Summer fun: days out for all the family

Nature days out

ALL SUMMER
The Royal Landscape, Windsor Great Park
Enjoy 1000 acres of landscaped gardens, lakes and woodland in the south-east corner of Windsor Great Park. Kids will love the 100 ft Totem Pole, the Roman Temple, playgrounds and The Valley Gardens. Cycles are allowed on many paths and the park is ideal for buggies.

* Entrance is free but car parking charges apply. Entry to Savill Gardens is extra; see www.theroyallandscape.co.uk for maps and details.

ALL SUMMER
Kensington Gardens, London
The Diana, Princess of Wales, Memorial Playground in the north-west corner of Kensington Gardens is designed on a fantasy pirate theme and inspired by Peter Pan.

The centrepiece is a giant wooden pirate ship, set on a beach and guarded by a crocodile. The spectacular new stage production of J M Barrie's classic story is performed in a specially commissioned, state-of-the-art theatre pavilion.

* Tickets from £22.50 for afternoon and evening performances; see www.visitlondon.com/peterpan for booking information or see www.royalparks.org.uk for details of other London parks.

ALL SUMMER
Swinley Forest, Bracknell
Spend a day in the cool of Swinley Forest, Bracknell and visit the Look Out Discovery Centre (extra charge) or pop over the road for a swim at Coral Reef.

Watch the antics at Go Ape or explore the miles of trails in the Forest by foot or bike. Adults require a cycling permit that is available along with maps.

* Free entry; see www.gorrick.co.uk/swinley for more details.

JULY 20-23
The Royal Welsh Show, Llanelwedd
The biggest agricultural show in Europe has hundreds of stalls and stands to compete for your attention while thousands of competitors battle it out for show glory. This year’s highlights include the Kangaroo Kid (aka Matt Coulter, a record breaking motorcycle stuntmen), “horse whisperer” Jean Francois Pignon’s stunning equestrian display and Titan the Robot.

* Find out more at www.rwas.co.uk/society

 

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Cheap and cheerful days out

 

ALL SUMMER
Bristol Zoo, Bristol
The new activity course ZooRopia gives visitors the unique opportunity to swing along a thrilling course, including the red panda clamber, the lemur leap, the gibbon swing, the orangudangle and the gorilla gangway. The course is suitable for visitors over 1.1m tall and aged five plus. The course will be staffed by trained instructors at all times.

* For full details visit www.bristolzoo.org.uk

ALL SUMMER
Historic Dockyard, Portsmouth
Climb aboard Nelson’s Victory and take a trip around the harbour to see HMS Warrior. It is also likely to be your last chance to see the Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s favourite warship, before it closes to the public until 2012.

* Family ticket for 5 is £50.50, which allows you unlimited access for up to a year; www.historicdockyard.co.uk or phone 023 9283 9766.

Spinnaker Tower
Nearby you can also climb the 170-metre Spinnaker Tower to see the spectacular views over the south coast.

* Tickets cost £7 adult, £5.50 child, www.spinnakertower.co.uk

MAY 1 – SEPTEMBER 27
Natural History Museum, London
Join in the fun at the Butterfly Jungle, a fantastic interactive adventure packed with things to do including a jungle trail and play area. Open 10am – 6pm daily, Monday to Sunday. Last admission, 5pm.

* Tickets adult £6, senior £4, child (4-16) £4 and under 3’s go free; www.nhm.ac.uk  

AUGUST
WWT London Wetland Centre, London
There are plenty of children’s events at the Wetland Centre this summer to keep your little ones entertained. Join the Big Batty walk (16, 23 & 30 July) to learn about bats and venture out with your own bat detector. Special school holiday activities are planned throughout August as well as special fun days scheduled in conjunction with the City Bridge Trust.

* Bookings are required for some activities; see www.wwt.org.uk for more info or call 0208 409 4412

JULY 18 – SEPTEMBER 4
Summer Steam Spectacular, Porthmadog and Pen-y-Mount
There’s something about steam trains that captures the imagination of old and young alike. The Welsh Highland Heritage Railway will be running trips through the beautiful scenery of Snowdonia all summer between Porthmadog and Pen-y-Mount. Visits to the engine sheds give the kids a chance to clamber over the engines and discover how it all works.

