Family Things to Do in the New Forest with Kids
· Updated
The New Forest is one of the easiest national parks in Britain to visit with children. Free-roaming ponies wander the roadsides and village greens, the biggest attractions sit within a short drive of each other, and several of the best days out cost nothing. You can watch adders at a free reptile centre in the morning, spot wild deer from a viewing platform after lunch, and be back at the campsite for tea.
Designated a national park in 2005, the New Forest covers about 220 square miles of Hampshire heath, ancient woodland and coast between Southampton and the edge of Dorset. This guide is part of our wider guide to camping in the UK's national parks, and it comes from Camping Sites in Britain, where you can find and compare campsites across the forest and the rest of the country.
The free days out
Three of the best family activities in the New Forest are free, which makes it a rare national park where a good day need not cost more than fuel and a car park ticket.
The New Forest Reptile Centre
The New Forest Reptile Centre at Holidays Hill, just off the A35 near Lyndhurst, is free to enter and home to all six of Britain's native reptiles. Children can see adders, grass snakes, smooth snakes, sand lizards, common lizards and slow worms in outdoor enclosures along a short, flat path. Run by Forestry England, it is open through the warmer months, when the animals are active, and closes over winter. There is a car park with a fee, so bring change or the parking app. Check current opening dates on the Forestry England site before you set off.
Bolderwood deer sanctuary
Bolderwood has a raised viewing platform looking over a deer sanctuary where you can usually spot fallow deer grazing, especially in the early morning and at dusk. It is free, with a pay-and-display car park off the Bolderwood Ornamental Drive, and it sits among some of the tallest trees in the forest. Bring binoculars if you have them, keep voices low, and you stand a good chance of a sighting. The drive itself is one of the prettiest in the park, so it pairs well with our guide to the best scenic drives to campsites.
Watching the wild ponies
The New Forest ponies are the animals children remember. Around 5,000 of them roam free across the open forest, owned by local commoners and looked after by the Verderers and their Agisters. You will see them on greens at Brockenhurst, Beaulieu and Burley, often right beside the road. Never feed them or pet them: it is against the by-laws, it draws them onto roads, and it can get people bitten or kicked. Watch, take photos, and keep your distance.
Beaulieu and the National Motor Museum
Beaulieu is the New Forest's flagship paid attraction and an easy full day with children. One ticket covers the National Motor Museum, with more than 250 vehicles from record breakers to film cars, plus Palace House, the ancestral home of the Montagu family, the ruins of the 13th-century Beaulieu Abbey, and a monorail that runs over the grounds. Older children tend to head straight for the World of Top Gear and the fastest cars; younger ones like the monorail and the abbey gardens.
Tickets are cheaper booked online in advance, and an annual pass can work out well if you plan to return. Prices change each season, so check the current rates and any family ticket on the official Beaulieu website before you buy.
Buckler's Hard and the Beaulieu River
Buckler's Hard is a preserved 18th-century shipbuilding village on the Beaulieu River, a couple of miles south of Beaulieu itself. Two rows of Georgian cottages run down to the water, where warships for Nelson's fleet, including HMS Agamemnon, were once built. The Maritime Museum tells the story, cottages are dressed as they would have looked, and in season a river cruise takes you out onto the Beaulieu River to look for wildlife. It is a calmer, more historical day than the theme parks, and the riverside walk to Beaulieu village is a lovely, easy two miles.
Paultons Park and Peppa Pig World
Paultons Park, home of Peppa Pig World, is the New Forest's big theme park day. It sits at Ower, just outside the national park boundary near Romsey, about a 20-minute drive from the centre of the forest. Peppa Pig World is aimed squarely at under-sevens, with gentle rides and plenty of shade, while the wider park has roller coasters and water rides for older children and teenagers. It is popular and can be busy in the school holidays, so book timed tickets online. Check current prices and height restrictions on the Paultons Park website.
Cycling the forest trails
The New Forest has more than 100 miles of traffic-free gravel tracks, and cycling is the classic way for a family to explore it. The tracks are flat, well surfaced and mostly car free, which suits nervous or younger riders. You can bring your own bikes or hire them: the main hire centres are at Brockenhurst, handy for the train and a good network of trails, and at Burley, a pretty village in the west of the forest. Hire shops offer child seats, tag-alongs and trailers, so even toddlers can come along. A short loop from Brockenhurst suits small legs, whilst confident families can link up longer routes through the woods.
