Ten UK activities to keep your kids busy during half term – and some are free
SCHOOL’S out again next weekend, so how about doing something different with the kids?
Let them explore their horizons by introducing them to fun activities they have never had the chance to try before, such as skydiving, farming, boating or motor racing.
Here, Trisha Harbord looks at ten super-experiences across the UK.
UNDER THE SEA
AS the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid splashes down in cinemas next week, how about showing your kids what it is really like under the sea.
Diving association PADI has courses at 200 centres across the UK for children, starting with Bubblemaker, the first level for those at least eight years old.
They use scuba gear to breathe underwater and swim around in a shallow pool.
Over-tens can enrol in a certification class, in a pool or calm waters, to wear the gear and be taught basic diving skills before deciding whether they would like to take a full course.
Kids can then progress to become a PADI open water diver at a centre.
GO: To find a centre near you with diving experiences from £25, see padi.com.
DOWN TO EARTH
THERE is some ginormous fund to be had with interactive dinosaurs.
The beasts come to life as Birmingham Botanical Gardens stages Jurassic Gardens from May 27 to June 6.
Interactive dinos will loiter in the shrubs and raptor and brontosaurus feature in shows throughout the day.
The historical gardens introduce families to a rainforest displaying 100million-year-old living plant fossils, a tropical house with 1,000 plant species, a 70ft display of colourful Mediterranean flora and mind-boggling cacti and succulents.
Kids will love seeing tropical butterflies and exotic birds in flight, the tree-tops playground with towers, tunnels and rope bridges, and tackling a bamboo maze.
GO: Adults from £11.50, children £9.50, under-fives free. See birminghambotanicalgardens.org.uk.
SPACE ENCOUNTER
IT’S question time at Jodrell Bank as space experts hold sessions for youngsters from May 29 to June 2.
There is also a new 360-degree immersive show called We Are Guardians, which looks at how satellites can save the planet.
It is from May 27 to June 4 at the Unesco World Heritage site in Cheshire.
The radio observatory, which opened a light pavilion and exhibition centre last year, has interactive displays about its history and the role it played in our under-standing of space.
See the giant dish of Lovell Telescope, the “ear on the sky” that is a landmark on the Cheshire Plain, and try the “whispering” dishes.
GO: Advance book online and visit again free for the rest of the year.
Adults from £12, kids £8, under-fours go free. See jodrellbank.net.
FAST AND FURIOUS
WITH the Grand Prix season in full swing, introduce your little Lewis Hamiltons to motor racing.
Silverstone Museum has 60 interactive exhibits showcasing the history of racing cars and the engineering behind them, and hear from F1 drivers.
Families can take part in a pit stop, test their skills behind the wheel and ride in a multiple-motion simulator at the Northants museum.
Walk around Silverstone’s old and new circuits, beginning at the medieval abbey, see the car and bike collection including Nigel Mansell’s 1992 world championship-winning Williams Red 5, and Lewis Hamilton’s racing overalls.
There’s also a Scalextric of the circuit, and outside play area and cafe.
GO: Adults from £22.50, kids £13.50, under-fives free.
Pay for a day and visit free for a year by claiming gift aid. See silverstonemuseum.co.uk.
WILD AT HEART
WHIPSNADE ZOO is playing its trump card this half-term by pitting children against animals.
Youngsters will be given a limited-edition Top Trumps card at the entrance of the attraction, near Dunstable, Beds.
They will need to find giant cards to challenge at the exhibits, ranging from American flamingos to Asian elephants.
Discover which animals live the longest, run the fastest or eat the most.
The trail, launching on May 27 along with a series of talks, is to encourage kids to learn more about endangered species among the zoo’s 10,000 animals and inspire them to protect wildlife.
Sister zoo ZSL London has a family festival all week with an interactive game show, bushcraft workshops and lessons for junior conservationists.
GO: Tickets from £28.50, children £19.90, under-threes free. See whipsnadezoo.org.
