Tag: trips

Exploring Bristol with older kids

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There’s plenty to keep young kids occupied in Bristol, from At-Bristol to SS Great Britain, but what did we do with a teen and a tween in tow?

Cabot tower

Built in the 1890s to commemorate the journey of John Cabot from Bristol to Canada the tower is free to visit. There’s a 360 degree panoramic view from the top although getting there may involve a squeeze. The spiral stairs are pretty narrow and things get interesting when you meet someone coming the opposite direction!

Giant’s cave, Clifton Observatory

Clifton Observatory is home to two attractions, a Camera Obscura and Giant’s Cave.  There is a touch of make believe about the tale, the steps lead out onto a platform with an impressive view of the gorge and bridge. 

 

Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol

On the far side there’s a small visitor centre. Kids can play with a weighing machine that tells you how many of yourself can stand on the bridge without it collapsing. Quite a few fortunately!

 

Banksy art, Bristol

But there’s a lot more to Bristol than Banksy. Starting from City Hall and going through the city centre to Stokes Croft you can learn about the techniques used, artist backgrounds and the meaning behind some of the pieces.

 

Bristol street art

Depending on your point of view, our final destination, Stokes Croft, is either full of drug dens and brothels, bohemian and edgy or gentrified and expensive to live in. Whatever your thoughts there’s definitely lots of street art to see.

St Nicholas Market

Leaving street art tour head back to the city centre via the indoor St Nicholas Market. The market has the usual clothing and knick-knack stalls but what sets it apart are the food outlets. With options from all over the world it wouldn’t look out of place in Borough Market. 

 

Perfect family walks

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Ham House and Garden

Dogs are welcome to enjoy, with their families, a delightful stroll around the grounds. Every canine visitor receives a tasty bone!

St James’ Park, London
If you are in the capital for why not take a walk around St James’ Park? It’s officially the warmest place in the UK with an average temperature of 11.43°C. You can also take a nice route starting from the park, then walk down through The Mall, along Victoria Embankment and return via Birdcage Walk and Buckingham Palace.

Mottisfont Abbey and Gardens, Hampshire
Get outdoors exploring the grounds of this fantastic house and grounds on an interactive trail. There are lots of fun activities for the kids and family days out to enjoy along the way including bowling.

New Forest National Park, Hampshire
The New Forest has many, many walks, where the family can explore the stunning landscape. There are a range of different routes that you can choose from that vary in length and difficulty. The children can try to spot some adorable New Forest ponies, cattle and donkeys that live there. An especially lovely walk is the one from Beaulieu to Bucklers Hard and back, a nice gentle walk that follows the Beaulieu River.

Formby Red Squirrel Walk, Liverpool
This easy walking trail will suit all the family as the woodlands are home to the red squirrel, hopefully you will get to see one or two!

Leeds Castle, Kent
Head to Leeds Castle which all the family can enjoy! Follow a special trail answering questions about wildlife and nature, and all completed trails are entered into a draw with a chance to win a prize!

Are we there yet?

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Here are some games and things to do to keep your kids entertained on those boring long car drives…

1. Play bingo. Make a list or a picture list of things kids may see on the journey. As they spot each item on the list, they can cross it off!

2. Pack a loom band bracelet making kit and the kids will be kept busy twisting away!

3. Get the kids to find all the numbers up to 10 on number plates and for older children get them to find all the letters of the alphabet.

4. Car colour spotting: choose a colour each, then count how many cars of that colour you see!

5. Take along an activity and games book, such as one of these activity books that have 100 things for little children to do.

6. Play the ‘Name Five Game’. One person chooses a theme, such as ‘animals’, and the other person needs to name five things in that category.

7. Get one of these I-spy books! Inside there are lots of things for kids to spot on a long road trip… and they get points for everything they see!

8. Play A-Z I spy. Try to find something you can see out of the window for each letter of the alphabet. This simple and fun game may also help kids who suffer from travel sickness.

9. Play the ‘What do you like best’ game. Ask one person ‘what do you like best, chocolate or strawberry ice cream?’ Once they have answered they ask you a different question back.

10. Make up a story. One person needs to start the story with a single sentence and then the next person continues the story with their own sentence, etc.

