Cotswold Farm Park
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Mondays: visitors can get up close to spectacular birds of prey at the special Summer of Fun falconry demonstrations from 4pm (included in farm park ticket price). Afterwards, visitors can tuck into tasty Mexican-inspired dishes at The Ox Shed restaurant from 4.30pm – 8pm.
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Tuesdays: visitors can have a go at juggling, spinning plates, silks and other circus skills in fun, beginner-friendly circus workshops from 3pm (included in farm park ticket price).
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Wednesdays: free access to Sunflower Sessions from 12pm, with live music and local food trucks.
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Thursdays: The Ox Shed will host a family bubble party and disco (included in farm park ticket price), as well as serving up delicious pizza from 4.30pm – 8pm.
- Sundays: from 5pm – 6pm visitors can have a go at line dancing (included in farm park ticket price) before enjoying Texas BBQ dishes from the Ox Shed (4.30pm – 8pm).
Dreamland in Kent
Families can enjoy endless rides for less this summer at Dreamland with prices now not just frozen from 2025, but at 15% off the previous season’s price!
Running through until 1 September, Tiny tots wristbands, covering smaller rides for young children, are now priced at £10.99 and Mega Ride Wristbands, meaning endless access to the park’s rides for the entire day, are now priced at £20,99 (T&Cs apply).
The Tiny Tots Wristband is ideal for children taller than 0.8m and below 1.2m. This wristband gives unlimited rides on Little River, Cups & Saucers, Ladybirds, Margate Express, Helter Skelter, Noah’s Ark, Magic Rockets, Austin Cars, Caterpillar Coaster. The Mega Wristband is ideal for all our guests over 1.2m and gives unlimited access to all of Dreamland’s rides, all day long!
Dreamland’s amusement park offers plenty of family-friendly thrills just footsteps from the beach including a 50-foot plunge on the Wild River log flume, Waltzers, Dodgems, Ghost Train and Rock ‘N’ Roller coaster amongst many other attractions. New for 2026, younger visitors can hop in their own canoe and enjoy a ride on Little River, located next to Wild River.
Park goers can also enjoy the delights of the retro Roller Disco, the popular arcade andAmusements including VR games, plus a range of food and drink provided by the renowned street food aficionados, KERB in collaboration with LevyUK & Ireland.
Standard Ride Tokens are £3 each or a bundle of 20 can be purchased for £40. Each ride is 1 token.
Dreamland’s amusement park is open every day for the summer holidays from Saturday 18 July through Monday 31 August*. The park is now open on weekends and will also be open for October Half Term. For tickets and more information visit dreamland.co.uk
Westgate Oxford to bring the Jabberwock to life for Alice’s Day festivities
On Saturday 4th July, Westgate Oxford will step through the looking glass as it partners with The Story Museum to host free Alice’s Day activities for all ages to enjoy.
Guests will be treated to performances from Rough Magic Theatre, who will bring Lewis Carroll’s famous poem Jabberwocky to life through a mix of shadow puppetry and live singing. The 30-minute performances will take place at 11am, 12pm, and 1:30pm on the South Arcade, next to LEGO.
Adding to the atmosphere, characters from Lewis Carroll’s tales will be roaming the centre throughout the day to interact and snap photos with guests of all ages.
Beyond the day’s performances, guests can discover the Alice in Wonderland-themed ‘Looking for Alice’ Ox on the Roof Terrace while enjoying the panoramic views of Oxford’s dreaming spires – the very skyline that inspired Carroll’s stories.
For more information, please visit https://www.westgateoxford.co.uk/en
Blenheim Palace Oxfordshire family experiences for summer
This summer, the must-visit UNESCO World Heritage Site in Oxfordshire has launched a programme of events and activities for the ultimate day of family fun.
Families visiting Britain’s Greatest Palace between 25th June and 1st September 2026 can take advantage of the Great British Summer Savings with reduced admission prices across all ticket types and savings on children’s meals.
