Family holidays
Walk among dinosaurs on a fossil hunting tour or put nerves to the test at a thrilling theme park. Get close to nature and camp in protected woodland or stay aboard a lighthouse or a barge on your family holidays. Bike rides and picnics in a national park, long afternoons at the beach exploring rockpools, baffling mazes and hide and seek in the grounds of a stately home: England is packed with inspiring child friendly holidays and activities. If you think learning is for stuffy school rooms, think again. Discover the secrets of the Tudors and Victorians, marvel at Roman remains and re-live bloody battles and beheadings on days out with the kids.
Rainy Day Activities: Discover military history at The Royal Armouries
Britain’s national museum of arms and armour is home to a fascinating and unique collection, including the only existing suit of armour built for an elephant.
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire
Walk in Roman footsteps at Arbeia Roman Fort
Britain’s biggest and best reconstruction of a Roman fort is the perfect place to immerse yourself in an ancient way of life.
Location: South Shields, South Tyneside
Free fun for the family at Monkwearmouth Station Museum
Monkwearmouth Station Museum has received national commendations for work with young children and provides fun and education for the whole family.
Location: Sunderland, Tyne and Wear
Rainy Day Activities: Sunderland Museum
Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens is a great place for the whole family to spend the day – and it’s free.
Location: Sunderland, Tyne and Wear
Explore an island of discovery
Explore Portland’s rugged landscape and breathtaking views and discover its history, heritage and natural assets.
Location: Portland, Dorset
Rainy Day Activities: Explore Earth and space at Liverpool’s World Museum
Need ideas on things to do when it rains? Visit one of North West England’s oldest museums and get a hands-on look at our planet from the oceans to the stars.
Location: Liverpool, Merseyside
Rainy Day Activities: Get spooked at Tudor World
Delve into Tudor life with a series of rainy day activities at this interactive indoor museum, found in one of England's most haunted buildings.
Location: Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire
November events: Watch an illuminated parade at Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival
Experience the West Country tradition of ‘squibbing’ at the UK’s largest winter carnival.
Location: Bridgwater, Somerset
Enjoy a family day out at Batsford Arboretum
Experience the wild beauty of Batsford Arboretum in autumn and the splendid sight of rare birds of prey soaring above the surrounding Cotswolds Hills.
Location: Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire
Where the spirit of Brooklands lives on
Fun for all the family at Brooklands Museum - the birthplace of British motorsport and aviation.
Location: Weybridge, Surrey
Experience life in a WWI trench at the Lancashire Museum
Tens of thousands of proud Lancastrians perished in the Great War, whose experiences in the trenches are brought to life at the Museum of Lancashire in Preston.
Location: Preston, Lancashire
Relive the sights and sounds of wartime Britain at Eden Camp
Be transported back through time from an ex-POW camp in Malton, North Yorkshire, to life in wartime Britain on both the home front and on the front line.
Location: Malton, North Yorkshire
Enjoy sculptures and breathtaking views on the Spa Trail
Enjoy a family friendly cycling route following an old section of the Horncastle to Woodhall Spa railway route.
Location: Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire
Pay homage to the written word in South Shields
Step inside The Word, National Centre for the Written Word, a state-of-the-art venue in South Shields.
Location: South Shields, South Tyneside