The summer holidays can be an expensive time for families, but there are lots of free or low-cost activities available in and around Eynsham to keep you all busy! Here are some ideas to help families plan the next few weeks:
Play areas
We have three play areas in the village: Oxford Road, Dovehouse Close and Old Witney Road. These provide equipment for a range of ages, with open space for playing ball games or chase. At Old Witney Road, there is also the Children’s Food Forest Garden to admire and explore, hopefully learning a little about how food grows.
Eynsham Skatepark
An afternoon at our skatepark is a great way to get active and learn some new skills. There are regular skateboarding classes (for young and old!) for a small fee if you’d like more focused tuition; these are run by Broken Boards.
Eynsham Lock
Fishponds
Explore the Abbey Fishponds for a combination of exercise, history and nature in a lovely quiet space. We reinforced the dipping platform recently, providing a safe way to get closer to the water.
Wharf Stream Way
Take a walk along Eynsham’s Heritage Trail, which is ten years old in 2026! Combining a walk in nature with art works and information about the history of the area, the Wharf Stream Way is an educational and interesting way to enjoy the summer weather.
Library
Eynsham Library is open on Monday (9.30am-1pm, 2pm-5pm), Wednesday and Thursday 1pm-5pm, Friday 1pm-7pm and Saturday 9.30am-1pm. There are computers (with the internet), as well as books to read and borrow. It’s also the place to sign your children up to the Summer Reading Challenge (Read to the Beat!). Budding authors (aged 7-12) might enjoy the Creative Writing Workshop being run by Juli Francis Taylor on 12 August from 2-3pm. There will also be music-themed arts and crafts at Mill Street Arts (on behalf of the library) on 8 August at 10am-12pm. Call in the library to book a place for either workshop.
Geocaching
This is a version of a treasure hunt using a GPS-enabled device or smartphone. Players would use their smartphone to locate hidden containers (or ‘caches’) and record the discovery in a logbook. The caches are digital and smartphones are needed, but the activity happens out ‘in the real world’. Players would need to register on the Geocaching website (Geocaching) and download the App to play.
Eynsham Museum and Heritage Centre
It’s free to enter our local museum, where there is a permanent exhibition about the history of the area with the much-loved model railway. Until October, there is also a temporary exhibition is ‘Eynsham Past and Present’, sharing old photographs alongside more modern shots of the same spot. The museum is open on Weekends and Bank Holidays, 11am-4pm. More information available on their website.