Long, hot days filled with ice creams, barbecue food, days out, meeting up with friends, and most importantly, no school. For six whole weeks. It’s no wonder that kids love the summer holidays.
Adults, on the other hand, know that these things don’t just magically happen. Finding exciting things to do in the summer holidays takes imagination and planning. Whilst it’s worth all the effort (you do want everyone to have an amazing summer), it couldn’t hurt to make things a bit easier. Adults deserve amazing summers too. And amazing summers don’t really involve endlessly searching the entirety of the internet for ‘summer holiday activities near me’ only to find one idea, or scrolling tirelessly through forums trying to find coupons to make things a little cheaper.
We hear you.
And we’re here to help. It’s our job to know all the most interesting places to visit, the best events that are coming up, and ideas about fun things to do. Which means no more searching through individual websites one at a time in the hope that you might find one event that is taking place during the summer holidays.
So if you’re looking for things to do with kids in summer holidays, all you have to do is visit the ‘What’s On‘ section (or click the button below) and type in your desired location. You’ll see all sorts of different events that are happening in the area, listed in date order. Each event in the list contains just enough information for you to easily scan through and see whether you may be interested in it or not. When something catches your eye, just click on the event to see all the full details you need to know to attend the event, such as dates, times, information about tickets, contact details for the organisers, a map so you can see how to get to the event, and a description so you know what to expect when you arrive.
If you’re more interested in finding summer holiday days out, it’s just as easy. Simply visit the ‘Attractions‘ section (or click the button below) of the website and type in your desired location to bring up a list of interesting places to visit for a day out. Have a quick browse through the results, and when you see something that interests you, click on the listing to see the full information, along with any current offers they may be running. That’s all there is to it.
And if all else fails, here is a list of 30 things to do in the summer holidays, so you can avoid the dreaded ‘I’m bored ‘…
30 Things To Do in the Summer Holidays with Kids:
1. Go camping.
2. Go fishing.
3. Go to a family friendly festival.
4. Spend the day at a local fete or fair.
5. Watch a film at an open air cinema.
6. Pavement chalk- this is a very cheap way to keep kids entertained. Let them draw all over the driveway or stone patio and it will easily wash away with a little water.
7. Build a den in the living room using blankets. Decorate the den with homemade bunting.
8. Escape to a holiday park (they often have all sorts of kids entertainment and activities to get involved in).
9. Make flower crowns.
10. Let them burn off some energy at a soft play centre.
11. Make smoothies together- Let them choose their own ingredients and come up with a name for their new creation. Serve in a tall glass, and add coloured straws, mini umbrellas, and sparkly decorations.
12. Lawn games are a great way to spend a sunny day in your own garden- You could even invite some friends and have a mini sports day.
13. Let them choose some seeds and plant them in the garden or in a pot on the windowsill.
14. Historical attractions such as castles often have educational family events over the summer holidays.
15. Tire them out at a trampolining centre.
16. Visit the Zoo.
17. Go on a scavenger hunt- give the children a list of things to find, go for a nature walk, and cross things off as you find them. You can make this as simple as ‘a smooth stone’ / ‘a white flower’ etc.
18. Make the most of the sunshine by dusting off the bikes and going for a family bike ride. For ideas about routes, why not look at our cycling trails for some inspiration.
19. Have a tea party in the garden- if you have young children, you could set up a little area with their favourite stuffed toys, and when it is ready, invite the child to the tea party that their toys are having.
20. Spend the day at a museum.
21. Take them to the library, let them choose a book, and read it together under a tree in the park.
22. Visit a local farmers’ market and ask them to pick out some fresh ingredients you can use to make lunch.
23. Go for a picnic- pack fresh fruit, lemonade, and of course a blanket. Red gingham is advised.
24. Spend a day at the beach and build sandcastles or make art in the sand using shells.
25. Try FootGolf or DiscGolf.
26. Test your logic skills at an Escape Room.
27. Go strawberry picking.
28. Have a day out at a theme park (be sure to check the best time to go).
29. Try a high ropes course.
30. Create a family bucket list of attractions you want to visit- and tick them off as you go. Here is a list of the most popular attractions in the UK for some inspiration.
Now that you’re all set with plenty of ideas for things to do in the Summer holidays, let’s just hope we see some sunshine!
And in the meantime, if you’re in the mood for some exploring, why not have a browse through our Guides section?
Whatever your plans may be, have a fantastic summer.