Now the big kids are back to school, many attractions will now be a lot quieter. If you’ve got pre-schoolers it really is the perfect time to get out and about before Summer is officially over. Here are some awesome attractions which are especially perfect for little ones under 5!
Stick Man Activity Trail – Nationwide
©Forestry Commission
Julia Donaldson wrote the extremely popular book, Stick Man, and this year he has arrived in the forest waiting for all the boys and girls to help him on his journey to the family tree. All around the UK you will find that the Forestry Commission has a number of activities and themed trails to follow, and you will even get your very own Stick Man trail certificate!
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Forest Fairy Tales – Nationwide
All around the country in local woodlands fairy tales are being brought to life by the Forestry Commission. Discover landscapes with babbling brooks, tree glades, enchanting sculptures, fairy dens and giant chairs for storytelling. Download our top secret fairy spotting guide and click below to find the nearest magical adventure in a forest near you!
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Marsh Farm Animal Adventure Park – Chelmsford, Essex
**Save 13% off tickets when you book through Picniq**
Perfect for children of all ages including the little ones, there are so many cute animals to see and some you can even touch! The kids will also love burning some energy on the bouncy pillows and mini tractors and let’s not forget the Pesky Pet and Magic shows.
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Paultons Park: Home of Peppa Pig World – Romsey, Hampshire
Of course the ultimate day out for many under 5’s is a visit to Peppa Pig World which is within Paultons Park! There are plenty of fun rides, an indoor soft play area, and you can even visit Peppa’s house! Keep your eyes peeled because you may even see her walking around.
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Puzzlewood – Coleford, Gloucestershire
Get £2 off a family ticket with a ‘Days Out Card’
Explore the enchanting ancient woodlands of Puzzlewood and you will discover ancient trees, bridges, lookouts and twisted rocks. Around every corner there’s something different to see! The beautiful scenery is so magical that it’s often used in movies. Please be aware that no pushchairs are allowed due to uneven ground.
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Rugrats and Halfpints – Banbury, Oxfordshire
Get 10% off entry with a ‘Days Out Card’
Rugrats and Halfpints is a fun and educational soft play and sensory centre. Small children will love the sensory bubble tubes, touch walls and projected imagery. The soft play fun includes slides, tunnels, swings and interactive features.
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Honeybrook Farm – Wimborne, Dorset
Take the little ones to Honeybrook Farm where they can meet and groom some of the farm’s cuddly little creatures in Pets Corner. They can also say hello to the sheep, horses, pigs and even beautiful peacocks as well as enjoy the fantastic play areas!
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Paradise Wildlife Park – Broxbourne, Hertfordshire
**Save up to 29% off combo tickets when you book through Picniq**
Take your little monkeys for a wild day out to see the primates and the big cats including the lions and tigers. The little ones will love visiting the farmyard where they can help feed the pigs, sheep and goats. Ride on the miniature railway to see what is hidden in the woodland, and burn some energy in the fantastic play areas!
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LEGOLAND Windsor – Windsor, Berkshire
There’s so much for children of all ages at Legoland and there’s plenty to explore even if you’re just taking little children. With lots of creative lego engineering and over 55 rides and attractions, the under 5’s will especially love the ‘Atlantis Submarine Voyage’ which is a magical underwater adventure, seeing landmarks from all over the world in miniature lego form and the thrilling rides!
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Museum of Childhood – London
This fab museum has lots of pretty cool workshops for under 5’s which include sensory storytelling inspired by much loved animal tales, and drop in arts and craft sessions. In addition there are also ‘have a go’ workshops where children can try out the childhood toys.
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Sea Life London Aquarium – South Bank, London
Explore a fascinating and colourful aquatic world and discover some wonderful creatures which include sharks, penguins, jellyfish, octopus, turtles, and seahorses. Don’t forget to look out for Nemo, also known as the clownfish!
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Vauxhall City Farm – London
Free bag of Animal Feed with a ‘Days Out Card’
A slice of the countryside in central London! If you have an hour or two to spare then head to this city farm, just a stone’s throw from Vauxhall station. Home to some very friendly sheep, rabbits, horses and even alpacas!
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Coram’s Fields – London
One of the most child friendly spaces in central London where you can only get through the gate if you have a child under 16 with you! At the park you will find a giant sandpit, an array of climbing frames to suit all ages, wheeled toys that can be borrowed, plus a city farm, all set within a walled garden
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Kidzworld – Saint Austell, Cornwall
A trip to Kidzworld is guaranteed to entertain your little one all day long! It’s always great fun regardless of the weather as they’ve got loads of indoor and outdoor play areas including a ball pit, various climbing areas, a soft play zone and even a pirate area with canon ball shooters!
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Dairyland Farm World – New Quay, Cornwall
Dairyland offers a jam-packed and totally fun day out for all ages, especially preschoolers! Meet loads of different farm animals and even ride a pony or milk a cow! As well as lots of awesome things to do with the animals there is also tractor rides, slides and huge indoor play area where the little ones can blow of some energy while you refuel with a cup of tea or coffee.
