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Kids covet holidays nearer home
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Is it possible to holiday in England, with kids, without tearing your hair out? Do breaks in Britain have the necessary wow factor to fire a youngster’s imagination, from toddlers to teenagers? Is the English tourist industry up to speed when it comes to catering for kids? The answer to all three questions is an unequivocal ‘Yes!’
So why travel abroad for brat-boggling entertainment when the little darlings might actually prefer to stay closer to home? After all, do you really want to be cooped up for hours on a cramped charter flight, only to endure sweltering conditions that, if the ‘average’ family is anything to go by, will end in ructions?
Let’s just bear in mind that somewhere hot is not usually where kids want to chill out.
Now, in many ways, the fickle nature of our climate has done tourism in England a big favour. It has forced the industry to become more inventive to compensate. Kid-centred attractions are designed to appeal, whatever the weather.
Travelling with kids in Britain, today, is also a pleasure. Motorway service stations, for example, seem to be pulling out all the stops to tantalise toddlers, while assuaging the boredom factor among teenagers. But where an English break truly scores is its huge range of child-friendly accommodation. Bed and breakfast establishments, in particular, are well suited to keeping the kids happy, while on holiday. B&B accommodation, for example, from basic to luxury is mindful of pleasing our pint-sized punters; family rooms and child-oriented facilities, and less of the pressure to tow the line than in some larger more formal style hotels.
Whether you head for England’s cities or countryside, you will be surprised at the wide range of child-oriented attractions that is guaranteed to fire the imagination of kids of all ages. The following are just a few ideas to get you (and the kids) going …
Ashdown Forest (West Sussex, Southeast of East Grinstead, off the A22)
The great outdoors, with a softer touch, Ashdown Forest will appeal to Winnie-the-Pooh fans. The ‘Hundred-Acre’ Wood is supposedly where A.A. Milne drew his inspiration for the famous Pooh stories. Indulge in a game of Poosticks off Poosticks’ Bridge, near the village of Hartfield.
Bristol (At-Bristol Complex, Anchor Road, Harbourside)
Older kids and teenagers will love the buzz and action of Bristol’s redeveloped harbourside complex, with its up-beat family-friendly cafés and eateries. ‘Explore’, the hands-on science centre, is a must.
Cheddar Gorge (between Wells and Weston-super-mare, Junction 22 off M5)
Kids who are in two minds about the great outdoors will enthuse about Cheddar Gorge, which is often described as a ‘huge outdoor cave’. From the top you can see as far as Glastonbury. But if the strenuous hike to the top doesn’t appeal, the Cheddar Show Caves are sure to impress. One of the smaller caves, Cox’s Cave, has been converted into a fantasy adventure called ‘The Crystal Quest’, with models of goblins, dragons and witches.
London
England’s capital and kids are compatible and the bonus is that keeping kids of all ages happy in London need not cost an arm and a leg. Head for the Science Museum and enjoy hours of interactive fun. The museum even organises sleepovers for children who want to explore and experiment into the night! The Golden Hinde, a replica sixteenth century sailing ship, also lays on organised night-time sessions when youngsters can try out their skills as pretend pirates! And there’s never a dull moment at London Zoo where kids can stroke snakes, all of course, under the strictest of supervision.
York
Kids who think history is ‘boring’ will change their minds after a visit to York. The city is really geared up to catering for younger tourists, with an abundance of family-friendly accommodation, as well as numerous attractions with real kid appeal. The Jorvik Centre, for instance, makes Viking Britain come alive; the Dungeon (Clifford Street) takes visitors on a gory guided tour to witness the impact of the Black Death on the city, way back in the fourteenth century.
Finally, from north to south, east to west England has so much to offer the discerning younger visitor; so much that is imaginative, innovative and oftentimes thought provoking, but above all good fun. (Of course, if your kids are still hell bent on the more formulaic funfair type entertainment, England has that too).
For more kid- and adult-oriented ideas contact www.visitengland.com or www.visitbritain.com.
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