A family enjoying a picnic outside Castle Howard in Yorkshire.

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.

36 Experience Results

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Savour your scoops at The Ice Cream Farm

Keep the kids happy with more than 40 delicious flavours of ice cream, an outdoor play area, farm, quad bikes, mini golf and more...

Location: Tattenhall, Cheshire

 

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

 

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

 

Step back in time on the Severn Valley Railway

Enjoy a combination of rolling countryside views and hints of a bygone era on a superb day of steam-hauled splendour.

Location: Kidderminster, Worcestershire

 

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

 

Get closer to the animals at Paradise Wildlife Park

Venture to Hertfordshire for an exciting day out with the family at this award-winning zoo; see a range of exotic animals and enjoy a whole host of experiences and attractions.

Location: Broxbourne, Hertfordshire

 

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

 

Find yourself on a farm in the heart of Nottingham

Stonebridge City Farm is a slice of the countryside in the heart of a city centre.

Location: Nottingham, Nottinghamshire

 

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

 

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

 
Family walking through forest surrounded by Bewilderwood activities

Run wild at BeWILDerwood Norfolk

Delve into an adventurous world of make-believe, inspired by local children’s author, Tom Blofeld.

Location: Hoveton, Norfolk

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