Family-friendly things to do at Kew this summer
Your insider’s guide to bringing the whole family for an amazing summer holiday at Kew.
The Gardens are at their best in the summertime, including excellent places to play, picnic and explore.
Discover our top tips for an ideal day out with the kids during the 2026 summer holidays.
The Children’s Garden
The Children’s Garden is the best place for kids to run, climb and play at Kew Gardens. It's open to visit until one hour before the Gardens close, which is 6pm on weekdays and 7pm on weekends and Bank Holidays (until 31 August).
There’s no pre-booking required, but the Children’s Garden tends to be very busy during the summer and school holidays. For the quietest times, try visiting first thing in the morning after we open or towards the afternoon before closing.
For our visitors with special educational needs and disabilities, we close the Children’s Garden to the general public in our monthly quiet sessions, to allow children and their parents or carers to have a more comfortable visit. Visit our quiet sessions page to see the available dates in June, July and August.
Make the most of your ticket
Summer is one of the best times of year to visit Kew, with vibrant colour in bloom across the Gardens. Alongside the seasonal botanical highlights, there's also so many other events and activities on offer during the summer holidays.
Between 18 July and 31 August, the Tom Gates EPIC Adventure at Kew is the perfect family day out. There are drop-in hands-on crafting sessions, daily interactive musical performances and so much more to discover, all included with entry.
Don’t forget to pick up an activity guide that contains the Totally Terrific Trees Trail, a self-guided adventure to find five trees, uncover fun facts and collect symbols to crack a secret code.
And for more trails included with your ticket, don’t miss the Henry Moore Family Trail. You’ll explore ten of Moore’s biggest sculptures and discover interactive activities nearby, including sketching the artworks, listening to soundscapes and play games from the artist's childhood. Pick up an illustrated guide and pencil from the entrance gates.
For more ways to make the most of your visit with a selection of discounts, free tours, events and exhibitions and budget transport options, read our guide on how to save at Kew Gardens.
Don’t miss the Natural Area
If you’re looking for a quieter spot to explore and play, head towards the Natural Area on the far side of the garden from the entrances.
Young visitors can crawl inside the giant badger sett, including one tunnel that is wheelchair accessible. You can also test your balancing skills on our natural log trail, created from trees at Kew knocked down by storms.
The Natural Area is also a great place to catch a glimpse of some of the incredible wildlife that calls Kew Gardens home. Check the bug hotels for ladybirds, centipedes and spiders, listen out for woodpeckers tapping at the trees, and if you’re lucky, you might even spy a fox or a muntjac deer.
Take learning to the next level
With our enormous diversity of plants, Kew Gardens is the deal place to learn and discover more about nature with the whole family.
That’s why our free family-friendly Learning Cards are the perfect way to enhance learning for children of all ages. The cards are grouped by theme and age, so there’s something for everyone. Kids of all ages can ask questions to help them group plants together, discover how to protect endangered species and learn how plants are adapted to different environments.
There’s also our seasonal spotter sheets you can print off and bring to the Gardens to help you keep an eye out for plants and insects at their prime during the summer.
And the learning doesn’t have to stop once you head home: our free nature activities are a great way to explore nature in your local area through arts, crafts and investigations.
Facilities for families
There are toilets within easy reach of all the main attractions, cafés and gates. All toilets across Kew have baby changing facilities, with the exception of the toilets at the Stable Yard. The toilets at Brentford Gate include Changing Places toilet for visitors using wheelchairs.
For our smallest visitors, there’s a private baby feeding room at the Family Kitchen & Shop.
The Gardens are mostly level and there's level or ramped access to most of the buildings. There is a buggy park at The Hive and outside the Shirley Sherwood Gallery.
Early morning openings at Kew
If you just can’t get enough of the Gardens, Kew members and their guests can visit the Gardens from 8am in summer, all the way through to 30 September.
Escape the crowds, explore the Gardens at their quietest, and be the first to explore the glasshouses when they open at 10am.
From 8.15am on weekends and bank holidays, the Children’s Garden will also open early for members accompanied by children.
Members also get discounts on a whole range of summer events, including Theatre on Kew.
If you’re not already a Kew member, join today for unlimited visits to the Gardens as well as member-only discounts on events and exclusive benefits year-round. Family memberships are available from £91 a year.
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