Tag: ideas

Spring blossoms

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As Spring arrives pretty blossoms begin to bloom, so come and see them in all their glory…

RHS Wisley, Woking
There is always plenty to look at when you visit these beautiful gardens including spring blossom! Families can follow fun trails and join in with the great children’s activities on offer too.

The Blossom Trail, Vale of Evesham, Worcestershire
Follow a 45-mile wonderful journey through beautiful countryside and quaint villages lined with pretty cherry and apple blossom trees. This region has been famous for its fruit growing since medieval times.

National Botanic Garden of Wales, Carmarthen
These gardens are a great place to bring the family to see the very beautiful Japanese blossom in the Japanese Gardens. There are flower meadows and lakes to explore set in over 500 acres of parkland.

Cherry Blossom in Abundance, Kew Gardens, London

Kew is always a beautiful place to visit but when the blossom trees are in full flower it is extra special! Find the prettiest ones just behind the rose garden at the back of the palm house.

Kyoto Garden – Holland Park, London
The arrival of blossom in Japan is nothing less than magical and is widely celebrated. The Japanese Kyoto Gardens will offer a little taste of this far away country and is home to koi carp and very pretty cherry blossom in a very peaceful setting.

Acorn Bank, Cumbria
These beautiful grounds, house and gardens are a tranquil haven that have an industrial past. The gardens are well known for their orchards with and in the spring you can see carpets of snowdrops, daffodils and pretty fruit blossom. Wander along to find the restored watermill and look out for wildlife in the woods.

St Andrew Square, Edinburgh
Take some time out in this lovely city to visit this tranquil square in the heart of Edinburgh and see the cherry blossoms in the spring sunshine.

The Alnwick Garden, Northumberland
This garden is a magical place to bring a family and has sky walkways and rope bridges to explore. Visit the Cherry Orchard which promises to be a sea of pink and entice the kids to make cherry blossom snow angels amongst the fallen petals!

Kingston Lacy, Dorset.
The enigmatic gardens of this stately home spring into life with gorgeous cherry blossom in the Japanese Garden and white apple blossom in the Kitchen Garden and orchards so a family walk is guaranteed to offer a lovely day out for everyone!

Greenwich Park, London
This park was once the hunting ground for Henry VIII and is London’s oldest enclosed Royal Park. Behind the cricket pitch lies a stunning pink candy floss arch that will bring a happy smile to anyone’s face!

Active Family days out

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British Motor Museum

The newly refurbished British Motor Museum is home to the world’s largest collection of historic British cars – from the very first Land Rover to Lady Penelope’s FAB1.

Experience the sights, sounds and stories of the British motor industry and get ‘under the skin’ with our interactive exhibits. Explore how motoring and family life has changed through the decades as the cars are brought to life by costumed explainers and free guided tours.

Family trails and school holiday children’s activities add to the family fun, whatever the weather! Nearest train stations are Warwick or Banbury.

10am – 5pm daily

Arundel Castle

For a lovely day out with the family, visit Arundel Castle which is set high on a hill in West Sussex. Steeped in 1,000 years of history, Arundel Castle offers a full day out with guided and free-flow tours of the finely preserved castle rooms, including the Baron’s Hall, 14th Century Catholic Fitzalan Chapel, Regency Library and Victorian bedrooms.

There are also opportunities to ascend the Norman Motte and Keep and enjoy The Collector Earl’s Garden, which was opened by HRH The Prince of Wales in 2008. Special event prices apply for the Castle Siege and International Jousting and Medieval Tournament.

Bracknell Leisure Centre

Get active on a day out with the kids in Berkshire! There’s plenty of fun to be found for the whole family at Bracknell Leisure Centre. The range of facilities and activities will get you and your children burning off excess energy and creating healthy habits for life.

Family tickets are available for the swimming pools enabling everyone to get splashing and save money! There are also plenty of badminton courts and tennis tables available. With lots of other bookable and pay-as-you-go activities such as soccer dribblers, tweeny tumblers, fun sessions, go karts and gymnastics, it’s a great place to go with the kids over the summer.

