Summer in the City: Things to do in Birmingham

summer in Birmingham

Birmingham comes to life in the Summer, with an abundance of activities to keep all of the family entertained, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the hot weather. Here are some of the many fun-filled days out you and your family could be having in Birmingham:

Farms:

Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park: Home to lots of types of animals, including a number of critically endangered species in the wild, such as Aloatran Gentle Lemurs and Yellow Breasted Capuchin Monkeys
Broomey Croft Children’s Farm: Buy a bag of food on your way in and feed the extremely tame animals at this lovely, large farm. With free tractor rides, outdoor adventure playgrounds, an indoor soft play area, a sand pit and a tea room and picnic area, there’s lots for the family to do and see for the entire day.
Ash End House Children’s Farm: This small, family owned children’s farm is ideal all year round, as much of it is undercover. Though there is plenty of opportunity to enjoy the outside with daily activities, including egg hunting, sitting on a pony, tractor rides, birds of prey demonstrations and rabbits or chicks in a basket.
Sheldon Country Park and Farm: For a completely free experience, take a picnic and go to Sheldon Country Park. This is the smallest of all these farms, though there’s still plenty to do, with a park, a picnic area, a tea-room and often children’s activities, such as a bouncy castle (and comes with a small fee).

Parks:

Sutton Park Forest
Sutton Park

Sutton Park: With open heathland, woodlands, marshes and even seven lakes, Sutton Park is rich in plants and wildlife. Surviving hundreds of years, this natural countryside is home to wild cattle and ponies, not to mention a park for the children to play on and ducks to feed.

Sutton park is the largest urban park in Europe with an area of over 2,000 acres including seven lakes.

Sutton Park Lake
Sutton Park

Elmdon Park: With a giant lake that is home to lots of ducks, swans and geese, Elmdon also has a large park suitable for children of all ages and lots of fields and woodlands. Spend the day tiring the kids out and then treat them to an ice-cream.
Lickey Hills Country Park: This big children’s park also has a sculpture trail, a circular walk and lots of grassland and woodland to explore.

Water Themed:

Edgbaston reservoir: Built in 1827 by Thomas Telford for the Birmingham canal system, this reservoir is still in use today. The 70 acre site mainly consists of open water attracting a vast array of birds and other animals like newts and bats. This reservoir is enveloped in woodland and grassland creating a truly naturally beautiful setting.

Edgbaston Reservoir in summer
Edgbaston Reservoir

Kingsbury Water Park Outdoor Education Centre: This 600 acres of Country Park is home to 15 lakes and an abundance of birds and wildlife. There are lots of things to do for all the family, including fishing lakes, play areas, a children’s farm, an education centre, miniature railways, horse riding and donkey rides. With a café and a picnic area you can spend the day, hire a pedal boat or a bike or even take an orienteering course or take a hike.
Birmingham Canal Ride: Enjoy an hour long ride along Birmingham Canals, go out into the countryside and see Birmingham like you’ve never seen it before.

And as if this wasn’t enough, Birmingham often builds its very own beach, complete with sun loungers. This is usually in the city centre, though Northfield built its own artificial beach in 2013 that was very popular, so they’ve promised to bring it back in 2014.