For children, the long summer holiday is the stuff of dreams. For their parents, however, it can feel more like an expensive juggle of work, days out, childcare and WhatsApp activity as we attempt to manage the logistics of the weeks ahead.
We want to make them memorable, and magical, but postcard-perfect summers rarely feature working parents and squeezed household budgets. And the Instagram parenting memes hammer it home: “By the time they’re 12, two-thirds of their childhood summers are done, so make them count.”
This summer, at least, there’s some relief. A temporary cut in VAT from June 25 to September 1 means many days out should be cheaper (children aged five to 15 will also travel free on England’s local buses throughout August). The five per cent rate (down from 20 per cent) applies to family tickets for attractions like zoos, museums, adventure parks, soft play and theatres; Merlin Entertainments (which operates the likes of Alton Towers and Legoland) has already confirmed it’ll pass the savings on.
All of this should help make it easier to break up this summer’s camp-and-childcare rota with a few brilliant days out to entertain every generation of the family. Here are a few of our favourite options.
Best for: Active families
Gladiators Experience, NEC Birmingham
Delight your Gladiators-loving children (and your own inner child) with challenges inspired by the Wall, Hang Tough, Duel, Unleash and the Eliminator in this full-throttle family version of the BBC hit show. Contenders need to be at least 4ft tall to take part; bear in mind that VIP meet-and-greets with some of the most popular “Glads” will ramp up the ticket prices. Granny and grandpa can watch from the viewing gallery.
Spectator tickets for the Gladiators Experience cost from £23 (adult)/£18 (child)
Best for: Hands-on science fun
Magna Science Adventure Centre, Rotherham
Where to start, in the vast former Templeborough steelworks? Inside, it’s a choice among one of four awesome pavilions – Earth, Water, Air and Fire – or the Big Melt show. Outside, there’s a huge adventure playground and splash park. There are live pop music shows (August 15 and 22), plus Dig, Dino, Discover (July 18 to September 4), and all full-priced tickets can be converted to a Many Magna Returns Annual Pass.
Magna Science Adventure Centre tickets from £20.95 (adult)/£18.95 (child 4-15)/£9.50 (child 2-3); under-2s free
Best for: Nostalgic outdoor play
William’s Den, East Yorkshire
At the award-winning adventure play and camping site (which, bravo, is freezing admission rates at last year’s prices), celebrate the “legendary games, iconic anthems and unplugged joy” of being a child in the Eighties and Nineties in the Big Summer Rewind (from July 21). Summer Passes (£35pp, until September 1) give unlimited access to the indoor and outdoor Den, plus the woodland area.
All Day Adventure Play tickets for William’s Den cost from £8.35 adult/£12.55 child 3-17/£10.45 child 1-3
Best for: Culture for curious children
The Bowes Museum, County Durham
On selected dates this summer, 75-minute family sessions introduce children to one of British fashion’s most colourful characters: Vivienne Westwood, chronicled in the Rebel – Storyteller – Visionary exhibition (until September 6). At this grand château-style museum there are also Thursday Stay and Plays, the legendary Silver Swan (check her out at 11.45am or 2pm when you visit), nature trails and picnic areas.
Day tickets for the Bowes Museum from £20 (adult); under-18s, students and carers go free
Best for: Literary landscapes
The World of Beatrix Potter, Bowness-on-Windermere
Beatrix Potter, born 160 years ago this year, was greatly inspired by the Lake District, whose landscapes she immortalised in many of her best-loved books. For anyone who read them as a child, or perhaps reading them to children or grandchildren more recently, this attraction brings Peter Rabbit’s world to life. This summer, visitors can take afternoon tea with Peter Rabbit and enjoy Happy Birthday Peter Rabbit live shows.
Summer Saver tickets (June 25 to September 1) from £11.03 (adult)/£6.83 (child 3-16)
Best for: Aqua park adrenaline-chasing
Hinchingbrooke Aquapark, Cambridgeshire
Is there truly anything more fun than climbing, balancing, sliding and splashing your way round an inflatable aqua park? A new one is set to open on July 18; tickets for a one-hour session (ages six and up) include hire of a buoyancy aid, helmet and wetsuit. Afterwards, explore the 150-acre Hinchingbrooke Country Park and its playground, hill slide, zip wire, walking trails, picnic spots and quiet wildlife lake.
Tickets from £19pp
Best for: Book-loving children
The Story Museum, Oxford
Behind its deceptively modest entrance on Pembroke Street is a gloriously escapist haven, celebrating all that is fantastical about children’s fiction, from brilliant live storytelling to a new interactive exhibition (from July 18), Mystery Academy: School for Young Detectives. Delight in watching your children rediscover beloved authors and find new favourites as they listen, draw, touch, create and wonder to their heart’s content.
All-day tickets for The Galleries from £14.50 (adult and child 5+)/£7.50 (child 1-4)
Best for: Space, science and rainy days
Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium, Hampshire
A great one for a compact day out with the grandparents, with entertainment and education across two floors of exhibits, designed to wow children up to 12. They can find out what it’s like to live in space, learn British Sign Language, marvel at the planetarium and climb inside a giant guitar. Included in the ticket price are live “don’t try this at home” science demos.
Tickets for the Winchester Science Centre from £20.25 (adult)/£20.25 (child 3-16); under-3s free
Best for: Wild gardens and family trails
Wakehurst, West Sussex
The antidote to every fractious summer moment: let nature work her restorative magic at Kew’s wild Sussex-based cousin. Have a picnic in the Coronation Meadow, decompress in the Water Garden, spot giant handwoven creatures in the Wild Wood and marvel at the 2.5 billion seeds stored beneath your feet at the Millennium Seed Bank. Adults won’t want to miss the after-hours Latehurst music nights in July.
