As the owner of four very feral children who cause utter chaos if they’re not entertained every minute of the day, I can confidently say I have tried every soft play, trampoline centre, crazy golf course, climbing wall, water park, adventure playground, etc in the UK. And the one I return to again and again is Willows Activity Farm in Hertfordshire. 

It is expensive, but I have happily spent a full day, from 10am–5pm, there many, many times over because there is so much to do: animals to pet and feed, a tractor ride that even my 11-year-old secretly likes, Peter Rabbit shows and meet-and-greets, different playgrounds, sandpits, fairground rides, a mini splash park (it’s very mini – I don’t want to oversell this), a giant soft-play area, bouncy pillows, trampolines…. I could go on. 

And while many versions of this exist, the majority are a bit tired and grotty, whereas Willows is clean and well kept and is always being updated. Plus there are regular extras, like pumpkin picking for Halloween, potato picking in autumn, a Christmas extravaganza (it’s really very lovely!). Just make sure to take your own food though.

Alix Walker, editor
Mum to an 11-year-old, eight-year-old, seven-year-old and a three-year-old

Drusillas is legendary on the south coast, and with good reason. It’s a zoo! There’s a splash pad! There’s soft play! There are dinosaurs! There are rides! Essentially, everything a small person could want from a day out (bonus: children are half price for half-term). 

Stop by the hidden Starbucks just past the marmosets as you come in before heading off to see everything from red pandas to capybaras and a little see-through dome where you can pop your head up among the meerkats. Preschoolers will love Spark, an immersive indoor play space where you can interact with animals projected onto the walls and floor. 

The cafes can get busy, so pack a picnic if the kids are likely to get hangry. And if you need any last-minute supplies, Middle Farm is a five-minute drive away for local cheeses and Sussex ciders to stash for post-bedtime.

Jenny Tregoning, group production director
Mum to a three-year-old and a one-year-old

I really love London’s Sea Life Centre for a brilliant day out with my little one. If you book early, adult tickets are £27.50 and there are afternoon saver tickets available for £23.50. 

I like to go earlier in the day as there is genuinely so much to see, and it is magical. The jellyfish are a real favourite of mine, and the kids can even get their faces painted on the way round.

Once you’ve finished, if you come out and turn right, it’s a three-minute walk to Jubilee Gardens, which is the perfect spot for a picnic and has a great play park.

Lucy Reber, fashion director 
Mum to a three-year-old

Finding a half term friendly experience that’s as much fun for you as for your children is the golden ticket. May I suggest the Van Gogh The Immersive Experience? 

My four children, aged between three and 11 all got something out of this: my oldest recognised a lot of the artwork from school, my two daughters loved laying on the floor with the art overlaying their faces and my youngest was totally transfixed by the sensory overload. It’s such a great way to introduce children to art in a really fun, accessible setting. 

Plus the cafe sells really good chocolate croissants. Next on my list is the Moco Museum which has Warhol, Banksy and Kusama which I think the kids will love.

Alix Walker, editor
Mum to an 11-year-old, eight-year-old, seven-year-old and a three-year-old

If you’re in the mood for wholesome Halloween fun, you need to visit Discovery Land at Priory Farm. This outdoor trail is packed full of fun for the kids (including mud monsters and ‘loggoland’), and you can add on a tractor ride to a nearby pumpkin field, too. 

Better still? It’s attached to the sort of garden centre people dream about browsing on a Sunday afternoon, with plants, farm shop goodies and a cafe filled with homemade cakes and goodies. That’s my idea of a perfect trip… 

Kayleigh Dray, freelancer 
Mum to a two-year-old and a five-month-old

Exhibitions with the cross-generational magic of a Disney movie are hard to come by, which is why the Design Museum’s Barbie exhibition is a must. Curating Barbie’s evolution from 1959 to now, there was something for me (the Barbie font history and feminist evolution) and her (so much pink, plus a Barbie to accompany us). 

I was also chuffed as hell to be reunited with the epic Barbie Surf ’n’ Shop I was obsessed with at the age of nine. Take wellies if you want them to splash around in the Design Museum’s pavement fountains afterwards, then ride the Piccadilly line a few stops to London’s most creative ice cream stop, Milk Train.

Susan Riley, head of brand
Mum to a 10-year-old

If half-term is looming and we’re at a loss for things to do, we’ll check to see if the Amazing Bubble Man is in town (he’s US-based, so no guarantees, but he often times his tours to coincide with school holidays in the UK). 

With the sort of faux-grouchy stage persona that appeals directly to kids, the Amazing Bubble Man has no time for people who don’t take bubbles seriously. You’ll laugh, you’ll gasp, you’ll see bubbles you never thought possible (but you still won’t be able to recreate that bubble mixture when you get home). 

Ultimately, there are few greater joys – for parents and children alike – than seeing your five-year-old entirely enclosed within a giant bubble on stage while receiving rapturous applause from a delighted audience.

Steven Cowan, sub-editor  
Dad to an 11-year-old and a five-year-old 

My kids are animal-mad and love Port Lympne, an incredible animal reserve in Kent that offers safari experiences. Home to over 800 rare and endangered animals across 75 species, you can expect to see free-roaming giraffes, the largest herd of black rhinos in the UK, western lowland gorillas, tigers, lions, leopards and bears. 

The truck safari is a must, especially outside of the warmer months, but you can also book a range of animal encounters that take 15–90 minutes. Choose from a giraffe safari, meet and feed baboons (both for ages 3+), meet the great apes (for ages 10+) or go on a rhino safari (for ages 5+). 

During October half-term (19 October to 3 November) entry for kids costs just £10 (they can eat for £10 and enjoy an animal encounter or ranger safari for £10 too).

Kitty McGee, executive fashion and beauty director 
Mum to a five-year-old and two-year-old 

I’m originally from Ilkley, in west Yorkshire, so spend a lot of the kids holidays shivering in the bracing Yorkshire air. (I’m kidding, Yorkshire is genuinely one of the loveliest places on the planet and an excellent spot to visit with kids). 

I have a long list of recommendations, from climbing the Cow and Calf rocks to a walk around Bolten Abbey which always has excellent Easter and Halloween trials. But my favourite is Billy Bobs Parlour in Skipton. The idea for a very child-friendly American diner alongside a huge playbarn and outdoor playground in the middle of rolling green countryside was born after mad cow disease (remember that?!) severely impacted the working dairy farm that had been there for years, so the owners pivoted. 

The result is literal child heaven. Huge plates of pancakes, a ridiculous number of ice cream flavours and American sodas, a real American school bus you can sit and eat your brunch in and play areas you can go and work all the sugar in after. We love it!

Alix Walker, editor
Mum to an 11-year-old, eight-year-old, seven-year-old and a three-year-old