The Botanic Garden is a great place to visit with little ones. Ask at the Welcome Centre to borrow a trail or Explorer Backpack. Come and join us for one of our family-friendly events to learn about the wonders of the plant world, and get involved in crafting activities.
Trails
Winter Wonders trail: suitable for children aged 5 to 9
See if you can find the first blooms, buds and bulbs to sprout in the Garden this year. You can pick up a copy of this trail at the Welcome Centre or download it in advance.
Garden Eye Spy trail: suitable for the very young
A fun trail for small children. Can you spot a sparkly fountain, and all the numbers up to ten with your grown-ups? Pick up a copy of this trail at the Welcome Centre or print it out in advance.
Find out about ticket prices, opening times, and where to find us.
Book to visit the Gardens
Use our online booking site to reserve your place at the Garden today
Botanic backpacks
Our family-friendly backpacks will open up a world of exploration and investigation during your visit. There are usually two differently themed backpacks filled with hands-on equipment and suggestions for activities. Backpacks can be signed out without charge from the Welcome Centre on a first come, first served basis, and can be used for the duration of your visit.
Build A Plant! (aimed at children aged 4 to 6)
Can you travel around the Garden finding all the parts you need in order to build a plant? Find roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruits on your travels.
Get Growing! (aimed at children aged 6 to 9)
Can you find unusual examples of plants as you explore? Take a trip into a tropical rainforest and a desperately dry desert!
The Botanic Garden is a beautiful and compact green space to explore with a family. Visitors are welcome to picnic on the lawns, relax under the shade of a tree or travel through the Glasshouses, going from one habitat to another.
Useful things to know:
From Easter to the end of September, a pop-up café next to the river serves hot and cold drinks, as well as cakes and snacks
Picnics are welcome, but please take away any waste
Baby-changing facilities are available in the disabled toilet
The Garden and Glasshouses are accessible for wheelchairs and buggies. However, at busy times you are welcome to park buggies outside the Glasshouses
Children’s scooters can be parked by the Welcome Centre
The Welcome Centre has a range of pocket-money gifts for children to choose from
Children are welcome to collect fallen leaves, petals etc from the ground, but please don’t pick anything from the plants.
Please be aware:
The river Cherwell runs along the side of the Garden, and there are several ponds both outside and in the Glasshouses
The Garden contains nearly 5,000 different plants; please make sure that children do not put any plants in their mouths, and please wash hands before eating
If visiting with children with additional needs, please look at our online access guide for more information
Find out more about visiting the Garden, including opening hours and how to get here