See the sights on the water or on land

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Circular Cruise

Enjoy a fantastic one hour return cruise along the River Thames hop on at either Westminster Pier, Embankment Pier, Festival Pier, Bankside Pier or St Katharine’s Pier. Once the boat reaches St Katharine’s it will return directly to Westminster Pier without stopping. Every cruise has full live audio commentary throughout the journey. If you choose to stay on the boat, the cruise lasts for 1 h

Thames River Services

What better way to explore London than with a relaxing return Thames River cruise? Take the family on a fun cruise from Westminster Pier to Greenwich Pier and back. On the luxurious, 2 hour round cruise from Westminster Pier to Greenwich you will see fantastic landmarks such as: Cutty Sark, The O2 Arena, Tower Bridge, The Shard, HMS Belfast and many more

City Cruises

Enjoy a fabulous all-day hop on, hop off cruise along the River Thames London offering you unlimited access to the majestic River Thames for 24 hours, allowing you the freedom to hop off and enjoy some sites and then hop back on at a time convenient to you to continue your cruise. Cruises depart every 30 minutes and you can hop on, or off, at and of the 4 piers: Westminster, London Eye, Tower of London and Greenwich

West Norwood Cemetery Catacombs, London

To those who are super brave, explore this catacomb which is located below West Norwood Cemetery. This catacomb was opened in 1837 and has 95 vaults with a capacity of around 3,500 coffins. Advance booking needed

London Dungeon

Explore some gruesome horrible history in this fantastic attraction, where you will see, hear, smell and feel your way through historic London! You’ll enter the Gatehouse where you will meet The Executioner and discover the grisly fate of William Wallace. Walk through the old streets of London and run from the Great Fire! Great for older kids entertainment.

A trip to the theatre

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Let’s go to the theatre, what shall we see?

Peter Rabbit
Theatre Royal Haymarket, London
Based on the original tales of Beatrix Potter, this fab stage show is not to be missed! Witness the magic of Peter Rabbit and his friends as they come to life as beautifully handcrafted puppets. Watch out for Mr Mcgregor or do the laundry with Mrs Tiggy-Winkle and shake your tail along to 14 live songs that will have all the family grinning from ear to ear.

School of Rock
Gillian Lynne Theatre, London
Based on the hit movie this feel-good musical will have you rockin’ in your seats! The show follows Dewey Finn, a failed rock star who poses as a supply teacher at a prep school where he turns the A-grade kids into rock kids! Will they make it to Battle of the Bands without the headmistress finding out?

Disney’s Aladdin
Prince Edward Theatre, London
Hold on to your magic carpets, Disney’s Aladdin has flown into London’s West End for an unforgettable family extravaganza! With a fabulous cast, impressive costumes and breathtaking special effects, you’ll be taken to a whole new world with the theatre adaptation of this epic Disney film!

Horrible Histories, Barmy Britain Part 4
Apollo Theatre, London
Tickets from £20
After 7 years in the West End, Barmy Britain is back for part 4! Learn about Britain’s horrible history in this hilarious family show at the Apollo Theatre in London. BOOK HERE

Beasts of London
Museum of London
The Museum of London presents ‘Beasts of London’ an experience by the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. The Journey begins before London was created and you’ll be guided through to the present day by the animals themselves. Hear the fascinating story of the capital as they highlight iconic moments including the arrival of the Romans and the Plague!

The Gruffalo
Lyric Theatre, London
Oh help, oh no, it’s a Gruffalo! Join mouse on his adventure through the deep dark wood in this musical adaptation of Julia Donaldson’s classic book! There will be fun, songs and lots of laughs guaranteed for children over 3! (We are pretty sure the grown-ups will love it too!)

Elmer- The Patchwork Elephant
Spiegeltent, London
This year we celebrate 30 years of Elmer! The Patchwork Elephant show is a celebration of individuality and laughter! This colourful show features 21 amazing puppets and tells the tale of Elmer, an elephant who was born to stand out!

Monstersaurus
The Belly, London
From the creators of ‘Aliens love underpants’ comes this brand new show! Follow young inventor, Monty, who creates a whole world of inventions including some scary monster friends! This energetic show comes with lots of fun for all the family, magic and mayhem and opportunities for the audience to get involved!

Smart Sightseeing

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Sightseeing in London is so much fun to do with a smart App..

Vox City is a flexible self-guided sightseeing and tour app that enables you to explore London at your own pace. Perfect when you have kids in tow!