* Entry: adult £5.50, senior citizen £4.50, child £3 (under fives free), family ticket (two adults and two children) £15.00; find out more at www.eventsnorthwales.co.uk/events

JULY 23
Butterflies at Kenwood House, London
Entertain your kids with butterfly spotting, followed by a butterfly craft session. The event is perfect for children aged four and over (accompanied by an adult). 11.30am to 1pm.

* Tickets: children £4; find out more at www.english-heritage.org.uk/  

JULY 29 – AUGUST 2
Shakespeare’s Henry V, Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich
The Rainbow Shakespeare Company will be performing a family version of Shakespeare’s Henry V at the Old Royal Naval College. Bring a rug and a picnic, and camp out on the Pepys’ Lawn while watching one of Shakespeare’s most dramatic plays, 7.30pm.

* Tickets: adults £15, children (under-sixteen) £7; family ticket £40; tel: 0208 269 4747.

AUGUST 1
Darwin Extravaganza (for kids), London
The Royal Albert Hall’s Henry Wood Promenade Concerts, or ‘Proms’, are now into their 115th season. This summer’s programme continues with a special concert for kids called “Evolution! A Darwin Extravaganza”. There’s even a special guest appearance by Sir David Attenborough.

* For more information tel. 0207 589 3203.

AUGUST 15-16
Medieval mêlée, Cardiff
Cardiff Castle is the scene for time travel. Ambling through the colourful encampment will take you and your family back to a world of archery, field games and soldiers’ drills. Try on authentic costumes and armour and sample traditional crafts within the impressive surroundings of the castle grounds.

* Special event ticket prices (includes access to the grounds of the Castle to view the Medieval Mêlée); adults £3.50; seniors £2.75; children £2. Find out more about www.visitsouthwales.com/events/

Until NOVEMBER 9
Robot Zoo, Horniman Museum, London
Robot Zoo is an interactive exhibition of robot creatures to show how animal anatomy works. Visitors can see how a chameleon changes colours to how a giant squid swims.

* Tickets: adults £5, concessions £3, children £2.50, children under three, free. Family ticket (2 adults and 2 children) £13; see www.horniman.ac.uk for more info.

 

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Family Festivals

JULY 18-19
Saltcoats Rock Festival, Ayrshire
Live music at the seaside is only the tip of the iceberg at this 10th anniversary festival as there are also fairground rides, sports, craft stalls and face painting on offer.

* See www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/ for more info.

JULY 19-26
Aberdeen Youth International Football Festival, Aberdeen
Football-mad youngsters are in for a hectic week of exercise and fun with tournaments, soccer tennis and 5- and 11-a-side games running throughout the week.

* See www.aiff.co.uk for more info.

JULY 24-25
Wickerman Festival, Dumfries & Galloway
Enjoy the mountain bike trail, learn circus skills and make a kite…Jump for joy on the bouncy castle or catch some of the many shows on offer at this popular music festival.

* Admissions: adult weekend ticket £80, child weekend ticket (under 13s) free, adult Saturday ticket £53, child Saturday ticket free; see www.thewickermanfestival.co.uk for more information.

JULY 26
Clovelly Maritime Festival, Cornwall
Enjoy a hog roast on the beach at this traditional seaside festival with performances from fire-eaters, jugglers, shanty singers and a Punch and Judy show.

* See www.visitdevon.co.uk for more information.

JULY 27 - AUGUST 8
Aberdeen International Youth Festival, Aberdeen
Sit back and enjoy the show because with young performers attending from all over the world, the wonderful variety of acts and events are sure to have something that appeals to everyone.

* See www.aiyf.org for more information.

AUGUST 7-31
Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh
There are loads of family shows on including The BFG, Dude! Where's my teddy bear?, Beauty and the Beast, The Jungle Book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Wind in the Willows and Treasure Island.

* Two-day advance ticket booking window as little as £18; see www.edfringe.com for more details.