The Time Out Café and Bar is ideal for meeting and unwinding during a visit to the leisure centre. This warmly decorated and comfortable venue offers a mouth-watering menu and an excellent choice of snacks. Choose from a menu including sandwiches, panini’s, jacket potatoes, soup of the day as well as a daily special. Inflatable Aqua Run and Water Walker birthday parties for children are available.

Roald Dahl Children’s Gallery

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We’re always delighted to discover an indoor day out for those miserable rainy days.

If you fancy a spontaneous visit to Roald Dahl Children’s Gallery in Aylesbury – it won’t disappoint, packed with fun and exciting children’s things to do and see, your little one’s will love this.

You purchase your ticket through the Buckinghamshire Museum next door and then walk around the corner to the glass elevator and ring the doorbell where one of the team will let you in, take your coats and show you the way.

The gallery is a fully interactive experience with exhibits inspired by Roald Dahl’s stories. Children had delight in crawling through Fantastic Mr Fox’s tunnel and looking at minibeasts and other items through the telescopes inside James’ Giant Peach. They found the sounds they could make with the BFG exhibit hilarious and spent ages in the “freeze your own shadow” room.

The gallery is educational, interactive and fun, you can spend a good 2 hours in the gallery and then you can visit the Buckinghamshire museum, which had a number of exhibits to keep the children entertained. The museum also has a café if you fancy a drink or something to eat while you’re there.

Details:
Location: Roald Dahl Children’s Gallery, Bucks County Museum, Church Street, Aylesbury HP20 2QP
Tel: 01296 331441

Opening times for the Roald Dahl Children’s Gallery:
Summer opening 1 April to 29 October: Saturdays 10am – 5pm.

School Holiday Openings
October Half Term
21 – 28 October: open Monday to Saturday 10am – 5pm

Prices:
Child (4-17yrs) £5.50
Under 4s: By Donation
Adult: £7.70
Family/group ticket: £22.00 (4 people including at least 1 adult).

Henley River & Rowing Museum

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The museum is set on the river Thames in the beautiful town of Henley with it’s own car park, a large play park nearby and a gorgeous view of the river.

The general theme of the museum is around the river and rowing as the name suggests which in itself is fascinating but if you’re a parent, grandparent or carer with little ones this place is fantastic.

As you walk in you’re greeted by the friendly team on reception where you purchase your ticket or show your season pass and then you’re free to explore. The Wind in the Willows exhibition which is absolutely fantastic and manages to bring to life the much-loved story with 3D models, lighting and music.

Upstairs is full of interesting displays informing us about the river and the history of rowing with rowing machines, interactive wildlife exhibits and a large play area for children with colouring, dressing up, a shop, a puppet show and much more.

The museum has a calendar full of different exhibitions throughout the year, and on our visit there was the Barbara Hepworth: Finding Form exhibition which celebrates the work of one of the country’s most renowned sculptors.

Details of Henley River & Rowing Museum
Location: Mill Meadows, Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 1BF, UK
Cost: Adult Ticket £12.50 | Child (4-16) £9.95 (Unlimited entry for 12 months)
Opening hours: 10.00am – 5.00pm

Fun for all ages

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Waterparks, Zoos, festivals and many more, there’s plenty of fun for all ages in store!

Camp Bestival, Lulworth Estate

Family fun is at the very heart of this festival and there’s a whole boatload of activities for everyone young and old(er!) to enjoy. Large areas of the festival site are dedicated to kids, including BigTop Mania in the ‘Upper Kids Garden’, where they can learn a circus skill or two, or burn off some steam on bikes and go-karts! For parents, Simple Minds, Rick Astley, and Clean Bandit top the lineup, and here are a whole host of comedians and other attractions on offer.
Longleat, Warminster

You really won’t be short of fun when you visit Longleat. Explore the stunning house and grounds and come up close to lions, monkeys and more on the safari drive through! Over 100 hand-painted panda statues have also taken over the park so you can discover the beautiful designs while you explore!

