20 free family days out to keep kids entertained until New Year – including incredible Lego adventure & fossil hunting
IF Christmas has cleaned you out and you don’t know what to do with the kids until they go back to school, never fear.
Here’s our pick of 20 fun, family friendly days out to enjoy all over the UK that don’t cost a penny.
1. Royal Armouries, Leeds: Home to the UK’s national collection of arms and armour, including the largest animal armour in the world — made for an elephant with tusk swords from the late-16th century.
Little ones will love the live combat demonstrations.
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2. Slieve Gullion Forest Park, Meigh, Northern Ireland: Step into a living storybook as you follow the fairy trail around The Giant’s Lair.
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Fairy houses, wood-carved sculptures and art transform the woodland into a world of mystery, dragons, giants, witches and fairies.
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3. York City Walls: Kids will love re-enacting battles as you explore the longest medieval town walls in England.
These 2,000-year-old historic structures give fantastic views over the city and its stunning buildings.
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4. Museum Of The Home, London: Explore how homes and gardens have changed and the way people live has evolved in the past 400 years.
In the Rooms Through Time, until January 8, the spaces tell the story of London homes in winter over the years.
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5. National Science and Media Museum, Bradford: With interactive galleries and exhibitions, explore photography, cinema and television and their impact on our lives.
The collections aim to inspire scientists and innovators of the future, so it’s a great place to fuel little ones’ imaginations.
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6. St Fagans National Museum of History, Cardiff: In the grounds of 16th century St Fagans Castle, buildings have been transformed into a farm, a Victorian school, a medieval chapel, ironworkers’ cottages and more, bringing the region’s past to life.
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7. Crystal Palace Park, South East London: Find Dinosaur Court — giant statues dating back to the 1850s.
The theme continues at the playpark, with bones and hatching eggs in its sandpit.
And there’s one of the country’s largest mazes to get lost in.
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8. Heartlands Mining World Heritage Site, Redruth, Cornwall: Discover all about the area’s mining history then explore the giant adventure playground with tunnels and shipwreck.
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9. Maritime Museum, Merseyside, Liverpool: This tells the stories of people who have used the docks throughout the centuries as passengers and seafarers.
Plus a fascinating exhibition on the Titanic.
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10. Bracklesham Bay, West Sussex: Go on a hunt for fossils formed around 46million years ago.
Each day, as the tide goes out, fossils can be found including shark and ray teeth.
Remember to take a bucket with you.
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11. National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh: Kids will love the role play in its Adventure Planet gallery — dress up and go deep sea diving, on an archaeological dig or crawl through the roots of an oak tree.
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12. Museum of Making, Derby: Gawp at a seven-tonne Rolls-Royce Trent 1,000 engine suspended above your heads and see the world’s smallest engine run using a human hair.
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13. Whinlatter Forest, Lake District: Little ones will love the Gruffalo trail spotting mouse, fox, owl and others on the mountain trails with beautiful views.
There are play zones to be found, too.
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14. Locomotion, Shildon, County Durham: Jump aboard at the world’s first railway town with a collection of railway vehicles guaranteed to excite the little ones.
Currently there are Lego building activities as well as a science show exploring light and ice.
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15. Science and Industry Museum, Manchester: The museum is currently celebrating light, colour and music with interactive activities — play songs on pipes, make music with your body, get creative with glow-in-the-dark art and tell stories on the shadow wall on a day of fun for one and all.
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16. Wealden Outcrop, Isle of Wight: Follow in the footsteps of dinosaurs along an 11-mile stretch of coastline where huge prehistoric footprints can be seen at low tide at Compton and Brook beaches.
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17. Yorkshire Sculp-ture Park, Wakefield: See huge sculptures as you explore acres of lakes, woodland, formal gardens and historic follies.
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18. Irchester Country Park, Northants: Follow the activity trails to find an adventure course with zip lines and play areas including the ants nest, eagle climbing frame and Jurassic play area.
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19. Broadland Country Park, Norfolk: See if you can spot mistle thrush, great and blue tits and great spotted woodpecker, while the hidden fairy doors are a great incentive to keep little legs going.
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20. Bristol Museum And Art Gallery: With exhibitions including an Egyptian mummy, a stuffed gorilla, a Romany gypsy caravan and dinosaur fossils there’s much to interest children.
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