Blenheim Palace, Oxford

Now that the weather is (supposed to be) getting better, Blenheim Palace is a great day out for a family. If you buy a ticket for the palace, parks and gardens (about £20 for an adult, kids under 5 are free) you can upgrade it to an annual pass and come back as often as you like, great if you live nearby. We have done this for the past 2 years and it has been well worth it. There's loads to do, tours of the palace are interesting but if that's not your thing there are play parks for children, a maze, a butterfly room and a miniature railway which travels between the main palace area and the maze/adventure playground area. There's a variety of food on offer which is reasonable value for money and good quality, but of course you can take your own picnic, there are plenty of lovely areas to sit in the gardens. Toilet facilities pretty good too. They also have lots of events on which are included in the price of the annual pass, for example we recently went to see jousting which was fab.

I love Blenheim, but I start to panic at the thought of taking my little toddler around stately homes. I see the trials and tribulations - not to mention the tantrums when they cannot touch, run, shout, etc. Saying that Blenheim seems to offer something for everyone. If, like me, you're kids aren't quite ready for the grand homes yet, Blenheim has some great children's play areas and grand spaces to explore! My little one loved watching the train (yes, watching... queue was too long for him to wait to actually get on said train). We also managed to conquer the maze, have a picnic and enjoy the round about that was there (not sure if this is permanent or because we were there on a special event day). Blenheim put on various childrens events - we saw Peppa Pig there! Pick up a leaflet, get on their website or call them to see if they're planning anything else. TIP: Why not buy your tickets online before you go? Saves queuing on a busy day!

Blenheim Palace is a wonderful venue for a family day out with children of all ages and their special offer provides excellent value for money. Visit on any day of the year and purchase a Palace, Park & Gardens ticket, exchange it for an annual pass and return as many times as you wish for the next 12 months absolutely free plus children under 5 go free! Extensive parkland provides the perfect place for everyone to enjoy a walk, picnic or games and a short train ride (free!) takes you to the pleasure gardens. Within these you will find a large adventure playground, maze, giant outdoor games & butterfly house. Fantastic cafe’s, restaurants, ice cream and gift shops all add to a wonderful day out in this most beautiful part of Oxfordshire.

Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire is an interesting place to take children. It is a very stately home (palace!) in a magnificent setting and was once the home of Winston Churchill. You can tour around certain areas of the palace, including the state rooms and see the furniture and paintings on display there. You can also visit the formal gardens and lake. Special events for children take place in the gardens and there are other events that take place throughout the year – details of which can be found on the Blenheim Palace website. There are plenty of places to eat – both cafes and picnic areas and lots of toilets and baby changing facilities.