Fun days out for the whole family

With the school holidays almost upon us, thoughts are turning to ways of keeping the kids entertained during the summer months. From organised activities to adventures and outings, whatever your budget, make the most of your time together with fun-filled family days out.  

Here's some suggestions for things to do with the family.

Get out and about in the great outdoors

In glorious weather, what better way to spend the day than enjoying a sunny day at the seaside? While teenagers lounge on their towels reading the latest John Green book, curious toddlers can get creative with sandcastles. You are never to old to paddle in the sea, jumping over the waves and feeling the sand beneath your feet. Enjoy some candy floss, a cone of chips or an ice cream on the promenade and relive those sunny days from your own childhood holidays.

You could check out nearby nature trails, beauty spots or picturesque parks. You could enjoy a relaxing day with kite flying and a family picnic or get more energetic with a cycle ride followed by a play in an adventure playground. Kids love feeding the ducks, climbing trees, building dens or searching for mini-beasts.  If you are on a budget, days out in the great outdoors can be practically cost free yet so much fun. Fresh air and exercise is great for tiring out the little ones!

Discover cultural delights on your doorstep

When the British weather is at its best, the UK offers a wealth of outdoor entertainment. From heritage events at historical hotspots to treetop adventures to festivals, you can enjoy family fun in the sun. If the weather fails to deliver you can still have fun by heading off to enjoy an indoor activity. From museums with interactive activities to stately homes and spectacular castles, children of all ages can explore the culture and history of the UK while avoiding the rain!

Great value days out

Look for discounts and promotions that can allow you and the family to visit places for less – there are plenty of these advertised over the summer months.  Don't forget to check the offers available from Tesco Clubcard for some bargain days.

Investing in annual membership for certain attractions or organisations can be a great investment if you intend to visit numerous locations throughout the year. Merlin Entertainments – who own Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures, Legoland and Alton Towers as well as Warwick Castle, the Dungeons and the SeaLife Centres – offer great value season passes giving you year round entry to all their attractions plus discounts on food, gifts and hotel stays. 

You can also get membership for places like the National Trust to enjoy access to over 500 special places of interest such as historic houses, castles, forests, woodland, beaches and nature reserves. You get to experience history firsthand, which children love!

Enjoy high octane entertainment

For thrill seeking families, there is an abundance of family fun venues across the length and breadth of the country for big days out.  From theme parks to safari parks and zoos, there is so much choice. We recently visited Chester Zoo and can highly recommend it as a great family day out for animal enthusiasts.

Alton Towers remains our favourite theme park. Older children can enjoy the excitement of the rollercoasters and the big rides, while little ones play in the new CBeebies Land with mum or dad!  There are also acres of beautiful gardens to explore if you want a quiet moment away from the crowds.  The SeaLife Centre and the Ice Age 4D cinema are all-weather attractions you can visit while you are there too. The all day dining plan is a great value idea allowing families to eat and drink all day for one inclusive price.  It's a great treat for a special occasion.

Film lovers can head to the Leavesden film studios and enjoy the magic of the epic story of J K Rowling’s Harry Potter, which has become the most successful film series of all time and the Harry Potter tour takes you behind the scenes to discover its secrets.

From the Great Hall to the shop front of Gringotts Wizarding Bank, this unique walking tour takes in the remarkable sets that helped to recreate the magic on the silver screen. The extraordinary animatronics, special effects and power of the green screen uncover how some of the most spectacular scenes evolved. Visitors can also view an amazing, hand-crafted replica of Hogwarts Castle, alongside many models, renowned artefacts and much-loved characters and creatures. Families who are potty about Potter will love this magical, fun-filled family day out. It's on our list of places to go this summer!

Whatever you choose to do this summer, I hope you have a fantastic time making lots of special memories with the family.

The Great Outdoors

With the sun shining and the temperatures rising, yesterday was the perfect day for heading off to the beautiful town of Ellesmere for a walk around the mere.  It's a beautiful area, rich with wildlife and nature.  It was wonderful to enjoy and explore the great outdoors together as a family, having fun and making magical memories.

Climbing trees to reach the sky.

Enjoying the sunshine and expressing ourselves, creating shadow pictures on the ground.

Nesting birds with their gorgeous babies make us stop to gaze.

Trees that have fallen provide a haven for wildlife and make a beautiful natural sculpture.

Exploring our surroundings, discovering exciting things and learning about nature.

 Riding high on Daddy's shoulders so you can reach the leaves on the trees.

Perfectly pretty flowers adding splashes of colour to the landscape. (11 year old Kizzy took this photo, which I think is an excellent shot capturing the beauty of a simple buttercup!)

Adventures await as we discover play areas where you can jump, climb, balance and swing.

Role Playing as Harry Potter armed with a stick wand, casting spells as you go.

Coming together as a family, spending quality time with those you love.

Swans gracefully swim alongside us as we make our way home.

This post has been inspired by the Center Parcs May Challenge and the tip to create a photographic scavenger hunt.  We have come up with a photo to represent each of the letters to spell out CENTER PARCS whilst capturing family moments and the wildlife around us!

‘This is my entry to the Center Parcs and Tots100 May challenge. If I’m chosen, I would like to visit Whinfell.’

