One thing I’m really enjoying about living in Milton Keynes is the large number of parks we have. I grew up in a small village where there was one mediocre park, but in Milton Keynes, we have loads, and all of them are so different! I’ve started setting off on weekend adventures with my 1-year-old Ivy to explore, particularly as she is a very energetic toddler, who loves nothing more than whizzing down slides and climbing! One of our recent explorations was Loughton Pirate Park, a pirate-themed park with the main attraction being a large wooden pirate ship climbing frame in the middle of the park.
The pirate ship climbing frame wasn’t best suited for Ivy’s age group I realised when we arrived, as there are lots of bits to climb up and ropes to climb across. I can imagine in a few years Ivy will love this, but currently, she was just quite happy going and standing inside it to play. Loads of sand surrounds the pirate ship, which Ivy also loved. During our visit, there were lots of children with buckets and spades digging in the sand and building sandcastles – so remember to bring your buckets and spades with you when visiting!
Other than the large wooden pirate ship, Loughton Pirate Park also has a number of wooden activities, a rope swing, a swinging hammock and swings. Sadly there were no toddler swings available, which is a bit of a shame, but there are loads of other local parks with more toddler suitable equipment. We did however stick Ivy in the rope swing, which she still loved – but it would have been nice to see some toddler swings too. There are also a couple of other pieces of equipment including a seesaw, a pirate roundabout, and a couple of fish-themed spring rockers which were good fun.
There’s also another large climbing frame with loads of things to climb across, ropes, and a slide. Again this is for older children, so Ivy wasn’t able to play with it, but it looks like great fun for when she’s older!
Overall I think this is an amazing park, but it’s just a bit too old for Ivy at the moment so we’ll probably just stick with more toddler-friendly parks for now. I imagine if I come back here with my 10-year-old stepson he would love it! There are loads to do here too, so you could easily spend a couple of hours – and there’s loads of green space for you to bring a picnic with you too! I love that there’s sand at this park too, great for digging, building – making for a great day out in Milton Keynes.
How to Find it
Loughton Pirate Park is located in Loughton, Milton Keynes. It’s best to use the postcode MK5 8DJ, or use the map below for directions. If you’re driving it’s best to park in the sports & social club.
I’ve enjoyed Loughton Pirate Park, Where Can I Go Next?
If you’ve enjoyed Loughton Pirate Park, you should also take a look at Loughton Horse Park which is a 15-minute walk away, or a 5-minute drive – although it’s worth bearing in mind that Loughton Horse Park is in a residential area, so if you’re local it’s better to walk!
Loughton Pirate Park is also only a 6-minute walk to the Stepping Stones and Lodge Lake, where you can also carry on to North Loughton Valley Park and Train Park if you fancy a longer walk!
