Best Days Out with the Kids this Bank Holiday
Here at Dotty we love a fun day out and we think the Spring Bank Holiday and upcoming half term is the perfect excuse! We have scoured the internet to bring you our favourite days out with the kids this bank holiday.
Whether you prefer a leisurely garden stroll, or something more lively, we’ve got you covered with our best days out with the kids.
Tag us in your bank holiday adventures on Instagram for a chance to appear in our Stories!
So here are our top days out with the kids over the holidays:
Beaulieu is situated in the picturesque New Forest and has many fun adventures for children with its Motor Museum and pretty grounds. This bank holiday weekend, Beaulieu are putting on some classic films with their outdoor cinema. From musicals Mamma Mia, and Encanto, to classics Top Gun: Maverick, and Back to the Future, an outdoor cinema is always a fun day out with the kids.
Bring a picnic blanket and some film snacks for the ultimate family evening out. Or go VIP with tickets that include deck chairs in a prime position! There will also be food stalls in the evening.
Looking for something to do beforehand? Come and say hello in our Lymington shop! We will be open from 10am - 4pm on Bank Holiday Monday. There are also lots of great cafes and coffee shops on Lymington High Street, which is about 15mins drive from Beaulieu.
With lots of adventures to be had including wakeboarding, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, open water swimming, and lots of fun water-based obstacle courses, this is definitely for the more adventurous family!
You can even camp here if you want to spend longer than a day trip here. Any children under 11yrs old do need to be accompanied by an adult, and everyone needs to be able to swim to take part in the activities.
We think it’s the perfect day trip to cool down in warm weather.
Celebrate bees with their bee-themed games over the bank holiday and half term. Go on beautiful walks around the gardens and learn all about our little fuzzy friends. On Wednesday there is a craft day where little ones can make a pom-pom bumblebee to take home.
Explore the beautiful gardens to discover each individually designed elephant on this fun trail. Inspired by the works of William Morris, Yayoi Kusama, and JMW Turner, find the ten unique elephant sculptures including the original colourful design by David McKee.
We think this will be the perfect Instagram spot if you want to try out taking some fun photos of your little ones. Check out our blog on how to create a kids photoshoot for our top tips!
Be prepared to immerse your whole family in nature and let your little ones learn how to be a fully-fledged forager! With four craft stations, this event will teach your children how to create something that relates to the great outdoors including nature medallions, floral crowns, and their own fortune teller!
Your ticket also includes a miniature railway journey through the woodland, an adventure play area for kids, an interactive show, and a Bubble Time session! For a perfect day out with the kids, there is also a Woodland cafe which serves locally sourced, homemade food for hungry adventurers.
The concert will be hosted by Strictly Come Dancing star Janette Manrara, and will be a collection of soloists and ensemble performers from their Disney in Concert tours.
Starting in Glasgow on 31st May, and continuing through the half term holidays in Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, and Bournemouth, this show is sure to be one of the best days out with the kids!
With over 40 family-friendly events in Comedy, Theatre, Circus, and Dance, as well as food and ghost tours, the Brighton Fringe Festival has lots to choose from! The festival started earlier this month and continues until 4th June.
Brighton Fringe Festival is England’s largest arts festival and aims to entertain and educate through it’s diverse range of performances.
The festival is open to everyone, and anyone can put on an event here, allowing new and emerging talent to come forward.
We think this will be one of the most inspiring days out with the kids for the holidays!
During the bank holiday and half term, Legoland Discovery Centre have their City of Champions event. Here little ones can collect exclusive mission cards for Minifigures, test their stunt skills, complete missions and earn stickers, and discover hidden messages in the street art.
What Lego adventure day would be complete without family brick building games and competitions!
If that wasn’t enough, Legoland Discovery Centre also includes plenty of attractions for the whole family including the Lego Ninjago play area, Kingdom Quest ride, a Space mission, Earthquake tables, and an opportunity to build and race lego cars. They also have a toddler play area and Duplo Farm for very little ones.
Look out for the Adult Events held here for any Lego enthusiast mums and dads!
The museum is free to visit and has lots of exciting events starting on 27th May until 4th June. Including a movement workshop with renowned dance choreographer Corey Baker Dance. Giant Leaps is a fun and interactive experience where your little ones can throw some shapes as they are transported through galaxies to explore how their movement can influence the journeys of stars and space dust.
Other festival events include Seeing the Hidden World, allowing little ones to discover how science and technology can be used to see things invisible to the naked eye. The festival also includes information on the fascinating job roles within Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. As well as sharing the exciting scientific developments happening in the local community of Bradford.
Whether you prefer a leisurely garden stroll, or something more lively, we’ve got you covered with our best days out with the kids.
Tag us in your bank holiday adventures on Instagram for a chance to appear in our Stories!
So here are our top days out with the kids over the holidays:
- Beaulieu Adventure Cinema
Beaulieu is situated in the picturesque New Forest and has many fun adventures for children with its Motor Museum and pretty grounds. This bank holiday weekend, Beaulieu are putting on some classic films with their outdoor cinema. From musicals Mamma Mia, and Encanto, to classics Top Gun: Maverick, and Back to the Future, an outdoor cinema is always a fun day out with the kids.
