Small OutingsLocal updates

Forest Hill with children: museum discoveries, nature play, stories and swimming

A child in red climbing ropes beside a wooden play structure at the Horniman’s Kusuma Nature Play Area
Louisa Rechenbach / Horniman Museum and Gardens

Forest Hill gives families a choice between a museum-and-gardens outing and a smaller stop on Dartmouth Road. At the Horniman, explore musical instruments and world cultures, book the Aquarium or Butterfly House, or make time for the wildlife-themed Kusuma playground. Forest Hill Library offers songs, movement and storybook crafts, while Forest Hill Pools has family swims, a learner pool and children’s lessons. Choose one main activity and check its current access and booking information before adding a second stop.

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Choose a museum day or a smaller local outing

For a longer outing, start with the Horniman Museum and Gardens at 100 London Road, SE23 3PQ. Its free galleries include world cultures and musical instruments; the Aquarium, Butterfly House and temporary exhibition are separate ticketed choices rather than part of free museum admission. Forest Hill station is a five- to ten-minute walk away.

For a shorter plan, compare Forest Hill Library and Forest Hill Pools on Dartmouth Road. A song or story session can be the main event for a little one; a recreational swim or lesson needs its own booking and preparation. These are different kinds of outings, so choose around your child’s energy and the time you actually have.

  • Horniman Museum and Gardens

    Explore world cultures and musical instruments, then head into the gardens for nature-themed play.

  • Forest Hill Library

    Browse books, share songs and stories, or settle into a quiet reading spot at this community library.

  • Forest Hill Pools

    Choose a family swim or swimming lesson in a 25-metre pool and separate learner pool.

Make time for wildlife-themed play

Kusuma Nature Play Area is designed for ages 0–11. Children can climb webs, try the wooden jetty and slide, balance on timber beams, build a den or investigate the finger maze and collecting table. A basket swing and sensory planting add quieter ways to explore. It is normally free with no booking needed during Gardens opening hours.

Adults must supervise throughout. Outdoor surfaces can be slippery in wet or icy weather; dogs are not allowed apart from assistance dogs. The Gardens Cafe is beside the play area, and the nearby accessible toilets include baby changing.

The Gardens have steep paths in places. The Nature Trail has uneven ground and can be muddy, so it is not a substitute for a fully accessible paved route. Picnics are welcome outside, and the Dutch Barn opposite the Bandstand offers a rainy-weather picnic spot. Food is not allowed inside the Museum.

Choose one ticketed animal encounter

The Aquarium brings 15 aquatic exhibits together, from a British pond to Fijian coral reefs. Watch fish moving through mangrove roots, clownfish and anemones, frogs and jellyfish, and learn about the Horniman’s coral research. It is in the Museum basement, normally open 10:30–17:30 with last entry 16:45.

Standard Aquarium tickets are £6.50 for an adult and £3.50 for a child aged 3–16, with under-threes free. The Butterfly House costs £9.90 for an adult and £6.50 for a child aged 3–16, again with under-threes free. Both have discounted family baskets, separate voluntary Gift Aid prices, free member and access-companion tickets, and a ticket requirement for every visitor.

In the Butterfly House, butterflies fly freely around a planted tropical habitat. Watch your step, close bags and ask staff for help if one lands on you. Buggies stay outside in the designated park. It normally opens 10:30–16:00 with last entry 15:30.

Book ahead, especially during school holidays. Eligible benefit recipients can buy up to four £2 tickets per attraction with proof, but from 24 October to 1 November 2026 these reduced tickets are only available in limited quantities at the Ticket Desk, not online. The Aquarium and Butterfly House close 24–26 December.

Share songs, movement and a storybook at the library

Forest Hill Library, Dartmouth Road, SE23 3HZ, offers a smaller indoor outing with books, public Wi-Fi and quiet reading space. Calico Libraries runs it with volunteers and support from the Forest Hill Society. The library opens Monday–Thursday 09:00–19:30, Friday 09:00–17:00 and weekends 10:00–16:00; it closes on bank holidays.

