MNHQ needs your best "visitor attractions for children in the UK"

Oh also Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is FABULOUS and takes the whole day (or more) - climbing all over old ships including HMS Victory and the Mary Rose, going to the interactive Action Stations - like a sort of hands on science and naval museum, lots of flight simulators and radar to play with, and you can combine it with a trip to that tall tower next door and all the shops and restaurants by the harbour. Portsmouth Dockyard

Also think Longleat is brilliant.

Moors Valley Country Park - fantastic value, loads to do.

Bewilderwood - in Norfolk (not much over there!). Great slides, tree houses, zip wires etc in spooky woodland setting. Very quirky.

Bekonscot here. I once saw a small boy this was before I had any children of my own urinating over the 'H' on the rugby pitch. But it's good for other reasons too.

paulton's park - better than legoland and half the price. Superb. paulton's park here

Bowood, for its fantastic Adventure Playground (Princess Diana Garden eat your heart out, beautiful settings, good coffee shop and myriad picnic opportunities bowood here

Chepstow castle here - such a castley castle, and still standing. Lots of ramparts to run around and dungeons to explore. Also Alnick castle for the whole Hogwarts castle thing but the added advantage of looking at the gardens and going to the treehouse as well here

Science Museum in London for its fantastic displays and wonderful hands on bit in the basement, suitable for the youngest child

oh and if you have a train enthusiast for a son like me, then you can't beat the national railway museum at york - brilliant, loads of hands on stuff, and they can sit in a simulator and 'drive' a train at 125 miles an hour! - it's free to

blimey MyEye - I was just about to post Monkey World

The New Forest - loads of free parking, long walks, streams to splash about in - pick the right place and you can go all day and not see a single person (even in the middle of summer!)

The Purbecks - lovely walks from Lulworth along the cliff-tops (especially good for kids you're not keen on any more!! ;-))

Lyme Regis/Kimeridge - the best rock-pooling/fossil hunting days out EVER.

I feel sorry for my poor daughter - these are all places I enjoy going - she's not going to get a choice.

national marine aquarium in plymouth is brilliant

has a mahoosive cinema size tank full of fish and cinema seats that you can sit in and watch the fish

also Severn Valley railway in kidderminster is brill, and they do thomas the tank days

bowood house
westonbirt arboretum
pitt rivers museum

has anyone said Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway?
And Monkeyworld?
They rock.

I am so keeping this thread for the school holidays!!

oooh, forgot my English Heritage membership but which allows you into places like Beeston Castle: not to be attempted by the pregnant or those with a heart condition or those needing to be carried (but the best spot in the world for a windy picnic) and Stokesay Castle (get your circa 1980s mobile phone thingy to listen to, fall over laughing at and then beat your little brother round the head with) and that castle in Cornwall (name escapes me) which is on the other side of the river from another one and was a Henry VIII special (is one of them Dover Castle but obv not actually in Dover...?)

Longleat
Abbotsbury - Swannery and Animal farm
Falmer Palmers Nr Wareham

Warwick Castle is good if you have one going through the knights/castle phase.

We really like gullivers for younger children ? it?s not the smartest place in the world but the littlies (up to 10 or so) love it and many rides are suitable for children as young as 1.
They just go on the roundabouts and rollercoasters again and again.
And because there are no white knuckle rides the queues, except for the very popular rides, are minimal even at the height of the season.

I see hecate agrees!

Yes I agree with tmmj NT membership is such a good investment, we have lots of houses near us which stage children's events or you can just go and wander round the houses and gardens.

Also like the Natural History Museum.

World Museum Liverpool - FREE, has an aquarium to entertain the tinies, 2 cafes, an excellent programme of temp exhibitions, an insect house, free planetarium shows, roman/greek/egyptian antiquities, space and time floor.

We seem to have done a lot of Zoo's recently but Paignton, Marwell, Longleat and the Welsh Mountain zoo are all great.

We went to Windsor Castle in October and my two boys loved it. I was really surprised but they had taped guide tour to listen to on handsets and were absolutely rapped. I thought we would be there about 2 hours max and we were there for 4.

Sorry, should have posted link ...

Go Ape

Another vote for Forbidden Corner. My dc's (6 & 9) are, I'm afraid more impressed by theme parks & 'commercial' type days out (I'd also give a vote for Blackpool Pleasure Beach!). However Forbidden Corner is quirky and different and basically a huge garden/semi wooded area with an underground indoor bit, with all sorts of unexpected surprises. Wonderfully uncommercial and my children (and nephews aged 11 & 13) loved it

There will be Maize Mazes everywhere - another at Redhouse Farm in Dunham - brill.

Ooh I can't wait till mine are old enough for 'Go Ape' - I'm dying to go!

Ei - my friend took her children to Farmer Ted's last summer and she said it was brilliant.

Oh I forgot one:

Maize Maze in Sedgwick in summer - fabbola (had a MN meet up there!)

For older children (10+) Go Ape. Various different locations around the country. I absolutely hated it, but the kids loved it and in theory it should have been great fun, had it not required me to swing through trees at great heights ...

farmer teds farm- ormskirk, lancashire
knowsley safari park, knowsley
chester zoo
(elphaba- did you notice all northwest too )

xx ei xx

Wetheriggs Pottery in Penrith, Lakes
Brockhole Centre nr Bowness

(can you tell I'm a fan of The Lakes?!)

fiofio - yay! I always thought that's cos there IS nothing in Staffs (and I live there. Or is it here....). apart from Trentham. And Ceramica (is that still open?)

It definitely has to be

Drusillas

for us. It is the most brilliantly run small zoo that we have been too. It is full of hands-on things to do which are educational without you realising it and has animal spotter books which you can stamp as you go round. It has both an indoor and outdoor playground, suitable for all age groups, paddling pool, bouncy slide and a Thomas train that goes right round the park.
Not only that, but they are constantly updating and improving their attractions. We Pestos have had annual passes for years now and still enjoy going there as a family. There is always something new or interesting to enjoy.