Simply select the city sights you would like to see then follow the app. Once downloaded over Wifi the app works using GPS so no data connection is required. It even works if you decide to take a taxi or bus! The app can even lead you to Wi-Fi hotspots and photo opportunity hotspots.

How to use the VOX City app:

Download the ‘VOX City’ App to your smartphone from The Google Play Store or App Store. (This will need to be done over Wifi.) Then login by scanning your QR code! (This can be found on your confirmation email)

Select your City (London) and then choose your language! There are 6 languages to choose from which include; English, French, Spanish, Italian, German and Mandarin. Then click ‘download’

Your map will download to the app and now you are ready for your self-guided tour around London! Enjoy the sights and keep the kids entertained, there’s lots to do for the whole family!

Take the kids to the movies

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The LEGO Movie 2:

The Second Part, it’s been five years since everything was awesome in Bricksburg and the citizens are now threatened from outer space by LEGO Duplo invaders who are wrecking everything that the locals are trying to rebuild in the newly-named Apocalypse Burg. Builder Emmet (voice of Chris Pratt) has to step up again and go rescue would-be love Lucy/Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks), Batman (Will Arnett) and other friends from a weird alien queen when she has them kidnapped. Courage and a belief in self-worth will be required. Is Emmet up to the task? Will his teaming up with the macho space wanderer Rex Dangervest (also Pratt) on his quest be a good or bad thing?

Kid Finn from the last film, is still avidly playing with his LEGOs in the basement and has turned “dark”, making their world a Mad Max-style wasteland of “un-awesomeness”. When his little sister Bianca tries to join in with sparkly toys, hearts and happy yellow stars, all heck breaks loose. They turn dangerous and attack Bricksburg. It stays wrecked and only cheery Emmet seems to be happy in this hopeless scenario. Batman is lonely and Judy is dark and brooding even when she sees that Emmet has built an adorable little house for them to inhabit.

Alien Commander
A ship with a force field attacks. Judy and Batman’s efforts to defend aren’t enough and Emmet accidentally destroys his own little house. Aliens land, led by General Mayhem (Stephanie Beatriz) who tells inhabitants that her shape-shifting leader Queen Watevra Wa’Nabi (Tiffany Haddish) of the Systar System wants to marry their leader.

Despite a good fight, Lucy, Batman, Unikitty (Alison Brie), astronaut Benny (Charlie Day) and others are taken hostage. Emmet tries to lead a group to rescue them but nobody will join him. He turns his destroyed house into a ship and takes off on his own rescue quest.
Batman, MetalBeard, Lucy and Unikitty are kidnapped

The Queen
On the Systar home planet, Queen Watevra wants to marry Batman since he says he’s the leader. No way. He is a Bat-chelor! She sings a song about how harmless she is and starts wooing the newcomers by giving them what they want.

In space, Emmet is aided by mystery man Rex Dangervest whose homies are LEGO velociraptors! He says he can help with the coming Armageddon. He’s bitter because he was left alone a long time under the clothes drier in the basement. Emmet asks him to teach him to be an ass-kicker which he thinks is necessary to pull off this rescue.

Emmet will have to grow up fast. Meanwhile, Lucy and the others are taken to a sparkly planet where they are pampered. Only Judy stays tough. Suddenly her black hair is multi-coloured again. She is sent to music therapy. Rex and Emmet discover a village where all the missing LEGO super-heroes are living in harmony. Listening to the music changed them. They’re evidently brain-washed.

The Rescue?
Lucy puts on earmuffs against the music and escapes, running into Bruce Willis in an air duct.
Can Lucy ever reunite with Emmet? Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Emmet has learned to channel his anger and busts open the sidewalk at the village breaking the happy mood. The Wedding Ceremony between Batman and the Queen is about to happen at the Space Temple but she admits in song that she is “Not Into Gotham City Guys”. She likes Superman! Batman can’t let Supe win so he says he loves her. Let’s get married. Rex and newly-empowered Emmet are on the way to blow up the temple before the wedding. Is the Queen evil or have they all misread her? Is Rex who he seems to be or….something totally different?

