A wild family day out at WWT Slimbridge

Wondering what to do in the Cotswolds with kids this weekend? If your little ones love nature as much as my daughter Sylvie does, WWT Slimbridge’s fascinating wildlife and outdoorsy blend of education and adventure might just tick every box.

Welcome to a haven for wildlife of the winged kind. A sprawling 800-acre reserve beside the Severn Estuary in the green valleys of Gloucestershire, WWT Slimbridge was founded in 1946 by Sir Peter Scott as the world’s first wetland conservation centre. WWT (previously the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust) was born, and today there are no fewer than nine centres across the UK.

WWT Slimbridge is a great place to start – hosting over 250,000 visitors annually, these wonderful wetlands are home to hundreds of species of waterbirds, as well as the UK’s tallest bird - the common crane.

How to visit a WWT centre using Boundless

As a Boundless member you and up to five children can take advantage of unlimited access to all nine WWT centres, plus 50% off for one additional adult guest. You’ll also get a 10% discount at WWT’s on-site cafés and shops, perfect for warming up with a hot chocolate after a chilly walk. 

Tickets need to be pre-booked before visiting, simply log in to Boundless and add your membership number to book your slot. You’ll need to show your booking confirmation, Boundless membership card and a form of photo identification at the gate.  

Boundless saving

Tickets for WWT Slimbridge usually cost £17.22 per adult and £11.36 for children aged 4-17 (kids under 4 go free). However, as a Boundless member, you can enjoy unlimited free entry for yourself and up to five children to all nine WWT centres, while an additional adult guest can join you half price. So, if you visit as a family of four, you'll save £62.90.

In addition to these benefits, you'll get a 10% discount at WWT’s on-site cafés and shops, perfect for warming up with a hot chocolate after a chilly walk. 

Tickets need to be pre-booked before visiting – simply log in to Boundless and add your membership number to book your slot. You’ll need to show your booking confirmation, Boundless membership card and a form of photo identification at the gate. 

What can you expect from a visit to WWT Slimbridge?

The first thing that strikes me as a visitor to Slimbridge is quite how big it is – you’re first greeted by a sweeping modern building, with the wetlands waiting on the other side. After parking up (parking is free, or you can also reach the centre on the bookable Robin bus service), we grab tickets and head through the airy visitor centre to find a necklace of lakes stretching out before us.

A chance to meet inquisitive wildlife/Credit: Sian Lewis

Nature hits me quite literally – a swan waddles past and bumps my leg. Visitors are permitted to feed the birds in some parts of the wetlands with bags of grain bought from the visitor centre, and a flock of greylag geese plus a few elegant swans seem very happy about this arrangement, nosing about groups of visitors and posing for photographs in a cacophony of quacking and squawking. 

Writer Sian, aka The Girl Outdoors, and daughter Sylvie/Credit: Jacob Little

I’ve brought my daughter, Sylvie, who is 16 months old, to meet these rowdy inhabitants. She’s a bit on the small side for organised nature fun, but since the cluster of phrases she can say include ‘bird’ and ‘quack quack’, I figure this might just be her happy place. I’m not wrong – she squeals with joy at the sight of the swans and can’t wait to go and watch the flocks of ducks flapping about on a nearby pond, a large sign behind them proclaiming ‘Wetlands are amazing.’ 

Wildlife to spot at WWT Slimbridge

We’re here in the depths of chilly January, but winter turns out to be a great time to explore the wetlands – Slimbridge is teeming with wild birds as well as 30,000 migratory birds overwintering in the UK, and there’s lots to see. We follow winding paths away from the visitor centre, passing a series of ponds inhabited by different fascinating fowl. A friendly volunteer is feeding ducks in one pond and explains to us that male and female mallards make different kinds of quacking sounds. Who knew?

We stroll on through the fascinating (if rather pungent smelling) flamingo enclosure to admire the pink beauties (there are no less than five types of flamingo resident at Slimbridge) standing one-legged before a crowd of admiring kids.

Bird-spotting for beginners/Credit: Sian Lewis

Even on a fresh and frosty day, Slimbridge is busy with a mix of keen birdwatchers and outward-bound families. It’s clear the centre has been designed with young explorers in mind – as well as feeding the resident ducks, kids can explore Welly Boot Land (expect lots of fun water play, so it’s worth bringing a towel and a change of clothes). We also like the look of the Adventure Playground, a sprawling network of climbing frames, and a safe place for young children to play and splash around. We also pop to the Living Wetland Theatre and Waterscapes Aviary, which hosts talks throughout the day and is home to feathered friends, including a pink-backed pelican and a crowned crane.

In summer there are also live science demonstrations, which sound like they might just convince school-age children that biology can be great fun. If little ones still need to burn off extra energy on the way home, there’s also a soft play area in the visitor centre complete with squashy tunnels and a slide. 

Sian’s top tips

Slimbridge has a few surprises to seek out, too. My favourite spot is the Tundra Hut, a recreation of a wooden research hut from the Arctic – we’re the only people here on this January day and it’s a beautiful spot as well as a chance to learn more about how the centre’s naturalists chart populations of wild birds in the far-off Arctic Tundra.

We don’t get round to seeing all that Slimbridge has to offer – I’ll be back to spot the otters and climb the Estuary Tower for panoramic views of the Severn – but with a little one under two, a half day feels like the perfect amount of time to explore here. 

Dad and daughter exploring on foot/Credit: Sian Lewis

Where to eat and drink

Before leaving, we treat ourselves to lunch at the on-site Kingfisher Kitchen and a browse in the gift shop, where we pick up a guidebook to help identify the birds we have on our doorstep in Gloucestershire for years to come. After all, a visit to a WWT centre with children isn’t just about seeing wildlife; it’s about fostering a lifelong love for it. Sir Peter Scott would surely be proud.

Boundless members save 10% in all WWT cafés and gift shops, simply show your membership card to claim your discount.

How to get there 

If you’re coming by car (there is free parking on-site), WWT Slimbridge is easily accessible from Bristol and Gloucester. On the M5 – exit at either junctions 13 or 14 and follow the brown duck signs. 

The Robin bus service is a direct bookable service to the centre, or the nearest bus stop is in Slimbridge village and it is a 2 mile walk. 


*Prices are calculated based on a family of four, including two adults and two children aged between 4-17 years old. 

Do more with Boundless

If you're working in or retired from the public sector or civil service, Boundless has two great membership options to choose from: Boundless and Boundless Plus.

With Boundless, you get unlimited access or discounted entry to many of the UK’s top attractions including Kew Gardens and Wakehurst and WWT centres across the UK, as well as year-round deals on restaurants, holidays, shopping and much more. With Boundless Plus, you can enjoy additional benefits including unlimited access to Historic Royal Palaces sites, National Trust for Scotland places, access to the Ramblers' extensive group walks and routes, and peace of mind with roadside assistance and local recovery by Britannia Rescue.