6 great days out with a toddler in Sheffield

Here’s a list of 6 things I love to do in Sheffield that are suitable for babies and toddlers. I hope you like these ideas and they inspire you to get out and enjoy some of the things that Sheffield has to offer for families. 

There are many more that are not on this list; these are just some of my favourites. I recommend checking little Sheffield for events and things to do. 

1. Forge Dam, s10.

Forge dam is a lovely place to visit all year round. The cafe has really nice coffee, good paninis, indoor and outdoor seating, and ice creams. You can walk around the woods, see the ducks and the playground is really good for toddlers. One of my favourite days out is to start with lunch at forge dam cafe, go up and see the ducks, do the playground, then walk from forge dam through whitely woods and porter brook valley all the way to endcliffe park. There are cafes, ducks, toilets and playgrounds at both ends and it’s a really nice walk with lots of nature play for little ones. It can be enjoyed by all the family and you can easily make a day out of it.

Forge dam is easily accessed by bus, catch the 120 to fulwood and get off at fulwood shops, walk down brooklands avenue in a straight line; you will come to a pathway with horses on the left that leads into forge dam.

2. Aston springs farm, S26. 

There are many reasons why I like Aston springs farm. Here are a few; it has a nice atmosphere, the farm doubles up as a walking trail with picnic benches, blackberries to pick and wildlife to spot, the bus is quick and regular services run from Sheffield bus station with the bus stop being right outside the gates of Aston springs, there’s a lovely paint pot studio “Fired up and painting”, the vintage tack barn do amazing pizzas and there’s a small play area. You can spend most of the day here if you do all of it. Pizzas in the vintage tack barn are served Wednesday-Sunday and there is also another cafe on site. Soft play comes free with any large pizza or free under 1’s, and the farm trail is £3.50 adults, £2.50 over 3’s.

3. Heeley city farm, s2.

Heeley city farm is the perfect size for little legs. When my son started walking, we went here often as it was just big enough for him to walk around most of it by himself. The main part of the farm is in quite a small space with the animals close together which works really well for toddlers to walk around without getting lost or overwhelmed. There’s a good range of animals, the cafe serves amazing vegetarian home cooked food and has a basket of toys and books to use, indoor and outdoor seating, a playground and best of all it’s free. I recommend getting some animal food to make the most of it.

Once you are done at the farm you can make the day last longer by heading across the road to Heeley people’s park and millennium park for playgrounds, pedestrianised areas to stroll, or let littles crawl around, and don’t miss the big boulder (which my son loves to feel and watch his dad climb!).

If this isn’t enough, head up to chesterfield road and stop at Heeley retail park for a costa coffee then see the animals in pets at home.

4. Peace gardens/winter gardens/galleries and library, city centre. 

There is lots to do in the city centre for a day out. Start with the peace gardens; your little one will love the big steel water balls and in summer there’s water fountains.  Head to the winter gardens, let your little one wander around and look at all the exotic flowers and plants. This is great whatever the weather as it is completely inside. Before my son wasn’t walking, I would grab a coffee and panini at Zooby’s and sit at one of the far tables by the window and he was happy to look around at everything or crawl around. Explore the millennium galleries and don’t miss the metalwork collection room which has a chest of pots and pans for kids to play with at the back.

Across the road is the Sheffield central children’s library which is worth a visit; many times I have been in here when I needed to kill time in town. There’s lots of toys as well as books to play with and   comfy seating areas for parents 🙂 it’s worth a look upstairs in graves art gallery which has some interesting pieces for children to look at and some interactive displays, plus lots of space to run around and a cafe. All of these are within a short walk of each other and in the city centre, it makes an easy, relaxed (and free) day out.

5. Weston park museum, s10.

Convenient to reach by bus or tram, this museum is free to visit. It has cafe, a large picnic area upstairs and regular activities. There’s galleries to explore with animals, Egyptian history, Sheffield life, interactive displays, things to touch and feel, and a park outside with very friendly ducks. 

6. Tropical butterfly house, S26.

This place is great all year round and I can’t recommend it enough. This year we will be getting an annual pass. It is just the right size for little feet to wander around, lots of animals; farm and wildlife, a large tropical butterfly house with loads to see and corners to explore, cafe, playground, go karts and a ride-ons play area, sand and water play area (fantastic for summer), indoor craft and activity centre, tractor rides, the list goes on! You can get there by public transport by catching the x5 bus to dinnington, get off by the cutler pub in anston and walk 10 minutes down woodsetts road.

Have you been to any of these? I would love to know what you think! There are so many great things to do in Sheffield, I’ll be writing more about my favourite parks, free things and summer days out very soon…

Thanks for reading!