Things to Do With Kids Near Horndean: Parks, Play, Days Out

What can you do with kids in and around Horndean?

The easiest free options are the parish council's play areas and the woodland trails on the edge of the South Downs, and the villages around Horndean have indoor sessions for toddlers and young children too. Everything below is taken from the operator's or council's own website as published in October 2026, but times and prices change, so check before you set off.

Which play areas are in Horndean?

Horndean Parish Council's open spaces page lists six play facilities. The Recreation Ground on Five Heads Road has cradle and flat swings, a toddler multiplay unit, a roundabout, a teen shelter, a basketball hoop and a wooden adventure play course, with open grassland and football pitches. Downs Park, off First Avenue in North Horndean, has a tyre swing, flat swings, multi units with slides, a rope climbing frame and a city spinner. Jubilee Field, at Catherington Lane and Crouch Lane, has cradle swings, flat swings, a tyre swing, a multiplay unit with a slide, a springer, a zip wire and a basketball court, with a junior football pitch and an outdoor gym for ages 12 and over.

The other two are Lychgate Drive Play Area, off Catherington Lane, which the council lists with a swing and see-saw, and Deep Dell Play Area at Hazleton Way, for toddlers up to age twelve, with cradle and flat swings, a multiplay unit, a roundabout, a slide and springers. For more on parks and nature, see our guide to parks, playgrounds and nature reserves.

Just over the border in Cowplain, the Cowplain Recreation Ground play area on Padnell Road, PO8 8EH, was refurbished with inclusive, wheelchair-accessible equipment including a roundabout, swings, climbing frames and sensory panels, according to Havant Borough Council. Horndean Technology College students helped inform the design.

Where can toddlers and younger children go indoors?

The Clanfield Centre at 2 Endal Way, Clanfield, PO8 0YF runs regular children's sessions. Its timetable lists Bounce and Play on Sundays from 9.30am to 10.30am, Stay and Play on Thursdays from 9am to 11am, Music Bugs on Saturdays from 9.30am to noon, Junior Kickers on Fridays from 9am to 10am and Mighty Kickers on Saturdays from 4pm to 5pm. Its Bounce and Play page describes the session as suitable for 2 to 10 year olds, with a bouncy castle, a bouncy ball pit and a soft play area, and says parental supervision is required. The centre also offers parties; phone 02394 211650 for details.

Horizon Havant lists children's facilities including a crèche, junior gym, soft play, gymnastics and trampoline clubs, school holiday clubs and toddler groups. Horizon Waterlooville lists a swim school, junior gym sessions and a crèche. For pools and gyms see our guide to leisure centres and swimming.

Where can families go for a day out?

Queen Elizabeth Country Park is on the A3 between Petersfield and Cowplain, PO8 0QE. Forestry England's page says it has three waymarked trails and over 2,000 acres of open-access woodland, cycling and mountain biking, and a cafe called Beechwood Kitchen. The page gives summer parking rates from £2.50 for up to one hour to £9.50 for a full day, and says rates are lower in winter. See our Queen Elizabeth Country Park visitor guide.

Butser Ancient Farm's visitor page says it is closed to general admission on weekdays. It is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 4pm, on bank holiday Mondays from 10am to 4pm, and from Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm, during Hampshire school holidays, with last admission at 2.30pm. It says most visits last between two and five hours. Our Butser Ancient Farm guide has more.

What is on for families this autumn?

Horndean Technology College's community events page lists an HTC Christmas Fayre on Saturday 14 November 2026 from 1pm to 4pm. The Clanfield Centre's what's on page points families to its Facebook page for updates rather than listing dates, so check there nearer the time. Half term this autumn runs from Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026 for Hampshire primary schools; see our term dates guide.

Quick answers

Where are the playgrounds in Horndean? Horndean Parish Council lists six: the Recreation Ground on Five Heads Road, Downs Park, Jubilee Field, Lychgate Drive, Deep Dell and the Jubilee outdoor gym site, with details on its open spaces page.

Is there soft play near Horndean? The Clanfield Centre runs Bounce and Play on Sundays for 2 to 10 year olds, and Horizon Havant lists soft play among its children's facilities.

Is Butser Ancient Farm open on weekdays? Its website says it is closed to general admission on weekdays, except Wednesday to Friday in Hampshire school holidays when it is open from 10am to 4pm.

Does Queen Elizabeth Country Park charge for parking? Yes, Forestry England's page lists summer rates from £2.50 for up to one hour to £9.50 for a full day.