Top 10 Days Out
Top Ten Days Out Awards
The long summer break is the perfect time to plan a family day out, but with so much choice how do you decide where to go? To make things easier, we’ve teamed up with children’s entertainment website Kidzango, to bring you our Top Ten Days out across the UK
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Legoland
If your child loves playing with Lego then Legoland is the perfect choice for a day out. The park has over 50 interactive rides, attractions and shows that will keep the whole family entertained. Set in 150 acres of parkland and featuring 47 million Lego bricks, Legoland is great fun for children and for parents too.
The approach to entertainment at Legoland is hands-on. Children can ride thrilling roller coasters, learn to drive at the Driving School, pan for gold or explore Miniland made from millions of Lego bricks.
• Location: Windsor, Berkshire
• Ages: 2 years and above
• Prices: Prices for children start at £22 and at £24 for adults
• Opening Times: Opening times vary across the summer so it is advisable to check the website or call the information line
• Contact Details: Telephone:: 08705 04 04 04Website: www.lego.com/legoland
Sea Life Centre
For a fun and fascinating day out with a watery theme your children will love the Sea Life Centre. Little ones can get up close and personal with a huge variety of marine life from shrimps to sharks.
Interactive touch pools awaken children’s senses and introduce them to some of the sea’s friendlier residents, while walk-through aquariums make children feel like they are surrounded by ocean life.
The stars of the Sea Life Centre are undoubtedly the many varieties of sharks, which swim above and around as visitors make their way through the aquarium. Touch pool favourites include huge stingrays and starfish.
• Location: UK-wide including Blackpool, Birmingham Brighton and Weymouth
• Ages: All
• Prices: Prices for children start at £5.95 and at £8.95 for adults. Prices vary across the UK so it is advisable to check the website or call the Centre that you intend to visit
• Opening Times:10.00am - 6.00pm weekdays and until 7.00pm at weekends. Opening times may vary across the country so it is advisable to check the website or call the Centre that you intend to visit
• Contact Details: Website: www.sealifeeurope.com/uk
Each of the Centres has its own telephone number, which can be found on the website
Knowsley Safari Park
Knowsley Safari Park is a fantastic choice for a family day out. The 550-acre park offers a unique five-mile safari drive along roads lined with exotic animals from all over the globe.
Top attractions include the two mischievous elephant toddlers, Ashanti and Nala - who can be seen in the jumbo nursery - sealion and exotic bird shows, fun fair rides and a walk around animal area where elephants, giraffes, meerkats and otters can be viewed at close quarters.
Meanwhile, Knowsley’s Bug House offers everything from snakes to lizards and cockroaches, attractions in stark contrast to the goats, lambs, cattle and horses for the youngsters to enjoy at Children’s Lake Farm.
• Location: Prescott, Merseyside
• Ages: All
• Prices: Prices for children start at £6.50 and at £9.50 for adults.
• Opening Times: 10.00am - 5.00pm Last entry into the game reserve is at 4.00pm
• Contact Details: Telephone: 0151 430 9009
Website: www.knowsley.com/safari
Cadbury World
All children (and adults!) love chocolate, so what better way to indulge a passion you share with your child than visiting Cadbury World? With its fun-packed and unique visitor centre devoted to Cadbury chocolate, its history and how it is made, Cadbury World is the perfect day out for chocoholics.
Top attractions include a multi-sensory cinema where you and your child can learn about how cocoa is transformed into chocolate, a ride through chocolate wonderland on a Beanmobile and interactive video stations that teach visitors how chocolate is made.
• Location: Bournville, Birmingham
• Ages: All
• Prices: Prices for children start at £7.90 and at £10.50 for adults. Children under 4 go free. As the summer holiday period is so busy Cadbury World advises pre-booking tickets
• Opening Times: Opening times vary across the summer so it is advisable to check the website or call the information line
• Contact Details: Telephone: 0121 451 4159
Website: www.cadburyworld.co.uk/en/cworld
The Big Sheep
Quirky and fantastic fun for children of all ages, The Big Sheep has a number of attractions for a great family day out.
Children will love watching the fast and furious Big Sheep race, sheep shearing demonstrations and shepherding routines. Young ones can also try milking sheep and goats and bottle-feeding lambs. A big indoor playground called Ewetopia also provides activities for children if the weather is bad.