Bring a picnic blanket and some film snacks for the ultimate family evening out. Or go VIP with tickets that include deck chairs in a prime position! There will also be food stalls in the evening.
Looking for something to do beforehand? Come and say hello in our Lymington shop! We will be open from 10am - 4pm on Bank Holiday Monday. There are also lots of great cafes and coffee shops on Lymington High Street, which is about 15mins drive from Beaulieu.
- New Forest Water Park
With lots of adventures to be had including wakeboarding, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, open water swimming, and lots of fun water-based obstacle courses, this is definitely for the more adventurous family!
You can even camp here if you want to spend longer than a day trip here. Any children under 11yrs old do need to be accompanied by an adult, and everyone needs to be able to swim to take part in the activities.
We think it’s the perfect day trip to cool down in warm weather.
- Celebrate bees at Charlecote Park, Warwickshire
Celebrate bees with their bee-themed games over the bank holiday and half term. Go on beautiful walks around the gardens and learn all about our little fuzzy friends. On Wednesday there is a craft day where little ones can make a pom-pom bumblebee to take home.
- Elmer’s Art Parade at Petworth, West Sussex
Explore the beautiful gardens to discover each individually designed elephant on this fun trail. Inspired by the works of William Morris, Yayoi Kusama, and JMW Turner, find the ten unique elephant sculptures including the original colourful design by David McKee.
We think this will be the perfect Instagram spot if you want to try out taking some fun photos of your little ones. Check out our blog on how to create a kids photoshoot for our top tips!
- Craft Festival at Audley End Railway, Essex
Be prepared to immerse your whole family in nature and let your little ones learn how to be a fully-fledged forager! With four craft stations, this event will teach your children how to create something that relates to the great outdoors including nature medallions, floral crowns, and their own fortune teller!
Your ticket also includes a miniature railway journey through the woodland, an adventure play area for kids, an interactive show, and a Bubble Time session! For a perfect day out with the kids, there is also a Woodland cafe which serves locally sourced, homemade food for hungry adventurers.
- Disney100 - The Concert
The concert will be hosted by Strictly Come Dancing star Janette Manrara, and will be a collection of soloists and ensemble performers from their Disney in Concert tours.
Starting in Glasgow on 31st May, and continuing through the half term holidays in Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, and Bournemouth, this show is sure to be one of the best days out with the kids!
- Brighton Fringe Festival
With over 40 family-friendly events in Comedy, Theatre, Circus, and Dance, as well as food and ghost tours, the Brighton Fringe Festival has lots to choose from! The festival started earlier this month and continues until 4th June.
Brighton Fringe Festival is England’s largest arts festival and aims to entertain and educate through it’s diverse range of performances.
The festival is open to everyone, and anyone can put on an event here, allowing new and emerging talent to come forward.
We think this will be one of the most inspiring days out with the kids for the holidays!
- Legoland Discovery Centre - Manchester and Birmingham
During the bank holiday and half term, Legoland Discovery Centre have their City of Champions event. Here little ones can collect exclusive mission cards for Minifigures, test their stunt skills, complete missions and earn stickers, and discover hidden messages in the street art.
What Lego adventure day would be complete without family brick building games and competitions!
If that wasn’t enough, Legoland Discovery Centre also includes plenty of attractions for the whole family including the Lego Ninjago play area, Kingdom Quest ride, a Space mission, Earthquake tables, and an opportunity to build and race lego cars. They also have a toddler play area and Duplo Farm for very little ones.
Look out for the Adult Events held here for any Lego enthusiast mums and dads!
- Bradford Science Festival
The museum is free to visit and has lots of exciting events starting on 27th May until 4th June. Including a movement workshop with renowned dance choreographer Corey Baker Dance. Giant Leaps is a fun and interactive experience where your little ones can throw some shapes as they are transported through galaxies to explore how their movement can influence the journeys of stars and space dust.
Other festival events include Seeing the Hidden World, allowing little ones to discover how science and technology can be used to see things invisible to the naked eye. The festival also includes information on the fascinating job roles within Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. As well as sharing the exciting scientific developments happening in the local community of Bradford.
- The Gruffalo and Friends Clubhouse, Blackpool
With lots of different play areas inspired by Julia Donaldson’s favourite books, The Gruffalo and Friends Clubhouse in Blackpool will be one of the most fun days out with the kids. The perfect day out for children under 10 years old, with a toddler play area especially designed for under 3’s.
Explore different adventures from each of your little one’s favourite books including The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, Zog, The Snail and the Whale, and more!
Meet Mouse, Fox, Owl, and Snake in the Deep, Dark Wood Adventure play area. Relax in the quiet. moonlit ambience of the Gruffalo’s Child Sensory Room. Complete several interactive quests in Zog’s Dragon School Challenge, or take a dive in the ocean-inspired ball pool with Snail and the Whale.
There are refreshments at the Woodland Cafe for hungry explorers, and little gifts for little treats at the Gift Shop.
For even more days out with the kids over the bank holiday and half term, take a look at Netmums Best 32 Family Days Out. Thank you also to Visit The New Forest for their information of what’s on in the New Forest.
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