Activities for the under-fives

UK summer fun for the under-fives

Donkeys at Weston-super-Mare, Somerset
Weston is famous for its huge expanse of sand, especially at low tide, with the gently shelving beach perfect for toddlers to splash around to their hearts’ content. But sooner or later, they’ll hear the cheery hee-haw of Weston’s famous donkeys, and turn to see these friendly creatures – and everything else will be forgotten. For over 120 years, the Mager family has been giving first-class donkey rides across the sands, and there are regular donkey derbies to watch. Elsewhere, the little ones can enjoy miniature train rides, bouncy castles and boat-shaped swings, and new in town this year is a 40-metre-high ride, the Weston Wheel.
www.westondonkeys.co.uk
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Rock-pool rambles at Wembury, Devon
The rocky beach at Wembury, southeast of Plymouth, is one of the best places in Devon to go rock-pooling, and as it’s home to a dedicated Marine Centre, you and your toddlers can take a guided ramble with experts. The special rambles for under-fives take place on 4, 13 and 19 August and cost just £1 per adult and 50p per child. Interesting sealife they’ll spot include anemones, hermit crabs, fast-swimming prawns, starfish and whelks, and the colour-changing sea scorpion. As well as joining the rock-pool rambles, the kids can see lots of creatures in the centre’s aquaria.
www.wemburymarinecentre.org
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Sandcastles at Bamburgh Beach, Northumberland
Little ones love beaches, full stop. Add a bucket and spade, and the mission to build a sandcastle, and hours of fun lie ahead. Should your toddlers need some inspiration when building their sandcastle at Bamburgh, on the north Northumberland coast, they’ve got a great example to copy at this award-winning sandy beach, overlooked by handsome Bamburgh Castle. And the amazing variety of sea birds, if you take some binoculars, will only add to their awe.
www.northumberland-coast.co.uk/bamburgh.php
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‘Forest Playtime’ in the Wyre Forest, Worcestershire
If you go down to the woods today… well, more specifically, on 14 or 18 August from 10.30am to midday, you’ll find lots of fun for the under-fives (teddy bears optional). There might be pushchair-friendly walks, craft sessions using natural materials, or wildlife-themed games. It all takes place in the beautiful, ancient Wyre Forest, which straddles the border of Worcestershire and Shropshire, there’s also an adventure play area especially for toddlers, a picnic area and a woodpecker tower. Meet at the Wyre Forest Discovery Centre near Bewdley, £3 per child.
www.forestry.gov.uk
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Pet-patting at Dairyland Farm World, Newquay, Cornwall
Bottle-feeding piglets; cuddling little bunnies; gawping at ferrets; these are the sure-fire tot-pleasing animal highlights at this working dairy farm near Newquay.

The whipper-snappers can watch the cows being milked, too, and take a hay ride – and not just any hay ride, but a ‘Lamborghini’ hay ride, no less. In the Bull Pen, an adventure playground, toddlers have their own area, complete with ball pools, where they can bounce around happily – you may feel tempted to join in, and you can: in fact they positively encourage it here. Children under 3ft tall enter free.
www.dairylandfarmworld.com
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Days out with Thomas the Tank Engine, Colne Valley Railway, Castle Hedingham, Essex
Toddlers love train rides, and if the train in question is the world’s most famous tank engine, you can’t go wrong. The kids can ride behind Thomas, meet his friends and get their faces painted, the journey overseen by The Fat Controller. These special days are on June 13, 14, 20 and 21, and there are more in September. If you miss those, however, this heritage railway in Essex, with its lovingly rebuilt and restored station, signal box and railway yard, also has two miniature railways and a model railway.
www.colnevalleyrailway.co.uk
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Seahorses in the National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth, Devon
Aquariums are always a hit with pre-schoolers, and happily they’re quite fascinating for their parents, too. This one will particularly thrill the youngsters as it has an unrivalled display of seahorses, with no fewer than eight species wriggling through the water. They are to be found, appropriately, in the Weird Creatures zone. Other star attractions include cute turtles, and the only giant squid on permanent display in the UK. There are also – whisper it – sharks, and you’ll find two floors of interactive exhibits. Admission is free for under-fives.
www.national-aquarium.co.uk
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Story-book beach in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales
With its pastel-painted Georgian houses, the pretty Pembrokeshire resort of Tenby is like a seaside town from a children’s book. The town’s Blue Flag beaches, with their golden sands, are a delight for toddlers and adults alike. At the harbour beach you can hire pedal boats for a gentle ride, and North Beach is dotted with rock pools for a serious bit of crab-searching. There’s lots of bucket-and-spade fun to be had, and they’ll also love the nearby Dinosaur Park, with its life-size models.
http://www.national-aquarium.co.uk
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Legoland, Windsor, Berkshire
One of the only truly toddler-friendly theme parks, Legoland easily has a day’s worth of fun for the under-fives. They can watch the modellers building amazing Lego creations – displays include a version of the Crown Jewels, and a Boeing 747 cockpit. Meanwhile, Miniland, which has scale versions of the world’s most famous buildings in a leafy park, will be right up the little ones’ street. Duplo Land will also be a big hit. There, toddlers can ride through Fairy Tale Brook, passing through their favourite stories, and get wet in the Waterworks playground. Entrance is free for under-threes.
www.legoland.co.uk
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Global Garden Party at the Eden Project, Cornwall
You might not think of the Eden Project’s giant ‘biome’ hothouses as all that toddler-friendly, but au contraire, there’s much to please the littluns here. Entry is free for under-fives, and until 19 July, the centre’s Global Garden Party is providing lots of extra fun for them. If they bring a teddy bear they get a special little treat, and there are morning story-telling sessions on weekdays. You can picnic wherever you like, too. And don’t forget the tree-top walk in the Rainforest Biome – it’s a guaranteed tot-pleaser.
www.edenproject.com
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