Photo: Photo of Leatherhead: DimiTalen, CC0Days out with toddlers in Surrey
For a toddler day out in Surrey, Bocketts Farm Park near Leatherhead and Hobbledown in Epsom combine animals with play barns, and Lets Explore in Horley and Mazzy Bees in Woking are good soft play on a wet day. Frimley Lodge Park in Frimley Green is free to enter, with a playground for younger children.
Toddlers do best with short, varied visits, so the places in this guide mix animals, play and somewhere to sit down. Farm parks such as Bocketts near Leatherhead, Godstone Farm and Chobham Adventure Farm have large play areas, many of them indoors.
Soft play is the wet-day option. Lets Explore in Horley runs pre-booked 90-minute sessions with a baby zone and a Toddler Corner for under 3s, and Mazzy Bees Soft Play in Woking has a sensory tent for babies. Lets Explore needs pre-booking, so check Mazzy Bees' sessions before you travel.
Many of the outdoor places are free. Frimley Lodge Park has playgrounds and free parking, and Priory Park in Reigate has a playground with a sensory area. Under 1s go free at several farms, so check the age bands before you pay.
Every place here is checked against its official website; the latest check was on .
Farms and animals
Animal-based days out with toddler-friendly play, most of it under cover.
Image: Bocketts Farm ParkBocketts Farm Park
A family-run working farm on the A246 between Leatherhead and Fetcham, with animals to feed, racing pigs, tractor rides and large play areas indoors and out. Much of it is undercover, so it works in most weather.
Why it's here: A working farm with a small animal village, racing pigs and two large play barns. Under 1s go free, and it suggests booking online in advance, especially for event days.
Photo of Epsom: Oscar248, CC BY-SA 3.0Hobbledown Epsom
An adventure farm park and small zoo in Horton Country Park, with themed play villages, jumping pillows, an indoor playbarn and more than 70 species of farm and zoo animals. The Imaginarium mixes a reptile house, insects and water play under one roof.
Why it's here: Play villages with forts, tunnels and nets, plus the Great Barn indoor playbarn and more than 70 species of animals. No dogs are allowed, except assistance dogs.
Image: Godstone FarmGodstone Farm
A farm park near junction 6 of the M25 with animal trails, a reptile house and daily hands-on animal sessions, plus a large indoor soft play barn and outdoor adventure play. A walking dinosaur trail and seasonal events run through the year.
Why it's here: A large indoor soft play barn with a café, daily animal sessions and outdoor adventure play. Under 1s are free, and only assistance dogs are allowed.
Image: Chobham Adventure FarmChobham Adventure Farm
An indoor and outdoor play farm near Chobham with soft play, outdoor adventure equipment and an animal barn. It opened in 2016 and keeps 14 kinds of animal, from harvest mice to bulls, with daily meet and greets.
Why it's here: Soft play for under 3s, an animal barn with daily meet and greet sessions and a café. Under 1s are free on weekdays in term time, and tickets should be booked online.
Indoor soft play
Soft play for wet days, in pre-booked or timed sessions.
Image: Lets ExploreLets Explore
An indoor soft play centre in Horley for children up to 10, with separate areas for babies, toddlers and older children. The main frame has three themed levels, under the sea, jungle and space, and there is a café for adults.
Why it's here: Pre-booked 90-minute sessions with a baby zone with sensory features and a Toddler Corner for under 3s. Socks must be worn at all times.
Image: Mazzy Bees Soft PlayMazzy Bees Soft Play
A soft play centre in Sheerwater for children up to 8, with a two-floor climbing frame, slides and a sensory tent for babies and toddlers. The Honey Pot Cafe serves drinks, snacks and hot food while children play.
Why it's here: A two-floor soft play frame, toddler areas and a sensory tent in 90-minute sessions. Babies under 6 months go free with a paying adult.
Image: Places LeisurePlaces Leisure Camberley
The council leisure centre in Camberley, run by Places Leisure, with two pools, a splashpad, soft play and a Clip 'n Climb arena. The climbing hall has 25 themed walls over 20 feet high plus auto-belay routes, in sessions of 1 hour 15 minutes.
