The Summer School Holidays Activities Guide 2025
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4 weeks ago
The best activities for families and kids in London and the rest of the UK
Wondering how to keep the kids happy during the summer holidays? Even without venturing abroad, there’s plenty to explore, from child-friendly activities in London to countryside fetes and camping adventures. Here’s a list of summer holiday activities and family experiences to check out with the children this summer in London and across the UK. You never know, you might even enjoy it…
Looking for more events for adults? Check out the C&TH guide to summer here.
Summer Holidays Guide 2025, From The Country To The Town
Sir David Attenborough experiences Our Story with David Attenborough. (© Open Planet Studios/Gavin Thurston)
Our Story With David Attenborough, London
Looking for things to do in the summer holidays? Created by Open Planet Studios, curious young naturalists will love Our Story with David Attenborough, an experience comprising a combination of hyperrealistic animation and real-world footage, all projected across four walls and the floor to tell the story of our planet from its genesis right up to the present day – and beyond. Find out exactly what to expect here. It’s a first for the Natural History Museum, which also hosts its famous dinosaur exhibits and endless fun for kids all summer long.
Details: Our Story with David Attenborough is booking until 18 January 2026 at The Natural History Museum (Cromwell Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 5BD). Tickets are priced from £10 per child or £20 per adult off-peak.
© John Cairns
The Story Museum, Oxford
The Story Museum in Oxford makes a lovely trip for the family, with plenty of activities for a range of ages, with multiple events running throughout the summer as well as sought-after spots on their Story Explorers summer classes for kids. Young children aged 0-5 will love the immersive Small Worlds play space, too.
Details: Open everyday 9.30 am–5.30 pm at 42 Pembroke Street, Oxford OX1 1BP.
Swimming
Looking to beat the heat with kids in tow? Swimming is our favourite answer: energetic, fun-filled and exhausting, they’ll sleep like babies once you’ve returned home from the pool. If you’re based in the south east, here are our favourite family-friendly swimming pools in London to get you started – plus a selection of the best in nearby Kent too.
Fulham Pier Riverside Market, London
For some brand-spanking-newness this summer holidays, look no further than Fulham Pier, a new destination beside Craven Cottage and beautiful Bishop’s Park. The Riverside Market is open everyday, but Sundays are the dedicated family days, bringing face painting, magicians, storytelling and giant bubbles to the Thames from midday to 5pm every week. And while the grown-ups refuel on the likes of pizza, Indian cuisine and ice cream sandwiches, kids aged three and up can enjoy themed crafts and tabletop fun at the free Kids Table. Mid-week, little locals can enjoy the new Little Leaf Library, a calming, cosy, supervised space for drawing, reading and building with soft blocks.
Details: Find it at Fulham Pier, London SW6 6HH. Open everyday 8am to 11pm. Find out more at fulhampier.com
War Of The Roses LIVE, Warwick
Warwick Castle’s ever-popular mediaeval event is back for another summer. Expect to be immersed in a world of knights, battles and jousting – plus, see huge projectiles, falcons and archers.
Details: 24 May to 31 August 2025 at Warwick Castle (Warwick CV34 4QU). Entry from £26pp, £22 for a parent and toddler ticket, or £65 for a family ticket.
Camping Near London
Raising city kids with a nature deficit? The summer holidays are the perfect time to go camping – and there are plenty of sites within easy reach of London. Fox Wood in Worthing is one of our favourite campsites for kids: here you can introduce budding young explorers to hiking and biking trails, fireside stories and stargazing. Fox Wood is ideally located for accessing the South Downs Way, as well being a stone’s throw from the seaside, too.
Details: Find Fox Wood Camping at Selden Lane, Patching BN13 3UL. Pitches are priced from £60 per night.
MORE: Idyllic Campsites Near London For A Weekend Escape
© John Nguyen/PA Wire
Rooftop Film Club, London
Thanks to high-tech al fresco screens, little ones can enjoy their favourite films in the open air at both of Rooftop Film Club’s venues (Stratford and Peckham) this summer. Think Ratatouille, The Parent Trap, Paddington in Peru and more. Kids tickets are just £8, and there are plenty of food and drink packages on offer if anyone gets peckish.
