Outdoor Activities
Calling all adventurers! England’s great outdoors is there for the taking. From coastal hikes to family-friendly play areas and zoos, there are hundreds of outdoor activities to build a short break around. Fancy something a bit different? From llama trekking to learning to surf, there are family activity holidays and unique outdoor experiences aplenty to challenge minds and bodies. Find the best outdoor activities for kids across the UK - filter by region below to find the best options near you.
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Experience steam-age travel on the Nene Valley Railway
Visit one of England’s leading steam engine and locomotive attractions, based in Northamptonshire's Nene Valley.
Location: Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
Take the whole family to Chester Zoo
Venture to tantalising tropical islands in the heart of Cheshire with innovative exhibits at the UK’s most popular zoo.
Location: Upton near Chester, Cheshire
All aboard heritage steam trains at the Epping Ongar Railway
Pay a visit to Epping Ongar Railway, and ride on running steam and diesel engines between period stations, through countryside and forest.
Location: Chipping Ongar, Essex
Discover dinosaur footprints on the beach
Everyone who has been to the beach has seen footprints left in the sand, but have you ever seen ones that have been left by a dinosaur?
Location: Brook, Isle of Wight
Take an inspiring trip through Shanklin Chine
This leafy gorge on the Isle of Wight is lined with rare plants, wildlife and waterfalls, making for a magical walk day or night.
Location: Shanklin, Isle of Wight
Build sandcastles at Bamburgh Beach
Do you know your cockles from your winkles? St. Aidan and Grace Darling certainly did. And what better place to learn than on Bamburgh Beach.
Location: Bamburgh, Northumberland
Get lost in the twists and turns of Wistow Maze
Over the summer, pay a visit to the famous Wistow Maze, a versatile puzzle in the English countryside that changes shape each year.
Location: Wistow, Leicestershire
Go glamping at Lookout Lodge inside ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
Enjoy the ultimate overnight experience and camp next door to the animals of ZSL Whipsnade Zoo.
Location: Dunstable, Bedfordshire
Go on an exotic adventure at Woburn Safari Park
Explore the habitats of lions, zebras, giraffes and much more at this family-friendly, conservation-focused safari park.
Location: Woburn, Bedfordshire
Picnic in Blackpool’s largest park
Stanley Park, in the heart of Blackpool, is renowned for being one of the region's finest parks.
Location: Blackpool, Lancashire
Spy on endangered wildfowl at Rutland Water Nature Reserve
Visit Rutland Water's famous wildfowl sanctuary, covering a 1,000 acres of bird hides, mucky nature trails and interactive visitor centres.
Location: Rutland Water, Rutland
Go bananas for Trentham Monkey Forest
Pay a visit to the only place in Britain where you can walk among 140 Barbary macaques roaming free in 60 acres of forest.
Location: Trentham , Staffordshire
Take time out and relax with a Llama at Wellbeing Farm
If you’re looking to try something different with the kids, then try Llama Trekking through the beautiful West Pennine Moors.
Location: Bolton, Lancashire
Have a medieval sleepover at Warwick Castle
For a family holiday with a difference, grab your sleeping bag and head to Warwick Castle to spend the night within the castle's historic grounds.
Location: Warwick, Warwickshire
Go fossil hunting in East Sussex
You never know what you might find on a fossil-hunting session on Peacehaven beach.
Location: East Sussex
Make friends at Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre
Home to over 250 rescued and endangered primates, this sanctuary lets you get up close and personal with all kinds of monkeys, gorillas and apes.
Location: Wareham, Dorset
Walk barefoot through the woods at CONKERS
From teddy-bear picnics to jumping on crunchy leaves, England’s woodland is brimming with things to do with toddlers - and award-winning CONKERS, in the heart of The National Forest, is no different.
Location: Swadlincote, Derbyshire
Feel calmer whilst walking a llama
Go walkies South American-style with National Forest Llama Treks, an unusual “let’s-do-something-different” trekking experience.
Location: Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire
Explore the UK's first safari park at Longleat
Feed giraffes by hand and walk on the wildside with lemurs at this popular safari park, found in the picturesque grounds of historic Longleat House.
Location: Longleat, Wiltshire
Take a dip in Bude Sea Pool
Take the whole family to this part man-made, part natural sea pool which nestles under the cliffs at Summerleaze beach in Bude.
Location: Bude, Cornwall
Run wild at BeWILDerwood Norfolk
Delve into an adventurous world of make-believe, inspired by local children’s author, Tom Blofeld.
Location: Hoveton, Norfolk