Things to Do With Kids in Petersfield: Free Sessions, Play Areas and Rainy Day Options
Regular children's sessions at the library and museum, the play areas and skate park, and where to swim, with days, times and costs from each venue's own pages.
Petersfield Library runs children's sessions five days a week, including free Rhymetime on Wednesdays at 10:30am and free Storytime on Saturdays at 11am. Petersfield Museum is free for under 18s and runs free weekly under-5s sessions that must be booked. The town council has play areas at the Heath, Bell Hill, Woods Meadow, Borough Hill, Paddock Way and Penns Farm. Checked 5 October 2026.
Free and low-cost sessions at the library
Petersfield Library, at 27 The Square, has something for children most days. These are the weekly sessions on Hampshire County Council's Petersfield Library page when we checked on 5 October 2026. The ones the council tags as free are marked.
Tuesday: Story, Songs and Rhymes, 10:30am to 10:50am, for ages 3 to 5 (free), and Drop-In and Play, 3:15pm to 4:30pm, with board games, construction bricks and dressing up for all ages.
Wednesday: Rhymetime, 10:30am to 11am, action songs and rhymes for babies and toddlers (free).
Thursday: Mini Masquerades, 10am to 12:30pm, a drop-in with DUPLO, board games and dressing up. The library closes at 1:30pm on Thursdays.
Friday: Baby Play Time, 10am to 11:30am, for babies up to 1 year old (free).
Saturday: Storytime, 11am to 11:30am, for under 8s (free), and Saturday Club, 1:30pm to 3:30pm, a drop-in with Lego and games.
Several of the listings say parents and carers must stay. Sessions can change, so check the page before you go. Opening hours and how to join are in our Petersfield Library guide.
Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery
The museum is on St Peter's Road, GU32 3HX, in the old police station and courthouse. General admission is £5 and under 18s go free, according to its ticket prices page (checked 5 October 2026). It is open Wednesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm, with last entry at 4pm.
Two things to know before you set off. The museum's opening times page said it was closed from 30 September to 9 October 2026 while a new exhibition is installed, reopening on Saturday 10 October. It also closes for Christmas from 1pm on 24 December 2026 until 6 January 2027.
For under 5s, the museum runs Mischief Makers, free weekly play sessions held when the building is closed to the public. Booking is required, with a free ticket for each person including adults, and a maximum of two children per adult. It also holds Toddler Takeover days on Tuesdays. For older children, Creative Saturdays include family workshops and a Minibrix club. Dates and prices for individual events are on the museum's What's On page.
Play areas
Petersfield Town Council has children's play areas at the Heath, Bell Hill Recreation Ground, Woods Meadow, Borough Hill, Paddock Way and Penns Farm. Woods Meadow's is gated. Penns Farm also has a flat, curved path that the council recommends for learning to ride a bike. Postcodes and what else is at each site are in our parks and the Heath guide.
East Hampshire District Council owns three more equipped play areas in the town, at Avon Close, Lower Mead and Bramble Road, listed on its play areas page.
The Heath
The Heath's play area is at the western end of the site, alongside the cafe and toilets. The town council says boats can be hired on the pond during the summer and that the pond is home to many species of wildfowl.
Skate park
The skate park is at Love Lane Sports Ground, GU31 4PZ. The town council's skate park page says it opened in 2010 and has a street section and a bowl, kept separate so riders do not clash, and that it suits beginners as well as experienced skaters. It is used by BMX riders too.
Tennis
The four courts at Avenue Playing Fields are booked online. The town council's Avenue tennis page lists junior coaching on Tuesdays: 4pm to 5pm for ages 4 to 9 and 5pm to 6pm for ages 10 to 14, booked through the link on that page. Check the booking site for current court and coaching charges.
Swimming
Taro Leisure Centre is at Penns Place, GU31 4EX, phone 01730 263996. East Hampshire District Council's leisure centre page says it has three pools and runs swimming lessons, and that it is managed by Everyone Active. We could not open the operator's website to confirm session times or prices, so check with the centre.
Petersfield also has an open air heated pool, marked on National Rail's station map. We could not open its website either, so we have not given dates or prices: check petersfieldpool.org before you go.
School holidays
For half term and holiday dates, see our Petersfield school term dates guide. The town council's tourism site, Visit Petersfield, has a What's On page with an "ideal for families" filter that covers events in the town and nearby villages.
Share this article