Rhyme Time is a singing and rhyme session for under-fives, advertised on Tuesdays at 10:00–10:30. Baby Bounce brings babies, toddlers and their carers together for songs, rhymes and movement, with free drop-in sessions on its listed dates. Both welcome donations.

Ms Carry’s monthly Story Time for Children combines a beautifully illustrated book with arts and crafts using crayons, colourful paper, glue sticks and pens. It is free, with donations welcome. Use the individual activity listings for the actual advertised dates, rather than assuming that every group runs whenever the library is open.

Anyone can visit the library. To borrow physical books, complete membership with proof of identity and address; the library can explain the joining process on 020 8244 0634.

Plan a swim around age and confidence

Forest Hill Pools, Dartmouth Road, SE23 2HZ, has a six-lane 25-metre main pool and a separate 16.7-metre learner pool. Swim for All is the recreational option for families; dedicated under-fives sessions in the learner pool are advertised Monday–Friday 08:00–08:50. Check and book an actual available session through the operator’s timetable.

Children’s lessons follow Better’s progressive Learn to Swim framework with qualified instructors. Choose the appropriate level for your child’s ability and confirm the course arrangements and price before enrolling. A programme listing is not a reserved lesson place.

For recreational swimming, the centre requires competent adult swimmers to accompany under-eights and non-swimmers aged 11–17, with no more than two such children per adult. Adults actively supervise in the water; under-eights and non-swimmers stay in shallow water. Children over eight who want to swim without an adult must pass the centre’s 25-metre recognised-stroke test. Ask the centre to clarify the rule for your child’s age and ability.

The building lists accessible changing, disabled toilets, ramp access, a lift and a poolside hoist. At the latest source check, soft play and the cafe were temporarily closed, so neither should be the reason for your visit.

Try a craft session or seasonal museum adventure

The Horniman’s Family Craft Saturdays are free volunteer-led sessions for ages 3+ and their accompanying adult, normally 14:00–16:00 with last entry 15:30 on advertised dates. Themes draw on the collections and the natural world. There is no session on 31 October.

The Enchanted Cinema: The Music of Spirit Animals on 25 and 26 October 2026 is aimed at ages 5–12 and their grown-ups. Families use voices, hands, instruments and sound effects to become magical creatures and accompany animated films. One-hour sessions cost £10 per child and £10 per adult; babes in arms and access companions are free, with a ticket for every attendee.

Octonauts Storytelling and Craft on 27 and 28 October is aimed at ages 4–7. Listen to the crew’s Great Reef City adventure, then make a colourful three-dimensional coral reef with recyclable paper. A child ticket is £8.50 including one adult, who stays and helps throughout. Both activities use the Pavilion at the top of the Gardens, reached up a hill from London Road; food and drink are not allowed inside.

Until 1 November 2026, Voyage to the Deep adds a hands-on Nautilus submarine, periscope, dressing up and underwater environments to the museum’s ticketed choices. It is aimed at children 2+, with adult tickets £9.80 and child tickets for ages 3–16 £7; under-threes are free but need tickets. The separate free Octonauts trail sends families on mini-missions around the Museum, with a bonus Sound Garden adventure. Check current listing and booking pages for dates, entry conditions and availability.

Check closures and access before setting off

The Horniman’s Nature Gallery and Nature Discovery Den are closed until 5 February 2027. Do not plan a current visit around the natural-history gallery being open. Museum toilets and garden toilets include accessible facilities and baby changing; a private breastfeeding room is available off Gallery Square.

At the 23 October 2026 source check, the Horniman reported its Gardens closed that Friday for adverse weather, with Museum entry only from London Road and both nearby bus stops closed following burst water mains. Check its live alert before travelling, especially for an outdoor or Pavilion activity.

On 31 October, the Gardens, Kusuma playground and Butterfly House have event-ticket access restrictions for the Day of the Dead festival. The family festival was sold out at the source check. Use current operator notices and individual activity pages rather than assuming normal free garden access that day.

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