Things to do with 3 x 12 year old boys during rainy Scottish summer

[WeAllHaveWings]

Off for two weeks and have 3 x 11-12 year old active boys to entertain (only one of them is mine!)

Looking for things to do in or within an hours drive from East Ayrshire.

Some of the things we've done/will do/or they think they are too old for:

Ryze/Airspace
Power League football
Cinema
X-scape (or is it now Intu) at Braehead Skypark and SnowZone
Blair Drummond
M&Ds is out this year for obvious reasons
Time Capsule / Galleon FunSwim

I was considering the Escape Rooms but not sure if they are too young, or laser tag if anyone can recommend? They are not adverse to outdoor rainy activities if fun.

Climbing centre is brilliant.
http://www.eica-ratho.co.uk/activities

What about xtreme go karting

The climbing academy, Glasgow (bouldering,)
Pokemon Go

Drive to Balmaha and climb Conic Hill. Take a picnic and waterproofs. It's a great sense of achievement for kids and not overly ambitious.

Do a treasure trail www.treasuretrails.co.uk/ gets you out and about and very cheap couple of hours entertainment. Kite flying on the beach then a bonfire or barbecue. Geocaching? www.geocachetrails.com/

What about -and I know this might be a bit radical-letting them make their own entertainment!!
Ok it's good to get some trips and treats, but at 12, kids shouldn't need to be getting fully entertained for the holidays.

She that really is an unnecessary sarky comment, hope you feel much better for it. they are off school for over 6 weeks and will entertain themselves mostly during that time, while I'm off id like to take them to a few places and hopefully have fun doing something new. They won't be getting a holiday away this year (haven't for 3 years). Don't know what your problem with that is

Thanks for the helpful suggestions, will look them up.

itsall they have discovered Pokemon go and walked to a local castle/park today and found Pokemon stops and their first gym, but came back wet and dejected because they couldn't get connected/it kept hanging.

Get them down to culzean and let them loose in the wilds 😁

Maritime museum in Irvine

Will think of more...but I need to ask do you have triplets?

What about geocaching? Is the magnum doing free swimming again this year? Or magnum for badminton then vanilla how's for ice cream.

Have a look at Kilburn Castle. Been there a couple of times with the DCs on holiday and it's a canny day out if you take a picnic.

My boys are a bit older now but the only thing that they find entertaining that is cheap is learning to skim stones. You need a river bank ideally as the sea shore rarely gives the correct stone shape and a bit of it that is settled enough for some relatively flat water - honestly they could do it for hours :o

Not sure if its futher than you want to venture, but maybe the kelpies? take scooters.

Jump on the train to edinburgh and take in a bit of street theatre if the festival is on.

There's an outdoor watersport place at Loch ken which would be a great day out though not the cheapest. You can book in for a half day of activities from a selection.

lochken.co.uk/activities

Escape rooms are quite challenging but fun - not sure i'd do it with only 11/12 year olds, they'd need a lot of guidance I think.

Golf driving range is always good for an hour or so.

frugalfun4boys.com/2015/04/26/lego-projects-for-kids/

On phone so not sure link will work.

Wankers have spent many an afternoon skimming stones in Luss, have t been for a couple of years, might wander back over if we get a nice day.

Thanks the feedback on the escape rooms, wasn't sure if they were suitable for that young, will give it a miss.

Golf driving range sounds like a good idea, not something they've done before, only pitch n putt in the past.

I think as part of a group that includes older teens and or adults then escape rooms are great but I do think they'd struggle on their own. it is really fun though. We did it as a family when mine were about 13 and 14 and we all enjoyed it and they were definitely able to participate.

What about some camping in the back garden if weather permits? Takes up a fair bit of the day getting themselves organised :)

the weathers bloody hellish isnt it

I'd definitely look at the Loch Ken place too. Okay it would cost about £40 each but it would give a full day of activities (we did Sailing, windsurfing, laser tag and archery) and you could take a packed lunch. You could combine that with a week of really cheap stuff such as swimming pool, stone skimming, camping out, geocaching, movie afternoon in the house with popcorn etc. so overall it wouldn't cost anymore than a week with Cinema/Xscape/Ryze etc.

Personally I would make the a packed lunch and then send them out in to the wild for the day, they will have an ace time doing boy stuff in the woods.

My 12 year old boy enjoys stuff like;
Skate park
Surfing
Camping out in garden
Looking for Pokemon
Doing stuff with his pals, on their own away from adults
Compute ring, learning to code, building a blackberry pii or whatever it's called
Get them to cook a full English
Cinema
Cycling
Roaming around moors having adventures
Playing in rivers
Doing stuff for money like car washing in the village, yard sale, eBay selling, dog walking for neighbours

I hope this helps, it's a good to have lots of fun without spending lots of money!

Fishing! Can do it in the rain too.

Go ape tree top adventure (I want to do it)

You could go camping one night to Loch Doon.

Riverside museum and the big ship in Glasgow are free.

Calderglen in East Kilbride all free except the animals that are 1.50 each

Ayr Farm Park, my eleven year old loves all the outside stuff and the big slides inside.

Dean castle in killie

A wee bit further than you specified, but totally worth it - Go Ape.
There's one at Aberfoyle and one at Glentress

Exasperated. Unfortunately GoApe wont be an option for the OP. You need to have one over 18 participating for every 2 10-15 year olds, so OP would need to want to do it herself and rope in another paying adult.

DH did it with our 2 once and is in no hurry to do it again as he says he is too old! I'm terrified of heights. So, boys haven't been able to do it again since. However DS1 is now 16 so can do it himself but as he is unable to supervise anyone else, he either has to go it alone, go with a friend who is also 16 or wait until next year when DS2 is also 16.

It wasn't meant to come across as being sarky, but interspersed with days here and there I don't think it's a bad thing for kids of that age to just "be".
We seem to have a generation of kids who expect entertainment to be laid on for them all the time, and its we, the parents, who are responsible for this.
It's a pity you're not closer to Dundee as there is the Oor Wullie trail this summer and folk of all ages are having a ball doing that

I posted a thread looking for new ideas for a few local days out She not parenting advice or your ongoing generalised wisdom on how this generation of kids are being failed by their parents taking them places (which is something personally I don't see with children or parents I know).

I have already, but shouldn't have needed to, clarified for you ds doesn't get over entertained and I just want to take him and his friends for a few days out while I'm off.