Details: Daytime screenings on weekend afternoons all summer at Rooftop Film Club Peckham (Roof A Bussey Building, 133 Rye Lane, London SE15 4ST) and Rooftop Film Club East (Great Eastern Road, London E15 1BB). See the full movie listings here.
Football Escapes, Hertfordshire
Have a kid that loves football? This retreat – at The Grove in Hertfordshire – might be the summer holidays course to book in 2025. While the kids play football with Premier League Ambassadors (Darren Bent and Ledley King this summer), the adults can indulge in an assortment of 5-star facilities. Then the family can get back together for a whole host of activities, from segway and bike hire to hawking and archery. In the walled garden, an outdoor pool and mini beach also promise a fun-filled family staycation. Here’s exactly what it’s like.
Details: 27 to 29 August 2025 at The Grove. Or book ahead for 2026: the confirmed dates are 26 to 28 May and 27 to 29 August.
Child Friendly Afternoon Tea, London
There’s nothing more British than afternoon tea, and the capital is home to an abundance of options – including cute child-friendly ones. This August, British institution Fortnum & Mason will present Tales Over Tea at its Piccadilly store, a very special experience set to delight kids with an interactive performance from Fortnum’s red-coat storytellers before they tuck into special treats like the hedgehog sable biscuit, strawberry lollipop and apricot fruit pastille.
Details: 4, 5, 6, 7, 12 & 13 August 2025 at Fortnum & Mason Piccadilly (181 Piccadilly, London W1A 1ER). The experience costs £71.13 for one adult and child (including a booking fee).
MORE: Best Children’s Afternoon Teas in London
Big Feastival, Chipping Norton
Held on founder and Blur star Alex James’ farm in Kingham, the Big Feastival features a host of big names in family-friendly entertainment. This year’s family friendly line-up features CBeebies’ Justin Fletcher, Paw Patrol and Alice in Aerialand, while adults will enjoy performances from the likes of Rick Astley, Sigrid, The Vaccines and Example.
Details: 22 to 24 August at Kingham, Chipping Norton OX7 6UJ. Day pass prices start from £19.50 for children under 12, £68.50 for teens and £103.50 for adults.
MORE: 9 Family Friendly Festivals To Book This Summer
Tim Peake’s Soyz TMA 19M descent module. (© Science Museum)
Science Museum, London
A summer of space-inspired activities is on the agenda at London’s Science Museum for the 2025 school holidays, including live science experiments, a special summer space trail celebrating Disney’s new film Elio and Astronights for a sleepover like no other.
Details: The Science Museum is free to visit but some events incur a charge. See what’s on here.
MORE: Best Museums For Kids In London
Eastnor Castle, Ledbury
At the foot of the Malvern Hills, Eastnor Castle is surrounded by a beautiful deer park and lake. Enjoy a summer holidays day out there with the woodland play area, Knight’s Maze, ice cream parlour all summer. Or, at the start of August, clown around with Thomas Trilby and join in with interactive circus fun in one of the special Circus Skills workshops. There are also dinosaur days, dance workshops, bushcraft and animal encounters on the summer 2025 agenda; something for everyone.
Details: Special events from 20 July to 31 August at Eastnor Castle (Eastnor, Ledbury HR8 1RN).
(© Joshua Atkins)
Battersea Power Station, London
Budding scientist on your hands? Delve into Battersea Power Station’s history and learn how to generate electricity via interactive multimedia displays. And a very special visitor will appear before little ones in summer 2025: Peppa Pig herself. Meet Peppa, enjoy a special reading from Peppa Goes to London, and then make it a summer to remember with a trip up the chimney in Lift 109.
Details: All summer at Battersea Power Station (Circus Road West, Nine Elms, London SW11 8AL), with special Peppa Pig events on 28, 29 & 30 July and 4, 5 & 6 August 2025.
Free Tennis, Nationwide
Energy-filled kids driving you up the wall? Summer holiday sports classes are a great way to focus (and work off) their energy. Post Wimbledon buzz, why not get them started with some tennis lessons? Before you sign up for weekly coaching at your local club, give them a taste through sporting charity Tennis For Free, which offers free weekly two-hour coaching sessions across England and Scotland for ages three and up.
