21 top places to go this summer
Here are 21 of my must-visit places!
1. Beautiful Bowood House in Calne. Officially the best place I've visited this year. It was my ideal day out – an adventure playground that has everything you can think of to go on – and even things to give even the adults a thrill; a stunning house, lovely gardens, a lake and walks that take you to waterfalls, a cave, a temple... There's a soft play palace and a restaurant and cafe. It's just over an hour from here. Seriously, go. Go now!
2. We took a trip to the Rickmansworth Aquadrome last weekend. Here you can go for woodland walks, lakeside strolls, it's perfect for bikes and scooters, and you can while away hours in the play areas or cafe. A free family day out!
3. Our girls love Stick Man. So before the holidays are over we are planning to do the Stick Man trail at Wendover Woods. Pick up an activity pack from the café in the woods for £3. hwww.forestry.gov.uk/
4. Have you asked your kids what they want to be when they grow up? If you want to explore the options, you simply have to take them to Kidzania – the UK’s first educational entertainment experience where children can learn real-life skills. It's a city for 4–14 year olds in Westfield, with more than 60 real-life role play adventures… http://london.kidzania.com/
5. Blackberry Picking at Winter Hill in Cookham. We went last week and the girls had a blast. We spent a good few hours having a picnic, filling up our baskets with juicy berries, and enjoying the views of the river down below. And the fun didn't stop there. When we got home we made a tasty blackberry and apple crumble...
6. Have you become a seasoned Hobbler yet? Have you visited Hobbledown? 40 mins away, there's so much to do... an aerial adventure course, a softplay barn, crystallite mine, play village, animal barn, jumping pillows and so much more besides. A great day out... http://www.hobbledown.com/
7. The Parks. We have done all the good ones this holiday – Dinton (massive creative play area, cafe, lake with watersports), California (cafe, lake, play area, paddling pool), Runnymede (splash area, bouncy castle, pleasure rides, playground, river, boat trips)... there's enough at each to keep you all engaged all day, and the best part is you only have to pay for parking if you don't want to spend any more money!!
dintonpastures.co.uk/
8. Zoorassic Park. This is a must-visit this summer, especially because it's only running for six weeks over the holiday. ZSL Whipsnade Zoo is home to some giant new arrivals… From now until 4th September, ZSL Whipsnade Zoo will be home to life-size animatronic dinosaurs as part of an immersive new exhibit where you can learn about the fascinating creatures that lived more than 65 million years ago. They'll also be hosting a special evening screening of the 1993 blockbuster Jurassic Park on Friday 26 August.
https://www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo
9. Knebworth House. For more dinosaur magic, head to Knebworth House and see if you can find the 70 life-sized dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures amongst the trees, then do some cave-man drawings. The adventure playground is always a hit with our girls... they love the zip wire, swings and bouncy castle, the scary slides and the enormous fort. There is also new interactive splash-play water features...
www.knebworthhouse.com
10. Hatton Farm Park World. A favourite of ours. There's so much to do here, from watching the sheep racing, to seeing the hundreds of guinea pigs in their own little village, to playing on the bouncy castles, trampolines, zip wire, large bouncy slide and going on the rides. There's also lots of activities to take part in, including Welly Wanging and the Maze – and you can even do a spot of shopping in the craft village. We always round the day off with a bite to eat at the local pub.
hattonworld.com/adventure-world/
11. Liquid Leisure. My girls are going to LOVE this when they're older. Datchet is home to Europe’s Largest Aqua Park, which provides hours of fun for kids of eight years old and up to slide, bounce, jump climb and splash! The boat lake has a beach, and a refurbished clubhouse, which has it’s own grill and bar. When can I go?!
http://liquidleisure.com/
12. Ruislip Lido. Absolutely brilliant. We spent the first day of the hols here. It has a beach, a lake/lido to cool off in, climbing frames and play areas galore, a cafe and a splash park. Oh, and it has a steam train... what more could you want? Just 35 minutes from Cookham, it's the next best thing to going to the seaside this summer. www.hillingdon.gov.uk/ruisliplido
13. British Airways i360 tower. Heading to the British seaside this summer? A trip to Brighton is always good fun. It takes an hour and a half from Cookham, and once you're there, you can chill out on the beach, get a thrill on the rides on the pier, enjoy a meal at the marina or shop in the Lanes. But on my agenda this year is a visit to the brand new, opening on 4th August, British Airways i360 – the world's first vertical cable car. You'll glide up 450ft to enjoy 360 degree views of up to 26 miles. britishairwaysi360.com/
14. Paradise Wildlife Park – you can be there in just under an hour, and it's great for sunny or rainy days. There's adventure playgrounds, a jungle theatre, bouncy castles, paddling pool, rainforest walkway, train and tractor rides, soft play, a woodland walk, safari golf – not to mention the zoo itself! A fab day out. www.pwpark.com
15. Hollywood Special Effects Show at Theatre Royal Windsor, on from Monday 8 August –Wednesday 10 August. If you're thinking of booking a show this summer, this is the one to watch. You'll go behind the scenes of favourite blockbusters to discover the science and secrets of creating movie magic. You'll feel the heat of an onstage inferno, marvel at gruesome sci-fi monsters, be blown away by apocalyptic weather and hold on tight through huge explosions! Suitable for ages 6 and over. theatreroyalwindsor.co.uk
16. BFG Dream Jar Trail. Have you seen the movie yet? Next you'll want to follow the BFG Dream Jar Trail in London and beyond. The streets of London are transformed with magical giant Dream Jars to celebrate Roald Dahl’s 100th birthday and The BFG movie release. Can you find them all? The BFG Dream Jar Trail brings to life the long-held dreams of celebrities and artists. Each jar contains “splendiferous” sculptures based on dream stories from the likes of Steven Spielberg, Stephen Hawking, the Delevingne sisters and many more...
http://www.visitlondon.com/bfg
17. The Magic Garden @ Hampton Court Palace. Amazing. A kids' paradise... A dragon that breathes steam, slides galore, a fort, a beach, paddling pools, tents, a hill to roll down, an arena with fancy-dress clothes, thrones, unicorns, ice creams... They won't get bored!! www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/visit-us/top-things-to-see.../magic-garden/
18. Summer wouldn't be summer without seeing a spot of outdoor theatre... We are taking the girls to see the Wizard of Oz at Blenheim Palace at the end of the month, and are tempted by Dotty the Dragon at Dorney Court Kitchen Garden – a story about a baby fire dragon who escapes her castle to play with the children from the local village. http://www.dckg.co.uk/
19. I'm really excited about heading to the urban beach – BeachEast @ Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Theres a long beach, two paddling pools, funfair rides, and lots more.
http://beacheast.co.uk/ For a beach closer to home, try the one at Norden Farm.
20. While you're there, take a ride on the Arcelormittal Orbit slide.... the world's tallest, longest, fastest tunnel slide. Created by Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmondl, you can see all of London from this tall sculpture. Next, check out the giant slides on the Southbank. Visitors to the Carsten Höller retrospective at the Hayward gallery will be able to descend in 15-metre spiral slides commissioned for the exhibition.
http://arcelormittalorbit.com/ http://carstenholler.southbankcentre.co.uk/
21. A friend has been telling me to visit the London Wetland Centre for ages... There's lakes, ponds, gardens and wildlife, plus a cafe and play areas. They are running their Nature Explorer challenge throughout the summer, so collect your Nature Explorer Passport when you arrive and set off on a summer of fun and exploration. http://www.wwt.org.uk/
