleak existence when he discovers an enormous enchanted peach. After rolling into the sea James, accompanied by a crew of friendly talking insects and they set sail for New York City. As always at Kino Kids , it’s a relaxed affair and the sound will be turned down a notch, and the lights will be up a little, and they don’t mind if people make a bit of noise or move around during the film. The UPP will sell food and drink and provide free craft activities, but do feel free to bring your own crafts and/or lunch if that suits you better.
📅 Sunday 8th March⏰12.45pm 💴 Adult: £7.00, Child: £5.00, Family (multiples of 4) £5.00 x 4 = £20.00 🎫 Booking recommended ℹ️ Book here
🐑 Farmer Gow’s
What’s spring without a trip to the farm! Farmer Gow’s has had a huge glow-up with new playground and hay bale maze in the barn. They have their usual animal meets included in the price and they are also offering lamb cuddles until the end of March. If you are an Oxfordshire parent then chances are you have been or your child has been there on a school trip – it’s defo worth a re-visit.
📅 Sunday 8th March⏰💴 Adult: £14, Child (3 – 6 years old): £12.00, Child (1-2 years old), Child (under 2): Free, Concession: £12.85 🎫 Booking recommended ℹ️ Book here
Getting outside this weekend? Here’s some ideas:
The frogs are out at Lye Valley!
Has it been a year since the park in Stadhampton had it’s glow up?!
Visit the Fantastic Mr Fox playground in East Hanney.
Take in the glorious views on the White Horse Hill – Wayland Smithy Walk.
Get on your boardwalk at the Hinksey Heights Nature Trail.
Have a brill time at Brill playground and windmill.
Discover the hidden gem that is Sydlings Copse.