AUGUST 10-16
International Piping Festival, Glasgow
This year's festival will feature a family fun day with craft stalls and activities, Highland dance troupes, a 'Pipe Idol' competition and there are also hands-on sessions so everyone can have a go on the pipes.

* Bookings cost £15 adults & £10 concessions; see www.pipingfestival.co.uk for more information.

AUGUST 15-31
Edinburgh International Book Festival, Edinburgh
There are events for all ages at the book festival with visiting authors and activities including storytelling, helping to perform the Very Hungry Caterpillar and a Gruffalo sing-along.

* See www.edbookfest.co.uk for more information.

AUGUST 24-31
Sandwich Festival, Sandwich, Kent
There are all sorts of antics on at the Sandwich Festival, the most famous being the St Bartholomew's Bun Race where children (and adults) race around the parish church for specially baked buns and biscuits.

* See www.opensandwichkent.co.uk for more details.

AUGUST 24-31
Festival Of The Tree, Westonbirt Arboretum, Wiltshire
Watch as artists craft huge wood sculptures before your eyes; budding scientists take part in the interactive Laboratree and the adventurous can take a trip to the tree tops.

* Westonbirt is open all year round. The festival is open from 9am to 5pm, and during that week admission to the whole arboretum is £8 for adults, £3 for children (18 years and under); see www.forestry.gov.uk for more information.

AUGUST 31
Newlyn Fish Festival, Cornwall
There is a full programme of entertainment to choose from at the fish festival with aerial displays, live music, gig races, children's workshops and a demonstration by the Penlee Lifeboat crew.

* Admission fee is £4 (free entrance for children) – tickets at the gate; see www.newlynfishfestival.org.uk for more info.

 

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Free outings

ALL SUMMER
Science Museum, London
Wacky inventors Wallace and Gromit guide you through a world of life-changing inventions, discover what it felt like to be a lunar astronaut and enjoy the world’s most immersive movie experience at the IMAX Cinema for 3D film encounters with the animal kingdom. Open seven days a week 10am-6pm.

* Free entry; www.sciencemuseum.org.uk  

JULY AND AUGUST
Cardiff Festival, Cardiff
Not one but seventeen mostly free festivals and events spread over the capital city every weekend during the long summer holidays. There’s great grub to be had at the International Food & Drink Festival, an underwater sound gallery in Splott Pool, street theatre wowing on the waterfront and aquatic merriment during the Harbour Festival amongst everything else.

* Free entry; find out more at www.cardiff-festival.com/  

JULY 3–AUGUST 18
Chiddingstone Castle, Kent
With events on throughout the summer, Chiddingstone Castle's got something for everyone including Japanese drumming sessions, Egyptian crafts and cabaret, 'Under the sea' and ‘Spectacular space' activity afternoons.

* Free entry to grounds, house and grounds entry adults £6, children (5 to 13) £4, families (2 adults, 2 children) £18, children under 5 go free; see www.chiddingstonecastle.org.uk/whatson.html for more information.

JULY 18-25
Whitstable Oyster Festival, Kent
There is lots to see and do at for the whole family at the Oyster Festival, with a seashore safari, mud tug (of war), swimming dogs, storytellers and jugglers to name a few.

* Free entry; see www.whitstableoysterfestival.com for more information.

JUNE 20 & AUGUST 8
Family Bushcraft Day, Mount Edgcumbe Country Park, Plymouth
Spend a day with the park rangers and learn how to light a fire without matches, build a shelter and forage for your lunch. Adult supervision is a must and there is a maximum of two children per adult.

* Free entry; see www.mountedgcumbe.gov.uk

AUGUST 1-2
Margate Carnival, Kent
You'll need lots of energy if you and your family are attending this year's Margate Carnival, as you can march with the huge parade and learn a few new circus skills, catch the live music acts or take a pottery workshop.

* Free entry; see www.margatecarnival.co.uk for more information.

SEPTEMBER 6
The Great British Duck Race, Molesey Lock, Hampton Court
The third Great British Duck Race is attempting to break its own World Record by getting 175,000 ducks in the water this year. The race starts at 12.30pm and there is entertainment and refreshments available at the finishing line.

* See www.thegreatbritishduckrace.co.uk for more information.