Summer fun at Cardinham Woods near Bodmin without spending much

School holidays stretch on for weeks, and keeping everyone entertained gets expensive fast. The forest five minutes from Bodmin has lined up a summer of family adventures where most of it costs nothing, and the rest tops out at a fiver.

What’s on at Cardinham Woods this summer

Cardinham Woods is packed with affordable days out through the school holidays, from woodland trails to bike rides and wildlife hunts. Several are completely free. The ones that do charge come in cheap.

Here’s what families can get stuck into.

📷Credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright

Help the Witch finish her spell for £4

The Room on the Broom family adventure trail sends little ones off to track down the Witch’s lost hat, bow and wand, then gather the special ingredients she needs to complete her spell.

A trail pack from the Ranger’s Hut costs £4 and comes with goodies and extra activities. The packs are available Sunday to Thursday.

📷Credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright

Go for a free family bike ride

Cardinham Woods has forest cycling for all abilities, from toddlers on balance bikes to off-road riders chasing a challenge.

Newer cyclists can build confidence on the banks of the forest stream. Anyone after something tougher can take on the Bodmin Beast singletrack, which has optional red-grade sections. The riding itself is free.

📷Credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright

Borrow a Forest Activity Bag for £5

The Forest Activity Bag is built for up to four hours of self-paced exploring. Children spot wildlife, hunt out hidden forest features and test themselves on a forest quiz.

Every child goes home with a goody bag. Bag hire is £5 and runs Sunday to Thursday.

📷Credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright

Find a free walk to suit everyone

The gentle Lady Vale Walk works for little legs and pushchairs, with Gruffalo sculptures along the way and dog splash spots in the woodland stream.

Families wanting more can head deeper into the forest to explore the history and habitats of Cardinham. There’s all-terrain mobility scooter hire so the whole family can come along on the walk.

📷Credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright

Turn the walk into a wildlife hunt

The forest is home to everything from tiny mini-beasts to roe deer. Families can download Forestry England’s free wildlife spotter sheet to help children track and record what they find on their walk.

One thing to know before you go

Parking charges apply to all the activities. Forestry England members park for free, and membership signup is open if you want to skip the parking fee.

📷Credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright

📷Credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright

📷Credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright

📷Credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright

📷Credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright