My little Molly Beau and I have been off on mini expeditions that prove that you don’t need a plane ticket to seek adventure.
Here are some activities to keep you busy over half term, which will not only create great memories, but wont break the bank either…
CITY
There are so many fun activities to do in London for little ones. We have had a few day trips lately, but the most fun we have had has been strolling round the streets and seeing where we end up.
Natural History Museum
Our initial plan was to go to visit Dippy (The diplodocus skeleton at the entrance) but I forgot that he was on holiday (touring the country) and the main entrance was shut for renovation. This didn’t detract from the excitement, as we discovered so many fun things inside. Not only was it great to see the dinosaur section (where Molly was teaching me about terradactils- I’m not sure how she knew about them), but we also had fun looking at all the stuffed animals (or the ‘dead zoo’ as I heard it described). My favourite part was the ‘body’ zone, where models displayed the function of the body, including skeletons, muscles, organs, nerves… it was brilliant to watch Molly take it all in, and answer her questions about veins, bones, babies, and… testicles (in which she took a particular interest)
IMAX
In anticipation of the remake of my favourite Disney film, I booked us some tickets to watch Beauty and The Beast at the IMAX. Seeing a film in 3D at the biggest screen in the UK could potentially be a little overwhelming for a 4 year old, but I thought it was a risk worth taking. The risk paid off and Molly (and I) loved every second, which is just as well, because I think Molly would have got bored waiting in the foyer for me.
Covent Garden
We strolled through Soho to Covent Garden and Molly loved walking around, taking in the atmosphere and making people smile with her choice of attire being her ‘duck’ outfit (from when she was a baby). She was also given a pair of pom-poms, in which she had great fun cheering us down the streets in search of The Milk Train, to get an extra special treat (ice cream (below) definitely recommended).
We can’t wait for the warm weather to continue so we can spend days in the parks (particularly Kensington Gardens to go to the Diana Memorial Playground).
COUNTRY
We went to the annual lambing day at Four Winds Farm in Bidborough, which included lots of activities from a craft station, face painting, sheep shearing, cake sale (in aid of cancer research), and a hog roast.
My mum then invited us to a local commercial farm to help out, where Molly spent most of the time in the pen cuddling and feeding the lambs, and we were lucky enough to see one being born too.
Most of the public lambing events have passed, but it is worth calling your local farm to see if you can catch the last of the lambing season.
COAST
Having been born in Brighton, and always lived near the Kent/East Sussex border, when ever I think of the coast I think ‘South’: Brighton, Hastings, Bexhill, Eastbourne, Camber Sands, and Rye. This week we went to Whitstable, which is somewhere I have never been before, even though it is the same distance as the southern coastal towns. We drove past the harbour, and the Castle, and found a spot in Tankerton for a picnic (any excuse to get my amazing picnic backpack out).
We were so lucky with the weather, we sat for hours watching the sea and playing games. We then strolled along the beach to see the huts and the boats, before parking closer to the harbour, where we watched the paddle boarders, and the people out on jet skis. We ended our trip with a walk down the incredibly pretty High Street.
We have had a good mix of city, coastal and country adventure, and we can’t wait to continue exploring the wonderful gems that our lovely little country has to offer.
The Adventures of A Part Time Parent 