Animal lovers
From 21st July to 1st September, the orchard beyond the Walled Garden will be home to Marlborough Mini Farm for the first time; a charming collection of farm animals including Berkshire pigs, gloriously plumed Buff Orpington chickens, wonderfully shaggy Cotswold sheep and characterful English goats. All of the breeds are recognised by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and are Red List / Priority Breeds as they are native livestock breeds, considered at risk and are being monitored for conservation. Marlborough Mini Farm creates the perfect opportunity to meet these animals and discover what makes each one so special.
Throughout the summer holiday, the Stables and West Courtyard will host horse displays and demonstrations each weekend from 25th July to 21st August.
Adventure Play
Little explorers can unleash their imaginations in Adventure Play, with a brand-new treehouse inspired by Pip and Posy’s Treehouse Mystery, an episode of the hugely popular pre-school series. As they explore, children can follow a fun trail to help find Pip’s missing toy, Piggy, completing playful actions and challenges throughout Adventure Play. The adventure ends at the new treehouse, where families can enjoy storytelling sessions, imaginative play and the exciting discovery of Piggy – along with a new friend she has met along the way
World-class exhibitions
From 11th August to 1st November 2026, Blenheim Palace will be showcasing five full-scale Megalosaurus sculptures created by artist Jay Jay Burridge. The reimagined skeletons of the Dinosaurs Are Forever exhibition will be located in the Formal Gardens of the historic UNESCO World Heritage Site in Oxfordshire, the birthplace of dinosaurs. Families can immerse themselves in history by meeting the costumed Victorian explorer guide as part of the exhibition.
Walled Garden
Families can also hop aboard Winston, the mini train, for their trip to the Walled Garden and on arrival can race against time to see if they can conquer the mighty Marlborough Maze; two miles of yew trees inspired by the history of the Palace. Visitors can walk past sunflowers, and discover the impressive Kitchen Garden used to grow mixed salad leaves, edible flowers, mixed heritage beetroots, fresh herbs, cherry tomatoes, and more.
Curious minds can marvel at the fluttering wings within the Butterfly House, proudly home to a stunning collection of native British butterfly species, before heading to the Rowse Honey Hive for an interactive space to explore the crucial role of bees.
National Railway Museum in York is inviting families to embark on a summer holiday in a day.
This summer, the National Railway Museum in York is inviting families to collect the museum passport and embark on a summer holiday in a day. Their programme of free activities will take visitors on a journey to explore the countryside, have fun at the seaside and even go abroad – all without leaving the museum.
Running from 20 July to 6 September, the museum’s Summer Holiday programme offers a host of hands-on activities designed to spark the imagination and celebrate the joy of travel. Visitors can collect a Summer Holiday Passport on arrival and gather stamps as they explore the museum and take part in a range of free family experiences.
Next stop is the countryside, where there’s plenty to explore. Visitors can try their hand at birdwatching, browse local produce at a countryside market, or take a moment to sketch the scenery and soak up the views.
Families can also write holiday postcards about their journey and pose for photographs in front of a giant travel poster backdrop to capture memories of their day out.
- Giant Track Layout – Great Hall, 3–5 August
Mini engineers can get creative with track pieces to build their own layouts, use challenge cards for inspiration, or simply play on sections of pre-built track. We’ll have plenty of motorised trains available as well to test out the track designs, add carriages too, play and enjoy! Suggested age 2+. Parental/Carer supervision required.
- Immersive Storytelling in the Shinkansen – Great Hall, 11–13 August
Step aboard the Shinkansen – the only preserved Japanese bullet train outside of Japan – for an immersive, bespoke storytelling adventure exploring the railway’s unique power to connect people, places and cultures.
- Punch and Judy – South Yard/Station Hall, 18, 21 and 25 August
Experience the magic of the traditional British seaside with classic Punch and Judy shows for the whole family.