Why it's here: A splashpad and soft play for younger children, alongside pools and Clip 'n Climb at the council leisure centre in Camberley.
Parks and outdoor play
Playgrounds and open space for toddlers in good weather.
Photo: Alan Hunt, CC BY-SA 2.0Frimley Lodge Park
A 24-hectare council park beside the Basingstoke Canal with open grass, woodland, meadows and picnic areas. It has held a Green Flag award for 22 years running and is home to two playgrounds, a cafe and the Frimley Lodge Miniature Railway.
Why it's here: Free entry and free parking, with a castle-themed playground, a second playground beside the miniature railway and a café.
Photo: Dr Neil Clifton, CC BY-SA 2.0Priory Park, Reigate
A park of historic interest off Bell Street in Reigate, with lakes, a sunken garden and plenty of wildlife. Families come for the playground with sensory and splash areas, the skatepark and the café in the pavilion.
Why it's here: Free, with a playground that has a sensory area and a splash area, which is turned off in winter. The play area closes on Tuesday mornings for maintenance.
Photo: Alan Hunt, CC BY-SA 2.0Runnymede Pleasure Grounds
A council-run riverside park on the Thames between Egham and Old Windsor, with play equipment, a chlorinated paddling pool in summer and long river frontage. It sits next to the National Trust meadows at Runnymede, so it works well as the start of a longer walk.
Why it's here: Free entry and a children's play area beside the Thames, with a paddling pool in spring and summer.
Photo: Alan Hunt, CC BY-SA 2.0Lightwater Country Park
A 59-hectare council country park on the edge of Lightwater village, mostly heathland with ponds, woodland and meadows. The heathland is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and the park has a playground, cafe and an 18-hole adventure golf course beside the entrance.
Why it's here: Free entry and free parking, with a playground by the café that has a climbing frame, swings and a roundabout.
Gentle outings and trains
Slower days out for little ones, including a small railway and a family nature trail.
Image: Great Cockcrow RailwayGreat Cockcrow Railway
A volunteer-run 7¼ inch gauge miniature railway in the green belt near Chertsey, with steam and instant-start locomotives and a fully working signalling system. Two routes run through a jungle area and Greywood Tunnel.
Why it's here: A volunteer-run miniature railway with two routes through a jungle area and Greywood Tunnel. Children under 2 cannot ride, and it opens on Sundays from May to October, weather permitting.
Photo: Simon Burchell, CC BY-SA 3.0Rural Life Living Museum
An open-air museum in the countryside near Tilford with historic rural buildings and a large collection of farm machinery, tools, cycles and fire engines from country life. It runs toddler mornings, activity days and courses through the year.
Why it's here: Historic countryside buildings and a collection of farm machinery and fire engines, with Toddler Time sessions. Its opening days change between summer and winter.
Image: Priory Farm EstatePriory Farm
A family farm estate near Redhill with a farm shop and butchery, garden centre and gift barn, set in 150 acres of pasture, ancient woodland and lakes. Its Discovery Land is a waymarked family nature trail through woods and meadows and around the lakes, with seasonal themes.
Why it's here: Discovery Land, a waymarked nature trail through woods and meadows around the lakes, with a Giant's Chair and carp to feed. The Discovery Land café is for ticket holders only.
Questions people ask
Where can toddlers go in Surrey when it rains?
Lets Explore in Horley has a Toddler Corner for under 3s, Mazzy Bees Soft Play in Woking has a sensory tent for babies, and Godstone Farm has a large indoor soft play barn. Bocketts Farm Park near Leatherhead has two large play barns under cover.
Which Surrey days out let under 1s in free?
Bocketts Farm Park and Godstone Farm let under 1s in free, and Chobham Adventure Farm does so on weekdays in term time. Mazzy Bees Soft Play lets babies under 6 months in free with a paying adult.
Which Surrey play places need booking?
Lets Explore sessions are pre-booked online, Chobham Adventure Farm tickets are booked online in advance, and the Adventure Play at Windsor Great Park runs two-hour sessions that are booked online.