Wollaton Hall in Nottinghamshire has lots of festive activities this week including a Gingerbread Christmas Trail and Yuletide Hidden History Tour. Go to wollatonhall.org.uk to find out what's on when. Closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Monster Supplies in Hoxton, London has the weirdest and most wonderful gifts ranging from Fairy Dust to Werewolf Letter Writing Packs. Recently voted No 1 Kids Shop, all profits go to Ministry of Stories, a creative writing and mentoring charity for young children. Find out more at monstersupplies.org

January is the perfect time to plan something fun. Is it time to get on some wellies and start running? Pretty Muddy Kids is an event run in aid of Cancer Research. Raise some money for charity and stomp around in some mud. It’s 5 kilometres and open to ages 6 to 12 and takes more »

It’s panto season and you can catch Jack and the Beanstalk at The Theatre Chipping Norton. With fantastic costumes and plenty of laughs, this giant-sized panto is on until January 12th. Go to chippingnortontheatre.com.

Brandon Country Park in Suffolk, is a great park to explore. There's an arboretum with its copper beech and intriguing monkey puzzle trees. There are a variety of walks within the park, many on hard surfaces or on firm paths so suitable for all the family. These lead around the forest taking you to a more »

Bridging The Tamar Visitor and Learning Centre in Plymouth explores the history of the Tamar Bridge whilst offering you the opportunity to find out more about how operators manage and monitor the road bridge, the Saltash Tunnel and the tolling system. It's free to visit and there are various free tours too. www.bridgingthetamar.org.uk has more info. more »

St Abb's Head in Berwickshire is famed for its seabird colonies and stunning dramatic cliffs, making for a fun family walk and if you're lucky you'll spot seals and otters too. Go to www.nts.org.uk for more details.

Go back in time and find out more about the railways at the Monkwearmouth Station Museum in Sunderland. Housed in an outstanding Grade 2 1840s station building, you can enjoy a number of interactive galleries and sidings that include a wagon shed with two rare railway trucks and a classic Rover P4 car, and learn more »

Why would someone collect horse shoes? It turns out that donating horse shoes is a real thing and at The Great Hall in Oakham Castle, Rutland, there’s a unique collection of over 230 ornate ceremonial horseshoes donated by Royalty and nobility such as Dukes, Earls, Viscounts, Barons and Bishops. The exact origin of this custom more »

The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich has 14 different galleries for you to explore and get up close to the actual uniform Admiral Nelson was wearing when he was fatally wounded at the Battle of Trafalgar. See the most experienced explorers being pushed to the extremes of human endurance through the stories of heroic explorers more »

Rice Lane City Farm in Liverpool is a great free animal farm where you can see many farmyard animals including rare breeds such as Ryeland sheep and Berkshire Pigs. There's also huge fields and woodland to explore. ricelanecityfarm.co.uk has more details.

Do you have an aeroplane fan in your family? Then they'll love a day out at Manchester's Runway Visitor Park where you can watch planes taking off from the busy Manchester airport runways from just a few metres away! The park is also home to a variety of retired planes, including the spectacular supersonic airliner, more »

Liverpool's World Museum is a wonderful, free attraction in the heart of the city. The museum really does give you a great choice when it comes to things to see and do: choose between the planetarium, dinosaurs, Ancient Egypt gallery, a bug house and an aquarium. Don't miss Little Liverpool, a daily, hands-on fantasy world more »

Find out more about money at the Bank of England Museum. Marvel at ancient gold bars and their modern market equivalent, then learn all there is to learn about bank notes and the people who have been celebrated on them. The Bank of England’s collection of interesting bank notes includes a selection of forgeries and more »

The Francis Crick Institute, in Kings Cross London, is a place for curious minds and what better way to explore the mysterious and marvellous world inside your head than an exhibition all about the brain! The Brain exhibition is free to visit and now open. Find out more at crick.ac.uk

The Library of Birmingham is not your standard library! It’s an outdoor Amphitheatre, surrounded by wild flower planting, in Centenary Square providing performance space for music, drama, poetry reading and storytelling. There are two outdoor garden terraces, and a panoramic viewing gallery at the summit, where you are able to enjoy stunning views from one more »

Redwings Horse Sanctuary in Aylsham is located in the pretty Norfolk countryside. It is free to enter and home to many rescued animals including horses, ponies and donkeys. Meet the more »

This week the Stepping Into Stories Kids Literary Festival takes place in London from 4th - 9th Feb 2025. Sixty children's book events are taking place throughout the week, with more »

Discover Roman history at the Mithraeum, London. There you can see Roman artefacts and an ancient temple that was only discovered when a building was to be built. Find out more »

The Little Liverpool gallery is a hands-on fantasy world, crammed with fun activities to help you play and learn. Find out more at liverpoolmuseums.org.uk.

