outdoor fun – Beijing Kids

Big Beijing Campsite List

Admin — Thu, 24 Mar 2022 03:00:53 +0000

Spring is creeping up on us and like bunnies who’ve been living deep in their burrows all winter long, we can’t wait to peek our heads out from the apartments we’ve been holed up in for a breath of warm, fresh air.

Of course, you don’t have to travel outside Beijing and risk triggering your Health Kit for a weekend of outdoor family fun. In fact, there are plenty of camping grounds in and around the capital where you can pitch a tent, break out the frisbee, and while away the long spring days.

North of Beijing

Yudu Mountain Scenic Area
Elephant and Heron Nature Park
Saint-Louis Manor
WOOTA Camping Ground
Tent Home Camp One

South of Beijing

Eagle Camp
Nature Camp

Yudu Mountain Scenic Area

Here you’ll be able to enjoy a few days of scenic natural beauty. Take in the sights of the nearby mountains and the views of the alpine meadows. Visitors are able to stay in Japanese style white tents and enjoy BBQ, picnicking, strawberry picking, kite flying, and whatever other camping activities your family might enjoy.

Find it:
玉渡山风景区（延庆区）
Tel: 69190280, 69195118

Elephant and Heron Nature Park

Located five kilometers southwest of Pinggu District, between Zhoucun Bridge and Qingyantun Bridge, and just southwest of CuiXing Road. This area covers 1,600mu of camping and RV grounds. From the Wangfujing area, it’ll take you about one and a half hours to get there.

Once there, visitors can pitch their tents or spend a few days living it up in their RV, all while enjoying the peaceful lake and lush green grass.

This camping ground allows bicycles and off-roading vehicles but doesn’t specify whether you’ll be able to rent them on site.

Find it:
北京大象鹭岛自然乐园（平谷区）
Tel: 18519224091

Saint-Louis Manor

Located relatively close to the Red Brick Art Museum is a little piece of paradise, away from the hustle and bustle of Beijing city life.

The estate covers 540mu of land and has been a favorite for local urban residents – who affectionately refer to it as the “back garden of family life” – for ages. Visitors are welcome to pitch their own tent for outdoor fun with the family.

Find it:
圣露庄园（崔各庄）
Tel: 18611726707

WOOTA Glamping

A few months ago Jingkids editor Vivienne Tseng-Rush wrote about her glamping experience at WOOTA. What’s glamping you ask? It’s camping on a whole ‘nother level!

They’ve got staff led activities for kids and huge luxury tents to stay in. Check out Vivienne’s experience here.

Find it:
WOOTA Glamping (七棵树创意园附近)
Tel: 69131458

Tent Home Camp

This camping ground has tents that are already pitched available for rental, whether it be a small one for a quick break in the afternoon or a big one for an outdoor kids’ party.

Find it:
帐篷家一号营地(朝阳公园内)
Tel: 16600074522

Eagle Camp

Located in Fangshang District, this spot is perfect for those who love camping and golfing. It’s relatively close to Dongfang Shuangying Golf Course, and just half an hour’s drive from the city center.

The campground itself has all the basic necessities and the facilities are kept in decent shape. There’s a commissary for food and drinks, and cars are allowed on-site for easy loading and unloading. It’s worth noting that no open flames are allowed here.

Find it:
EAGLE CAMP 双鹰露营公园
Tel: 18600076112

Nature Camp

Surrounded by green hills and pink flowers, this is a place where you can camp, cook up a BBQ, and host a bonfire party.

Every spring they host a Fuga Farm Spring Garden Party, where vendors sell everything from jewelry to antiques and plants to food. It’s a community of people who love nature, coming together to celebrate the season.

Find it:
天开自然营地
Tel: 61368009

*Please note that Covid restrictions can change at any time. We highly recommend calling the campsites before making any weekend plans.

KEEP READING: Kid-Friendly Hot Springs: Play All Day for Under RMB 200

Images: 官方图、网络、大众点评, Pexels

Spacious Snowy Wonderland Out in Haidian

Admin — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 03:00:12 +0000

Want to play in the snow again but definitely not praying for another snow day in Beijing? Me too! However, despite the odd blizzard here and there, just because it doesn’t really snow in Beijing doesn’t mean we’re deprived of all the snow day activities that make living in a place with four seasons so magical.

Located in Haidian District, on the west side of the city, is a huge park that’s been transformed into a snowy winter wonderland.

玉渊潭公园 yù yuān tán gōng yuán is open daily from 9am–5pm. Their snow season is expected to last until mid-February but the exact date depends on the weather conditions.

The park is an open snowy playground that’s perfect for tubing and running around in giant inflatable balls like a hamster. Simply put, they’ve got plenty of snow and plenty of open space. Like with most places in Beijing though, if you go on a weekend or holiday, you can expect some pretty sizable crowds. But, during the weekdays, the place is as good as exclusively yours!

