Days Out In The UK

* Days Out In The UK *

Family fun that won’t break the budget

Watch our video for hints and tips from Michaela Strachan on getting your family off the sofa and into the great outdoors this spring

Does family time in your home revolve around watching telly and taking the kids with you to do the shopping? When was the last time you all got in the car and escaped for an afternoon at the beach or in the woods?

Recent research by Admiral Insurance revealed 80% of parents said they wish their family had more outings together. So, if it’s been a long time since you did anything different with your kids, then with the warmer weather on the way, now’s the time to get everyone off the sofa and into the great outdoors for a bit of old fashioned fun.

Britain is full of parks, coastline, forests and countryside, but sometimes it’s easy just to plonk the kids in front of the box on the weekend, instead of experiencing all the fun on offer.

In the following video former children’s TV presenter and nature lover Michaela Strachan finds out from kids what they really want to do with their parents and has plenty of advice for parents on how to have the perfect fun-filled, low cost and stress-free family outing, whether that’s in the countryside, at the beach or even in your local park.

For more information visit www.admiral.com/familyoutings

Rainy day activities for little ones

Looking for a good recipe for children? Try our recipe for Gingerbread men, for an alternative idea you can use a shaped cutter of any shape you like,Ice them and decorate them any way you please........read more

Are you are looking for some interactive, educational and fun, child safe web sites to amuse the little ones? Web sites like CBEEBIES and Hedgehogs or Postman Pat.........read more.

For further Ideas on activites and toddler parenting we have more advice........read more

Singing Car Games From SingUp.org

"How do I keep my children happy and and occupied on car journeys?’ is one of the strange parenting mysteries of life, alongside ‘who teaches toddlers to arch their backs to delay getting in the stroller?’, and ‘who teaches a child the infamous words “Are we nearly there yet?”’ And why are they never spoken 5 mins from your destination? The addition of Sat Nav to our cars has an added bonus of enabling our fellow passengers to be even more knowledgeable and irritating back seat drivers – resulting in “you’ve gone the wrong way”, “that’s added 3 minutes onto our arrival time” and “I’ve chosen an alternative route!”.
101 MILES-WORTH OF MUSICAL IDEAS TO KEEP EVERYONE HAPPY ON LONG CAR JOURNEYS!

Adapt them according to the variety of ages and abilities in the car
Use a huge variety of songs of every style and genre
Oh, and remember to have some times of quiet too – let the world go by and give your voices, ears and minds a rest!
Warning - Singing can seriously improve your childs life!
Click here for More information about Singing car games for children from Singup.org

I’m the King of the Castle!

How taking your children on historical trips can benefit them enormously

When was the last time you visited a historical site? If the answer is when I was at school then maybe it’s time to find out what’s available near you.

New research by English Heritage has found two thirds of school children have never visited a Roman or a prehistoric site, and since most of us admit that we get our historical knowledge from TV documentaries, these findings are perhaps unsurprising, if no less shocking.

We all want the best for our children and while schools may struggle with the administration of organising school trips nowadays, there is no reason why you cannot experience the vast history of England together as a family.

Learning doesn’t stop at the end of the school day. Parents can have an enormous influence on their child’s learning, and what better way to fill the weekend than with some fun and educational visits?

From medieval castles to Roman villas, our country is filled to the brim with history and there are English Heritage sites within easy commuting distance.

Many sites now offer family trails, interactive experiences and the opportunity for your child to develop new skills, solve problems and be creative. There are also exciting events for families and children over holiday periods. In term time schools can opt to take groups on English Heritage Discovery Visits where children can dress up in a historical costumes, pretend to be monks, knights, servants or soldiers, practice marching or dancing, handle artefacts and much more.

Plan a visit today, who knows, you could even have a budding ‘King of the Castle’ in the family.

Click here to see more

For a 5 minute video of an English Heritage Discovery Visit (WW2 at Pendennis Castle in Cornwall) with teacher and pupil reactions, please visit:

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/about/multimedia-library/education/

For further information visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/education

Get your kids back playing in the Great Outdoors

Watch our web TV show to find out how to get your kids away from the computer screen and back playing outdoors, tantrum free.

If you worry about the amount of time your children spend in front of the TV or computer screen, and wonder why they’re not spending their time playing outside like you used to, you’re not alone. However wanting your kids to get outside more and being able to drag them away from the dreaded screen, without tantrums or sullen faces, can be an arduous task.