Wakehurst tickets from £18.50 (adult, including parking))/£4 (child 4-16); under-4s free
Best for: Creative indoor fun
Hove Museum of Creativity, Brighton & Hove
This museum near the seafront is pulling out all the stops to entertain this summer; a free option that’s not weather dependent is worth its weight in gold. Search paintings for animals in the themed Hop! Skip! Jump! exhibition (until September 6) plus enjoy garden play days (August 2-30), dragon-themed story sessions (on selected dates) and creative workshops.
Admission free; see Brighton Museums for more information
Best for: Ruins, steam trains and seaside scenery
Corfe Castle and Swanage Railway, Dorset
Start at the nearly 1,000-year-old Corfe Castle, established by William the Conqueror (free for National Trust members). There’ll be time for an ice cream stop in the village before a 5.5-mile trip on the Swanage Railway down to the beach for a paddle and pier walk; if you have older children, take on the walk between Corfe and Swanage.
Entry to Corfe Castle is free for National Trust members, or from £15 (adult)/£7.50 (child 5-17); under-5s free; Freedom All Day Tickets £27.50 (adult)/£14 (child 5+); see Swanage Railway
Best for: All-weather rides and play
The Milky Way Adventure Park, Devon
Rollercoasters, dodgems, bird shows, mini-golf, soft play, donut slide, bouncing pillows, obstacle course, maze, penalty shootout game… have you got the stamina for a day at the Milky Way? There is a ridiculous amount to do given the ticket prices, and there’s enough to keep teens as happy as younger siblings.
Park entry from £17.46 (adult)/£17.46 (child 3-17)/£10.06 (child 1-2)
Best for: Families with funny bones
Edinburgh Fringe, Scotland
If you’re up for braving the packed city during this festival (August 7-31), you’ll be rewarded by laughs aplenty. Book the Best of Edinburgh Fringe for Kids, a one-hour lineup of comedy, magic and variety performances, or Captivate Theatre’s Matilda Junior for primary-aged children. Watch street performers on the Royal Mile and climb Arthur’s Seat to add free entertainment and wandering to the mix.
Tickets for shows vary in price
Best for: Seabirds, boats and beaches
Scottish Seabird Centre, North Berwick
Make a day of it, or more; this is just a 35-minute train ride from Edinburgh. Plunge into Scottish marine life via the Discovery Experience, with games, virtual reality experiences, wildlife films and live cameras on one of the world’s largest Northern gannet colonies. There are also boat trips around the islands in the Firth of Forth during the summer.
Discovery Experience tickets from £13.50 (adult)/£9 (child 3-15); see Sea Bird Scotland for more information
Kynren – The Storied Lands, Bishop Auckland, County Durham
The UK’s first immersive live-action show park, built around British history, myth and legend, opens on July 18; expect to be awed by theatrical live shows featuring knights on horseback, birds in flight, water stunts and fire effects. An Epic Tale of England open-air show (selected evenings, July 18 to September 12) has a 7.5-acre stage and a cast and crew of 1,000 volunteers.
Kynren tickets £30 (adult)/£20 (child 4-17)
Best for: Bringing history to life
Crumlin Road Gaol, Belfast
“The Crum”, Northern Ireland’s only surviving Victorian-era prison, operated for 150 years before closing in 1996. Teens who devoured Horrible Histories will be captivated during a self-guided tour; audio, videos and holograms bring the prison’s dramatic and often gory history to life. Over-18s can book dinner then a solitary screening of a movie of their choice inside a C-Wing cell – not for the faint-hearted.
Tickets £17.50 (adult)/£15.50 (60+ and students)/£10.50 (child 5-15)
Best for: Lough views and Game of Thrones fans
Castle Ward, County Down
If the farmyard here looks familiar, it’s because it doubled as Winterfell, although there’s much more to Castle Ward than Game of Thrones. The 18th-century mansion house – one side Gothic, one side classical Palladian – has fantastic trails, woodland play parks and an all-important tea room. Explore play zones as part of its Summer of Play (July 11 to August 24).
Tickets £15 (adult)/£8.30 (child 5-17)/National Trust members and under-5s free
Best for: Storytelling and outdoor adventure
Winnie-the-Pooh at Tatton Park, Cheshire
Immerse yourself in the whimsical world of Pooh and friends at Tatton Park as it celebrates 100 years of the beloved honey-hued bear (July 18 to September 6). Grandparents and little ones alike will be charmed by the garden story trail; search for Christopher Robin in the maze before browsing in the secondhand bookshop.
Totally Tatton tickets from £20 (adult 16+)/£12 (child 4-15)
Best for: Welsh summer wandering
St Fagans National Museum of History, Cardiff
A brilliant free day out that takes in an open-air museum, farm and village in a run-around-in-the-grounds adventure. Families can roam among historic Welsh buildings, cottages, workshops, gardens and woodland paths, with plenty of space for picnics and small legs to burn off energy.
Admission free; see St Fagans for more information
Best for: Old-fashioned seaside summer
Cromer Carnival, Norfolk
If your summer needs an injection of old-school bucket-and-spade fun, Cromer’s carnival is a gloriously traditional seaside week built around children, complete with pier, beach and funfair atmosphere. There are two weeks of games and challenges in early August – think sand creature creations and crab catching – followed by Carnival Week (August 15-21).
Attendance free; see Cromer Carnival for more information