Venturing to a large park in the heat of the sun, was no problem on one of the heatwave days this summer. Aston Clinton has a brilliantly large park with a variety of facilities, including a natural running water stream! The stream can be found by turning left, as if you are looking at the skate park following the footpath from the skate park and playground. It’s 2 min walk away.
The water is clean and shallow enough for toddlers to paddle in. The stream has a pebble bottom, so I would recommend at kitting the kids out with waterproof paddle sandals or water shoes. When mentioning equipment, do bring a towel as well as something to change into or pop the kids in swimwear.
The bonus of the stream is that a lot of it is in shade, so it has quite a cooling effect, which often is not the case at a splash park.
With riverbanks and tree roots on display, kids can enjoy an experience while nature surrounds them. The stream is tailored to all ages, as the tiny ones can dip their feet in, and the bigger kids can play in an area with steeper riverbanks and a small bridge separating both sections. However, both do mingle and just be aware that there might be a splashing dog along the way too. It has a lot of potential for imaginative play and the longed-for summer memories that we all hope our kids collect on the holiday weeks.
I loved the calm picnic area situated on one side of the riverbank and all in shade, under ancient oak trees. The view surrounding is beautiful, and I can imagine that visiting in the autumn time when the leaves are changing colour would be quite a sight. Just don’t forget those puddle suits and wellies at that time of year.
There are also a lot of other shady areas for picnicking and lots of picnic tables outside the café but they aren’t in shade, neither are there umbrellas.
In terms of parking, toilets and refreshments, Your Café in the Park has free parking and a newly renovated visitor centre next to the car parks. The café has a great menu for families and a wide variety of ice lollies and the toilets which are roomy, fresh and clean are all next to the car park. The baby change and disabled toilet are a really good size too. In terms of access, most of the park is on flat levels and the café would be suitable for wheelchairs. The visitor centre is a short stroll from the stream, playground, basketball court, skatepark and adult assault course through the park.
Do keep your eyes open for the events that the visitor centre holds throughout the year, as well as the soft play sessions that run during term time. These were always beneficial to us when my daughter was pre-school.
Let us know what you think if you visit this summer and enjoy a paddle, splash and play in the stream.
