Stuck for ideas of what to do during the school holidays? Fear not. Whether your little one dreams of going into space, becoming the next Picasso or exploring the country’s treetops, there are adventures to be had up and down the country to capture their imagination this half term.
Here, VisitEngland highlights 10 of the best.
For your little… Action Adventurer
Go APE! Nationwide
Thrill seekers need look no further. Offering over three hours of tree-top adventures, Go Ape provides a trail of wobbly bridges, zip lines and rope jumps – not for the faint-spirited. Flying down the zip wire to land in wood chip at the end of each stage of the course is sure to provide a lingering adrenaline high.
For your little… Artist
The Big Draw at Tate Liverpool
Held throughout October, The Big Draw is the largest drawing festival in the world. Join in the celebrations at Tate Liverpool’s free award-winning Big Draw programme for families, Wibbly Wobbly Wandering Lines. Take a journey around the collection, making transparent drawings along the way, and then head back to the studio to learn how to transform drawings into 3D wire sculptures.
For your little… Nature Lover
Monkey Forest at Trentham, Staffordshire
Trentham in Staffordshire might not sound exotic, but try telling that to the monkeys who have made this area their home. There’s just a small wooden fence separating the visitor walkway from 140 Barbary macaques who roam around the forest, but since no one’s told the monkeys that, expect to get up close and personal as they scamper across the path or pitch up on a neighbouring bench as you stop for a rest.
For your little… Eco Warrior
Eden Project, Cornwall
Dubbed the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’ by some, Eden is a dramatic global garden housed in tropical biomes in an area the size of 30 football pitches. More than just a tropical garden, Eden looks at the relationship between plants and people and provides a fascinating insight into the story of mankind’s dependence on plant life. It houses the world’s largest rainforest in captivity, complete with steamy jungles and waterfalls.
For your little… Budding Historian
JORVIK Viking Centre, York
There’s nothing like travelling back to an age of barbarity and battles to ensure an entertaining day out. At York’s JORVIK Viking Centre, which occupies an archaeological site where a 1,000-year-old settlement is still being excavated, Viking times really come to life. The interactive tour takes guests to meet Old Norse-speaking citizens, see inside their houses and back yards, experience a blast of smoke from a blacksmith’s furnace and enjoy the smell of home-cooked stew inside the home of JORVIK’s amber worker.
For your little… Crazy Scientist
Magna Science Adventure Centre, Rotherham
This October half term Magna, the UK’s first science adventure centre, set in the Templeborough steelworks, invites visitors to build a rocket, test it against opponents and help the Magna team demonstrate the power of more explosive rockets. For those brave enough to enter Bunker 13 – a forgotten Cold War facility where anything can happen – a Halloween treasure hunt awaits.
For your little… Space Cowboy
National Space Centre, Leicestershire
The award-winning National Space Centre is the UK’s largest attraction dedicated to space. Dominated by the futuristic Rocket Tower, which soars 42 metres into the sky, the centre offers an interactive journey through six stunning galleries, a Rocket Tower and a 3D simulator ride – a 360 degree space theatre offering an experience that really is out of this world! Interactive exhibits, shows and simulators allow children to explore black holes, the universe and there is even the chance to test drive a martian rover robot.
For your little… Burrowing Bookworm
Seven Stories & The Roald Dahl Museum, Newcastle upon Tyne & Buckinghamshire
Seven Stories is the first museum in the UK wholly dedicated to the art of British children’s books. Here, stories are collected, celebrated and brought to life. With exhibitions, dressing up, storytelling and crafts, Seven Stories spells the perfect day out for all the family. The Roald Dahl Museum in Buckinghamshire has been created as a home for the author’s unique archive and aims to inspire a love of stories and creative writing in all visitors. The museum will keep the kids busy with chocolate decorating, George’s marvellous experiments workshop, the BFG’s shadow puppet workshop and plenty of games.
For your little… Dreamer and Discoverer
BeWILDerwood, Norfolk
Deep in the woods in Norfolk is a land of tree houses, zip wires, jungle bridges, Crocklebogs, Twiggles, Boggles, boat trips, marsh walks and yummy food. BeWILDerwood is an award-winning wild and imaginative adventure park housing magical and intriguing characters that bring a curious difference to the Norfolk Broads. The setting for the book A Boggle at BeWILDerwood, by local children’s author Tom Blofeld, it’s a wonderful, mystical land of brave adventurous creatures. Parents are encouraged to play alongside their children, making for an exciting day out for the whole family.
For your little… Collector
V&A Museum of Childhood, Kensington
The Museum of Childhood, a branch of the Victoria and Albert Museum, showcases toy collections (including dolls, dolls’ houses, children’s costumes, nursery antiques, games and puppets) of international range and importance. There are lots of free activities for children and families to enjoy in the museum every day over the holiday period including Game On! and Art Smarts, where kids can unleash their inner creativity experimenting with different materials to create their own masterpiece. Children can also take part in Gallery Trails, where a mystery toy has escaped from its case and is hiding in the museum. Children and adults alike can help Zohar, the toy detective, solve the clues to discover the toy’s identity.
