Are you visiting Suffolk with the family soon? We just spent 7 days camping there this summer in our Mazda Bongo campervan. We loved exploring the Suffolk coast with our children. These are the best things to do with kids in Suffolk. . I can’t wait to share with you all the gorgeous beaches, family walks and beautiful towns we discovered. I’ve also included a few places we were told were great to visit with kids but unfortunately ran out of time. I guess we’ll just have to go back another time. The trouble is there are so many gorgeous places to explore. Find all my UK family days out and holidays recommendations here.
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Things to do with kids in Suffolk
Visit Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh is a gorgeous seaside town in Suffolk. You’ll love the pebble beach with lots of old boats. There is also a cute little boating pond where kids can float boats or simply watch others. You’ll love all the cute shops and places to grab a bite to eat. I’d recommend the cakes from 2 magpies (the orange and rhubarb Bakewell is delicious!). It’s also a lovely walk along the beach or main street to the scallop sculpture which is stunning.
The pebble beach is great for throwing pebbles in the sea and kite flying. Why not enjoy fish and chips by the sea from Aldeburgh Fish & Chips, just be careful of the seagulls if you decide to eat them by the sea!
Visit Framlingham castle
Framlingham is a castle run by the English Heritage, it sounds like there is plenty to keep kids of all ages entertained. There are grounds to be explored a museum, cafe and often they have special activities on for the kids too. If you want to find out more or to book your tickets, * head here.
Visit Africa Alive!
If your kids love a zoo, I’m sure they would love to visit Africa Alive. This is a wildlife park that specifically focuses on animals you’d see in Africa. So expect to see lions, ostriches, giraffes, rhinos and lemurs. There is also a farm area with goats and rabbits as well as indoor and outdoor play areas. Find out more in this post – Africa Alive! up close with animals.
Visit Southwold
A traditional seaside town with lots to see and do. The pier is always a fun way to spend a bit of time with kids. There are traditional amusements, shops, eating venues, a wall of wacky mirrors and an eccentric collection of amusement machines that are very different to the usual. We also love the water clock.
As well as the pier there is a small funfair, miles of sandy beaches (a bit of a rarity in Suffolk), lots of lovely shops and places to eat. We also love the lighthouse and all the beautifully painted beach huts.
Visit Walberswick
We never made it to Walberwich but I have heard it is a beautiful place, great for crabbing and you can get there on a traditional ferry boat from Southwold.
Visit Thorpeness meare
Thorpeness is a beautiful and really quirky place. A boating lake with boats in every colour of the rainbow and Peter Pan islands. The meare is never more than 3 feet deep and there are all sorts of boats including kayaks, canoes and dinghies that you can hire.
It’s also worth taking a short walk around Thorpeness to find the windmill and the house in the clouds. The best view of the house in the clouds is either from the boating mere or if you walk down the road to it and see it up close, keep walking to the car park for the golf course where you can see the house perched above the trees!
The beach at Thorpeness is also pebbles but I have heard there is some sand when the tide is out (it was coming in on our visit). At the time of our visit (July 2021) there was also a really interesting bit of beach art.
Visit Easton farm park
Families love Easton farm park for all the animals and play areas. There’s a daily schedule of rides and activities for all the family to enjoy. There is even a campsite if you want to make a trip of it. Find out more here.
Visit Southwold maize maze
From July to September you’ll find not 1 but 2 maize mazes at Old hall farm. Families love visiting this maze year after year. There’s also pedal go-karts, 3 jumping pillows, a fast double zip line (7-18 only), ride-on tractors (under 7s only), nest swing, climbing towers and slides & 2 large sand pits. Find out more and book here.
Pick your own strawberries at Friday street
We visited this lovely farm shop on our visit to Suffolk but didn’t have time to try the PYO strawberry or raspberry patch. However, it did look popular and well managed. Definitely worth a visit if you are in the area. The lamb kebabs from the butchers counter were absolutely delicious! Find out more about the farm and get directions here.
Go Ape at Thetford forest
There are 3 different Treetop adventures to enjoy as well as forest segways at Thetford forest. If your family love these outdoor adventures and challenges then you can * book your next adventure here.
