Summer days out in the UK
Things to do this summer in the UK
Monday, 12, Jul 2010 04:14
Look no further for ideas on what to do this summer to keep the children entertained! Whether you want to spend the day outdoors or go to a theme park, go to an educational attraction or see some wild animals, here is Travelbite.co.uk's guide to fun, free & affordable, family days out this summer:
Life's a beach in Reading
Reading is laying on a great programme this summer to help families save pennies by entertaining the kids for free. Both sides of the canal are covered with sand to create a child friendly play area and there will be live bands and al fresco dining for the grown ups.
Reading is home to the Museum of English Rural Life (MERL), which is full of interactive fun for families with children of all ages.
Music features big time throughout July and August in the build up to the Reading Festival at the end of August, including plenty of family friendly music in the run up.
City-by-the-sea in Brighton
Head for the coast as Brighton offers endless opportunities to keep the whole family entertained.
Home to a range of family favourites, kids will be captivated by the Brighton Toy and Model Museum, Volk's Railway and the spectacular underwater displays of Brighton's Sea Life Centre, home to 'Shark Week' 2010 (July 26th to 31st).
With GroupSave tickets available from First Capital Connect, offering good rates on group travel, the entire family can travel to Brighton by train without breaking the bank. And Oyster Card and Freedom Pass holders can get £5 off-peak return train fares between London and Brighton until July 25th.
A new way of seeing Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea is another classic English summer day trip and this year the town centre and iconic pier will feature a number of
In July the Southend-on-Sea pier will be the setting for the world's 'longest continual length of bunting' - a Guinness World Record length of bunting in fact.
The town centre is hosting ARTSIDE: a pulsating art platform of exhibitions, film screenings, interactive projects, and interventions. This year the theme is wish you were here... and the curators have invited artists to Southend-on-Sea to re-think the traditional concepts of the British holiday town, and to dispel the myth of the obvious seaside imagery, by showing an alternative side to this genre.
Spirit of summer in Portsmouth
We all love to be beside the seaside, but how about 100 metres above the seaside? Throughout the summer holidays (July 24th to September 5th), the 170 metre high Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth is celebrating the great British seaside as it fills its viewing decks with viewing deck chairs!
Regardless of the British weather Tower bosses are creating its own sunshine and with a team of Spinnaker yellow-coats and knobbly knees contests for the more adventurous visitors can't help but roll their trousers up for holiday fun.
Daily entertainment includes some old fashioned end-of-the-pier fun with Punch 'n' Judy shows and Victorian bathers who will perform dazzling feats of dexterity and strength alongside the face painting, summertime story telling and treasure hunts.
Strawberries and cream in Norwich
The East Anglian city of Norwich is hosting a series of quintessentially British great afternoons out this summer with their Sunday Bandstand Concerts (to August 22nd).
Enjoy free bandstand music whilst taking a picnic with family and friends. Bands will be performing in the city's parks bandstands from 15:00 throughout the summer. Don't forget the strawberries and cream!
Participating groups include the Taverham Band and the Cawston Band playing in Chapelfield Gardens, the Pavilion Brass Quintet and the Saxobility Band playing in Waterloo Park, Hellesdon & Sprowston Brass in Eaton Park, and the Dereham Band on Mousehold Heath.
Unforgettable lessons in Greenwich
An exciting new interactive exhibition will be running this summer in the heart of London's Maritime Greenwich - at the new Discover Greenwich centre.
Unforgettable Lessons follows the journey of 12 groups of young people who have been thinking about their local area; how it has developed, how people have shaped their place and how the place has shaped them.
The idea is to encourage children to connect with their local heritage and architecture and the exhibition runs until 31 August 2010.
Water lot of fun at Eden
Down in Cornwall, the Eden Project will be awash with watery fun this summer as visitors of all ages try out some wilderness survival skills while having a splashing good time.
Summer Splash takes place in the main arena and there will be plenty of opportunities for visitors to get drenched from the water wheels, pumps and chutes - so bring your swimming kit or waterproofs!
This is all part of Eden's popular Summer Survival Challenge which runs over the school holidays from July 24th to September 5th, 2010. Check the website for late summer openings and evening barbecues on with delicious local produce for sale as well as games, music and entertainment
Really wild summer at Blackpool Zoo
Blackpool Zoo is gearing up for a really wild summer following the announcement of a whole host of amazing animal births and the launch of lots of new attractions. Book online to save 15 per cent and avoid the queues.
Britain's biggest and best sea lion pool burst into action at the end of May and, after a complete overall, it now has a beach area and 250-seat amphitheatre. Over at the children's zoo area there is a new Wallaby Walkabout, where the 11 adult and six baby animals are free to hop around visitors as they wander through.
Other exciting zoo babies to view this summer include the Western Lowland Gorilla and Pileated Gibbon babies, Ring-Tailed Lemurs, Colobus Monkeys, Demoiselle Cranes and a Bactrian Camel.
Spoiled for choice in Devon
Visit Devon for free family fun this summer holidays and be spoiled for choice with some of the UK's best beaches, including Torbay, which tops the UK's league for blue flag awards.
Or head for the sheltered Sandy Bay at Exmouth which has rock pools perfect for little ones. For an idyllic day in amongst the sand dunes head to Dawlish Warren beach which has an internationally recognised nature reserve. There are good family facilities and a free summer entertainment programme, all within easy reach of the beach.
Haldon Forest Park, near Exeter, has a Play Trail through the forest with interactive play equipment such as wooden musical instruments and small climbing frames along the route. Or visit the famous Sidmouth Donkey Sanctuary and say hello to the four hundred cute retired donkeys.
Messing about on the Thames
Hire a boat and enjoy a picnic afloat and spend a day this summer bobbing along on the River Thames. There's something to suit every budget from wooden rowing boats to luxury cruisers. Try Runnymede-on-thames near Staines, Fringilla in Maidenhead or Beetle and Wedge in Moulsford.
Or learn to paddle a canoe for a day, weekend, or week of cruising on the Thames, which is one of the finest and safest canoe touring rivers in the country, winding its way through 135 miles of traditional English countryside, with excellent connections to fine riverside camping, hotels, pubs and shopping. Try Thames Canoes in Maidenhead; they supply all the specialist equipment you need for your trip.
To save money downloads a kid's Passport to Fun from the Visit Thames website and get discounts and free gifts.
Summer offers at Alton Towers
A theme park visit has to be one of the most popular requests from children in the summer holidays and Alton Towers has some offers for days out that won't break the bank.
For example adults can stay at the Alton Towers Resort from £24.75 per person per night and children under 12 are free.
Experience new 'ultimate' rollercoaster TH13TEEN, the world's first free fall drop coaster and brave speeds of up to 100 kph on Rita. If it gets hot, cool down by plummeting into the darkness of Oblivion or be refreshed by the water jets of Ripsaw, splash down on The Flume, or embark upon the biggest water fight of your life on Battle Galleons!
Travelbite.co.uk staff
Follow us @travelbite