Like many families, we love getting out and about. We try to find as many outdoor activities as we can and we especially love interacting with and learning about animals.
But if you live in the UK, our chilly, damp winters can often make you reluctant to leave the warmth of home. It can be tempting to curl up at home and hibernate until spring! However, if you know where to look, winter can sometimes surprise you.
Wrap up warm and visit the right place and a winter day out can be (almost!) as fun as a summer day.
Slimbridge Wetland Centre is ideal for a winter visit; as many as 30,000 birds migrate here for the winter providing a beautiful natural spectacle.
About Slimbridge Wetland Centre
Slimbridge is one of 9 wetland centres administered by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. The WWT is a charity set up to preserve and promote Britain’s wetlands which are a haven for wildlife, especially migratory birds. Slimbridge is located on the banks of the River Severn’s estuary, in Gloucestershire.
There’s more than just birds here. Slimbridge is also an important habitat for amphibians and you can find these in Toad Hall where there’s a wealth of information about their threatened status. Some of Britain’s endangered mammals make their home here, including otters and a beaver.
Plenty of activities are centred around families; there’s a welly boot walk, canoeing, and seasonal offerings for children. You’ll also find an educational centre which runs scheduled pre-school activities. There is, of course, the obligatory playground for the kids to monkey about in.
Our visit
Bolstered by reinforcements in the form of my parents, Kids and Compass visited Slimbridge on a grey day in November. The kids immediately got stuck into the thick of things, coming face to beak with some huge swans who were patrolling by the exit from the visitor centre. Beady eyes searched us for the bags of grains that you can buy with your tickets. We paid our toll and the swans let us pass.
The reserve is set out with paths around a series of small lakes and ponds, as you’d expect at a wetland. There are separate continent areas where non-native species can be found, but of course the migratory birds are free to roam wherever they like.
The kids loved the boardwalks over the ponds – peering through railings and feeding the ducks was great fun for them. There’s a lot of open space here so they had lots of freedom to tear about which suited everyone. When we visited, Slimbridge was displaying a series of large lego animals and so we had fun trying to find them all.
For adults, there are plenty of hides for the more serious bird-spotters amongst us. If, like me, you don’t know much about ducks other than that they go quack, there are some pretty birds here other than the ubiquitous mallard.
Flamingos and other exotic creatures
Slimbridge is home to all six species of flamingo, much to the pink-loving Cub’s delight. They are dotted all about the reserve, but you’ll find most of them at the far end, at the aptly-named Flamingo Lagoon. You can get quite close here as there’s a large hide right down on the water’s edge.
Make sure you walk past the beaver’s lodge on the way – perhaps you’ll see him (we didn’t). We did get a good look at the playful otters who live here, as well as some tiny and very cute harvest mice. We also enjoyed peeking into the nearby tropical house to find some more amphibians and getting out of the chilly air.
When Bee is bigger we will definitely book a canoe tour so we can get out onto some of the waterways. If your kids are over 3 you can take them in the canoes. In the summer months a Land Rover safari takes place so we’d also probably rest our legs for a few minutes on board!
As usual we didn’t manage to see absolutely everything Slimbridge has to offer – we missed going up the observation tower at the visitor centre as the kids were getting too tired to manage the steps.
Home to native species as well as more exotic animals, Slimbridge is ideal for a family day out. And if you’re a birder, it’s heaven.
Know before you go
Slimbridge is well signposted from the M5 motorway. Just follow the brown signs from exits 13 and 14.
Buy tickets online at the WWT website for best prices.
The cafe here serves some good food with hot options and plenty for fussy little ones. There are lots of picnic areas if you’d like to bring your own food.
Bring wellies so you can join in the welly boot walk if you have young children.
Don’t forget to pre-book any seasonal activities, especially for half-term or school holiday specials. Details on the WWT website as above.
Check the timings for otter feedings, Toad Hall talks and crane talks when you arrive to make the most of your day.
Read about more things to do in the Cotswolds with kids here.
The red and orange trees are stunning. It seems like it was a great outing- thanks for sharing!
Thanks very much Victoria; glad you liked the post 🙂
This definitely looks like a great place for a family’s day out 🙂 I bet the kids really love it! Great post! 🙂
Thanks! Yes it was better than we expected – so many more birds than I thought.
Wow this looks like a cool place to visit with kids. That swan is as tall as him! I wasn’t expecting the flamingos though. SO cool
The swans were huge and totally unfazed by people! We were more nervous of them as swans can be aggressive. But these guys were completely placid, they just wanted some grain!
