Whether you’ve got toddlers to contend with, or you’re navigating the holidays with a new baby, we round up all the best baby-friendly activities and family days out.
No matter how old your children are, school holidays can be a stressful few weeks. Running after toddlers and tending to a baby can be a juggling act at the best of times. Throw in the pressure of providing 24/7 entertainment and securing play dates in the half term, and it can all seem a little too much. We get it.
Planning ahead could be the secret to a stress-free school break. However, finding activities to please the whole family isn’t always easy. That’s why we’ve done the hard work for you. We’ve compiled a list of all the best family days out and activities for the everyone to enjoy.
Things to do this Summer: Best family days out
Try out These Top 10 High-flying Adventures
To mark the release of the brand new Aladdin film in cinemas on 24 May, go-to family ticket destination Picniq has compiled a list of top ten high-flying activities for kids.
From indoor skydiving, scaling trees, rock climbing and zipping through the hills, there’s something to your bigger kids entertained during the half term holidays.
- Airkix Indoor Skydiving – Milton Keynes
- Go Ape – Battersea Park, London
- Treetop Adventure Golf – Cardiff
- Cheddar Gorge – Somerset
- Zipworld – Bangor, Wales
- The Big Swing Adventure Playground – Yorkshire
- Air Space Stevenage – Stevenage
- Keswick Climbing Wall & Outdoor Activity Centre – Cumbria
- Good Leaf Tree Climbing – Isle of Wight
- Up! – The O2 London
A Day at the Polo
A quintessentially British affair, Chesterton’s Polo in the Park returns to Hurlingham Park in London this June. Three days of world-class polo, pitch-side activities and plenty of PIMM’s (for the grown-ups). You can also enjoy a selection of restaurants and street food in the Grazing Paddock, sip Champagne in the Lanson Garden and browse the Luxury Shopping Village. Meanwhile, cart the little ones off to the Little Hooves Kids Club.
While children are welcome across the weekend, by far the most family-friendly day is Finals Day on Sunday. Supported by children’s entertainers Sharky and George, and Chelsea FC, the whole polo field will be dedicated to the Kids Club’s pitch invasion on Sunday morning.
A family ticket (two adults, two children) costs £70. Children under 10 go free.
Join the Big Play Date with Great Ormond Street Hospital
Keep the kids entertained while doing your bit for a worthy cause this summer. From 6 to 13 July, Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) is encouraging the nation to raise money by hosting a play date in your area. GOSH will be on hand with tips on how to plan your local play date and ways to get your little ones involved in the action. There’s also an activity pack bursting with ideas and materials including games used by the hospital’s own very important Play Team.
Here’s how the Big Play Date works:
- Sign up for free and you’ll be sent a Big Play Date activity pack to help your children put their stamp on their play date.
- Choose your preferred date between 6-13 July and send out the invites. Whether it’s one friend or forty, at home or in the park, it’s up to you how to host your play date.
- Fundraise in any way you like. You could consider asking guests to make a small donation to the event, use the collection box in your activity pack or set up donations for each activity.
For more information and to sign up to the Big Play Date, visit the GOSH website.
Party at a Baby-Friendly Rave
There’s a new party trend in town and this one is fun for all the family. Baby Raves are sweeping the nation. But if you’re picturing a panic-inducing day of nursery rhymes and soft-play, worry not, as these baby raves are pretty darn cool. From chart-topping DJs to interactive light shows these tot-friendly discos are giving Ushuaia in Ibiza a run for its money. So dust off your dancing shoes, grab your kids and get down to one of these baby-friendly parties for a fun family day out this half term.
Read more about the best baby raves here.
Check out Some Baby-friendly Cinemas
A sure-fire way to keep your bigger kids entertained during th May half term is packing them off to the cinema. However, we all know that sometimes little ones don’t want to sit quietly and still for the duration of a film – which can prove to be a stressful experience for parents and the cinema. Take the worries away by paying a visit to specific baby-friendly cinemas or screenings.
Read more about baby-friendly cinema screenings here.
Dip Into a Family-friendly Swimming Pool
Swimming is not only a fun-filled activity for children, but it is also great for baby development. Pools that offer babies and young children a separate swimming area or shallow paddling pool are worth investigating for family days out over half term. Why not tie it in with separate swimming sessions for young families. It’s likely to be easier to build up water confidence in younger children, while the older kids can splash about while fully supervised in a separate pool.
Check out the best baby-friendly swimming pools here.
Visit KidZania London
If you haven’t heard of KidZania already, we’re not entirely sure where you’ve been hiding (or, more accurately, how you’ve been hiding it from your kids). KidZania is essentially an indoor city, where kids call the shots. Children aged 4 to 14 can independently choose from a number of real-life entertaining activities in a secure space.
In addition to over 60 real-life activities to choose from, KidZania is also offering unique events just for half term.
Design your own ‘Goozby’ (28 – 31 May)
The Goozby Prototype Lab shows kids the basics of how to create an app and be the first to test drive Goozby before it hits the app store later this year. Kids can design their own ‘Goozby’ – the adorable personal digital trainer that helps kids master real world skills outside the digital world and earn rewards. They will have a chance to have their design featured in the app when it launches, plus get free early access to the app with a VIP code.
Create your own tasty snack with Mavericks Snacks (29 – 30 May)
Mavericks Snacks – the healthy, junk-free snacking brand that fuels kids for fun – is back at KidZania for the May half term. The activity will see kids enter the “Snacks Labz” and create their own healthy snack, educating them on the importance of a balanced diet, plus tips on healthy ingredients – all in a fun and interactive environment.
Book your KidZania activity here.
Read More:
- The Ultimate Guide to Godparent Proposal Gifts
- Family-Friendly Holidays to Book Right Now
- Date Night Ideas for new Parents
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