Free and Low Cost Things To Do with Kids Near Dudley

If you're looking at things to do with your children near Dudley during the six weeks holiday then look no further! Here is a list of free, parking charges only, and small fee attractions that are great for children.

Free / Parking Charges Apply

Himley Hall and Park

Himley Hall is a beautiful Georgian country house set in 180 acres of picturesque parkland. If you love a leisurely stroll with beautiful views, then you will definitely enjoy a walk around the parkland and boating lake. And then, treat yourself to a well-deserved cup of tea from the Himley Terrace Hatch. The park is also a popular spot to teach your children how to ride a bike!

There is also currently an old-time fair at Himley Hall run by Matthew Jones and Sons. The Jones family have been running the amusements at the Black Country Living Museum for the last 40 years, and now the fair is coming to Himley Hall. The fair has an old-fashioned helter skelter, swing boats, ferris wheel, coconut shy, cake walk, and so much more! All rides are 1 token each with tokens costing £1. The fair is running daily 12-6pm until Sunday 5th September.

Important information for Himley Hall and Park:

Due to covid-19, they are not running any guided tours of the hall this year.
Parking charges £2 per day (free for blue badge holders).
Toilets are situated to the back of the hall.
Address: Himley Hall, Himley Road, Dudley, DY3 4DF.
Open daily 7am - 7pm.

Baggeridge Country Park

Just around the corner from Himley Hall and Park is Baggeridge Country Park, if you are looking for a park with a great play area then Baggeridge as well as Sandwell Valley, Mary Stevens, and Haden Hill, have the best ones in the area. The park has been a Green Flag winner every year since 1998 which is an international mark of quality for parks and green spaces! The playground area was newly renovated just last year by the playground equipment supplier, KOMPAN and now boasts a sandpit area with swings and slides for younger children as well as a large climbing frame, bridges, and zip wires for older children. To find out more about the new play area click here. As well as the playground, there are lots of open green spaces, woodland walks, mountain bike trails, an orienteering course, and a miniature railway.

Children's Adventure Fun Park is at Baggeridge Country Park at the moment until Sunday 19th September. The attraction is suitable for children aged between 3 and 12 and has inflatables and small kids rides. It is a token-operated event where tokens are £1.20 each or they do bundles of 10 tokens for £10 or 25 for £20. It is operating daily 11am-5pm.

Important information for Baggeridge Country Park:

Parking charges £3 per day (free for blue badge holders). The car park can get busy during peak times.
The teashop is open for takeaway service only.
Toilets are located by the teashop.
Address: Baggeridge Country Park, Gospel End St, Road, Dudley, DY3 4HB.
Open daily 9am-8pm.

Haden Hill Park

Haden Hill is a 55-acre park situated near Halesowen in the West Midlands. The park is home to Haden Hill House, a Victorian house with really interesting history! There are two play areas in close proximity of each other; the first is an enclosed play area for younger children, and the newest addition is a larger adventure playground with timber-built climbing frames, a treehouse, monkey bars, and adventure trails.

In addition to the play area, the park has ornamental gardens and two ornamental pools, a tennis court, and so much space for picnics including a new picnic area, and woodland walks. Within the grounds, at the bottom of Haden Hill Park, there is Corngreaves Nature Reserve which is a much quieter area perfect for tree climbing.

There are also lots of crafts and activities at Haden Hill House and Park this summer which are run by Sandwell Museums. Some highlights include an Insect Safari on Tuesday 10 August, watch a live performance of Macbeth with The Lord Chamberlain's Men theatre company, and a jazz festival on Sunday 25th August at 2pm. To see a full list of activities, times, and costs click here.

Important information for Haden Hill House and Park:

Free parking on the main car park just off Lee Road (although this can get busy during peak times). The park is also accessible by bus and train, with the nearest train station being Oldhill.
The museum is free to enter and is open Thursdays and Fridays 10:30am-12:30am and then 2pm-4:30pm and Saturdays and Sundays 2pm-5pm. The last admission is 30 minutes before the museum closes. They do ask you to wear a face covering inside the building unless medically exempt.
Pushchairs are also not allowed inside the house but you can leave them under the stairs or at the front door.
Address: 1 Hayseech, Cradley Heath, B64 7JL.

Mary Stevens Park

Mary Stevens Park is a very popular Victorian Park in Stourbridge. It has a lot of open space which is perfect for families, dog walkers, and picnic goers. There is a newly renovated playground, fitness area, a big lake to walk around and feed the ducks, as well as a splash pad that is now open! You can even enjoy an ice-cream from the tea room.

Throughout the school holidays, Mary Stevens Park is hosting free activities between 2-3pm Tuesday to Saturday which are funded by Dudley Council and Let's Be Healthy Dudley. The activities include tri-golf, kwik cricket, frisbee golf, and orienteering. To find out more about the activities click here.

Important information for Mary Stevens Park:

To keep up to date with the latest news and what's on at Mary Stevens Park click here.
The splash pad is now open from 9.30-7pm.
Toilet facilities are available.
Parking is often very busy with a lot of people parking on nearby streets.
Address: Heath Lane, Stourbridge, DY8 1BB.

