Oxford Travel Forum

I'm looking for suggestions of things to do with 10 year old children - one boy and one girl - in Oxford. We're there for 10 days in early August for a Harry Potter program but have a lot of free time. I lived in Oxford for a few amazing years but can only recall doing brass rubbing at one of the churches on the High (St. Mary's, I think) with a visiting child. Need a lot more ideas. Thanks for your help.

Good idea with St. Mary the Virgin, from its top you can get the best panoramic view of Oxford.
Other ideas with your kids it's to take them to the Oxford Story, in Broad Street. In a ludic half-hour car ride inside the building, they can check the history of the university in simple terms: who studied there, what important events happened there, etc.
Another one is the children tours in Blackwell's, also in Broad St., where they take the kids to places related to children's stories.
For more cultural activities, you could take them to visit the Ashmolean Museum (free entrance) and the Pitts-Rivers museum, devoted to natural science.
As for open places to run, play and have a picnic, why not the meadows next to Christ Church? or University Parks?
Enjoy your trip to Oxford!
Flor de Maria

Forgot to mention, the Ashmolean is a museum focused on ancient British and universal history and the Pitts-Rivers is a natural science museum. In the Ashmolean you will find several rooms devoted to Asian cultures (China, India), as well as Egypt, Greece, etc, and also other periods of history.
Regards,
Flor de Maria

The Pitt-Rivers is actually devoted to anthropology (it is attached to the natural science museum.........fossils dinosaurs, rocks etc....which is why confusion might arise). P-R is absolutely stuffed full of everything from shrunken heads to flint implements, national costume to musical instruments from around the world. It is a wonderful place for children (lots of little drawers to open) but is being renovated, so will only be partly open whern you are here. Still worth visiting though. The Ashmolean has an excellent Ancient Egyptian section. All the museums run children's activities/ trails etc so it is worth investigating these on their websites nearer the time.

Another possibility (depending on what time you have) is to get the train to somewhere like Pangbourne (towards Reading) and spend time walkiing along the Thames/ feeding ducks etc. Or, for a full day, you could consider the train to Warwick to visit the castle, which is superb for children.

theres always Blenheim Palace which is nearby

For a rainy day, and no culture, there are the usual cinemas and an ice skating rink. Further out of town, there is also a ten pin bowling alley plus multiplex, but best not to go on a home match day as it can be rather crowded in the car park.

By train, you could also visit Banbury (Banbury Cross)with canal museum, Reading - Oracle Centre beside the river Kennet (with lots of restaurants and multiplex cinema), Didcot, rail museum, or of course, London.

Warwick Castle sometimes has medievil jousting days in the summer.

Hope you have a lovely and unfraut time.

what is the Harry Potter thing?