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12:01PM BST 18 Jul 2011
If you have school-age children, you’re either bracing yourself for the end of term or tearing your hair out after a week or so of “I’m bored” echoing around the house. Even if you have a summer holiday booked, there will be several empty weeks to fill before you can pack off your charges for the new school year. So here is our guide to what’s on in July and August, and some suggested child-friendly bolt-holes for a last-minute short break.
Bedruthan Steps, Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
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Overlooking the sea and set above a classic north Cornwall surfing beach, the hotel is really well set up for children with indoor and outdoor pool, spa, surf school, golf nearby, indoor and outdoor play areas, children’s clubs and high tea.
Guesthouse East, Eastbourne, East Sussex
Rent one of these stylishly decorated apartments, close to the beach, and you have the option of self-catering or b&b.
Calcot Manor, near Tetbury, Gloucestershire
A very civilised Cotswolds hotel, where just one night can work wonders for frazzled parents. The secret is the Playzone, a large, free and staffed indoor playroom, with an adjoining Ofsted-registered crèche. Other facilities include a superb spa with indoor pool, an outdoor pool and play area, a large garden, children’s high tea and an excellent restaurant.
Druidstone, Broad Haven, Pembrokeshire
A relaxed and friendly small hotel that is likely to be full of families during the school holidays. This is emphatically not a designer hotel, and not all rooms are en suite, but it is quirky and charming, with one of the best sea views in Wales from its clifftop setting, and a wide beach with rock pools down below. The food is also very good.
Center Parcs, Whinfell Forest, Cumbria
This is a good all-weather option for families. If it’s dry, you can rent bikes to cycle through the forest, or sign up for activities including archery, falconry and sailing. If wet, there are indoor courses such as photography, and free use of the large subtropical “Swimming Paradise”.
Come to Good Farm, near Truro, Cornwall
Families are encouraged to get involved in feeding chickens and collecting eggs at this friendly b&b on a working farm. The Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan are nearby.
Landmark Trust, London
The trust rents out attractively restored self-catering houses and apartments in historic settings around the country, from follies to water towers.
The Lovestruck at Mohr, Lochearnhead, Perthshire
Set on the banks of Loch Voil and in the grounds of the Mohr Hotel, this charmingly renovated horse truck sleeping four looks like something from a Roald Dahl story. There is plenty of space for children to let off steam, and you can treat yourself at the Mohr’s celebrated restaurant.
Ten great family days out
Giffords Circus, Cotswolds
A small, traditional and utterly charming touring circus of a sort that would once have graced England’s commons and village greens in summer. This year the talented company of geese, tumbling pigeons, clowns and musicians are putting on War and Peace at the Circus, a family show inspired by Tolstoy’s novel.
Chatsworth, Derbyshire
Trailing round a historic house is likely to bore most children, but the grounds of some contain excellent adventure playgrounds. Chatsworth’s woodland playground has dizzying slides, towers, rope bridges and giant sandpits – and a petting farm nearby.
Ironbridge Gorge, Shropshire
The museums provide a tremendous day out for families and the highlight is Blists Hill, a re-creation of a Victorian town, which on July 30 and 31 is having a “Treasure Island” weekend. Actors will portray scenes of mutiny from Robert Louis Stevenson’s book, children can follow a treasure trail and an old cargo boat will become the Hispaniola.
Drayton Manor Theme Park, Tamworth, Staffs
This is a good choice for families with big age gaps among the children. It has Thomas Land for younger children and satisfyingly gruesome rides such as Apocalypse for teenagers. For eight weeks from July 25 acrobatic divers will perform three shows a day, plunging from more than 80ft. Highlights include synchronised dives, clown dives and a fire dive.
Imperial War Museum, London
The brilliant exhibition Once Upon A Wartime brings children’s stories about war dramatically to life. Wander through life-size sets of scenes from books including War Horse and Carrie’s War and explore their themes of loyalty, separation, survival and identity.
Blue Planet Aquarium, Cheshire
It may not seem like the most natural suggestion for responsible parents, but one of the most exciting activities this summer has to be the Junior Shark Encounter at this Cheshire aquarium, which has the largest collection of sharks in Europe. Children aged eight to 15 – who need to be confident swimmers – can go nose to fin with some of the smaller residents, including blacktip reef sharks, in the nursery tank.
Summer days out in Britain: 11 of the best for families
Bodiam Castle, Sussex
Castles don’t normally hold the interest of younger children for long, but at this spectacular setting in East Sussex on August 13 and 14 there will be sieges, gruesome battles, medieval minstrels and a history encampment to keep their attention. Battles include horseback jousting by the Knights of Arkley, a professional re-enactment group. Every day the castle will be opened in medieval style with a procession of men-at-arms and the “Black Knight”.
Lee Valley White Water Centre, Hertfordshire
As the build-up grows to London 2012, there is a unique chance for teenagers aged 14 and over and their parents to get a taster of the Olympics at the site where the canoeing and kayaking events will take place. It is the only new London 2012 venue to open for public use.
Conkers, National Forest
Set in the heart of the National Forest, Conkers could be the ideal place in which to encourage a bit of self-sufficiency among your children. Crafts being taught every day by rangers on the 120 acres of land include shelter building, tracking and foraging.
Royal Armouries, Leeds
There is an impressive range of events for children at the Royal Armouries this summer, not least being Commando Kidz, an adventure zone with an inflatable assault course and magnetic climbing wall .
Other highlights include a crossbow range and interactive displays showing what it would be like to ride into battle in full armour.
Summer days out in Britain: 11 of the best for families
Five family festivals
All prices are for a weekend with camping.
Port Eliot
This literary festival, held on a Cornish estate, offers comedy, films in an open-air cinema and swimming in the River Lynher. In the rhododendron garden is The Hullabaloo, a place for children to exercise their imagination and enter a world of fairies, giants and pirates. The Rogue Theatre group is planning performances, puppet shows, dance and jewellery-making workshops. There will also be Victorian fairground games and a poetry takeaway where leading poets will write personalised verse to order.
Camp Bestival
A good choice if you want to combine a family atmosphere with top-quality bands and DJs. This year’s diverse musical highlights include Primal Scream, Blondie, House of Pain and Groove Armada. Attractions for children include a teddy bears’ picnic, appearances from Dick and Dom, live performances by Shrek the Musical, Sooty and Sweep and The Gruffalo, plus dedicated theatre and comedy sessions.
WOMAD
This world music gathering has an on-site arboretum filled with art and plenty of activities for children, making it a firm family favourite. Parents can soothe away camping aches and pains in the spa, while little ones can create their own masterpieces and take part in music workshops, culminating in a site-wide carnival procession. This year, there is music from Rodrigo y Gabriela, Bellowhead and Gogol Bordello as well as many other acts from abroad. The programme also promises exotic food and cookery lessons.
Croissant Neuf Summer Party
A solar-powered big top is the focus of this independent festival, which can trace its sustainable roots back to the Green Fields area at Glastonbury. Its attempts to be a low-impact event are impressive: three trees are planted for every car that arrives. Attractions include silly Olympic games, workshops, crafts, a treasure hunt and a lantern parade. The festival is held in a secret location in the rolling Monmouthshire hills.
Festinho
An oversized garden party with a Brazilian theme and charitable aims, set in the grounds of a manor house. Croquet is played on the lawn; a wander in the woods reveals giant games of Mousetrap and Hungry Hippos. The main stage is enclosed in a walled garden and indoors there are a café, bar and cinema to escape to should it rain. Sleeping bags are required for human caterpillar racing and there is also a bonfire for marshmallow-toasting plus a nightly fireshow and “silent disco”.
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