Sandwell Valley Country Park

Sandwell Valley Country Park in West Bromwich is a huge park that has been expanded and developed over the years. There is a big park development for children of all ages as well as exercise equipment, tennis courts, and bike trails. There are two large play areas that are situated on either side of the car park. One has climbing nets, a rope and suspension bridge, a high tower with a slide, swings, a double zip wire, a play tractor, and timber sculptures. Sandwell Valley High Ropes, the aerial assault course, also occupy the same space but is closed at the moment. For further updates on when the course will reopen click here. The other playground (located up the steps/ramp from the car park) has multiple metal climbing frames, exercise equipment, swings, a huge slide, and a cone climber. They also have a splash pad which is open during summer 10am-6pm. Please do check their website before travelling to the park as there are many factors that can affect the opening of the splash pad.

Onsite there is the Sandwell Park Farm Visitor Centre which is free to enter and has a tea room, shop, and Victorian walled garden. All of the resident animals that used to be on site have now been moved to Forge Mill Farm on Forge Lane, West Bromwich.

Sandwell Valley also has multiple oriental ponds. The largest of the pools is the Swan pool which is a short walk over the motorway bridge. It’s great for a walk or bike ride. On the odd occasion, water activities take place including outdoor swimming, water safety sessions, canoeing, and sailing. Not far from the Swan pool is RSPB Sandwell Valley which is a nature reserve full of wildlife and wildflowers. The visitor centre, car park, and lakeside viewpoint are open 10am–5pm April-September and 10am-4pm October-March, Tuesday to Sunday. Entry is free, donations are welcomed.

Sandwell Valley Country Park also hosts many different events across the year including fairs, festivals, and firework display. Some upcoming events include 2021 MADE festival on Saturday 31st July and an Insect Safari on the 11th August 10:30am to 3:00pm. To find out more about upcoming events and how to book click here.

Important information for Sandwell Valley Country Park:

Parking charges apply 40p per hour or £2 all day (free for blue badge holders).
Park gates open at 7.30am and close at 8pm during summer (closing times vary depending on the month, click here for more info).
Address: Salter's Lane, West Bromwich B71 4BG.

The Oak House Museum

The Oak House Museum is a half-timbered yeoman farmer's house built in 1630. It is one of the oldest buildings in the area. You can explore the beautifully furnished house and grounds for free! There is also a children’s adventure playground, cafe, and small museum shop which are available to visitors during the opening hours of the museum.

The museum hosts many activities and events throughout the year. Upcoming highlights include Hartbeeps Alice in Wonderland event for under 5s (booking required through Hartbeeps Sandwell), Insect Safari, bug hunts and so much more! For more info about all the events going on throughout the summer click here.

Important information for The Oak House Museum:

Entrance is free and prior booking is not required, unless a ticket price for specific activities is stated. The entrance is via the visitor centre.
Pushchairs are not allowed in the house but they can be left at the front door. There is also currently no disabled access to the first floor of the house although there is access to the upstairs of the visitor centre.
There is no parking on site, but street parking is available on Cambridge Street and Oak Road. beyond the visitor centre.
Toilets are located in the visitor centre,
Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 10am-3pm and Sunday 10am-1pm. The grounds are open when the museum is open.
Address: Oak Road, West Bromwich, B70 8HJ.

Low Cost Admission

Forge Mill Farm

Forge Mill Farm is a small farm in West Bromwich. The farm has cows, horses, sheep, alpaca, goats, chickens, and rabbits. There is also a children's play area and farm trail. The farm shop sells fresh meat, vegetables, plants, gifts and serves drinks and light snacks.

During the summer, Forge Mill Farm has plenty of fun activities running. Every week is a different theme. For example, from 9th to 15th August they are hosting a Harvest Special week and from the 23rd to the 29th August a sunflower week. See the above photo for the summer program (click to enlarge).

Important information for Forge Mill Farm:

Forge Mill Farm requires booking in advance. Adult tickets are £3, child tickets are £2.50, and under 2s go free. They also do family tickets which can work out cheaper (two adults and up to three children £7, and one adult and up to three children £5). Click here to book.
Accessible toilets are available in the farmyard.
Address: Forge Mill Farm, West Bromwich, B71 3SZ.
Open daily 10am-4pm.

Brockswood Animal Sanctuary

The animals at Brockswood Animal Sanctuary are rescued. The sanctuary is home to sheep, goats, ponies, pigs, birds of prey, turtles, emu, raccoons, rabbits and more but these animals vary depending on what animals the sanctuary has taken in. Some of the animals that have recently arrived may be in a poor condition but by visiting you are helping to pay for their care. The sanctuary doesn't receive any council or government funding and are extremely grateful for all of the support. As well as the animals they have a children's play area and a cafe (which is currently running takeaway cold drinks and snacks only).

On Saturday 28th August between 10am and 4pm, they are hosting a Charity Fun Day and Dog Show sponsored by Home Instead Dudley & sandwell with food and drink, stalls, animal meeting, agility show, and bushcraft.

Important information for Brockswood Animal Sanctuary:

Tickets are £3.50 each (under 4s go free).
Accessible/baby change toilet are open.
Address: Catholic Lane, Sedgley, Dudley DY3 3YE.
Open daily 10am-4pm (last entry 3pm).

*all prices are correct at time of posting