Disneyland Paris, France

Who doesn’t love a bit of magic at Disneyland Paris? Marvel is taking over the park with their Summer of Super Heroes so you can see your favourite heroes. Take on some of the rides too, such as Big Thunder Mountain and the Tower of Terror!
Zip World, Betws-y-Coed, Wales

For adventurers, head to Zip World in North Wales for exhilarating experiences on the ground and in the air! Bounce up in the sky on the Treetop Nets, or whizz through the forest on the Fforest Coaster. You can even slide and bounce around underground at Bounce Below! BOOK NOW.
The Monster Tour, various locations

The World’s biggest bouncy castle is travelling around the UK throughout summer along with live DJs, the mega ball pit, and delicious food and drinks. Kids hour runs from 10-11am for those aged 11-15 years. Afterwards, adults can enjoy the fun-fest for themselves!

Siam Park, Tenerife

No trip to Tenerife is complete without a visit to Siam Park! Voted the number 1 water park in the world by Tripadvisor, the park offers a fun-filled, action-packed day for the whole family. From the Mai Thai lazy river and the sandy beach to the adrenaline pumping Tower of Power and Kinnaree, there’s literally something for everyone.

ArcelorMittal Orbit, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London

Take in breathtaking views of London from the 360-degree viewing platform before riding the world’s tallest, longest and fastest tunnel slide! Enjoy 178 metres of twists and turns as you take in London’s skyline at speed going down the slide.

The Medieval Banquet, London

One of London’s most exciting interactive experiences and a great family must-do in London at any time of year. As a royal guest, you will be led down to the Great Hall to mingle with medieval and mystical characters and be treated to a 4-course banquet with drinks and a fantastic array of entertainment. Including professionally trained fighting knights, acrobats, musicians, dancers and court jesters.

Up at the O2, London

Reach new heights and take in a stunning view of London when you enjoy this exhilarating guided expedition over the roof of the O2! This is a thrilling 90 minute experience over the 380m long O2 walkway, which, at the steepest point, has a 28° incline on the way up and 30° on the way back down!

Active fun for the whole family

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Here’s some active fun the whole family can share!
1. Jump for joy at Oxygen Freejumping

Whatever the weather burn off some energy on over 100 interconnected trampolines, dodgeball courts, giant airbags, walk-the-wall trampolines and more! The UK’s ultimate trampoline park playground has locations all around the country.
2. Monkey around in the trees!

Swing, zip, balance and jump your way through the trees on the Tree Top Adventure courses at GoApe! Younger adventurers will love Tree Top Junior, a lower and easier version. Explore the rugged trails along the forest floor with the awesome Segway experiences, or if you love to Zipwire then the Zip Trekking will definitely be on your bucket list!

3. Make Household Chores Fun

Whilst it’s easy for the kids to dismiss chores as boring, why not try and turn them into a fun game to get them moving? Challenge them to see how many toys they can put away in a minute… A bit of competition might be all it takes to get them running around the house!
2. Sneak in More Steps

This is a super easy way to make sure you’re moving as much as possible. There are lots of ways to sneak in some more steps, from parking the car a few roads away, taking the stairs instead of the lift and more!
3. Go on a Weekend Walk

Get outside this weekend as a family. See if you can get little ones naming what wildlife and flowers they can spot on their travels! It doesn’t have to be far, as there’s sure to be something interesting at every corner. Our Wintery Walks blog may inspire you!

4. Music Motivation

If you’re looking for a way to get your little ones active and ready for school in record time, why not throw on an upbeat playlist that they love and see if they can get ready before the songs are over. Shameless dancing around the kitchen is optional.
5. Gardening with Kids

Prepping the garden for spring and summer is the perfect (yet deceiving) way to get your little ones eager to move. Get them weeding, plant-potting and watering flowers to give them some TV-free time.
6. Weekly Sports Night

This one is great for getting the family together and being active. Whether it’s football in the park, bike riding or going for a swim, there are lots of options available to keep things interesting each week!

