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If you are looking for a family friendly stop on a road trip or just a fun day out with the kids, Willen Lake in Milton Keynes is a brilliant choice. We discovered it during the school holidays on our journey back from Wolverhampton and it turned what could have been a long, tiring drive into one of the highlights of our trip. Milton Keynes is about halfway along the journey, making it the perfect spot to stretch our legs and recharge.

One of the first things I loved was how easy it was to get to. The lake is only a 5 minute drive off the main road, so there is no real detour. When we arrived, we found a large, well organised car park with very reasonable fees (£1.50 for an hour, £2.50 for two hours, £3.50 for three hours and so on). It made the whole experience stress free and gave us the freedom to relax and stay as long as we wanted.

🎠 The Playground (Free Fun!)

We kicked things off at the big play area, which was completely free. It is not the average playground. There were slides, swings, obstacle courses, climbing walls and more. The girls had plenty to choose from and it definitely beat the standard local park.

Flamingo Pedalo on the Lake.

Next up was the lake itself. As a family of four, we hired a pink flamingo pedalo (£25 for 40 minutes). Staff made sure we had life jackets on properly and gave us a little safety chat before we set off. At first, I thought 40 minutes might drag, but it flew by. We had such a laugh paddling around and just enjoyed being out on the water. The girls even said it was their highlight of the whole trip. On the other side of the lake, we spotted the massive inflatable obstacle course, which looked amazing.

Gondola Wheel Experience
After the lake, we tried the Gondola Wheel (a smaller version of the London Eye). At £20 for a family of four, it was great value. The ride went around three times, lasting about eight minutes and gave us a fantastic view of the entire lake. I will admit, my fear of heights kicked in at one point but the girls encouraged me to relax and enjoy the view. It ended up being a special memory for us all.

A Sweet Treat and More Activities.

To finish, we treated ourselves to some yummy ice cream from a truck by the lake.

Other activities we did not try this time but are worth mentioning include:

• 🚲 Bike rides around the lake
• 🏎️ Go kart rides
• ⛳ Adventure golf
• 💦 Splash and Play water park

Prices for activities are reasonable and the variety means there is something for every age group.

🌟 Final Thoughts,

Willen Lake turned out to be the perfect family break on our road trip. With a mix of free play areas, affordable activities and plenty of space to explore, it gave us all a chance to reset before continuing the journey. If you are ever driving along the M1 with kids or simply want a fun day out in Milton Keynes, I would definitely recommend adding Willen Lake to your list. It is one of those places that manages to be relaxing for parents and exciting for children at the same time .

Have you visited Willen Lake before? Share your favourite activities or tips in the comments . I’d love to hear how you made the most of your day there.