What to do in The New Forest?

Beltona

We're off for a long weekend in a couple of weeks and have never been to the New Forest before. As we are only flying through can anyone recommend anything we must go to while we are there? We are 2 adults and 2 boys aged 11 and 7.

Many thanks!

ellay864

At a similar age my lads loved the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu

Diesel44

There are some ideas on this thread.
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2566395

cardiffforthefacup

longdown activity farm near ashurst you get to feed the lambs, calves, chickens, ducks etc, very hands on, trampolines in barn for adults and children,tractor rides (free) and if you are lucky you may see deer in woods in distance. the otter and owl sanctuary is down the road too. There are lots of forest trails to follow on foot or bike and near ashurst station there are lots of the forest ponies wandering free. Brockenhurst is a very picturesque village with duck pond and stream etc.

https://www.longdownfarm.co.uk

leveller2911

If your boys like history then I would recommend a trip to Bucklers Hard...........Its where they made many of the ships for the Royal Navy in Nelsons time.........

http://www.bucklershard.co.uk/bucklershard/index

susieb

I think as you are only flying through, just get into the forest, see the ponies, paddle in the rivers, climb the trees, just enjoy the forest, its beautiful, tons of places to stop and look and walk.

pennyfrog

Uncanny timing! I just returned from the New Forest yesterday, where I've just spent the weekend with a youth group of 7-11 year olds!
I'm not sure whereabouts you'll be (it's a big area) but we went to the New Forest Centre in Lyndhurst, where the kids got to play detective with the guide giving them sheets of things to find, and clues about info they'd need to discover in the Centre- then she gave them a 'Millionaire' style quiz. The kids learned a lot and loved it.

For an outdoor activity we took them to Moors Valley Country Park. It's the sort of place your two lads would probably love if they're anything like most of the lads I know! Other than walks, there is a steam railway there, an amazing play area, split into several mini-areas with names like 'Timber!' , 'Webs', 'The Snake Pit', 'Towers and Tunnels', etc. Best of all is the Adventure area with a huge zip-wire. The 'Go Ape' tree top trail is amazing (a wooden walkway through the tops of the trees). It wore our group of 15 kids out! The only cost is the parking (and anything you may want from the shop, of course! We didn't go to the railway part, so I don't know what any charge would be there.) Entry is free.

It's well worth a drive through the surrounding area just to see the ponies wandering across the roads and (to the kids amusement) standing at the local bus stop and 2 of them walking along the pavement of one of the nearby towns.
You'll see plenty of ponies around there- and it's so much more exciting than seeing them in a field at home!

Anyway, hope that helps a little.