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

[AbbyMumsnet]

Afternoon all. We've got to pull together a piece for Sunday Telegraph v' quickly on the top ten visitor attractions for kids in the UK. (Hence the title of this thread.) Would love your help - and feel free to add a line or two about what makes your nomination worthy of inclusion! Thanks ever so.

i meant horniman museum, of course.

Another vote for The Deep.
Amaaazing with tiny ones who are just learning to walk - am dying to take ds there now so he can totter over to the tank and point and stare open-mouthed like dd did....

Wimpole Hall and Home Farm (National Trust, near Cambridge) has a great farm and play areas and is very child-friendly.

Cotswold Wildlife Park - Burford Glos
Godstone Farm Park - Nr Gatwick
Theale Falconry Centre - Yorks
Cotswold Falconry Centre - Nr Bourton on the Water.

Whipsnade Zoo - it's expensive as a one-off but if you live close enough an annual ticket is fantastic. We are about 25 minutes away and must go at least twice a month. No need to spend any money (though the cakes are LOVELY), its massive and beautiful even on a cold, damp winter's day

ds liked The Museum of Army Flying at Andover very much and the Hawk Conservancy, nr Andover.

Another vote for

Chester Zoo
Manchester Museum of Science and Industry
Chestnut Centre otter and owl park in Derbyshire is great too

Also, not really an 'attraction', but The Lakes in general - blardy fab for children. Tarn Hows is a great place for a walk with kids, boats on Windemere, Lakeside and Haverthwaite steam railway (goes to banks of Fell Foot Park - NT).

Can I suggest/request that you choose attractions that cover the whole country and not just the south?

Ta.

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.

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?)

Wetheriggs Pottery in Penrith, Lakes
Brockhole Centre nr Bowness

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

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

xx ei xx

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 ...

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!)

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

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

Sorry, should have posted link ...

Go Ape

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.

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 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.

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

Longleat
Abbotsbury - Swannery and Animal farm
Falmer Palmers Nr Wareham

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...?)