Whether your little ones are into hands-on adventure trails, nature or storytelling, these will blow away any holiday boredom, says Laura Sedlak.
Full of the doodletastic characters from the bestselling books and hit TV series by Liz Pichon, Tom Gates EPIC Adventure at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (to 31 Aug) offers hands-on craft workshops, live musical performances and a code-cracking trail. The DogZombies band brings high-energy music and laughs, and families can add their own mark to a giant collaborative doodle. Any energy left can be spent wandering woodland paths along the Totally Terrific Trees Trail – a self-guided adventure to uncover fun facts and collect symbols to crack a secret code.
For those more interested in life below the surface, the Sea Creature Rescue Squad at SEA LIFE London Aquarium (to 29 Aug) shows budding conservationists how to protect some of the oceans’ most incredible – and endangered – species. The interactive trail invites children to join the Ocean Rescue Squad, saving sharks, helping sea turtles, discovering hidden seahorses and learning how to protect colourful corals. Included with standard entry tickets, there’ll be no need to travel to the seaside to get little ones excited about sea life.
At the Royal Ballet & Opera in Covent Garden, meanwhile, children can fall down the rabbit hole and get lost in the magic of Lewis Carroll’s novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, on an immersive behind-the-scenes experience. On the Children’s Alice in Wonderland Adventure Tour (to 29 Aug), visitors can catch glimpses through the rehearsal studio windows to see The Royal Ballet preparing for a performance, handle real ballet shoes and costumes, and attend a tap-dancing tea party. Things get curiouser and curiouser as youngsters can also create a special memento of the tour with a gift from Eat Sleep Doodle featuring scenes from Alice’s story as well as fabric pens to add their own touch of colour. It is a magical introduction to the world of theatre and performance for those aged five to 11.
