Entertain them, educate them, thrill them and fill them, whichever way you look, Britain offers children and their parents an endless range of options: theme parks that will transport you to the edge of enjoyment to hundreds of animal attractions and interactive museums so diverting that kids won’t realize they’re learning something.

How do they do that?
Step Back in Time
Thrill Seeking
Animal Crazy
Trains, Planes, Boats & Buses
Feeding Time – Great Kid-friendly Places to Eat
A Place to Stay

How do they do that?

Educational museums with a strong interactive theme, where children get to do, as well as to look, are without doubt a sure winner. At the leading edge are places such as Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry; London’s Science Museum; Cardiff’s National Techniquest; the new At-Bristol; The Big Idea in Scotland where you can create your own inventions, and a little gem in west Yorkshire: Eureka! This spring the National Space Science Centre in Leicester is also opening its doors. Here you'll be able to see rockets and satellites, discover alien life and "travel" to see comets and stars close at hand. The sheer size and range of exhibits at any of these will certainly impress you. If the world of media seems to beckon your children, take them on a behind-the-scenes tour at Granada Studios in Manchester, or take in the BBC Experience at Broadcasting House, London. The BBC also run advance booked tours of their Shepherd’s Bush television studios. You can also learn more about the industry at the National Museum of Photography, Film and TV in Bradford. After all, which child can resist the chance to star on the big screen (even if it isn’t quite for real?)

Step Back in Time

Take a step back into history and explore a mighty castle, like Warwick in Warwickshire, where battles were planned and prepared, baddies were locked up in gloomy dungeons and feasts were held to celebrate victory in battle. Throughout Britain, there are hundreds of castles and fortresses, all with a tale to tell. During the summer months, many will host medieval jousting tournaments, and others will stage battle re-enactments. History brought to life with the help of modern wizardry is what you can expect at the Jorvik Viking Centre. Here the lives, habits and smells of Vikings who once lived in the city of York, can be visited with the aid of a time-car. Want to see what London and Londoners looked like in centuries past? Hop on another time-car at Madame Tussaud’s and all will be revealed.

Thrill Seeking

Scared of heights? Then don’t suggest a day out at Alton Towers. This is Britain’s largest theme park and home to some truly stomach-turning rides--Oblivion and Nemesis are the rides most talked about. Close by the capital are two top-ranking theme parks, Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures. Each boasts numerous "white-knuckle" rides for those with a head for heights and stomachs to match, as well as firm family favorites like the log-flume. In the north west of England, it is Blackpool Pleasure Beach which has cornered the market in ultimate thrill rides. Only the brave boast of having ridden the infamous roller coaster "The Pepsi Max." If you feel you can handle that, then perhaps you could also tackle the new ride "Apocalypse" at Drayton Manor Theme Park and Zoo. This is a vertical drop ride on which you sit or stand before it drops you 180 feet (the height of Nelson’s column) at a rate of 50mph, pulling 4G. At this speed, they promise you can’t even scream! On a less-terrifying note there are plenty of theme parks that are aimed at a gentler, younger visitor. Storybook Glen, in Aberdeen, brings to life the characters from classic stories, and at the Dinosaur Experience near Tenby in Wales, kids will love to roam amongst the realistic models. Known to children across the globe, the famous Lego brick is put to spectacular use at Legoland, near Windsor in Berkshire. There’s a lot to see and do, including learning to drive a Lego car and riding on a dragon to explore the knight’s castle.

Animal Crazy

From impressive safari tours and large city zoos to humble farms and a donkey sanctuary, Britain has a staggering 261 animal centers throughout the country. Around Britain’s coast, you’ll find sealife centers where not only our own native fish are displayed, but also other fascinating creatures, such as stingrays and sharks. Discover how seals (many native to Britain) are cared and looked after at the National Seal Sanctuary in Cornwall or, at the Scottish Seabird Centre, explore the fascinating world of seabirds and observe their habits on nearby islands via interactive cameras. Another bird sanctuary has been opened at the Wetland Centre in Barnes, west London. Created from redundant reservoirs, the center is a haven of habitats for a variety of birds, with observation hides and a discovery center for families. City zoos like London, with its new Web of Life attraction, plus Chester, Colchester, Edinburgh and Bristol, are home to an immense range of animals and offer a great educational service to all visitors. For a touch of adventure, you can’t beat a safari park, where the animals are free to roam around and visitors observe from cars, buses or, at Whipsnade, from a train.

Trains, Planes, Boats and Buses

Board a warship, like HMS Belfast docked on the river Thames in central London, or find out how sailors hundreds of years ago went to war at the Historic Dockyard in Portsmouth, where Lord Nelson’s ship, HMS Victory, will reveal all. Portsmouth’s harbor area was revamped last year, and there is also now a Renaissance Trail, a Navy in Action Centre and a landmark tower with fine views of the harbor. See how royalty travel at Leith near Edinburgh, where the Royal Yacht Britannia is now docked after many years of service to the Queen. For keen train enthusiasts, a "real must" is the National Railway Museum in York. Here the whole history of rail travel is expertly displayed. Of course, the real pleasure of trains is taking a journey on one. For dramatic scenery, choose one of the narrow-gauge railway trips in North Wales or for simply idyllic, go for the Bluebell Line in East Sussex. An exhibition on the motorcar, from 1894 to the present day, is one of the main attractions at Beaulieu, a stately home in the south of England, and in the West Midlands, there is the National Motorcycle Museum at Solihull. There are also superb transport museums in London, Manchester and Glasgow covering a whole range of transportation.

Feeding Time

British restaurants have sharpened up their act when it comes to catering for children. No longer are children restricted to fast food hamburger chains, they are now welcome in even the smartest of restaurants, where accommodating strollers or finding a highchair is just part of the service. Pizza and pasta restaurants are firm family favorites in Britain (there are thousands of them), as they offer tasty, value-for-money food. Restaurants with entertainment, are, of course, real hits: London has the Rainforest Cafe, Planet Hollywood, and Smolensky’s on the Strand amongst others, but you’ll also find plenty of restaurants outside the capital that provide children’s entertainment--particularly on weekends. Children are also welcome in pubs if they are going to eat a meal. And if the adults just want a drink, then look for a pub with a beer garden, where children are welcome just to have a drink too. Many pubs in the countryside provide large play areas, for children to play while their parents relax.

A Place to Stay

Self-catering is often the most practical solution when travelling with children. Camping or staying in a caravan are the most economical options. Britain has many sites with excellent facilities for children. A notch up on the luxury scale is renting a cottage or an apartment. Many come equipped for children with cots and highchairs. Bed & Breakfast accommodation, where you get a comfortable room and a substantial breakfast (and sometimes the option of an evening meal) are always a popular choice, especially when it is farmhouse. Children are welcome to look at the animals and sometimes help out. Another step-up on the price ladder are hotels. Try the ones which advertise themselves as being family hotels, as these will offer children’s menus (and often early meal times), cots, highchairs, play areas and a baby-listening service (invaluable for parents who want to eat and drink later). Not so long ago, luxury country house hotels were definitely not the places to take young children. Now, however, there are several, like Woolley Grange near Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, who cater just for young families. Along with all the luxury trappings, they also offer state-of-the-art play areas and nurseries complete with staff, babysitting services, children’s menus and meal times and activities just for children.

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Kid-friendly, mother approved! Flights, accommodation, car rental, special offers and family travel tips. Contact Sally Black by email: Mom@VacationKids.com