Kids Golf days-out

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Ready for the challenge and wondering where the best mini golf near you is located? We’ve teed up some of the best mini golf courses in the UK, so all that’s left to do is grab a club and set off in search of that elusive hole-in-one…

Birmingham Mini Golf, Birmingham
Found within the popular Cannon Hill Park in Moseley, Golden Putter Mini Golf is filled with putting islands, bridges and wild waterfalls to put you to the test. Choose from 18 or 36 outdoor holes and see if you can make it on to their ultimate leaderboard. After, make sure you check out the rest of the park too!

Best for: A jam-packed day out

The Lost City, Nottingham
Delve into the deepest rainforest to uncover the Lost City Adventure Golf, home to two 18-hole indoor courses designed to put you to the test. Follow the Temple Trail where you can try and get a hole in one at Stone Face Rock, spot lucky parrots and slither past the 23 ft long snake, all aiming to reach the Temple. Intrepid explorers should opt for the Sacred Skull course, navigating alligators, Bengal Tigers and dragons, before tackling the challenging 17th and 18th holes.

Best for: The bravest of little explorers

Congo River Crazy Golf, Leicester
Giving a little taste of the sunshine state, this Florida-style adventure golf course is the ultimate n family fun. Putt your way through Congo River Crazy Golf 18 outdoor holes, navigating tunnels, inclines and even a broken-down plane – how close can you get to par? With no need to book in advance, it’s the ideal spontaneous family fun day out in the East Midlands. This mini golf course is indoors, like many others on the list, which makes it a good day out when the weather isn’t great – it’s a good choice for winter school breaks.

Best for:Last-minute family fun

Paradise Island, Manchester
There’s much more than just shopping at intu Trafford Centre, including two tropical adventure golf courses! Choose the Tiki Hut Trail or Temple Runs Adventure course, or combine both for a whopping 36-hole adventure, all under one roof. With two levels of paradise-themed golf fun, this is sure to bring out your competitive edge!

Best for: When 18 crazy golf holes just aren’t enough…

Dinosaur Safari, Barnet
Setting the scene for adventure in North London, you’ll find this crazy dinosaur golf course under the watchful eye of nine prehistoric dinosaurs! Compete for glory around the 18-hole outdoor course for adventure golf with plenty of bite, but be sure not to blame the roaring dinosaurs for any wayward putts…

Best for:
Dinosaur loving little ‘uns

Festive Movies for the family

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Here are some classic festive Movies for the whole family to enjoy..

1. Elf

This classic from 2003 is a staple in our household. Buddy (Will Ferrell) is different from all of Santa’s other elves: he’s “a cotton-headed ninny muggins” when it comes to making toys, he’s 6’3″, and he’s human! So one special December, he sets off on an adventure to New York City in search of his real dad. A funny, sweet-as-a-candy-cane Christmas film for all the family.

2. Home Alone

Another classic family Christmas film featuring Macaulay Culkin. When Kevin’s family leave for vacation, they forget one minor detail: Kevin! Eight-year-old Kevin McCallister takes on two bumbling burglars who are trying to break in. Written and produced by John Hughes, this slapstick adventure is an entertaining watch for all the family.

3. The Nightmare Before Christmas

Delve into this animated musical fantasy set in a parallel world where different lands represent different holiday periods. Jack Skellington, a man from Halloween, becomes converted to Christmas and sets out to spread joy in the world! However, Jack’s new mission leads him to kidnap Santa and it becomes clear that he’s not really in tune with the Yuletide spirit. This was the first full-length feature to use stop-motion animation throughout.

4. The Grinch

Benedict Cumberbatch is the voice of The Grinch in this 2018 remake. The Grinch lives alone in a cave, and he likes peace and quiet. When his neighbours’ Christmas celebrations threaten to disrupt his tranquillity, there’s only one option: to steal Christmas. They’re going to make this Christmas three times bigger than usual, so the Grinch’s only choice is to be even nastier to teach them a lesson. And so he disguises himself as Father Christmas to carry out his scheme… Head to your local cinema to catch this Christmas classic!

5. The Muppet Christmas Carol

Join Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and all the hilarious Muppets in this merry, magical version of the classic Charles Dickens tale. Michael Caine plays Ebenezer Scrooge in a performance that’s anything but “bah, humbug!” One fateful Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. The Spirits open Scrooge’s eyes and heart to the true meaning of Christmas. A heartwarming tale everyone will enjoy.

