Canoe Lake, Southsea

"A great day out for free in this park in Southsea, which is located along the seafront close to South Parade Pier. On a sunny day, take swimming things for the kids as there's a splash pool with fountains that spring up, surrounded by benches and lawn for picnics and changing. The canoe lake itself is home to pedaloes in the shape of swans and ducks, which you can hire by the 20 minutes, and costs around £6. Squeeze 3 or 4 people in! My son enjoyed the novelty and it makes cute photos. The playpark is brilliant, too, as there's a sandpit and heaps of things to climb and slide on. You can while away lots of time here and the kids don't get bored. There's a cafe (fish and chips style) with tables outside, but plenty of space for picnics around. There's also tennis courts and putting green here, and an ornamental rose garden. Combine this visit with a walk down South Parade Pier for some fishing or a fairground ride, or a stroll to the aquarium.

We spent a lovely day at Portsmouth’s ‘Canoe Lake’. We hired one of the pedal boats shaped like a swan and sat back and enjoyed the lovely views around the lake. The flowerbeds were in full bloom and there are lots of beautiful trees around. Once the children were fed up of pedalling they spent the rest of their time in the adventure playground which had loads to keep them amused and a sandpit. There was a good variety of equipment for both my 4 and 2 year old. There is a good café located near the lake, which was very reasonably priced. Highly recommended for a summer day out.