I’m glad your family found something interesting to do on a cold, winter day. I’m no bird watcher, but I would have loved to see the different species of birds, especially the flamingos. The stare down between the baby and the swan is hilarious!!
I’m not a bird watcher either but this place was lovely. The flamingos were my favourite, too. You don’t expect to see them in the UK. I thought the photo was funny but I’m biased as he’s my baby and you know what mums are like about their babies 😉
I really enjoy going to nature reserves and seeing the wildlife. Great pictures. I particularly like the frog one!
Thanks Lara. The frog was obviously used to posing 😉
What a great place for the kids to enjoy as well. I bet they really found the pink flamingoes and ducks fascinating. Which ones caught their attention more?
They liked the flamingos but feeding the ducks can’t be beat!
I totally feel you … it needs so much courage to get out when it’s freezing cold! But if you actually can find the motivation, it’s rewarding after all and the Wetland Center seems perfect for it!
I’m always glad I’ve made the effort even if my husband has to drag me out of the house. As well as the wildlife, the WWT is also a pretty place to walk about.
I am glad that you say your husband has to drag you out of the house 😀 I am less alone 😀
this looks great – alot like Barnes wetlands. Can’t believe there are flamingos! Hard to see them close up normally
Yes – the hide at the lagoon gives a good view of the flamingos without disturbing them.
What a gorgeous place to explore and get out of the house in the winter. I would have been nervous around all those birds though! 😛
I was nervous around the swans (for the kids) but they were very chilled out and obviously used to people feeding them.
Nice landscapes and wildlife by the pictures it looks like the perfect place to discover with kids. And the colors look more like Autumn time so lucky you . . .
Yes, it was perfect for kids. It was November when we went – I’m just so slow at getting things posted! My excuse is Christmas got in the way…
Looks like you had a great day, some really wonderful photo ! Nice post,.
Thank you! Glad you liked the photos.
Nice place to visit. I would love to see the beavers and otters. Cool! I think my garden club would love to take a field trip. 😉
It might be a bit far for you guys but it sounds like something they’d like 😉
What a lovely and ethereal place. A great place to visit with kids, I am sure they love it. Also a great place to bask in the beauty of nature.
The kids did love it, especially feeding the ducks. The adults all did too, it was very pretty.
The colours of that first photo are delightful! Always good to be able to make the most of the winter seasons!
Thanks, it was a very pretty time to visit!
Those colours are incredible! Looks like a great family time! Awesome!
It was a great place for a family trip. Glad you liked the post!
What a fun way to spend the day with family! Love visiting wetlands. They are so beautiful and each one is different.
Yes we thought the wetlands made for a great family day out. It’s also interesting to see the variety of animals who live there.
Thanks for sharing – Slimbridge Wetland Centre looks like a great place to relax with your family.
Yes, it was a perfect place to let the kids blow off some steam and run about!
Yes it was a great place to let the kids run about!
There’s a park in my hometown in Ohio (USA) that looks just like this (minus the flamingos and exotic animals haha). Looks like you had a great adventure with your family!
Ha I didn’t think there would be so many flamingos – they’re not exactly indigenous! 😉 It was a lovely day, thanks.
This place looks awesome! Perfect for a family day out. The colours of those trees are beautiful.
It was a great day out. We had a good autumn last year!
The colors are gorgeous! The kids looked like they had fun!
This looks like a fun day out for the family. We couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw Flamingos. That must be reason enough to visit?
Really seems like a nice place to just walk around and enjoy the surroundings. Bird-watching is usually a really nice way to relax a little. 🙂
I have never heard of Slimbridge or known about the wetlands. I do a LOT of travel myself but overseas. I want to discover more things on our doorstep and you are right its the weather that tends to put adults off. Children don’t care they will have a great time rain or shine. I love the flamingos. Thanks for this great article.
It sounds like a fun day trip! The bright featured image first caught my eye — look at those beautiful colors!
Courtney Ferris recently posted…Cuba Travel Guide: Day Trip to Viñales
It was very pretty in autumn. We had a good one last year; the colours were very bright.
Slimbridge is amazing! I was amazed by the different animals. would love to got there someday!
It’s a lovely place. We mean to see more of the UK’s wetland centres – they seem to be a fun day out for kids.
Glad that your kids had fun too! By the way, do you accept guest posts?