Family Bank Holiday Days Out Infographic

With two May bank holiday weekends ahead, it is the perfect excuse to organise a family day out.  Fingers crossed for a bit of sunny weather!

In the below infographic you'll find a variety of suggestions for great days out, along with some great money saving offers to help stretch the budget. It also reveals the results of a survey that was carried out in which 70 parenting bloggers (including me) were asked about their family habits for days out.

Image source: MoneySupermarket Travel Insurance

Family Winter Walks

The beach is usually seen as a summer destination, but during the winter months the seaside can be a magical destination for a beautiful brisk walk that is incredibly invigorating.  The coast takes on a completely different complexion when the tourist industry shuts up shop.  The beachfront ice cream vendors and souvenir shops no longer infuse their brand of cheap and cheerful tackiness into the environment.  Things are stripped back to the rawness of nature.

The brisk chill in the air, the sound of the icy waves crashing onto the shore and the feel of the stones under your booted feet is a world away from the experience of holiday season. There are no crowds to contend with.  The only noises are the seagulls, the wind and the sounds of the sea.  It is so peaceful, devoid of human activity, and makes you feel at one with the environment.

Getting out with the kids on a winter, beachfront walk is simply wonderful.  They throw stones into the surf, they search for rocks that are interestingly shaped and breathe in the fresh air, watching their own exhaled breath hang in the air like mist.  The coldness prickles at your face and you can taste the salt on your lips.  

Wrapped up cosily against the chill air keeps us protected from the cold but we are still ready to find a cafe in town to buy some hot chocolate.

Seeing places and experiencing them in all weathers really makes you appreciate nature in all its different guises.  Winter adds its own brand of beauty and it's ours to enjoy.

Bognor Beach in December

Safari...so good!

I do love a family day out.  It beats a romantic meal for two or a night out anytime!  I love seeing the kids having fun and experiencing new things.  So this weekend we headed off for West Midlands Safari Park.  It was a particularly exciting day because I was also meeting up with the lovely ladies behind The Crazy Kitchen and The Boy and Me!

The award winning West Midlands Safari Park is in Bewdley.  It boasts a 4 mile long, 100 acre drive through safari where you can get up close and personal with a host of wild animals.  It also has a funfair with 26 rides and attractions, a Discovery Trail and the new walk through Lemur Woods.

There are cafes, kiosks and shops that cater for all your needs while you are there.  There are also picnic benches and plenty of grassy spots for relaxing.

When we arrived we went through the drive through admissions' booth for our tickets which was really efficient.  Adult admission is £13.99, children cost £11.99 and under 3's are free.  Each paid for ticket includes a free return ticket for another visit making it excellent value for money! You can also buy animal food to feed the deer and antelopes.  Once you have driven through the gates you are free to enter the safari or park up and go into the rest of the exhibits.  We headed for the drive through safari.

Drive through admissions booth

Animal food at the ready!

The drive through takes approximately one and a quarter hours, but during busy times this can take a lot longer.  A rogue giraffe in the middle of the road can slow down proceedings considerably!

You can come face to face with some of the world's most amazing animals in the open enclosures.  Some come right up to your car looking for food, others brazenly walk down the middle of the road with no regard for the cars!  The kids absolutely loved seeing the animals in such close quarters.

After our encounter with the animals we parked up and entered the Lost City Plaza.   The arcade is full of shops and places to grab some food.  It leads into the Discovery Trail where you can experience a variety of talks, encounters and shows.  We saw a Reptile Encounter featuring some very large snakes!

We went to the Explorers cafe for lunch.  The hot food was a bit school dinnery and the choice was limited for us as vegetarians, but it was OK.  When I go again, I think I'll bring food from home because there are a lot of nice spots to sit on the grass for a picnic, and the car park is close enough so you wouldn't have to lug a picnic basket around all day.

West Midlands Safari Park includes an amusement park for which you need to purchase wristbands for unlimited rides.  Individual tickets (£6 for 3)  can be purchased but at £10.99 for children and £11.50 for adults, the wristbands are better value for money if you are going to hit the rides in a big way.  Our kids did just that!  The price of the rides does make the day a lot more expensive, especially if buying for all the family.

There are 26 rides and attractions and the queues were quite short meaning our children really made the most of their wrist bands.  With rides for all ages including flumes, dodgems and roller coasters there is something to suit all levels of adrenaline junkie!

Pirate Ship

Swings

Rhino Coaster

It would have been nice if there were some rides for toddlers that were free to use.  A wristband for tiny tots costs £7.99.  My son had one go on a ride before bursting into tears and refusing to go on any more.  Toddlers are temperamental little creatures and their behaviour can be unpredictable.  £7.99 is a lot of money to lose if your child doesn't want to go on the rides.  As under threes get into the zoo for free, maybe they should get a few rides for free too.

Help Me Mummy!

We spent a whole day at West Midlands Safari Park.  The kids had a fabulous time and Kizzy certainly had good value from her wristband.  The return ticket is a really nice touch and we're planning a return visit later in the year.

For more details visit www.wmsp.co.uk.  You can also book tickets online and save £1 per ticket!

*I received 2 adult admission tickets in order to do this review.*