insideKENT Magazine Issue 64 - July 2017 | Page 81

DAYSOUT
SCHOOL’S OUT!
SCHOOL MAY NOT BE OUT FOREVER (AT LEAST NOT FOR
EVERYONE), BUT IT IS CERTAINLY OUT FOR THE SUMMER,
AND THOSE LONG WEEKS OF THE HOLIDAY CAN FEEL A
LITTLE DAUNTING WHEN THERE ARE KIDS TO ENTERTAIN
ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE
ON A DAILY BASIS.
To The Beach!
A day trip to the beach may not be high tech, and it may not be full of
action and adventure, but that’s okay. In fact, that’s more than okay.
Some proper, good old fashioned (or perhaps we should say ‘retro’)
bucket and spade fun is often all that is really needed for one of the
most memorable days out you can give your children. The simplicity
that goes with a beach outing offers you some time to relax and the
little ones some time to really be kids – which is so, so important.
The key does seem to be slotting
in some amazing days out in
amongst those days when there
is no place like home, but with so
many options in and around Kent,
where should you take the little
ones? Here are a few ideas that
should give you some boredom-
busting inspiration.
Visit a Castle
Heroes, Heroines and Hoods at Leeds Castle
Take a fresh picnic with you and plenty of water and you don’t even
need to leave the beach to have your lunch.
Great beaches in Kent include Botany Bay in Broadstairs, St Mildred’s
Bay in Westgate, Ramsgate Main Sands and Joss Bay in Broadstairs.
But there are plenty of others to try too!
The Great Indoors
Sometimes, no
matter how hard
we might wish
otherwise, the
weather during
the summer is less
than ideal. But that
shouldn’t stop
anyone from
having a fantastic
time and
forgetting all about
homework for a
while. We’re well
used to wet weather in Kent, so thankfully we are also well used to
finding ways of entertaining the children when it pours (or it’s just a bit
cold and grey). Kent has plenty of scope if castles are the order of the day. From Leeds
Castle (‘the loveliest castle in the world’) to Hever Castle, Anne Boleyn’s
childhood home, from the mighty Dover Castle, Kent’s greatest and
most fascinating defence to Deal Castle, one of Henry VIII’s favourite
pet projects, there is sure to be something that appeals.
One such way that the kids adore is soft play centres. They are in
abundance in Kent, and we have some of the biggest and best around
including Manic Monsters in Edenbridge, Tiny Town in Larkfield, Ollies
in Margate and Monkey Bizz in Strood. Most of the castles offer summer holiday activities to make things even
more exciting. Some of those on offer for 2017 include Summer Jousting
Tournaments at Hever; Heroes, Heroines and Hoods at Leeds Castle;
and Castle Liv