10 Best Family-Friendly Outdoor Activities Near Shropshire

Keep the kids busy during half term with exciting activities – from gravity defying Hawkstone Park Follies and exploring Ludlow Castle’s impressive ruins, to Woodland Adventure playground and more!

Explore family friendly walks using our interactive map. Look out for those marked as ‘Family Friendly’ in their title.

1. Go Mountain Biking

Mountain biking provides an exciting new way to experience nature while challenging yourself. Cunningham Park in Queens offers an ideal venue for this activity with its spacious dirt bike park.

Beginners and experienced riders alike can enjoy its diverse singletrack trails combined with jumps and a pump track, perfect for beginners. While more experienced riders can challenge themselves on difficult obstacles like rock stairs and steep downhill runs. Clothing tailored specifically towards biking is essential.

Ludlow Castle offers families an ideal place to experience nature, with walking routes and even an orienteering course available for use all year long. In addition, families can visit a farm, take a river cruise, play laser tag at an indoor adventure center and more – keeping everyone busy even on wet or rainy days!

2. Go Kayaking or Canoeing

Canoeing and kayaking both offer exciting adventures on the water. But each watercraft varies significantly, which could impact your experience and objectives.

The primary difference lies in size and shape of each vessel: kayaks are sleeker and easier to maneuvre while canoes provide greater capacity and more stable rides.

Explore special places together on foot, bike, or horseback and discover their wild sides – or spot beautiful daffodils along parkland trails – or visit Dudmaston cave house! Make memories on the River Severn by canoe or by guided raft trip; both options departing Bridgnorth with return trips on nostalgic steam trains!

3. Go Horse Riding

Head out on horseback for an enjoyable horseback ride through Henry VII’s hunting ground (when he wasn’t ordering people off with their heads!). There are family trails suitable for all ages and children can participate in junior-specific activities throughout the year.

Experience an impressive ruined castle that has hosted monarchs and nobility since medieval times – it even offers an orienteering course! Plus there’s an adventure playground, gardens and natural play to discover; plus seasonal events to attend. Make this attraction part of your visit plan today.

Families will adore the woodland adventure playground complete with swings, slides and a climbing wall while adults can enjoy miles of walking routes through this breathtaking estate. Just remember to pack plenty of water as staying hydrated during outdoor activity is key for safe fun!

4. Go Canoeing or Kayaking on the River Severn

The River Severn provides an unforgettable canoeing or kayaking experience. Paddle along its tranquil waters while admiring stunning landscape of Shropshire Hills AONB and wildlife along the riverbanks, as well as taking advantage of stopping points along its route for stretching your legs, snacking breaks, and wildlife viewing.

As you continue paddling downstream, the landscape changes dramatically with fields on one side and houses with long gardens on the other. Gheluvelt Park, dedicated to the Worcestershire Regiment that battled here during World War I will come into view.

At Coalport, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you’ll have lunch before continuing downhill towards Bridgnorth for approximately 2 hours of travel time – perfect for families and beginners alike!

5. Go on a Raft Trip

Shropshire Raft Tours of Ironbridge provides scenic float raft trips along the River Severn. Their new business hosted pre-booked familiarisation trips on their rafts this summer for families, tour operators, school teachers and youth group leaders.

No whitewater rapids exist on this river, making the experience enjoyable for people of all ages. Rafts are large enough to hold groups of up to 16 people comfortably.

The raft company supplies all necessary equipment, including a free minibus shuttle service. A river guide will accompany them throughout, explaining historical facts of the area as they go. When downtime arises, guides may bring out books on local rivers or river-themed outdoor games for them to play during camptime; additionally they often bring along guitars for evening sessions of laughter with new friends; making this trip an excellent way to disconnect from electronic devices!

6. Go Climbing

Climbing can be one of the most enjoyable family activities. Climbing is both physically and mentally stimulating, making it accessible regardless of age or ability.

Climbers often pass quickly through Shropshire while traveling to Snowdonia, yet there are some excellent crags here too. Corbet Wood Countryside Heritage Site north of Shrewsbury boasts several routes on soft sandstone while Nesscliffe Country Park also provides excellent crags.

Llanymynech Limeworks Heritage Site also provides climbing on igneous rock surfaces for limited climbing adventures.

7. Go to Hoo Farm

Shropshire provides many family-friendly attractions to keep children enthralled, from fairy-tale castles and woodland trails, to spectacular daffodils and even tiger challenge courses!

Boscobel House was designed by Capability Brown and features an exciting kid’s adventure playground and Go Ape center for your enjoyment. There’s even a tree where Charles II hid during the Civil War! Plus there’s lots of hide and seek opportunities.

Hoo Farm Animal Kingdom is a children’s playground on the outskirts of Telford. Open all year, this clean and friendly zoo encourages audience participation with options like feeding deer and ostriches; 15 animatronic dinosaurs roam through its woodland walk; plus there’s our all-in-one transit app making getting there simple! Moovit makes getting there easy!

8. Go Fishing

Family holidays are about making memories, and what better way than exploring the countryside of Shropshire? From strolling through wooded trails to mountain climbing and everything in between – Shropshire offers numerous experiences!

Holme Hall offers 1,000 acres of parkland and gardens designed by Capability Brown, complete with an adventure playground, Temple Wood, walled garden and deer feeding (seasonal). In addition, family trails and special events take place regularly throughout the year.

Start a family-friendly adventure at Hawkstone Park Follies, an expansive natural sandstone cliff area where wind has created gullies and caves carved by wind into rugged sandstone cliffs shaped into rugged natural sandstone cliffs fashioned by nature itself. Kids can climb, crawl, walk and run freely around this park as they indulge themselves with activities such as climbing walls or traversing a tiger challenge course!

9. Go Cycling

Shropshire Hills AONB provides cycling enthusiasts with thrilling off-road cycling trails. Experienced mountain bikers may tackle Long Mynd’s steep and challenging Burway climb for breathtaking panoramic views over heathland plateaus; while cyclists of all abilities may discover gentler tracks along Shropshire Union Canal.

Experience Ironbridge Gorge UNESCO World Heritage Site from an entirely different angle on a scenic river raft trip down the River Severn! Families will especially love exploring Eaton Manor’s extensive grounds designed by Capability Brown that feature Woodland Adventure playground, Temple Wood and walled gardens – ideal for young children!

Discover other family-friendly attractions, like Clun Castle ruins and Acton Scott Historic Working Farm where your child can learn about livestock keeping. Afterward, find a kid-friendly pub or tea room where everyone can recharge their batteries before enjoying a delicious bite to eat!

10. Go Walking

Walking is an excellent way to experience the countryside, from hiking a peak or just strolling through a nature park – with family-friendly options available nearby, it is sure to provide plenty of memories.

Carding Mill Valley Forest Park provides an unforgettable murder mystery trail experience suitable for all ages. Prices depend on which trail is selected; children as young as six may join.

Discover what’s available at the special places we care for in Shropshire and Staffordshire, from natural play to seasonal trails. Attingham Park features beautiful daffodils in spring while Ludlow Castle remains mysterious; even walking at different times of day provides new views! Wear comfortable shoes and plan different routes so as to stay engaged throughout your experience.