Places To Visit In South Wales With A Toddler

Here is a list of places we have visited with Bear, our very own discerning toddler. All are within an hours drive of Cardiff so not too long in the car. We go out every week, rain or shine and we always manage to find somewhere for Bear to explore. Sometimes it's the local park and sometimes a Stately Home.
Grandad and I bought National Trust and CADW membership to make our days out more affordable so we visit lots of Castles. We would love to visit more National Trust places but there are so few close to Cardiff.

I've called this Places To Visit In South Wales With A Toddler  but it does include some places in England and bigger kids can enjoy them too. Each heading is a clickable link to our review with more information and lots of pictures. As we visit more places I will add them here.



Underneath the name of the place I have written a list of facilities with a longer explanation in the glossary.

Glossary

Animals - usually main attraction, farm or petting
Beach - sand or pebbles
Buggy Friendly - Mostly paths suitable for buggies or little balance bikes (like toddle bike)

Cafe - On site cafe although we usually take a picnic so have not reviewed them.
Exhibitions - changing, not just information display boards
FunFair - more than one or two rides, payable separately
Furnished - cottages/buildings in the style of a particular time eg Medieval or 1940's
Gardens - formal or not, but designed, planted and maintained
Lake - just water no water activities, probably ducks for feeding though
Museum - they have a dedicated area with displays, many are interactive
Picnic - either dedicated areas with picnic tables or just a great place to have one
Playground - at least swings and a slide
Ruins - just bits of buildings/walls still left. Not a whole building
Sculptures - more than one and part of a trail
Shop - just one, usually full of beautiful, but a bit too expensive, souvenirs
Shops - variety of shops not just touristy
Parking  F - free
Parking £ -  additional cost.  At CADW or NT sites, parking may be free for members.
Parkland - grass and large trees
Village or Town - it is either in the centre of the village or town or a toddlers five minute walk (disclaimer - that's a toddler actually walking, in a straight line, in the direction of the town!)
Walks - marked/unmarked trails suitable for a toddler but not necessarily a buggy

Free

Barry Island

Beach, Buggy friendly, Cafe, Funfair, Parking F, Parking £, Picnic, Shops, Town, Walks

Blaenavon Big Pit 

Buggy friendly, Cafe, Museum, Parking £, Picnic, Real coal mine, Shop.

Blaenavon Ironworks

Furnished cottages, Museum, Parking F, Picnic, Shop.

Bluebell Woods - The Wenallt

Bluebells (in the Spring), Parking F, Views of Cardiff, Woodland Walks.

Caerleon Roman Fortress

Buggy friendly, CADW, Picnics, Ruins, Town, Walks.

Caerwent Roman Town

Buggy friendly, CADW, Picnics, Ruins, Village (No Shops), Walks.

Cosmeston Lakes and Medieval Village

Buggy friendly, Cafe, Furnished medieval village, Lake, Picnics, Walks.

Fforest Fawr Sculpture Trail

Buggy friendly, Sculptures, Woodland walks,

Garwnant Visitor Centre

Buggy friendly, Cafe, Parking £, Playground, Picnics, Sculptures, Woodland walks,

National Museum Cardiff

Cafe, City Centre, Dinosaurs, Exhibitions, Museum, Parking £.

Ogmore-By-Sea

Beach, Cafe (Ice-cream van and occasionally pizza stand), Picnic, Walks

RSPB Newport Wetlands

Buggy friendly, Cafe, Playground, Picnic, Shop, Walks

St Fagans Castle & St Fagans Museum

Buggy friendly, Cafe, Furnished buildings, Gardens, Parking £, Picnics, Shop, Small play area with ride on tractors. Stately Home, Working Artisans

Thornhill Farm Shop and Animal Paddock 

Animals, Farm shop, Small play area

CADW with entrance fee

Caerphilly Castle

Castle, Exhibitions, Parking £, Parkland, Picnic, Ruins, Shop, Town

Castell Coch

Cafe, Fairytale furnished Castle, Parking F, Woodland Walks

Chepstow Castle

Castle, Parking £, Picnic, Ruins, Shop, Town

Raglan Castle

Cafe, Castle, Parking F, Picnic, Ruins, Shop,

Tintern Abbey

Buggy friendly, Parking £, Picnic, Ruins, Riverside/Woodland Walks, Shop, Shops, Village. 

National Trust

Dyffryn Gardens 

Cafe, Gardens, Parking F, Picnic, Playgound, Shop, Stately home, Walks. 

Tredegar House & Gardens

Above link is the gardens, review of the house here

Cafe, Gardens, Parkland, Picnic, Stately Home, Walks. 

Attractions

Walnut Tree Farm

Animals, Cafe, Buggy friendly, Parking F, Playground, 

Dewstow Grottoes

Fairies, Gardens, Parking F, Walks

Perrygrove Railway

Adventure playgrounds, Parking F, Railway, Woodland walks, 

Puzzlewood

Animals, Cafe, Parking F, Picnic, Playground, Sand Pit, Woodland walk. 

Techniquest, Cardiff

Buggy friendly, Cafe, Exhibitions, Museum, Shops, Parking £, Town

Tintern Farm Baby Lambs

Baby lambs in the Spring costs just a small donation, Shop

I haven't included any soft play centres, because we just haven't visited any. We will in the winter when it's too cold to play out but while the weather is warm, even if it's raining, we will continue to explore the great outside. 

Where's your favourite place?  We are always looking for new places and would love to hear from you.

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