Kids Activities in Guildford

Guildford is the busiest town in Surrey for children's activities, with around 758 clubs, classes and venues covering the town and its surrounding villages. Music, tutoring and sport are the three largest categories, followed by party venues, outdoor and nature, martial arts and dance. The mix reflects a town with a big leisure centre, a university sports complex, theatres and countryside all within a short drive of each other.

Most families start at Guildford Spectrum on Parkway. Four pools, an ice rink, tenpin bowling and a school-holiday programme sit under one roof, and Stoke Park next door adds picnic ground, playgrounds and open grass. For swimming, Guildford parents also weigh up Surrey Sports Park Junior Camps at the University of Surrey, which uses a 50 metre pool and runs multi-sport camps for ages 4 to 14. The seasonal option is Guildford Lido, the heated open-air pool that gets busy from May onwards and is well reviewed by local families.

Racquet and combat sports do well here. Pit Farm Tennis Club and Merrow Lawn Tennis Club both run junior coaching on the east side of town. For martial arts, Guildford Jiu Jitsu (Mauricio Gomes Legacy Team) and One Martial Arts are both well reviewed for their junior BJJ and MMA sessions. Horse riding lessons around Guildford are mostly booked through Parwood Equestrian Centre, which takes beginners from about age four and runs group and private lessons through the week.

The town's theatre scene is unusual for its size. Yvonne Arnaud Theatre by the river runs a family-show calendar with a Christmas production most years. The Electric Theatre, Guildford Fringe Theatre Company and G Live between them cover smaller productions, touring acts and school-holiday shows, and The Man In The Moon Drama Workshops (Guildford South) runs weekly drama and dance sessions during term time. Dance and drama classes in Guildford tend to cluster around these same venues.

Countryside is close on every side. Newlands Corner is a Surrey Hills viewpoint with woodland walks, a cafe and toilets, all free to visit (parking is chargeable). Pewley Down is a short walk from the town centre, and Whitmoor Common north of the A3 has ponds, boardwalks and heath. For a paid day out, Loseley Park has gardens and Tudor-house grounds a short drive south, and Wild Wood Adventure at Chilworth runs zip lines and rope courses that suit roughly age six and up.

For holiday camps in Guildford, KidzQuest Activity Camps runs multi-activity weeks in and around the town, and Bentley Copse Activity Centre is a Scout Association centre in the Surrey Hills used for outdoor-activity residentials and holiday sessions. For birthday party venues, the ones Guildford families ask about most are the Spectrum itself (pool and ice parties) and Glitter Pop Parties, which runs themed sessions for younger children and is popular with local parents.

Use the filters below to narrow by age range, category and neighbourhood, then open a listing for opening times, addresses and current pricing. Details change often, so always check directly with the provider before you book. Camps and classes listed here are included from public information and parent recommendations, not commercial arrangements with KidzRGoGo.