As a garden centre and somewhere to shop for gifts or buy plants, I’ve never been a huge fan of Wyevale in Woburn Sands in Milton Keynes compared to Frosts just a short walk away. But that said, over the last few years it’s always been quite a good place to meet friends who have young children as they have a soft play area, cafe and aquatics shop where we like to look at the fish. We were pleased therefore to discover that in July 2018 they had put in place a crazy golf course for charity. The address is Newport Road, Milton Keynes, Woburn Sands MK17 8UF.

What is the crazy golf course at Wyevale Garden Centre like?

It’s quite hidden. It’s to the left of where all the plants are so you can enter without going into the store itself. It’s an area which has previously been empty but has been used for some events. It’s very well done actually and looks very pretty. Each hole is different with obstacles in your way – we particularly liked the windmill. Golf clubs are provided as are the balls, scoring sheets and pencils. Be careful how hard you hit them. It’s quite easy to knock them out of the area and lose them under the planters. I took my son who is now three. I’d say he’s a bit young for it although he liked the idea. I’d like to return with my 5 year old. They ask for a minimum donation of £1 per person for Marie Curie Cancer Care which you put in a collection tin. There was no-one else there when we went, but having made people aware of it on social media, and it being the school holidays, you could find it busier than we did. But certainly if you’re local to the area or can plan a few things to do (see below) then it’s worth a visit.

What else is there for kids to do at Wyevale?

I don’t like a lot of soft plays but Wyevale has one which is small and much less stressful than the bigger ones. You do have to pay to go in it – it’s £1.75 per child with a free loyalty card (correct as of July 2018). It’s air-conditioned so is good in the warm weather. Two things to bear in mind though – children must wear socks and you can’t take any drinks in there so you have to keep leaving the room to drink them. If you head out of the door in the cafe there is a small sandpit and a couple of garden games. In the shop there is an aquatics area where they sell fish. There are some massive ones which the children can stand on a step to look at. You can buy some fish food to feed them – although £1 a cup seems a bit pricey.

What else is in the local area?

There are a few good parks a short distance away that would be better if you drove to including the one behind the school in Wavendon which is very pretty and has a cool climbing frame – MK17 8LH. There’s also the snail park in Walnut Tree which in July 2018 had the snails restored which look fab – MK7 7LR.. Another close by is the park at Wavendon Gate Pavilion which has a cool castle type structure – MK7 7RZ