Sometimes our little country feels like it doesn’t have a great deal to offer, especially when the weather is as miserable as it is today. But in reality Britain really is great! There is so much out there for families to enjoy so we have been busy and put together 30 great British days out to give you some inspiration for when you are looking for something to do 🙂
1. Alton Towers Waterpark – Staffordshire
Mention Alton Towers and not many people would think of a waterpark, but yes Alton Towers now has it’s very own awesome waterpark which is a really great day out for all the family. Our kids said it was “TOTALLY AWESOME!”
Calke Abbey is a country house estate owned by the National Trust and always has something going on for kids particularly during school holidays. It has a lovely restaurant which sells gorgeous food too or you could pack a picnic and enjoy it within the beautiful grounds. During the summer months ‘The Garden of Imagination’ is a huge hit with the kids.
At Conkers there are 120 acres of indoor and outdoor play with over 100 interactive exhibits. Our absolutely favourite thing to do at Conkers is the 450m barefoot walk where you can delight your senses by walking on timber, bark, coal, pebbles, wood and clay! It’s a bit messy but you’d be a fool to miss out!
4. The Milky Way Adventure Park – Devon
A fantastic day out whatever the weather! The Milky Way Adventure Park has so much to do it is a real struggle to fit everything in one day. We love the fact that adults can join in all of the fun too!
5. The Height’s of Abraham – Derbyshire
The cable car ride terrified the life out of me but I’m pleased to say that I did it… twice! I don’t think I would be quite so eager to do it again but we had a really great day out at The Heights of Abraham. The kids playground is fab and the kids loved going down the cavern.
6. Twin Lakes Theme Park – Leicestershire
A small theme park perfect for the ages of 3-10 years, it has a couple of small rollercoasters, some other fun rides, a farm, a huge splash play area and more playgrounds than I could mention. Take a picnic and enjoy a full day out.
Chester Zoo has to be one of the best zoos that we have been to with over 20000 animals and 500 different species! Our favourites are the Sumatran tigers, the bush dogs and the butterfly house.
8. West Midlands Safari Park – Worcestershire
Take a 4 mile drive through the animal enclosure and see what animals you come up close with. Once you’re done with the animals make sure you check out the theme park there is something for everyone even tiny tots.
If white knuckle rides are your idea of fun then Thorpe Park might just be for you. It has one of the highest log flumes in the UK where you will get soaked and Stealth which is one of Europe’s fastest rollercoasters!
10. Folly Farm Adventure Park & Zoo – Pembrokeshire
A Farm, a zoo, vintage fun fair, sensory centre, indoor play and outdoor play what more could you ask? Folly Farm has it all covered! It’s no wonder it has been voted the best day out in Wales.
11. Thomas land at Drayton Manor Park – Staffordshire
We love Thomas land, we have been so many times and always have an amazing day out. It is never too busy and there are so many ride that the kids love to go on over and over again. Since the Thomas Land expansion last year it has just got better and better.
12. Gullivers Kingdom – Derbyshire
Expect to give your legs a workout at Gulliver’s Kingdom as it is set on a rather steep hill, I’ve been many times even with a pushchair and we have always have a fab time. There are lots of rides for little ones making it perfect for preschoolers.
13. Cadbury World – Birmingham
A day dedicated completely to chocolate… what could be better? Find out all about the history of Cadbury’s and get to sample lots of their delicious chocolate.
14. National Space Centre – Leicester
The inside is just as impressive as the outside. Make sure you visit the The Sir Patrick Moore Planetarium, the 3D Simulator Experience and check out all the interactive exhibits too! There is also the chance to dress up as an astronaut and don’t forget to get your very own space food from the shop.
15. Peppa Pig World (Paulton’s Park) – Hampshire
If you have a Peppa Pig fan then heading to Peppa Pig World at Paulton’s Park is a must! There are lots of Peppa Pig themed rides like George’s Dinosaur Adventure, Daddy Pig’s Car Ride, Peppa’s Big Balloon Ride and many more.
Drusilla’s Park is one of the top tourist attractions in East Sussex and comprises of a small zoo and theme park. There was also a brand new splash pad added in 2016 for some summer fun.
Mattel Play is an interactive children’s play centre which is over 13,000 square feet and has 3 zones to explore; Thomas the Tank Engine, Bob the Builder and Fireman Sam. Perfect for little ones on a rainy day.
18. Hunstanton Sea Life Sanctuary – Norfolk
Sea life is always a big hit with my kids especially if there are penguins! Hunstanton isn’t that big, you can be finished in an hour but it is well worth a visit. Make sure you seek out an offer before you go.
19. Longleat Safari Park – Wiltshire
Longleat celebrated their 50th anniversary this year so they have plenty of experience of giving a good day out! There is so much to do that you will struggle to fit it all in one visit!