Visit Jimmy’s farm
Jimmy Doherty’s farm in Ipswitch has over 80 different species of animal including reindeer, North American Racoons and Camels. There are also rare breeds of farm animals like highland cattle and Oxford Sandy and Black pig. As well as reptiles, fish and birds too. There’s also a den building, a giant bouncy pillow, sandpit and play area. Find out more here.
Family walks Suffolk
We had some lovely family walks on our Suffolk holiday. As a family we love family walks so it’s no surprise we seek out great family walks whilst we are travelling around the UK. I know how much kids can complain on walks though, so as well as having lots of ideas for keeping kids entertained, we also seek out walks that kids will enjoy.
Dunwich Heath
Dunwich Heath is a stunning area of heather-covered heathland on the Suffolk coast. The heath and the beach are both managed by the National Trust. As we’ve all come to expect from the National Trust, Dunwich heath is fantastic for keeping kids entertained on a walk. They have 2 different 1-mile trails that are perfect for families. Print out the trails from their website before you go.
There is the smuggler’s trail which is a fantastic pram-friendly Norfolk walk with a range of fun treasure chest signs for kids to find with riddles to solve. The other trail is again around 1 mile but includes a few steps and is not as suitable for pushchairs.
If you arrive early enough, you can also borrow one of these little explorer backpacks filled with a nature exploring kit. My kids loved wearing these and using the tools and identification sheets to look at the wildlife we passed on our walk. * Find out more about Dunwich Heath here.
Rendlesham forest – UFO walk
Rendlesham Forest is a forestry commission site in Suffolk. We followed the 3 mile UFO walk which is a great walk for older children and anyone interested in extraterrestrial life. We found the walk a little long and without enough points of interest to keep our 5 year old happy.
You need to pick up the UFO trail leaflet from the visitors centre which includes the story of one night in 1980 when there was a reported UFO sighting. It’s worth noting that there are 5 points on the map and only 2 of them have anything there like an information board or this UFO sculpture.
Although the trail isn’t fantastic for young kids, the play area by the visitors centre is. There are also a couple more fun areas for kids on the initial stretch of the UFO trail. If you are visiting with young kids, I’d recommend letting them enjoy all the play areas near the visitors centre and then just doing a shorter walk around the forest without dragging them through the 3 mile UFO walk.
Sutton Hoo, National Trust
Sutton Hoo is home to one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time. You can walk around the Royal Burial Ground and discover the incredible story of the ship burial of an Anglo-Saxon king and his treasured possessions. There is also a sculpture story trail for families to enjoy, a museum and so much more. Fond out * more here.
Old hall farm walks, Southwold
Old hall farm has several short walking routes for families to enjoy including a 1 mile Marsh meander. Please note they are suitable for little legs but not buggies. Why not call into the cafe afterwards or if you visit during the summer you could combine it with the Southwold Maize maze. Find details of the walks here.
Snape Maltings
Snape maltings might not sound like the most obvious place to visit with kids but you’d be surprised. Be aware there is no play area or any kid-friendly trails but I still think it’s worth a visit as there is a lovely walk that is very flat along the river and through the woods. Kids will also enjoy seeing the boats on the river and moored at Snape Maltings, as well as the sculptures and who knows you may even hear some live music. The pub, restaurant and cafes serve family-friendly food and you might enjoy browsing some of the gorgeous shops too. Parking is also free. Find out more about Snape Maltings here.
Suffolk is a great place to spend time with your family. With so many beaches, parks and attractions that are perfect for children of all ages, it’s no wonder why people flock here. I’m sure I haven’t seen everything though – have I missed anything? If you know of any fantastic places for families in Suffolk then please let me know in the comments below!
I’ve never been to Suffolk before but by going by your post there are plenty of things to do with kids.
We’re having a staycation this year so will near this in mind as we’ve never been.
I had Suffolk on my list to visit last time I was thinking of places, but there just didn’t feel like too many places to visit, and a lack of hotels which we prefer to B&Bs. But there’s a few places here that sounds interesting and you can’t beat a seaside town.