{"id":355597,"date":"2026-07-08T22:25:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T22:25:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/uncategorized\/things-to-do-in-swindon-for-family-fun\/"},"modified":"2026-07-08T22:25:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T22:25:13","slug":"things-to-do-in-swindon-for-family-fun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=355597","title":{"rendered":"Things to Do in Swindon for Family Fun"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\tSharing is caring!\t<\/p>\n

When we made an unexpected move to the Wiltshire-Oxfordshire border after a couple of years living abroad, we found ourselves with the opportunity to play tourist in our own backyard. Read on to discover the fun family attractions, wet day activities and free places we have visited in and around Swindon so far.<\/p>\n

We haven\u2019t seen it all yet! There\u2019s also a list of places I want to visit before we make our next move.<\/p>\n

*This post contains affiliate links. If you click and buy something, I may earn some commission. This is at no extra cost to you but helps me cover the costs of running this website. See my privacy policy<\/a><\/em> and disclosure policy<\/a> for more information.<\/em>*<\/em><\/p>\n

STEAM in Swindon<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\"My<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\"My<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

This is a brilliant museum is my top recommendation if you\u2019re looking for things to do in Swindon on a rainy day. It tells the story of the Great Western Railway (GWR) and the people who made it happen. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s loads of interactive displays, real locos and historic scenes to walk through. You definitely don\u2019t need to be a train spotter to enjoy it. My dad is a model railway enthusiast so was in his element. But my teen and pre-teen girls were equally interested in the hands on activities and storytelling of STEAM.<\/p>\n

Give yourselves a couple of hours to look around and keep an eye out for kids offers in the school holidays.\u00a0Use the parking for Swindon\u2019s Designer Outlet which is right nextdoor.<\/p>\n

Find out more about visiting STEAM<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Eastcott Pottery Studios<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Two<\/figure>\n

This lovely little Swindon studio is somewhere we have visited after school for a crafty hour pottery painting. You can also book in for pottery throwing workshops and full day experiences.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s free parking outside on Eastcott Hill and you can get refreshments from Mams Cafe alongside the studios. <\/p>\n

Find out more about opening times and activites<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Lydiard Park<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\"Lydiard<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\"Looking<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Lydiard Park on the West of Swindon was one of the first places we visited for a walk. We found loads of families there enjoying picnics on the lawns around Lydiard House Museum. There\u2019s also playgrounds for tiny tots and bigger kids.<\/p>\n

The grounds are free to explore \u2013 just pay for parking. If you want to splash some cash you can pay for entry to the museum, the walled garden and the Jungle Parc high ropes course.<\/p>\n

Find out more about visiting Lydiard Park<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Butterfly World & Farm Park\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\"My<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\"Four<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

We spent an hour or so meeting the mammals, birds, insects and reptiles at this small, no frills zoo and farm attraction that comes with a garden centre, restaurants, soft play and craft workshops. <\/p>\n

The lizards and snakes were a highlight for our reptile-loving 11-year-old, but she also wanted to adopt the kid goats, otters and rabbits.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Complete your trip with a visit to one of the restaurants for toasties, jackets or pasty meals or a generous slab of cake. Find Butterfly World and Farm Park at Studley Grange to the South West of Swindon.<\/p>\n

Find out more about Butterfly World at Studley Grange<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

White Horse Hill<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"My<\/figure>\n

Just across the Wiltshire border, Oxford\u2019s highest hill is a 20 minute drive East from Swindon and is the best place to get the lay of the land.<\/p>\n

You can also bag the trig point, storm the remains of Uffington Castle and get up close with the iconic Bronze Age chalk horse.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s much more to this landscape than first meets the eye. The hill was carved by a glacier in the Ice Age leaving plains all around. And it saw pre-historic people pass by on Britain\u2019s oldest road well before the horse and castle appeared.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also a place of myths and legends. The battle between Saint George and the Dragon is said to have taken place on an outcrop below the hill\u2019s 262m peak. An alternative theory is that Uther Pendragon was buried here.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/figure>\n

Today White Horse Hill watches over six English counties. The 360 degree views are stunning, making it a pretty good place for a wander, roll or picnic.<\/p>\n

We use the National Trust carpark (use SN7 7QJ to find it). The hill is free to visit. Just pay for parking or it\u2019s free for National Trust members.<\/p>\n

Find out more about White Horse Hill.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"A<\/figure>\n

This charming village and sprawling parkland are a delight to walk around, but there\u2019s more to Coleshill than meets the eye. During the Second World War this was the General Headquarters for Winston Churchill\u2019s Auxiliary Units \u2013 a top-secret army tasked with forming a resistance movement should the Nazis invade.<\/p>\n

History walks are available on selected dates (we haven\u2019t made one yet) or you can explore the estate and refuel with a light lunch or, my top recommendation, coffee and cake from Blake\u2019s Kitchen<\/a> in the Carpenters Yard. There\u2019s also a National Trust honestly bookshop here and boards recording recent wildlife sightings.<\/p>\n

Find out more about visiting Coleshill Estate<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Millets Farm<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\"My<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\"My<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

This place is a bit of a local legend. However, when we were brand new to the area, we haphazardly stumbled across it while looking for a garden centre. It\u2019s that and so much more!\u00a0<\/p>\n

We have returned to Millets Farm several times for seasonal events like the maize maze, pumpkin picking and Illuminate Oxford at Christmas<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also worth a visit on any ordinary weekend for a lovely lunch at The Farmhouse Kitchen, a spin around the fairground and to say hello to the farm animals. <\/p>\n

Entrance to see the farm animals, the outdoor the playground and picnic area is free. Just pay for extra activities like the fairground, Wildside animal park, Wild Wheels off road course and Sprouts play barn.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s very rare that we leave without treating ourselves to yummy Purbeck Ice Cream from The Snack Shack.<\/p>\n

Millets is half an hour North East of Swindon.<\/p>\n

Find out more about what\u2019s on at Millets Farm<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Day trips to Oxford<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\"My<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\"My<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Moving to West Oxfordshire provided us with a great springboard for exploring the countryside and also Oxford itself \u2013 somewhere I last visited in my teens.<\/p>\n

There are good bus connections from Swindon to Oxford \u2013 Stagecoach\u2019s S6 Gold runs every 15 minutes at peak times \u2013 or you could catch the train<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We have chosen to use the park and ride<\/a> each time we have visited as we live outside Swindon itself. Redbridge or the Sea Court park and rides are the ones to aim for when driving from Swindon.<\/p>\n

During our first visit we spent a very unplanned day meandering through Harry Potter filming spots among the university colleges, browsing the covered market and visiting the free Natural History Museum.<\/p>\n

I highly recommend the coffee and cake at CHICK PEA<\/a>; it\u2019s also on my list of places return for their salad bar.<\/p>\n

Followup trips have been less about sightseeing and more about Westgate Shopping Centre<\/a> \u2013 the girls insisted! Teen parents: warn off you bank manager! <\/p>\n

Mapped: places we\u2019ve visited around Swindon<\/strong><\/h2>\n