Details: Tennis For Free has courts in Lichfield, Birmingham, Enfield, Exeter, Hednesford, Bracknell, Merton, Aldershot, Glasgow, Whitley Bay, Mitcham and Treochy, with more on the way. Find out more at tennisforfree.com
Carlyon Beach, Cornwall
Cornwall is always heaving during the summer holidays – but you can escape the crowds at lesser-known gem Carlyon Beach, perched on the south coast. Head there this summer to explore a collection of local food and drink pop-ups, plus opportunities for kayak hire and kids’ bootcamps.
Details: Find it at at Saint Austell PL25 3RG. Find out more at visitcornwall.com
Photo by Vitor Monteiro on Unsplash
Harry Potter Bus Tour, London
On Wednesdays and Sundays throughout the summer holidays, Harry Potter fans can dive into the magic of their favourite books and films through a bus tour around the capital’s key locations from the series. The three-hour coach tour covers shooting locations from all eight films, from King’s Cross Station to the Leaky Cauldron via 12 Grimmauld Place.
Details: Wednesdays and Sundays, starting at King’s Cross St Pancras Station. Tickets are £40 per person.
Wye Valley Butterfly Zoo, Symonds Yat
Opposite Symonds Yat Rock in Herefordshire, the Wye Valley Butterfly Zoo is a peaceful attraction where youngsters can explore the tropical world of butterflies. There’s also a hedge maze and mini golf – great fun for all the family.
Details: Open 10am–5pm everyday at Symonds Yat West, Ross-on-Wye HR9 6DA. Prices from £4.75 for children and £6.75 for adults.
Bike Rides
Get outdoors this summer holidays (weather permitting, of course) and explore some of the best routes of the National Cycle Network. Check out our round-up of the best family-friendly bike rides in the UK.
Chelsea Physic Garden, London
Take a trip to London’s oldest botanic garden, Chelsea Physic Garden, for a range of family-friendly activities. Open Sunday to Friday, events are running throughout the summer holidays, from Wild Immersive Theatre to a Chocolate Workshop to insect exploration and family soap-making workshops.
Details: Events throughout summer at Chelsea Physic Garden (66 Royal Hospital Road, London SW3 4HS).
GoBoat, London
Spend the afternoon with the family on a boat on one of the city’s rivers. GoBoat offers private hire for groups of up to eight in Paddington, Kingston, Canary Wharf and Thames Ditton. The best bit? You can enjoy your on-water experience without harming the environment, as the boats are made from recycled plastic and use electric engines. No boating experience is necessary.
Details: Prices start from £59 per hour, with boats seating up to eight passengers.
Forest Nets At Celtic Manor Resort, Newport
If you want to drag the kids away from their screens during the summer holidays and get them playing outside instead, take a day trip to the Celtic Manor Resort in Wales and check out the Forest Nets, where kids can clamber through the trees bouncing on suspended nets. It is absolutely as fun as it sounds, for the young and young-at-heart alike.
Details: Open on weekends and throughout the summer holidays at Caerleon, Newport NP18 1HQ. Entry costs £20pp.
Family Guided Tour © Pete La May
Shakespeare’s Globe, London
Start them young at The Globe this summer on London’s Bankside. This summer, Rough Magic is the play for little ones to see – a twist on the classic Macbeth. But it’s not just plays the kids can enjoy: try an interactive family workshop, head to one of the storytelling events, or embark on a guided tour of the theatre exploring the gritty context Shakespeare worked in.
Details: Shows and tours throughout the summer holidays at Shakespeare’s Globe (21 New Globe Walk, London SE1 9DT).
MORE: What’s On At The UK’s Open Air Theatres This Summer?
Port Lympne, Hythe
A must-visit for animal-lovers, this Kent-based conservation charity is not your average UK wildlife experience this summer. Whether you opt for a day visit or a short stay, you’ll come face to face with big cats, gorillas, giraffes and many more. If you really want to push the boat out (and blow their minds in the process) book in for a stay at Tiger Lodge, where tigers play right outside your (very sturdy) windows.
Details: Find it at Aldington Road, Lympne, Hythe CT21 4LR. Day tickets start from £26.36 for children and £31.82 for adults.