Lymington, the coast and the sea-water baths
Lymington gives you a seaside afternoon to balance the woodland. It is a Georgian sailing town on the south coast of the forest, with a cobbled quay, a Saturday market and ferries out to the Isle of Wight. The star for families is Lymington Sea Water Baths, an open-air, sea-fed pool that first opened in 1833 and is one of the oldest lidos in Britain. It has a paddling area, an inflatable assault course in summer and shallow water for little ones. It runs seasonally, roughly late spring to early autumn.
Pick-your-own and the pannage pigs
Autumn brings two things worth timing a trip around. Pick-your-own farms around the forest fringe open through late summer for strawberries, raspberries and pumpkins, which makes an easy, cheap morning with young children. Then, in autumn, comes pannage: the centuries-old right for commoners to release pigs into the forest to eat fallen acorns, which are poisonous to the ponies but a feast for pigs. The pigs snuffle freely along the verges and greens, and children love them. The Verderers set the dates each year, usually from September into November, and you can find them on the Verderers of the New Forest site.
Family days at a glance
| Day out | Best for | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| New Forest Reptile Centre | All ages, wildlife fans | Free (car park charge) |
| Bolderwood deer platform | All ages, quiet mornings | Free (car park charge) |
| Watching the ponies | Younger children | Free |
| Beaulieu and Motor Museum | Car-mad kids, teens | Paid, book online |
| Buckler's Hard | History, calmer day | Paid |
| Paultons Park | Under-sevens to teens | Paid, book online |
| Cycling the trails | Active families | Free, or hire from about a morning's rate |
| Lymington Sea Water Baths | Hot summer days | Paid, seasonal |
Where to camp in the New Forest
The New Forest is one of the best places in England to camp with children, partly because so many sites sit right inside the open forest. Camping in the Forest runs several sites within the park, including Hollands Wood near Brockenhurst, Roundhill and Ashurst, where ponies and deer often wander through the pitches. These get booked up fast for school holidays, so reserve early. To compare these and privately run parks with facilities like play areas and swimming pools, browse the campsite listings at Camping Sites in Britain.
The forest is prime ancient woodland, so if woodland pitches appeal, our guide to the best campsites for exploring ancient woodlands is worth a read. For ideas on active family holidays elsewhere in the country, see our top family activities in the Lake District.
Frequently asked questions
What can you do in the New Forest for free with kids?
Plenty. The New Forest Reptile Centre, the Bolderwood deer viewing platform and watching the wild ponies are all free, though car parks charge a fee. Walking and cycling the traffic-free tracks costs nothing if you bring your own bikes.
Is the New Forest good for toddlers?
Yes. The ponies, the flat cycle tracks, Peppa Pig World at Paultons Park and the paddling area at Lymington Sea Water Baths all suit toddlers. Buggies manage most of the surfaced forest paths and the main attractions easily.
How many days do you need in the New Forest?
A long weekend covers the highlights: one free day of ponies, deer and the Reptile Centre, one day at Beaulieu or Buckler's Hard, and one at Paultons Park or the coast. A full week lets you slow down and add cycling and pick-your-own.
Can you feed the New Forest ponies?
No. Feeding or touching the ponies is banned under the forest by-laws. It draws them onto roads, upsets their diet and leads to bites and kicks. Watch them from a safe distance and never leave food where they can reach it.
When are the pannage pigs in the New Forest?
Pannage runs in autumn, usually from September into November, though the Verderers set the exact dates each year. During pannage, commoners release pigs to eat fallen acorns, and you will see them roaming the greens and verges across the forest.
Is Paultons Park in the New Forest?
Paultons Park sits just outside the national park boundary at Ower, near Romsey, about a 20-minute drive from the centre of the forest. It is easy to combine with a New Forest camping trip and is the nearest large theme park.
The short version
The New Forest gives families free wildlife, a world-class motor museum, a proper theme park and a seaside lido within a few miles of each other, and ponies wandering past the tent. Base yourself on a forest campsite, mix a free day with a paid one, and you have a brilliant, low-stress family adventure. Start by comparing sites in our guide to camping in the UK's national parks or browse the campsite directory.