Visit the Design Maker over at the Design Museum, High Street Kensington London to see how design has shaped the world around us. You can also construct and build your more »

Crystal Palace Park in South London has so much fun for all and it's free. From dinosaurs to gorillas, mazes and rusty laptops it's a great day out. Go to more »

Have you ever wondered where in the world museum objects come from? Or why as humans, we like to collect things? At The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge in more »

Blaze Farm in Wildboarclough is an award winning farm set on the edge of the Peak District. Walk along one of their nature trails and spot the different wildlife whilst more »

See the Pelicans get fed in St James Park in London. First introduced to the park in 1664 as a gift from the Russian Ambassador, over 40 pelicans have since more »

Irchester Country Park in Wellingborough is a former ironstone quarry with several long and short trails in nature, as well as a great play area. northnorthants.gov.uk has more info.

Hawthorns Urban Wildlife Centre in Southampton gives you all you need to know about the wildlife in Southampton and how the city's open spaces help protect and increase the variety more »

Guildford Museum, in Guildford Surrey, has a great animal trail challenging you to find out how many different ones you can spot. For full details go to www.visitheritage.co.uk.

Saltwell Park in the heart of Gateshead is one of our most popular parks in the UK and a great example of a Victorian park. There's a play area, pets more »

St Albans Museum and Gallery in St Albans has newly created state of the art gallery spaces that showcase over 2,000 years of local, national and international treasures for you more »

In the heart of Tower Hill in London stands one of the largest and most impressive sections of the London Wall which was built around AD 200. This Roman wall more »

Ashton Court Estate in Bristol is a site of specific science interest with over 300 hectares of grasslands, woodlands, ponds and ancient oak trees. It has the UK’s oldest deer more »

Ruislip Lido in Hillingdon, London, has a 60 acre lake with sandy beaches, a splash pad and a railway line that takes you around the lake and the vast woodland. hillingdon.gov.uk has more details.

The 100 acres of Ryton Pools Country Park in Warwickshire, are just waiting to be explored. The many different habitats are home to a wide range of birds and other more »

The George Miller museum Bristol, celebrates the amazing story of George Müller, who cared for and educated over 10,000 orphans in Victorian Bristol. The interactive multimedia museum lets you explore more »

The Easter Bunnies trail in Painshill Park, Cobham, Surrey is on now until the 27th April. This family friendly event invites you to wander through the grounds and find the more »

For a free Easter egg hunt between now and 27th April you can take part in The Big Egg Hunt, a self guided art trail across London where you can more »

There is so much to see and do at Young V&A! A free museum in Bethnal Green, Young V&A is your space to imagine, play and design. Draw and create more »

Looking for free family activities in London? Look no further! The National Gallery’s Roden Centre for Creative Learning offers a vibrant space for all ages to explore, create, and imagine more »

Hidden City is running the Great Eggsventure in London this Easter for all participants of their immersive treasure hunts. The city wide competition rewards players with Easter eggs for their more »

The Easter Egg hunt window trail in Guildford is a free family adventure on now until 21st April. Collect 12 hidden letters in participating shops to unscramble a secret phrase. more »

At Hestercombe's in Somerset, Dotty duckling has lost her eggs and she needs your help to find them. On now until 22nd April find out more about the trail at more »

Head to Brimham Rocks, just outside Harrogate in North Yorkshire to see weird and wonderfully shaped giant rock formations, created by an immense river 100 million years before the first more »

The Diana Memorial Playground in Kensington, London has a wooden pirate ship at the centre of a great play area designed to let your imaginations run wild! It also includes more »

Chester City Walls are the oldest, longest and most complete in Britain, parts of which are almost 2000 years old. Chester is the only city in Britain that still has more »

Arnolfini in Bristol is an international art gallery on Bristol’s Harbourside and is a great space to explore and learn about modern art. On the last Saturday of every month, more »

How do you fancy going to Dracula's castle? Built in 1557, Slains Castle in Aberdeen is one of the most famous castle ruins in Scotland. Bram Stoker, the author who more »

Want to discover where Robin Hood used to hide out? Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve covers 450 acres and incorporates some truly ancient areas of native woodland. Slender birch trees more »

See 500 years of magnificent paintings, drawings, sculpture, silver and ceramics from Wales and across the world at National Museum Wales in Cardiff. The story starts in space with the more »

Valence House Museum in London tells the story of Barking and Dagenham and its people throughout the ages. Based in the borough’s only surviving manor house, explore the galleries with more »

Step back in time and stroll through streets of Victorian Leeds with authentically recreated shops and houses, and explore how toys and games have changed over time upstairs in the more »

Barnes Children’s Literature Festival, the largest children's literature festival in the UK, returns on the weekend of 21 & 22 June 2025. The festival is celebrating its eleventh birthday this year!  more »