Top 5 spring activities for families at WWT wetland centres

Looking to wow your family this spring with fun, nature themed adventures? You’re guaranteed a fantastic day out at our stunning wetland centres.

You’ll discover a fantastic array of wonderful wildlife. Choose from fascinating pelicans and colourful flamingos to cheeky otters and fluffy ducklings. Let your little ones run free in our fantastic play areas and wild open spaces. Plus, we’ve got you covered with family friendly wildlife hides, cosy cafes, free parking and wide paths easy for buggies and wheelchairs.

What will you do first? Here’s our top 5 ‘must dos’ for a fun filled day at our wetland centres this spring.

1. Go wild on our activity trails

Learn all about wetland nature and wildlife this spring with a little help from Bing and his friends. Let your little ones discover fun-filled challenges on Bing’s Nature Explorers trail. You’ll also discover amazing wildlife facts for all the family. With new experiences round every corner, it’s the perfect way for young explorers to discover the sights, sounds and sensations of nature.

There’s also interactive Bing storytelling sessions and character appearances at some of our centres. So get ready to spark imaginations, fill your lungs with fresh air and explore nature’s playground with the whole family.

2. Seek out 'firsts'

Spring is a great time to experience memorable moments in nature together. New life is everywhere. Discover cheeping chicks on footpaths. Fluffy goslings paddling on ponds. Enjoy the wide-eyed wonder as your family stumbles across a winding trail of waddling ducklings. Feel energised as you see the first sand martins. The first tadpoles. The first green shoots and buds.

3. Get your hands dirty with family-friendly activities

At weekends and school holidays, check out our calendar of events. You’ll find plenty of springtime activities for every age and interest. All designed to help you and your family connect with the natural world in an easy and fun way.

Delve beneath murky waters and look at mysterious, wriggling creatures at our pond dipping activities (available at many of our centres in spring).

Try our canoe and boat safaris (at Arundel, Martin Mere and Slimbridge). Spot darting kingfishers and maybe an elusive water vole along the way. It’s the best way to get close to seasonal wetland nature.

Our centres offer something special every month of the year. Become a member and get unlimited visits to all 10 wetland sites across the UK and never miss a thing.

4. Hear from our experts

Look out for our most interesting characters on your spring day out. You’ll discover fascinating flamingos (at Llanelli, Slimbridge, Martin Mere and Washington), wide-mouthed pelicans (at Arundel and Slimbridge) and cheeky otter families (at Washington, Martin Mere, Slimbridge and London).

At Slimbridge our water voles and cute harvest mice are a family-favourite and the amphibians are positively eye-opening. Learn all about these amazing animals from our resident experts at talks and tours (offered daily at some of our centres).

5. Be wowed by wildlife

There’s so much going on in the natural world right now. Tune in for an explosion of cheeping and twittering bird song. Or see if you can spot bats and barn owls at dusk.

And don’t forget to check out our fascinating and flamboyant ducks. You’ll find them resplendent in their springtime plumage. Spot the male ducks showing off their bright breeding feathers.

Do you love collecting treasures on your outdoor adventures? Try and find a feather on your wander. You’ll see that up close feathers are truly amazing! Each one made of thousands of individual strands. For a special memento of spring, get the whole family involved and have a go at making a spring-time nature mobile with our handy how to guide.

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