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At Kids Planet, we understand the importance of outdoor learning and make it a part of the everyday curriculum, in all weather!
With this in mind, we’ve delved into the best-reviewed and most Instagrammed parks in the UK, to give parents some direction this winter on where to take children for outdoor play.
The top 10 list comes following our recent Outdoor Learning Report which found that 64% of parents said playing outdoors improves the mental wellbeing of their children. Results also showed that parents believe outdoor play is vital for enhancing young children’s physical health and ability (72%), developing a love for nature (70%) and improving social skills (51%) and animal knowledge (46%).
| Rating | Park | Location | Trip Advisor rating | Instagram tags |
| 1 | Windsor Great Park | Windsor | 4.5 | 73,400 |
| 2 | Ferry Meadows | Peterborough | 4.5 | 24,400 |
| 3 | Mote Park | Maidstone | 4.5 | 22,200 |
| 4 | Harewood House | Leeds | 4 | 46,700 |
| 5 | Raby Castle Park and Gardens | County Durham | 4.5 | 15,608 |
| 6 | Cragside House & Gardens | Northumberland | 5 | 5,822 |
| 7 | Bedgebury Pinetum and Forest | East Sussex | 4 | 24,475 |
| 8 | Pittville Park | Cheltenham | 4.5 | 14,100 |
| 9 | Knebworth House | Welwyn | 4 | 17,290 |
| 10 | Abington Park | Northampton | 4.5 | 13,470 |
In first place is Windsor Great Park with a large outdoor play area, woodland and gardens for the family to enjoy. It has over 1,600 reviews on Trip Advisor with a 4.5 rating and over 73,400 tags on Instagram.
In second place is Ferry Meadows in Peterborough with a 4.5 Trip Advisor rating and 24,400 tags on Instagram. Ferry Meadows has plenty of woodland, gardens and an outdoor play area for children.
Third spot is Mote Park in Maidstone with a 4.5 Trip Advisor rating and 22,200 tags on Instagram, followed by Harewood House in Leeds with a four-star rating on Trip Advisor and 46,700 tags on Instagram. Fifth is Raby Castle Park and Gardens in county Durham with the only five-star Trip Advisor rating on the list, and sixth is Cragside House and Gardens in Northumberland.
Bedgebury Pinetum and Forest in East Sussex is in seventh place with a four-star trip Advisor rating and over 24,475 Instagram tags, and Pittville Park in Cheltenham is in eighth with a 4.5 Trip Advisor rating and over 14,100 tags on Instagram.
Of the parents polled, 41 per cent said spending time learning outdoors has created a closer family connection for them. Engaging in outdoor activities as a family not only means spending more quality time together, but also creates lasting memories and encourages a shared appreciation for the natural environment.
Rhiannon Mountain, head of outdoor learning at Kids Planet commented: “Time in nature during daylight hours develops a healthy immune system and increases concentration. It is a natural source of mood boosters too, creating a more meaningful play time in contrast to technology use. Our top 10 parks list will be fantastic guidance for parents during the autumn winter seasons for some guidance on where to let the little ones run around even when it’s muddy and wet.
“At Kids Planet, we value outdoor learning at all of our nurseries across the country and believe it’s integral for early years development. No matter the weather, the right clothing will ensure children can benefit from the positive effects of outdoor play all year round.”
Find out more about our very own outdoor learning approach called ‘Udeskole’.
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