Playing in the Great Outdoors is not only great for children’s mental well-being, it also helps physical fitness as well as developing their immune systems. Not to mention the long-term life skills associated with understanding more about nature. But telling your children it’s ‘good for them’ simply won’t cut it when their favourite TV programme is on or they’ve almost completed their favourite computer game. And if you do let them outside, their safety can often be a worry as often the last thing they want to do is be seen hanging around Mum and Dad. So, how do you convince your children that playing outdoors is not only better for them, but also more fun than being sat in front of the box? What’s the best way to ensure your children are safe when you eventually get them outside, without cramping their style? What can you do to make nature ‘cool’ and something they want to learn about and embrace? For all the answers to these questions, and more, TV nature Guru Chris Packham and Natural England Strategic Health Adviser Dr William Bird join us for a web TV show for the ultimate answers to these questions.

Chris Packham and Dr William Bird join us live online at http://www.studiotalk.tv/show/get_your_kids_back_playing_in_the_great_outdoors

For more information visit www.arla.com\closer-to-nature

Useful Links

Latitude festival
Latitude tickets, line up details and more festival information from Virtual festivals

Enjoy England
The official website for breaks and days out in England. Special offers and discounts too!

Keep Scotland Beautiful Homepage. The meeting point for all the programmes and campaigns managed by Keep Scotland Beautiful. Keep Scotland Tidy, People and Places, Eco Schools,
Coastal Campaigns, Eco-Congregation, Sustainable Scotland Network, Waste Aware Scotland.
Lists some of the best Scottish beaches.

Earthscape Scotland. Discover Scotland as you have never known it before.

Diggerland. If you are looking for a fantastic fun day out for all the Family,
Diggerland is a unique adventure park where children and adults can drive real diggers and so much more.
( Durham, Kent, Devon.)

Warwick Castle + Britain's Greatest Mediaeval Experience.

The Snowdome. The UKs premier indoor real snow slope. Tamworth, (Staffordshire.)

Cadbury World. A fun day out for all the family at one of the UK's most popular tourist attractions
in Birmingham, West Midlands.

The National Space Centre, an awe-inspiring Millennium Landmark Project all about space. Hands-on interactives, real rockets, stunning imagery and a futuristic show in the domed Space Theatre combine for the best day out in this world? or the next. Space Missions in the Challenger Learning Centre open for school and other groups NOW. (Leicester.)

Gulliver's kingdom From the moment you enter Gulliver's you enter another world where your imagination can roam free. Gulliver?s Matlock Bath is nestled in a stunning hillside where much of the magic comes from the amazing scenery and views. Let us take you away from your daily worries and concerns into a world of wonder and fantasy, where anything is possible and your imagination is inspired. From the Alpine joys of Little Switzerland, the escape from reality on Fantasy Terrace to high noon in Western World. Enjoy all the magic of Lilliput Land and then step back in time to Palais Royale.

The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre in Great Missenden,( Buckinghamshire.)

'Welcome to the Natural History Museum. We promote the discovery, understanding, enjoyment, and responsible use of the natural world. Explore our world-class collections, fantastic exhibitions and cutting-edge research online, or visit our landmark buildings. (London.)

Take a tour of BBC TV Centre and get a feel for what happens at the most famous TV headquarters in the world. (London.)

Cricket St Thomas is the top Wildlife Park attraction to visit in the southwest of England. One of its aims is to create environments in which animals can behave as naturally as possible. New exhibits are designed to allow the animals to express natural behaviours seen in the wild. Cricket St Thomas, Near Chard, Somerset.

Frixo

A road / motorway traffic reporting site. It gives users up to date information as the site gets updated every 3 minutes via feeds from various sources including the government's official Highways Agency site.

Beeston Marina LTD Heart of the Trent

Boathouse Cafe serving Food and Refreshments until 4.00 p.m. everyday.

Choose indoor seating or outside dinning with beautiful views of the river Trent and marina,
Very competitive prices and generous portions!
Situated at Riverside Road, Beeston, Nottingham NG9 1NA

Licensed Riverside Bar with guest ales, Auction night, Big Quiz Night and live entertainment.

Combine all of the above with beautiful Riverside walks along the river Trent and Attenbourgh Nature Reserve and you have yourself a relaxing and satisfying day out with the family.

The Nottingham Outboard Centre,providing servicing, parts and technical advice for Johnson/Evinrude, Mercury/Mariner/Mercruiser, Suzuki, Yamaha, Tohatsu, British Seagull outboard engines. BMC, Shire, Lister inboard engines. The only E-tec diagnostic centre in Nottingham.