Wrapping Up
There is a lot going on in this 2nd film…maybe too much and too fast to follow easily but the movie is packed with fun cultural references, creative new characters, good morals and it supports teamwork. Jokes at Chris Pratt’s expense are hilarious and the actor is obviously okay with them. Even the name Rex Dangervest takes aim at his macho yet flawed Jurassic World hero. Message: learn how to play with your younger sister before she destroys your world. It’s teamwork people and it’s painted on pretty thickly but with a light-hearted and colorful brush.The rough and ready Rex Danger

Although songs aren’t as catchy as the annoying “Everything is Awesome”, they are fun and lyrics are a hoot. Voice acting is top notch all around.

Try out new places

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York, Yorkshire
This picturesque town, located in North Yorkshire, is the perfect place to bring your budding little historians! Head to the York Castle Museum to get an insight into Edwardian and Victorian life in York, or pay a visit to the Jorvik Viking Centre to discover why they’re so popular. It’s also a must for chocolate lovers with the fab York’s Chocolate Story! If you’ve got a little thrill seeker in tow, be sure to check out Lightwater Valley to take on Europe’s longest roller coaster; The Ultimate!

Cardiff, Wales
This beautiful town offers lots of varied and entertaining fun for all of the family! Explore Cardiff Bay on The Open Boat; a lovely steam boat that offers amazing views of the harbour, or head over to Cardiff Castle to learn all about this town’s fascinating medieval history. Fans of Doctor Who will love the Doctor Who Experience for an immersive journey through space and time!

Lymington, New Forest
For those after an escape to the forest, Lymington is the place to be! Situated on the edge of the New Forest, this port town is renowned as a sailing resort and is home to lots of lovely independent boutiques… perfect for budding little fashionistas! For those after a slice of culture, head on over to St. Barbe Museum and Art Gallery to marvel at amazing artwork and have a go at one of their family friendly trails. Hiring a bike and exploring the nearby woodland is also a must for active families looking to work up a pre-pub appetite!

Dartmouth, Devon
If you’re looking for active filled family day out with a spectacular backdrop, Dartmouth is your one stop destination! From cycling, walking and an array of outdoor activities, you really are spoilt for choice. This is as well as amazing historic houses, gardens, castles and museums, such as Dartmouth Castle. If you’re looking to delve deeper into the countryside, the Dartmoor National Park is only a short drive away from the town centre!

Falmouth, Cornwall
If you’ve got a budding surfer dude or dudette in tow, or are a lover of the seaside, Falmouth is the place to be! With a stunning beach that offers a variety of activities such as rockpooling, sailing, snorkelling and SUP paddle boarding, your little beach bums won’t know where to start first. Head on over to the National Maritime Museum to find out all about this lovely town.

Free Activities

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Speke Hall – Liverpool
Speke Hall is a Tudor house set on the banks of the River Mersey and is a lovely place to bring the whole family. The house has survived a turbulent 400 years of history, been restored and here you can learn all about it. There are plenty of activities for children and the gardens are perfect for the kids to run around and explore. There is a fantastic maze for them to get lost in too!

Cycle routes at Nunnington Hall – Yorkshire
This fun and easy-to-cycle loop route is perfect for all of the family to enjoy! Start at the beautiful manor house Nunnington Hall, nestled within the banks of the River Rye, then head through the North York National Park towards Bransdale.

Great North Museum
This amazing museum brings together a world of fascinating things both natural and man-made. See Egyptian mummies, Greek artefacts and a brilliant interactive model of Hadrian’s Wall. Families can gaze into space in the planetarium and be just a little scared of the life-size T- Rex replica dinosaur!

Tollcross Children’s farm
Tollcross Children’s Farm is a wonderful place to take the kids for a couple of hours. You’ll see a random mix of adorable animals, including horses, peacocks, llamas, sheep, pigs and a pair of lovebirds. Learn all about the animal world, the life of insects and also see the story of Cock Robin in 3D!

Formby Red Squirrel Walk, Merseyside, England
Spot native red squirrels in the beautiful woodland surrounding Formby in Merseyside. Enjoy breathtaking sea views as you head out on a bracing coastal walk or find out about Formby’s fascinating coastal history with links to asparagus growing and the early days of aviation. The perfect place to get outdoors and active this winter!

Discovery Museum
If your little ones are interested in the wonders of history, science and technology be sure to take them to the Discovery Museum! Explore fascinating collections such as Turbinia, the first steam-powered turbine ship, regimental militaria and many other amazing displays!

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