20. Wheelgate Park – Nottinghamshire
Wheelgate Park is loads of fun for the under 10’s. They often have themed activities going on and you can sometimes meet some of your favourite characters like Peppa Pig. There are animals, rides, play areas, a waterpark and much more to enjoy!
21. Bolsover Castle – Derbyshire
Go back in time and discover the history behind Bolsover Castle set in beautiful grounds with stunning views over Derbyshire. Bolsover Castle is an English heritage property, if you are a member then up to 6 kids can go free with each full paying adult.
You can never visit too many zoos right? Edinburgh has its own pandas and I could be wrong but I think it is the only zoo in GB that does have them so worth a visit just to see them especially if you have a little panda obsessed fan like we do 😉
23. Crealy Adventure Park – Devon
Devon’s Crealy Great Adventure Park is an award-winning family attraction that has over 60 rides and attractions set in over 100 acres of glorious Devon countryside. There are over 100 animals, 30 outdoor attractions and much more!
Legoland is a fantastic day out but it is very pricey so make sure you find yourself an offer before you go and expect to pay £5 for parking too! Don’t forget the kids swimwear if it is a hot day they will want to play in Splash Safari and Drench Towers.
25. Fishers Adventure Farm Park – Sussex
Fishers has everything a great farm park offers… animal encounters, indoor play, outdoor play, rides and you can even squeeze in a game of crazy golf! If you are local it is worth getting an annual pass for lots of great days out.
26. Paradise Wildlife Park – Hertfordshire
Paradise Wildlife Park is described as a unique attraction in Hertfordshire on the website and it certainly does seem to have an awful lot to offer! It’s not just animals there are various other areas such as soft play, paddling pool, sand pit, construction area, go carts, train, woodland walk, bouncy castles and several play areas to enjoy. Have you ever fancied a snooze at a zoo? Well here you can!
Spring is my absolute favourite time to visit any farm as I just love to see all the new baby animals! Pennywell is worth a visit just to get a cuddle with a miniature piggy! Piggy cuddles are available all day everyday 🙂
Croome is another beautiful National Trust property which is perfect for family walks and picnics. National Trust properties are very family friendly, they are never too busy and if it is a school holiday then you can be sure there will be some fun activity to take part in.
29. Chessington World of Adventure – Chessington
I’ve heard it is a great place to visit but best to avoid going in the summer holidays as the queues are just too long apparently. All tickets to Chessington include the rides in the Theme Park, Chessington Zoo, SEA LIFE and live shows and events, so a huge amount of things to do.
30. Warwick Castle – Warwickshire
Warwick Castle is a fantastic day out, the highlight being the Dungeon which is unsuitable for under 10’s as it is pretty damn scary apparently! Still there is plenty to do! There is the new Horrible Histories Maze or make sure you check out the Little warrior weekends where you can teach your little warriors the skills required to conquer fierce dragons and mediaeval battles.
We love discovering places to go and have fun so if you do have any recommendations please leave us a comment and tell us all about your favourite places to visit 🙂
There are some great ones in Essex too, such as Tropical Wings, Colchester Zoo, Southend Pier and the Olympic mountain biking track at Hadleigh Farm!
Wow, so many fab places to go and see. We are going to try and have at least 2 days out each month with the kids. it is hard fitting it around football and everything else we do at weekends!
Thank you for including a post from me – some of my favourite places to visit here plus some new ones for me to find. I really want to try Splash Landings
Great round up of days out, thank you for including us xx
We’ve actually been to the majority of these! I’m looking forward to visiting the rest 🙂
So many exciting places for families to visit, and can you believe I haven’t been to ANY of these! Except Longleat and Warwich Castle, when I was a child. Time to get the UK map out and start planning, I think!
Some fantastic places, we love Twinlakes and Thomas Land! The Space Centre is in Leicester 🙂
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You’re absolutely right!
Thank you for linking to my post! You’ve covered the country here! They all sound great.
I think the UK is fab and there is always so much to do, it is just a shame some of it is realy expensive. Mich x
So nice to see a compiled list of great days out. You are right – we do have an array of attractions on offer here in the UK.
Great resource X
So many places I’ve never heard of. Can’t wait to tick some off of the list. Conkers sounds like fun
What a great list, I’ve been to a few but probably not half. I admit that I first went to Cadbury World only last year despite living so close that I can ‘check in’ without leaving my home! They do say that you are less likely to visit places on your doorstep.
This is a fantastic write up! So many ideas.
Thanks for featuring me 🙂
There are some great suggestions on here. We went to West Midlands Safari park this weekend, and it was brilliant
Wow, amazing selection of places! We have so much to do in the UK! Thanks for the mention too x
So many great places to go! Thank you for all the inspiration, I see some fun days out happening in the future!
So many great places. What a fab round up. Much try to visit some more on here. x