Ideas For Family Days Out In The UK

Blink and it’s half-term. At least that’s how it most of the time, as soon as we get back into a good routine we have another week or two off. I'm not complaining, my boys and I love any excuse to have an adventure however of course our budget won't extended to a holiday further afield every half term that comes around. Luckily there is plenty to do right here in the UK even with it's ever temperamental weather. So if your at a loose end or just need a little bit of inspiration then check out these couple of ideas.

Kidzania – Westfield, London

Have you ever told your children that money doesn’t grow on trees? Tired of feeling like a bank? Here’s your chance to not only give your kids a fantastic and fun day out, but maybe teach them a little lesson about work and earning their own money!

A unique concept in children’s entertainment, Kidzania is an indoor city run by kids. Blending learning, fun and reality into a four-hour play session, your little darlings get to choose from a huge range of jobs and test their skills in a variety of professions. Maybe they want to be a Police Officer, a dentist, a doctor or even work in supermarket or pizzeria – now’s their chance. 

Another option is taking advantage of all the free museums in London and heading to the big smoke on a budget which is what I did with my son's last year and we really did manage to kept expenses down to a minimum, check out my vlog on how to do London on a shoestring.   

Visit A Castle 

There are literally hundreds of castles and castle ruins to explore in the UK and I have to say we are pretty lucky here in Wales which has an abundance of beautiful ones to spend a day exploring. Many ruins are free or with a low admission and children always enjoy taking in the history that surrounds these ancient buildings and is often my go to thing to do with my boys.

One of our favourite castles is Chepstow Castle which is perched on a cliff and offers up some amazing views, you can even stay overnight in a Castle on a budget at St Briavels which is run as a YHA.  

Get A National Trust Membership 

Take my word for it. A National Trust membership will open the world to a vast number of attractions and places for a day out – no matter where you live in the UK, yes it can be pricey but I pay around £9 for a family membership and I make sure to get the most out of it as possible.

The trust owns over 350 heritage properties, which includes many historic houses and gardens, industrial monuments, and social history sites. They are particularly good at hosting events to keep the kids happy during the holidays so whether its Easter Egg hunts, Christmas Fairs or treasure hunts, your children will get to have fun and learn a little more about the history of Britain. 

Family Race Days

Not necessarily the first thing that springs to mind when considering venues for a family day out. But there are a huge amount of kids based events on all year around at a racecourse near you and some don't have anything to do with racing such as festivals and concerts. In fact one of the first festivals I took my eldest to was Wychwood at Cheltenham racecourse.  Others around the country put on fun fairs, food festivals and much more, all designed to keep the kids fully entertained for the day. The vast majority has free entry for children, which helps to cut down the costs.

Aintree Racecourse, home of the Grand National, hosts the Family Countryside Day in October. Haydock Racecourse puts on an Easter Family Fund day. Ascot Racecourse have the Summer Mile Raceday which includes a Teddy bear’s picnic, interactive story-telling and pony rides. 

Go beach combing

We are very lucky here in the UK as with it being a large island the coast is usually not that far away from most people and can be a fun and budget friendly day trip. There is nothing better than the simple pleasures of collecting seashells on the beach, building sandcastles or taking a coastal hike. You can also take a picnic and rest half way along the way or enjoy some chips and ice cream and capturing that holiday vibe but without actually going away.   

The great thing about heading to the beach is it can be done all year round and enjoyed on different levels, just make sure to pack for the season and take a spare pair of clothes because even when it's cold kids have a tendency to get soaked by jumping in and out of rock pools. 

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