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Leigh Park with kids: library fun, community play and Staunton

Empty wooden-floor main hall with a stage and chairs at Leigh Park Centre
Leigh Park Centre

Leigh Park makes it possible to mix a small indoor outing with time outdoors. Park Parade’s library offers rhymes, construction, crafts and a welcoming after-school drop-in, while Leigh Park Centre brings toddler play and family events into the community calendar. On the northern edge, Staunton Country Park adds woodland, trails and play; neighbouring Staunton Farm offers animals and gardens with separate admission. A library morning, a booked workshop or a gentle park visit can each be enough on its own—choose the pace and practical details that work for your family.

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Start with what is happening on your day

For a holiday or weekend outing, start with the Leigh Park calendar and open the individual activity for its time, age guidance and booking arrangements. The library, community centre and Staunton Country Park each run their own programme: a ticket or booking for one does not cover the others.

October half term brings games and construction at the library, a nature-storybook session with The Spring, Dino Detectives from Winchester Science Centre and a Halloween party with Tony Spaghetti at Leigh Park Centre. Choose the activity your child will enjoy rather than trying to squeeze everything into one afternoon.

A library visit can become the whole outing

Leigh Park Library is at 50 Park Parade, close to the Park Parade bus stop. It is on one floor and accessible throughout, with baby changing, books and space for shared activities. Normal opening is Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 09:30–17:00 and Saturday 09:30–13:30; it closes on Monday, Wednesday, Sunday and public holidays.

New Parents Meet & Connect offers a free Tuesday 13:30–14:30 session with sensory activities for new babies and first-time parents or carers. Friday Rhymetime, 10:00–10:30, brings action songs and rhymes for very young children. Both make a different kind of morning from an energetic playground visit.

For older children, Saturday Family Fun combines construction and board games for ages four and over, 10:00–12:00, with carers staying. The monthly craft activity on the first Saturday is for ages 4–10 and costs £1 per child. During term time, the Tuesday, Thursday and Friday after-school drop-in adds activities, a snack and drink for children and a hot drink for adults.

Play and a café stop at the community centre

Leigh Park Centre on Dunsbury Way is a community venue rather than a single attraction. Its calendar includes children’s activities, workshops and special events, while the café offers a place to meet. Check the individual activity: room hire, classes and a casual café visit have different arrangements.

Park Play brings soft mats, ride-on toys, a toy workstation and kitchen, dress-up and pretend play into the mix for young children. The centre lists Monday and Tuesday options in its dated calendar; choose the actual session and ticket before travelling.

The centre’s main hall is a flexible indoor space used for community activities. The guide photograph shows that hall empty, not a particular children’s session or a promise that play equipment is available throughout opening hours.

Choose the park or the farm before setting off

Staunton Country Park offers trails, parkland, follies and play, with a shop and interpretation area at the Coach House and a break at Regency Tea Rooms. Storey Gardens occupies the original walled garden of the Leigh Park Estate. A short walk and one place to play can be a complete outing.

Staunton Farm is a separate paid destination on Middle Park Way, with pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, llamas and alpacas, gardens and opportunities to learn about animals and nature. Ordinary visits do not need pre-booking. It opens at 10:00 and closes at 17:00 April–October or 16:00 November–March, except Christmas Day and Boxing Day when it is closed.

Country-park workshops meet at Coach House Reception, not the farm. For those activities the organiser suggests the Petersfield Road car park, with parking charges in addition to event tickets. Keep that distinction in mind when booking pumpkin carving or a woodland activity.

Prepare for a craft or woodland session

Pumpkin carving includes a pumpkin, tools and spooky crafts. Children need adult supervision, with help for younger carvers. Bring a box to carry the finished pumpkin and clothing that can get messy; an apron or oversized T-shirt is useful. The advertised child ticket is £6 and adults attend free, with parking extra.

Little Explorer’s Halloween Forest School is for ages 2½–8 and brings creepy crawlies, muddy potions, den building, crafts and a treat cooked on the fire together. Adults stay and need not book a place. Wear outdoor clothing and wellingtons, provide allergy and dietary information when booking, and use a sturdy pushchair if bringing a baby over the uneven ground.

Workshop tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable. Follow the exact dated listing to check the session before booking, rather than using a normal weekly timetable as a holiday promise.

Useful sessions for parents and carers

Hampshire Healthy Families also advertises face-to-face sessions at Leigh Park Library where children are welcome. Baby and Toddler Talk explores communication through chat, play, reading, songs and games for families with children aged nine months–five years. Two and Beyond supports the journey from age two towards starting school for children who have not yet started Reception.

These sessions have a specific eligibility condition: children must be registered with a Hampshire and Isle of Wight NHS Foundation Trust Health Visiting team. Southampton, Portsmouth and Isle of Wight Health Visiting services are excluded. Tickets are free but limited, so book and cancel promptly if you cannot attend.

Keep the plan small

One booked activity plus a little unstructured time often makes an easier day than moving between several venues. At the library, adults stay for children’s activities; at outdoor workshops, plan for mud, weather and carrying creations home. Check the calendar again close to the visit, especially for a ticketed session.

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