You are here: Things To Do > Family Friendly
The Forest of Dean and Wye Valley is a fantastic place for families! There's lots to do for all ages, and there's plenty which can be done together; plenty to excite and thrill, plenty to entertain and enjoy, and most importantly for many families, plenty of opportunity to reconnect with each other, and to enjoy the calm that being in nature can bring.
Whilst a simple forest or riverside walk is the perfect start to any trip to the area, the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley is also home to many attractions and activities that can take getting back to nature to another level. From ancient castles to steam train rides, and canoeing to cave exploring, we have an abundance of excitement waiting for children of all ages, even those tweens and teens who are a little bit harder to please!
Lose yourself in a different world at magical Puzzlewood, or find the surprise at the centre of Elton's Giant Maze. Get on the right track aboard a Perrygrove Railway train, or visit the Dean Forest Railway for a steam train ride through the Forest of Dean. Step back in time and learn about the history of the area at the Dean Heritage Centre. Get out on the water with canoeing, kayaking, or stand-up paddleboarding, or fly through the trees on a high ropes experience! Get up close with birds of prey, hire bikes and head out along our miles of off-road tracks, book an archery class, or try rock climbing. Looking for something more leisurely? Sit back and relax with a river cruise along the Wye; keep an eye out for jumping trout, kingfishers, otters, and swans as you sit back, relax, and let the towering, limestone gorge scenery drift by.
Here in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley, there is so much for families to see and do that you just might want to stay a little longer to fit more in!
Number of results: 120
, currently showing 61 to 80.
Symonds Yat East
Abseil from up to 90 feet high cliffs. Thrilling activity for adventure seekers. Stunning locations in the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean border area.
Qualified and experienced instructors.
Price: TBA
Length of experience: 3 hours
Coleford
Explore the magical Puzzlewood in the Forest of Dean and finish off your adventure with a cream tea.
Longhope
Join Harts Barn Cookery School for some quality family time! Bring the family together and spend the morning cooking delicious dishes in a relaxed atmosphere. Learn new skills, teach your children some essential life skills and enjoy the great company and venue. You will prepare and cook a 3-course meal and then enjoy eating your creations together in the Apple Barn dining venue adjacent to the cookery school.
Price: £40 per person
Length of experience: 3 hours
Chepstow
Are you looking for some sporting activities in the Forest of Dean? Somewhere to work up a sweat or play racket sports with friends? Freedom Leisure Sedbury has facilities and activities to suit everyone including gym, tennis courts, 5 a side football and badminton!
Symonds Yat West
Enjoy caving at Symonds Yat in the Wye Valley. Qualified, experienced instructors to guide you through the darkness. Suitable for families, groups of friends and corporate team development.
Price: TBA
Length of experience: 3 hours
Longhope
Once you have made the elements of the Afternoon Tea and presented them on our vintage china, you will then sit down in our Apple Barn dining room and enjoy them with a tea of your choice. This is a cookery experience to enjoy, relax and eat cakes! Suitable for beginners, those wanting to increase their pastry skills or just wanting to have fun!
Price: £60 per person
Length of experience: 3 hours
Hereford
Viking Games in the Herefordshire hills
Kilcot, Newent
Visit our llama farm for an unforgettable experience. Your experience will begin with a short introduction to llamas, including grooming and general interaction with the llamas. As part of your experience you will get to meet the babies and learn about how llamas carry their young for 11½ months.
Price: £47.99 per person.
Length of experience: 2 hours
Monmouth
Easy to learn, fun to do, Inspire2Adventure offers stand-up paddleboard experiences! Suitable for all ages and all abilities, you can explore the River Wye on a single paddleboard or/and try our mega-SUP, which can accommodate up to eight people - cue endless fun and games for families, groups, hens and stags trying to paddle together!
Price: £36 per person
Length of experience: 2 hours
Longhope
During this class you will be taken on a forage, by Rob Gould, a Cotswold Forager. You will explore the hedgerows, woods and fields around Harts Barn Cookery School. What you will find depends on the seasons. Wild Garlic in spring, nuts, berries and mushrooms in autumn, but there is always something to make a feast from. You will then return to the cookery school to sort through your foragings and create a feast to dine on – a challenge based on what we find.
Price: £95 per person
Length of experience: 5 hours
Llandogo
A stunning section of the Wye Valley Walk high above the River Wye with some of the most impressive views along the Wye Valley. The thundering Cleddon Falls are the biggest in the area and the Duchess Ride Viewpoint is one of the best.
Penallt
Home to Wye Valley Gin and series of small batch limited edition seasonal spirits, Silver Circle Distillery is a great place to spend an hour or two tasting unique spirits and enjoying lovely views.
Caldicott
Black Rock is on the Monmouthshire coastline of the Severn Estuary between the two Severn bridges. There is a picnic site and the location gives fantastic panoramic views of the estuary and both bridges. Black Rock is the home of a traditional method of fishing which has been practiced for hundreds of years and and also historic links with much earlier ways of crossing the river.
Newland
All Saints Church, Newland, The Cathedral of the Forest, dates back to the 1200s. This historic church is home to the Miner's Brass a symbol of the Royal Forest of Dean.
Newent
Large picturesque lake surrounded by park not far from the centre of Newent town.
Littledean
Laser Clay Pigeon shooting is 100% Safe, firing harmless infra-red beams instead of live ammunition meaning no bruises from recoil, no ear-splitting noise, and more environmentally friendly and cheaper than traditional Clay Pigeon Shooting! Perfect for family fun, birthdays, corporate reward days, and wedding groups.
Symonds Yat East
Rock climbing adventure in the stunning Wye Valley. Perfect bonding activity for businesses, families and friends. Friendly, qualified instructors to help get you past the butterflies. Combine with any of our other activities for a full day of adventure.
Price: TBA
Length of experience: 3 hours
Lydney Park Estate, Lydney
Design and make a colourful and charming mini mosaic to hang in your home, whilst enjoying some tea and sweet treats. The perfect combination – plenty of craft and of course lashings of cake!
Price: £48 per person
Length of experience: 3 hours
Cinderford
Are you looking for some sporting activities in the Forest of Dean? Somewhere to work up a sweat or splash around with your friends in a swimming pool? Freedom Leisure Cinderford has facilities and activities to suit everyone including gym, fitness classes, swimming, squash and tennis.
Grosmont
Grosmont Castle is a ruined castle in the village of Grosmont, Monmouthshire, one of a trio of Monmouthshire fortresses known as the ‘Three Castles’ – which includes White Castle and Skenfrith – built to control the border. The fortification was established by the Normans in the wake of the invasion of England in 1066. It experienced an active life including being besieged in the Glyndŵr Rising rebellion of 1405.
©Visit Dean Wye 2025. All Rights Reserved.
*Visit Dean Wye is the trading name of Forest of Dean & Wye Valley Tourism Limited.