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Miniature Pony Centre – Dartmoor, Devon
The Miniature Pony Centre is the perfect place to take miniature people! The kids will love meeting, riding and grooming the miniature ponies and all the other animals including horses, pigs, sheep, goats and more. Plus, there’s loads of play areas and activities including a zip wire and a trampoline.
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BeWILDerwood – Wroxham, Norwich, Norfolk
This adventure park is based on the book ‘A Boggle at BeWILDerwood’ by local children author, Tom Blofeld. Step into the world from the book which is a landscape like no other. Explore bridges, slides, crocklebogs, tree houses, zip wires, jungle bridges and walks through marshes, plus enjoy storytelling and boat trips.
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Drayton Manor Theme Park – Tamworth, Staffordshire
The famous Thomas the Tank Engine has a home at Drayton Manor them park! There are 12 exciting themed rides and an indoor play centre for you and the little ones to enjoy. There’s Troublesome Trucks Coaster that’s a 200m long roller coaster, Rocking Bulstrode a ‘rockin’ ride’ that rotates you 360 degrees, Cranky the Crane Drop Tower and lots more!!
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The National Sea Life Centre – Birmingham
Perfect for the little ones with lots of indoor attractions, there are plenty of weird and wonderful sea creatures including sharks, jellyfish, turtles and clownfish fish! The children will love handling a variety of creatures in the rock pools and learning during the fun talks and feed shows throughout the day.
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CBeebies Land at Alton Towers – Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire
The little ones (and secretly the adults too) will love a visit to CBeebies Land, located within Alton Towers! They will get to meet some of their favourite CBeebies characters including The ZingZillas and Hey Duggee, plus there’s lots of interactive play and rides. Help Postman Pat with his delivery, sail on the magical In The Night Garden Boat Ride, plus get hands-on at Mr Bloom’s Allotments and lots more. If your little ones love CBeebies then this will definitely be a hit!
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Pili Palas Nature World – Anglesey, Wales
Get £1.50 off a family ticket or £1 off a child’s ticket with a ‘Days Out Card’
Walk into this tropical paradise with lots of butterflies, birds, snakes and lots of creepy crawlies! Make friends with fluffy bunny rabbits and guinea pigs and then head to the Farmyard where there are Pygmy Goats, Pigs and chickens. There is also an indoor play area for the little ones before home time!
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Children’s Farm Park – Harlech, Wales
This friendly farm is located by Cardigan Bay and has stunning views over Snowdonia National Park. Around the farm you’ll find Floss the donkey, pigs, ducks, calves and many more cute farmyard animals. In the spring you can bottle feed lambs and all year you can pick up some animal food to feed the other animals. There is also an indoor sandpit, crazy golf and junior tractors for even more fun on the farm.
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Mattel Play! Albert Dock – Liverpool
This fabulous interactive play centre is absolutely perfect for under 5’s! The little ones can see well known cartoon characters such as Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam and Thomas and Friends, and embark on their very own adventures around the different zones!
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Illuminasia – Blackpool Winter Gardens, Blackpool
**Save up to 30% off tickets when you book through Picniq**
Wonder at the colourful and magical visual experience that these beautiful large scale lanterns have created. Will you want to explore the illuminated wonder of ‘The Deep’, the underwater themed zone or head straight to ‘The Land of The Giants’ where you will be the one left feeling the size of an ant?
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Jelly Beans – Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
Get £1.50 off entry Mon – Fri with a ‘Days Out Card’
Jelly Beans is a great place to take small children where they can socialise, communicate and learn through play. There is plenty to do with climbing frames and nets, a ball pool with a slide, ride on motorbikes and cars, play houses and even a bouncy castle!
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The World of Beatrix Potter – Windermere, Cumbria
Come along and see the famous stories of Beatrix Potter brought to life in a magical way! Children will get to explore Peter Rabbit’s garden, Mrs Tiggy-Winkles kitchen and Jemima Puddle-Ducks woodland glade. To make it even more exciting, the little ones are given an activity booklet to complete as they make their way round.
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Seven Stories Centre – Newcastle upon Tyne
Encourage the little ones to use their imaginations and take them to Seven Stories. There’s plenty to keep them occupied including creative workshops, libraries and a literary adventure playground.
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The Highland Wildlife Park – Inverness, Scotland
For a truly wild day out with your little ones, Highland Wildlife Park is a fabulous place to visit. They will get to meet and learn all about endangered animals, including tigers, bears, wildcats, otters, owls, camel, deer and red pandas! You can drive around the reserve and also explore the walk-round area too!
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The Den and The Glen – Aberdeen, Scotland
The Den in the Glen offers a magical experience of make-believe. Kids can listen to their favourite nursery rhymes and stories while exploring fairy tale houses in within 28 acres of stunning landscape. The Den area has active play where kids can climb, slide or have fun in the sports arena, making friends and burning off energy as they play.
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Fun works – Antrim, Northern Ireland
In this indoor play centre the little ones will have hours of fun playing on the slides, diving into the ball pool, having a game of mini football and lots more. There is even a separate section for toddlers so they can join in with the fun too!
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I hope you enjoy these days out ideas for toddlers and preschoolers. If you have a baby who is a bit too young to appreciate these attractions then check out our 10 Ways to Entertain Your Baby blog 🙂
