DINO DISCOVERY
Dinosaurs will rule the Earth once again this summer at Walking with Dinosaurs: the Arena Spectacular, a follow-on from the hit BBC series. The £10 million extravaganza, taking place in arenas across the UK in July and August, features 15 life-size models, from the 36ft-tall Brachiosaurus to a 7ft baby T-Rex, with a narrative of their 200-million-year domination of life on Earth. dinosaurlive.com
ADRENALIN RUSH
Families looking for high-octane thrills should head to the brand- new Adrenalin Quarry in Cornwall, where you can fly down the UK’s longest zip wire at 40mph, drive your own single-seat hovercraft across the lakes at full throttle or take a spin in a motorised go-kart. adrenalinquarry.co.uk
MEDIEVAL MADNESS
Time travel to the gory Middle Ages at Warwick Castle, where the new Castle Dungeon experience takes visitors back to 1345, when the town was gripped by plague. Chanting monks, torture implements and the ‘labyrinth of lost souls’ mirror maze bring history to life. Not for the faint-hearted – best for the over-tens. warwick-castle.co.uk
ENCHANTED LAND
Let your children’s imaginations run wild at the Forbidden Corner, a fantasy garden in the Yorkshire Dales that’s full of surprises. Originally a private folly, it’s a magical world of tunnels, chambers, mazes and statues. Solve riddles to find your way around and look out for strange creatures lurking round every corner. theforbiddencorner.co.uk
ANIMAL MAGIC
TV interior designer Anna Ryder Richardson has swapped kitten heels for live animals at the newly reopened Manor House Wildlife Park near Tenby, Pembrokeshire. Follow a wildlife trail, interact with lemurs and wallabies in walk-in enclosures, and learn about the animals and their environment. manorhousewildlifepark.co.uk
WHAT A SCREAM
Sate your children’s sweet cravings at Cream O’Galloway, an organic working farm in Scotland’s Castle Douglas, famed for its creamy ice cream, nature trails and adventure playground. Have a go at making your own and indulge in tastings, then work it all off on the cycling tracks, hiking paths and tours of the farm. creamogalloway.co.uk
RIDE HIGH
On the edge of the New Forest, Hampshire, Paultons Family Theme Park has two new attractions this summer. The Edge is the only ride of its kind in the UK – riders spin through the air on a giant rotating disc – while Water Kingdom is a huge splash park for younger kids. paultonspark.co.uk
WORK UP A STEAM
Ivor the Engine fans can climb on board the real thing in Snowdonia, with a 40-mile steam train route that opens this month, re-instating part of the long-lost rail link between Caernarfon and Porthmadog. Built entirely by volunteers, there are carriages for bicycles, so mountain bikers can explore the area, and a viewing carriage with panoramic windows. festrail.co.uk
GO GREEN
It’s environmentally-friendly and lots of fun – the Green Dragon rollercoaster at Greenwood Forest Park in Wales is the world’s first to be run using the power generated by the weight of the people on it. This summer you can take off your shoes and get closer to nature too at the BareFootTrail attraction, walking over a variety of surfaces from leaves and pebbles to water and mud. greenwoodforestpark.co.uk
SPACE CADETS
Sci-fi loving kids will be entertained for hours at the National Space Centre, Leicestershire, with interactive exhibits allowing children to explore black holes and the universe, test-drive a robot and see if they’ve got what it takes to become an astronaut on a 3D SIM journey to ice moon Europa. What’s more, it’s free for kids. spacecentre.co.uk
VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY
Search for seals, seabirds, dolphins, basking sharks and more along the Cornish coastline on a Marine Discovery wildlife watching boat trip from Penzance Harbour in Cornwall. Beautiful scenery and educational too. marinediscovery.co.uk