In London, adult from £31, child £21.70. See londonzoo.org.
REACH FOR THE SKY
YOUR little fledglings will love flying like birds at one of four indoor skydiving centres.
Kids from as young as three can experience floating through the air at the iFLY centres.
After training and guidance from instructors, you are kitted out in a suit and helmet before entering the wind tunnel for the flight of your life, which can be filmed.
For family and friends who prefer to keep their feet on the ground, there is a viewing platform.
Anyone aged over eight can also wear a VR helmet to experience real skydiving over places such as the Swiss Alps and Hawaii.
The attractions, in Basingstoke, Hants; Milton Keynes, Bucks; Man-chester and London’s O2, are also accessible for the disabled.
GO: Flight packages start from £24.99. See iflyworld.co.uk.
DOWN ON THE FARM
TAKE your flock to TV’s Countryfile farm for a day of hands-on experiences.
They can bottle-feed lambs and there are plenty to go at, with 800 born at Cotswold Farm Park in Gloucestershire this spring – the largest lambing event in the UK.
Countryfile host Adam Henson specialises in rare breeds and developing sustainable farming methods.
Learn about the sheep, cattle, pigs, goats and horses while touring the new Rare Breed Trail.
Enjoy a 45-minute fun demo of working dogs rounding up sheep, see some being sheared and learn where all the wool goes.
There is also a two-mile wildlife walk and an adventure barn with soft play, ride-on toys and a café.
GO: Adult tickets from £13.95, child from £9.95, under-twos free.
Touring and camping pitches from £20 a night. See cotswoldfarmpark.co.uk
LETTING OFF STEAM
CELEBRATE 100 years of the world’s most famous steam locomotive at the National Railway Museum.
A new virtual reality experience takes you on a journey back in time to enjoy the Flying Scotsman’s greatest moments.
Guided by a cast of historic figures, you’ll see the British Empire exhibition, 100mph record-breaking run and journeys around North America and Australia.
It’s a great addition to the fantastic museum in York, which is home to iconic engines including Mallard, the world’s fastest steam engine, and Sir Kenneth Grange, the fastest diesel.
There’s activities, talks, a model railway, play areas and a café but you can also take a packed lunch.
GO: Book your free admission ticket, as it gets busy over half-term, on railwaymuseum.org.uk. VR experience is £7 per person.
SHOUT FROM THE RAFTERS
IF your kids are rollercoaster fans, they will also love the wild white-water rafting.
There is no better place for this than the National Water Sports Centre at Holme Pierrepont Country Park near Nottingham, which hosted events of the Commonwealth Games last year.
Minimum age is 14.
The centre also has fun for younger kids, including kayaking, paddleboarding and an inflatable obstacle course with slides and climbing walls.
And it is running an adventure holiday club for children aged eight to 14 from May 30 to June 2.
GO: A raft for up to seven people, including wetsuits, buoyancy aids and helmets, costs from £310.
The holiday club for a day, including lunch, costs from £45 a child, £63 for two.
See nwscnotts.com for more details. Tent and motorhome pitches from £19 a night. See pitchup.com.
FLOAT YOUR BOAT
SAIL away with your mini-crew on Britain’s canals or the River Thames.
Board a narrowboat, equipped with a kitchen, for eight to 12 people from one of Drifters’ 17 bases after being taught how to steer, moor and work the locks.
There are various routes including leaving from Gayton, on the Grand Union Canal near Northampton, and travelling to Stoke Bruerne, home of the canal museum.
Operator Le Boat offers stays on Magnifique, sleeping ten, to sail along the Thames from Kingston to Oxford, through the countryside of four counties.
Attractions to visit along the way include theme parks Legoland Windsor and Thorpe Park in Surrey.
GO: Canal boat hire from £10 per person a day, see drifters.co.uk.
Three nights’ self-catering on the Thames for ten people from May 26 costs from £1,679. See leboat.co.uk.