Are you ready for the summer holidays?

July 14, 2019 by @motherofalloutings

Are you ready for the summer holidays? Struggling for ideas to entertain the kids for the whole six weeks? I’ve put together my top picks of bigger days out in and around Essex, so make sure you’ve got these on your list.

We had the most Roar-some time at Paradise Wildlife Park in Hertfordshire. The dinosaur area is so good it really feels like you’re walking through the Jurassic Park movie. You can dig for bones in the sandpit, meet baby dinosaurs, have a photo with the T-Rex, you can even ride the Rex-Express (for a £2 supplement). They have a huge collection of animals to see- with lots of high viewing platforms so you can get the best look at them. There are so many fab play areas, kids can climb on pirate ships, a real fire engine, soft play, play parks and more. Don’t forget your cossie- they’ve got a splash pool area too! There are shows to watch, and just so much to see, the kids really did think it was Paradise.

I’m confident your kids will dig Diggerland Kent, in fact I’m pretty sure you’ll love it too. I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun it was for adult as well as children. Everywhere you look are proper JCBs that you can drive, operate and ride. I had no idea that diggers were so multi-functional, we were hoisted up into the air for an aerial view of the park and water side, we were spun around until dizzy, we drove around on circuits, dug up mud, knocked over skittles to name but a few things. They have go-karts, mini jeeps, soft play, a Little Tikes play area and a digger train. I was amazed at how much my 90cm tall 3-year-old could do. This place is a dream come true for kids and I can’t recommend it enough.

Let the kids run wild at Colchester Zoo in Essex. So much is included in the entrance price: you can feed an elephant, feed the giraffes, ride the Madagascar Express Train. You can also get real-up close experience with some of the animals like the lemur and butterfly enclosures. There’s the sensation station where you can touch animals too. We loved walking through the sea lion tunnel, watching them swim overhead.  There are play areas dotted around the whole zoo and plenty of picnic tables too, which makes a day with young kids all the more enjoyable. They also have lots of cafes and restaurant options as well as an indoor picnic area. Zoo keepers are on hand for “animal encounters” so you can ask questions and find out about all the different animals. We absolutely loved our day here, and I know you will too.

Give the kids something to write home about this summer, the London Postal Museum has so much to keep the kids entertained. You can play in the interactive role play area: “Sorted,” (pre-booking highly recommended). There’s a small train called the Mail Rail which takes you under the streets of the capital to see how they used to deliver the mail. They are also putting on Punch and Judy puppet workshops, storytelling, post card making, book signings and so much more. Their interactive museum is one not to be missed. The Postal Museum certainly has my stamp of approval.

Don’t forget it’s cheaper to pre-book online the day before (or earlier), so it’s definitely worth thinking ahead to save some extra pennies for the ice-creams.

Head over to my Instagram page @motherofalloutings to see the full reviews and photos of these suggestions. Let’s make Summer 2019 one to remember!