We get the train from my parents' house, where you have to change at Balham to go on to Crystal Palace station. This is the highlight for Angus. It is a busy station, with express trains rushing through and suburban trains stopping at both platforms. There's at least a train a minute, which is heaven for a small boy.
When you leave Crystal Palace station, turn right for the park (left for the town centre, I believe, although I haven't had to explore it yet).
You are pretty much in the park but it's all very well signposted. You go up and over a hill and then past Chapel Manor College, which has a small farm. This is one of the must-sees even though it is mostly concrete. On this visit the highlight was the fighting goats. There are sheep, horses, pigs, ducks, exotic animals, fowl etc. The farm opens daily at 12 but is closed on Wednesdays. It's free!
Past this you arrive at the lake with the prehistoric monsters. In my childhood, I remember them as being brightly coloured and the trail going on and on forever. They've recently undergone a conservation programme and have a more "lifelike" colour and there aren't quite as many as I remember. For a small boy though, it's great. The first visit was a little scary but now it's just exciting, especially as the paths meander about with a bridge or too, fab for exploring.
If you want to know more about what you are looking at, the signs have disappeared! The Friends of... website has lots and lots of information. You can also download this short guide from the local authority or an audiotrail here.
You have to go through the dinosaurs or round the lake, past the ducks and boats, to get to the rest of the park. From there, it's not far to the public toilets (there is a baby change in the ladies), cafe and then the play park. I've looked up the cafe to find a website for you, what I have discovered is that it is being knocked down to create a jazzy new pavilion. It was closed when we visited last October and this time but I had assumed that was seasonal. There is a temporary cafe past the play park, a van serving food you can eat in a tent. I was shocked to see their kiddies menu, all at £5 a dish and all featuring chips.
The play park is brilliant. It has a couple of small dinosaurs to climb on, a slide, roundabout, lots of swings...and a huge dinosaur themed sand pit. Remember to take your own bucket and spade (a quick trip to Poundland should do, if you're on holiday).
The park is great for scooters and bikes, lots of well paved tracks, mostly gentle inclines (a couple of steep slopes to watch out for). There is more to see beyond the play park including a maze. We have tried the maze but struggled even to find our way back out once we had given up. It's for the intrepid.
We head back to the station to eat there, in the Brown and Green Cafe. It's quite hipsterish but has a good kids menu. Our February visit was a Sunday morning and the cafe was mobbed (even when we looked past all the people just picking up a coffee). So we got on the train and headed back to Balham. We went to The Regent, which was very welcoming to all three of us (one of whom was covered head to toe in mud) and again had a good kids menu. I used to frequent Balham a lot and every year it gets trendier and trendier. A glance on the internet told us that anywhere we visited would welcome children.
Overall, it's a great day out and idyllic for small boys.
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