Tickets to the park are RMB 40 per person, and there’s no snow gear rental on site so dress warmly. As for tubes, inflatable balls, and other snow day toys, those you can rent on site. The most popular – snow tubes – are RMB 100 per hour with an RMB 300 deposit. The rest of the toys are charged by the minute since, let’s face it, they’re mainly for photo ops anyway.

玉渊潭公园 yù yuān tán gōng yuán
No. 10 West Third Ring Middle Road, Haidian District
海淀区西三环中路10号

Images: Uni You

WATCH | Free Admission to Chaoyang Park Plus 5 Kid-Friendly Activities!

Vivienne Tseng-Rush — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 03:00:52 +0000

There’s a silver lining to every grey cloud, even one as dark as the bleak shade that Covid has thrown over our otherwise sunny days. The silver lining I discovered was that admission to Chaoyang Park is now free! Granted it had only cost RMB 5, but still, you can’t argue with a freebie!

There’s more! While the park was lovely and quiet on a weekday, with plenty of open, available space for picnicking (just stay off the grass) or setting up a badminton game, we discovered a cluster of amazing kid-friendly activities for a full day’s worth of fun!

Watch the video to check out some of the family-friendly fun Chaoyang Park offers!

Aerial Adventure Course

Challenge yourself to a test of bravery and balance in this adventure course off the ground and up in the trees! There’s a variety of challenges, from planks to tunnels, so your kids can discover how to maneuver and master their bodies while navigating each obstacle. Kids 1.05m and above are able to attempt the junior course accompanied by a parent (don’t worry, if I could do the course in ballet flats, you’ll be fine). Kids above 1.4m are able to do all the courses including the junior, intermediate, advanced, and integrated course, as well as a zip line across the lake! Incidentally, tickets are RMB 220 for the junior course and RMB 160 for the advanced, while a parent-child ticket will set you back RMB 320.

Real-life Counter-Strike (with toy guns)!

Remember Counter-Strike, the first-person multiplayer shooting game that rocked the 90s? Well, this is basically a real-life version of that! Basically, you put on a helmet and/or military-style vest, carry a toy gun, and try to eliminate the other team and capture their home base. Side note: You can bring your own flag if you want. Players can opt to book out the entire place at RMB 150/person for two and a half hours, or simply enter the grounds individually for RMB 160 for two hours. If you want to make it sound cooler with your tweens, then say it’s like “real-life” Fortnite. Anything to get them off the couch and outside of the house, right?

Water activities

There are at least two places that offer water activities such as canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding in Chaoyang Park. One such place lies right around the corner from where the aerial adventure course is, across the bridge and to the left. The other lies north, close to Solana Mall. Both are operated by Whale Sports and offer a 30-minute canoeing experience starting from RMB 109 for one person, to RMB 199 for a three-seater canoe. Be sure to bring a change of clothes though… just in case.

Four-seater family pedal bike

There’s probably a name for those four-seater pedal bikes but I don’t know it. Regardless, this is a fun way to get around and explore the massive park. If you’re not into pedaling, you can even rent an e-scooter, though I’ve really only seen two-seaters for those. There are kiosks littered all over where you can rent these pedal bikes, and one is conveniently located right outside the aerial adventure course grounds! Prices start from RMB 80 per hour.

Amusement park

If all else fails, there’s always the trusty amusement park to help keep your kids entertained, for a price. Individual ride tickets start from RMB 20 but an all-access ticket might be a smarter move if you’ve got an, “I wanna try everything” kid like mine. RMB 88 will buy you a ticket that allows you to choose six out of 18 ride categories. Aside from carnival-esque rides, the park also offers a Dinosaur City, an indoor playground for younger kids, and the Sony Science Center for inquiring minds.

There’s lots to do at Chaoyang Park, and now that it’s free to enter, you’ve got even more of a reason to visit before school starts! Take advantage of the cooler weather, pack a picnic lunch, and head over with the whole family!

KEEP READING: WATCH: Kiddos’ Day Out at MeLand, a 3-Story Indoor Playground

Images: Vivienne Tseng-Rush, DaZhongDianPing

Parks and Museums Closed Around Town: A Comprehensive List

Admin — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 03:00:16 +0000

To stop the delta variant in its tracks, Beijing has taken safety measures to limit the maximum daily capacity of major attractions to 60 percent.

As of now, Beijingers might have already felt the impact as the city has implemented stricter measures to curb the spread of the pandemic, including temporary closures of scenic spots and delays of events and stage performances.

To save yourself from a trip for nothing, we’ve compiled a list of places that have been forced to shut down.