• Location: Bideford, North Devon
• Ages: All
• Prices: Prices for children start at £6.50 and for adults at £7.50. Children under three feet tall go free
• Opening Times: 10.00am - 6.00pm
• Contact Details: Telephone: 01237 472366
Website: www.thebigsheep.co.uk
EDUCATIONAL
National Railway Museum
Little boys love trains and The National Railway Museum in York is the largest railway museum in the world, containing an unrivalled collection of locomotives, rolling stock and railway equipment.
Children of all ages can try hands-on, railway-themed, creative activities in the Play Train and there is also an Interactive Learning Centre to teach children all they need to know about trains. This year is the 60th anniversary of Thomas the Tank Engine and a number of special events will be taking place.
• Location: York
• Ages: All
• Prices: Admission is free for all visitors except for certain special events when charges may apply
• Opening Times: 10.00am - 6.00pm
• Contact Details: Telephone: 01904 621261
Website: www.nrm.org.uk
Techniquest
Techniquest is a science discovery centre with a host of interactive exhibits and live demonstrations. Children will become absorbed in the fascinating world of science and technology with over 160 hands-on exhibits to explore. Puzzles and activities that will keep the whole family entertained include firing a rocket, launching a hot air balloon, racing an electric car and much, much more.
There is also a unique programme of events specially designed for families. These include captivating shows in the Science Theatre, fascinating tours of the universe in the Planetarium and a chance for visitors to experiment in the Laboratory and Discovery Room.
• Location: Cardiff
• Ages: 2 years and above
• Prices: Prices for children start at £4.80 and for adults at £6.90.
• Opening Times: Monday - Friday 9.30 - 4.30
Saturday, Sunday & Bank holidays 10.30 - 5.00
School holidays, Monday - Friday 9.30 - 5.00
• Contact Details: Telephone: 02920 475 475
Website: www.techniquest.org
Eden Project
The Eden Project is the only place in the world where children can visit a South American tropical rainforest, the tropical Oceanic Islands and California on the same day. They can also meet plants that move, plants that look after themselves and plants that make chocolate and chewing gum.
The sheer scale of the Eden Project is awe-inspiring and children will love the visual and interactive stimulation.
• Location: St Austell, Cornwall
• Ages: All
• Prices: Prices for children start at £5.00 and for adults at £12.50. Children under 5 go free
• Opening Times: 9.30am - 6.00pm, Last admission is at 4.30pm
• Contact Details: Telephone: 01726 811911
Website: www.edenproject.com
Eureka! The Museum for Children
Eureka! is the first hands-on children’s museum in the UK designed especially for 3-12 year olds. With more than 400 touch exhibits and a full programme of events and activities, there are a host of fun things for children to do.
Children can find out how their body and senses work, discover the realities of daily life, explore the science behind sound, rhythm and performance and travel from their backyard to some amazing, faraway places across the globe.
Eureka! has also recently launched two new interactive galleries for the under-fives.• Location: Halifax, Yorkshire
• Ages: All
• Prices: Adult and children 3 years £6.50 each Toddlers 1-2 years £1.95 each Babies under 1 year go free
• Opening Times: 10.00am - 5.00pm. Last admission is at 4.00pm
• Contact Details: Telephone: 01422 330069
Website: www.eureka.org.uk
National Space Centre
The National Space Centre is the UK’s largest attraction dedicated to space science and astronomy. From the minute children catch sight of the futuristic Rocket Tower, they’ll be treated to hours of breathtaking discoveries where the stories, personalities and technology of the past and present are used to explain our current understanding of space and how it will affect our future.
Children will find themselves immersed in an awe-inspiring journey, taking in five differently themed galleries, seeing amazing interactive hands-on activities and experiencing the latest in audio-visual technology.
• Location: Leicester
• Ages: All
• Prices: Prices for children start at £7.95 and for adults at £9.95. Children under 4 go free
• Opening Times: 10.00am - 5.00pm. Last admission at 3.30pm The Space Centre is not open on Mondays outside of the school holidays
• Contact Details: Telephone: 0116 261 0261
Website: www.spacecentre.co.uk/home
’In Association with Kidzango – For some great discounts on Days Out across the UK8