- York Railway Institute Band Performance – Great Hall, 29 August
Visitors to the National Railway Museum will be able to enjoy a special performance from the York Railway Institute Band on Saturday 29 August at 2pm. The hour-long programme will feature a selection of brass band music inspired by holidays and trains, celebrating the spirit of travel in the museum’s unique railway setting. 
Bolton Castle Announces Summer & Autumn Events
Bolton Castle, one of North Yorkshire’s best-preserved medieval castles, has unveiled an exciting programme of family-friendly events for summer and autumn. Just 10 minutes from Leyburn, the historic castle has remained in the same family’s ownership for more than 600 years and offers visitors five floors to explore, including a dungeon, beautiful gardens, a maze, tea room, daily falconry displays, archery and wild boar feeding.
Alongside its regular attractions, the castle hosts a packed calendar of living history weekends, storytelling, trails, traditional craft demonstrations and outdoor theatre, making it an ideal day out for families, history enthusiasts and garden lovers.
Highlights include a series of Living History Weekends from May through August, where costumed re-enactors bring Tudor, Medieval and Civil War life to life with demonstrations, combat displays and interactive activities. Popular Lord Scrope’s Tudor Weekends explore the dramatic story of the Border Reivers and life within a bustling Tudor household.
Visitors can also enjoy Captain Savile’s 15th Century Weekend (20–21 June), featuring a fully equipped medieval encampment with archery, combat and period demonstrations, and a Traditional Skills Presentation (1 July), showcasing spinning, wool dyeing and medieval textile crafts.
For younger visitors, Knights School runs on selected dates between 22 July and 26 August. Children aged 7–13 can learn sword skills, archery, jousting, marching, music and medieval etiquette during a three-hour pre-booked session.
History comes alive during the Mary Queen of Scots Family Event (4–6 August), with humorous interactive performances recounting her imprisonment at Bolton Castle.
The season concludes with the acclaimed HandleBards outdoor production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth on 20 August, promising an energetic, family-friendly performance under the evening sky.
Castle admission remains unchanged from 2024, with most events included in the standard ticket price. Bolton Castle is open until 1 November 2026. Visitors are advised to check the website before travelling for event details and any private closure dates.
The Big One Hundred Celebrates 100 Years of Winnie-the-Pooh
To mark the 100th anniversary of A.A. Milne’s beloved Winnie-the-Pooh stories, The Big One Hundred launches on 18–19 July 2026 at Ashdown Forest, the inspiration for the Hundred Acre Wood. Created in partnership with award-winning creative company Trigger, the free family event celebrates the forest’s literary heritage while encouraging visitors to connect with and help protect this unique landscape.
Following its opening weekend, the event will tour Wealden throughout the summer holidays, visiting Hailsham Town Centre (26 July), Sheffield Park and Garden (1 August), Uckfield’s Weald on the Field (8 August) and Herstmonceux Castle (22–23 August).
At the heart of the programme are Explorer Days, where families can collect explorer stamps while taking part in nature-inspired crafts, games, workshops and guided activities. Visitors will also encounter a spectacular giant mythical puppet, inspired by Ashdown Forest’s wildlife and landscapes, operated by a team of 8–10 performers.
The project blends storytelling, outdoor exploration and imaginative play as part of the National Year of Reading, encouraging children to discover nature through literature while fostering a lifelong love of reading and the environment.
The giant puppet has been designed by acclaimed artist Jack Irving, whose work has featured with performers including Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. The creative team also includes Olivier Award-winning theatre maker Laura Cubitt and puppetry specialist Oliver Hymans.
Alongside the performances, six new themed walking trails will be introduced, celebrating iconic Ashdown Forest species including the Nightjar, Dartford Warbler, Dormouse and Silver-studded Blue Butterfly.
All events are free, but advance booking is required. Public booking opens on 26 May, with priority booking for Wealden residents from 18 May. The programme aims to inspire a new generation to discover and protect one of Britain’s most treasured landscapes for the next 100 years.