The Dinosaur Trail

We really did have a beautiful summer, didn't we? The weather has turned now and autumn is in full swing. It is my favourite time of year though with all the colours in the trees and that lovely crisp smell in the air. If the wonderful summer weather meant you spent most days in your local park and you can no longer face going back to the same paths and swings, then have a look at one of the many other options we have in South East London.

Crystal Palace Park is accessible by many different bus routes, a train line and has a few car parks dotted around. There's a decent amount of things to see and do in the park including the usual children's play area, cafe, lake and a small farm.

The old One O'Clock Club has become a pre-school on weekdays, but on Saturdays and in the school holidays the centre, now called Diddy Dinos, opens for drop-in Pay and Play. I really missed the old One O'Clock Club so I was thrilled when I found out we could still pop along on certain days. EDtot loves the paint and craft options and the outdoor space has so much to offer the under 5's.

EDtot's favourite part of the park though is definitely the Dinosaur Trail. She loved sitting on EDdad's shoulders trying to "find" the dinosaurs hidden in trees. Can you spot any? :)

Danson Park

The car is not EDtot's friend. She enjoys the first 10 minutes or so when she's clapping along to If You're Happy and You Know It, but she suffers at random times from car sickness so there's no guarantee a journey will go smoothly. As a wee baby she could at least be relied upon to fall asleep at some point, but now it takes nearly an hour for her to drop off and that's only if it is actually nap time!

So I do like to break up journeys and if you're heading down the A2, a lovely place to stop off is Danson Park in the London Borough of Bexley. We spent an afternoon there recently with a friend and her tot. The children's play area is incredibly sweet with a range of wooden animals to amuse the little ones as well as the usual play equipment and a water play area. With a pub restaurant on the other side of the car park to the play area, it provides a welcome break only 5 minutes away from our main route.

Where do you like to stop off for your tot to run around when you're travelling out of London?