6. Toy Story

Cowboy Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) is Andy’s favourite toy. He tries to calm the other toys during Andy’s birthday party, who are worried that newer toys may replace them! Sure enough, Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear is the new toy that takes over the throne. Kids of all ages will love this film if they haven’t already seen it. To see you right the way through the Christmas period.

7. Shrek The Halls

The Christmas edition Shrek adventure hit screens in 2008 and is a short hilarious film that will get everyone in the festive spirit. Follow Shrek, Fiona, Donkey and all the gang as they prepare for Christmas Day.

8. The Polar Express

Tom Hanks lends his voice to another magical family classic in The Polar Express. Late on Christmas Eve night, a boy lies in bed hoping to hear the sound of reindeer bells from Santa’s sleigh. To his surprise, he hears a steam engine’s roar and whistle outside his window instead! The conductor (Hanks) invites him on board to take an extraordinary journey to the North Pole with many other pyjama-clad children. There, he receives an extraordinary gift only those who still believe in Santa can experience.

Making your own traditions

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Nothing is more adorable than a baby’s first time doing just about anything, and what better occasion to start new traditions than their first birthday?

Unfortunately, with all of the charm and attention being poured into decorations, food, and organising, we often forget to relax and enjoy a few firsts with our little ones. Here are a few fun traditions new and old to help you make this day special for years to come.

The first year of your child’s life has undoubtedly been filled with very sweet and not so sweet stories. One tradition you may consider starting would be to share a few of your favourite stories from the past year. In the beginning, this may just mean you reminiscing with fellow parents, but as your little boy or girl gets older you can share these stories with their friends.

A memory box is a fun memorable way to collect the most sentimental pieces from your children’s parties and safely store them until you’re ready to share the memories. You could collect photos, cards, their first outfit, their special book and anything that brings back memories.

Parents dressing their little ones in the same (or similar) outfits every year for a single photograph has been going on longer than we may realize. Of course we take photos of our children nearly every day with our phones, but having an annual photo of your child wearing the same ensemble or pretty cotton dress is something special. It’s something they can look forward to each year (until their teens) and you can look forward to seeing how much they’ve grown and developed their personality.

This may be the time to have a Photographer take over; they have a knack for capturing those adorable poses.

Remember, the most beautiful moments in your child’s life are the ones they spend with friends and family, and the experiences you share together. So take the time to relive old traditions or create new ones, they make for the best memories.

A crafty Birthday Party for girls

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Are you looking for an activity for a girls birthday party? How about some cool jewellery making, girls of all ages love designing and making their own fun bracelets, necklaces and keyrings. A great way to get all the family involved too.

Just pick the bead mixes that you fancy and mix and match together. You will be amazed at the results from the children.

You could put out a fun choice of beads in different bowls on your party table for the kids to see, e.g. large wooden multi-coloured beads, alphabet beads, stripy beads, heart beads and lovely heart, star and flower silver charms. The kids will mix and match to their heart’s content. Add some simple knots here and there for an extra funky look. Little tip, give the kids a wooden peg each to put on one end of the cord whilst they are threading on beads so that they don’t drop and lose any.

Elastic work well with kids, they are easy to tie knots in, not like some cords which can be stiff. Fitting bracelets on children’s wrists is also easier with elastic. Make sure they double knot at the end.

Beads are an idea for lots of craft activities, not just for jewellery making:
String up some alphabet beads on cord or ribbon and tie as a tassel on a book spine or as a bookmark.

Decorate a photo frame with mixed colourful beads using PVA glue
Dangle some beads on a split ring for a Key Ring idea
Personalise your PE Kit Bag or Pencil Case by stitching on some alphabet beads

We recommend the following quantities needed for children’s jewellery making:
Bracelet – 0.5m per child
Necklace – 1m per child
Key Rings – 0.5m per child

Most of all it will keep the children happy for hours and of course they will always have a keepsake to remind them of their crafty party.

Have a fun time!