20 great ideas to keep the kids happy during the holidays
EEK. The summer holidays are nearly here, and with them comes that big question. How are you going to fill those long days and weeks for your kids, grandkids, or nieces and nephews?
Never fear, there is still plenty to do, even in this year of pandemic – and we’ve compiled a list of some of the magical, quirky, exhilarating and fascinating activities that could be the icing on your kids’ summer break. As ever, please check Government restrictions and also the websites of venues for any changes.
WALK THE MEGA MAZE AT CAIRNIE FRUIT FARM, CUPAR, FIFE
The maze, a giant labyrinth of pathways over six acres created from maize plants, opens in the middle of July, at which time it’s usually around 4-5 ft in height, and it only keeps getting bigger. Ultimately, the plants reach around 8ft, before being harvested for cattle. This magnificent attraction, however, is not the only draw of Cairnie Fruit Farm. It’s also home to The Funyard, which includes go-cart track, sunken trampolines, a massive sandbox, peddle tractors, a flying fox and a giant bouncing pillow. Plus, while you’re there you can pick a few juicy strawberries to take home.
Book to visit the Funyard and Maze online at www.cairniefruitfarm.co.uk.
SEE TRUCKS FLY AT TRUCKFEST SCOTLAND, INGLISTON, EDINBURGH
For two days this summer, July 31 and August 1, Edinburgh’s Royal Highland Centre will be host to some serious truck action. Among the stars of the show, in the main arena, is Swamp Thing, a celebrity of the truck world, based on a 2004 Ford F350 Super Duty and driven by Tony Dixon. It is, its team describes, “the ultimate auto circus act”. But it’s not just about the monster trucks – there’s also the UK’s top-ranked freestyle motocross riders, incorporating their latest heart-stopping tricks.
Bookings at www.truckfest.co.uk.
GO AFTER HOURS AT THE HIGHLAND WILDLIFE PARK, KINGUSSIE, CAIRNGORMS
Snow leopards, newborn elk twins, wolves, polar bears and wildcats are among the fascinations of this wonderful wildlife park.
But what do they do after hours, when the place is normally closed?
Here is an opportunity to find out. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland has announced a series of after-hours events, running every Friday evening in July, in which visitors can drive through the reserve enjoying the Cairngorms backdrop at dusk, and also relax to the sound of traditional music acts and enjoy a range of local food and drink. The park is also open daily for those who need to be in bed long before the sun goes down. www.highlandwildlifepark.org.uk
ROCKPOOL RAMBLE AT THE SCOTTISH SEABIRD CENTRE, NORTH BERWICK, EAST LOTHIAN
Gannets for bird knowledge should make a beeline to this award-winning centre perched by the harbour in North Berwick.
The Discovery Experience features games, exhibits and live cameras trained on the Bass Rock Northern gannet colony. As part of the Edinburgh Science Festival, the team at the centre will also be taking guided Rockpool Rambles, where you can learn about the inhabitants of the North Berwick shoreline and the challenges they face. You can even plan to give the sea some love back by borrowing a beach-clean kit and doing your own family litter pick. www.seabird.org.
NURTURE THE INNER SCIENTIST AT GLASGOW SCIENCE CENTRE
“We are all scientists” is the message from Glasgow Science Centre. Back open just in time for the summer holidays, the museum that brings you all things science – plus a Planetarium, Scotland’s biggest-screen IMAX cinema and some of the best views of Glasgow from a tower that holds the Guinness World Record for the tallest fully rotating freestanding structure in the world.
Bookings at www.glasgowsciencecentre.org.
WATCH THE ARGATY RED KITES, LERROCKS FARM, DOUNE
Red kites, once eradicated from Scotland, are now one of our greatest rewilding stories, and this site, at Ardgaty, was where the second reintroduction project in the country took place.
Here, you can take up position in a hide and wait for a spotting of these magnificent birds of prey – and also possibly spot a red squirrel or two in the process. The kites themselves are a marvellous story to introduce to kids – to find out more about the project read A Sky Full of Kites: A Rewilding Story, by Tom Bowser who runs the site near the village of Doune in Perthshire.
Bookings at argatyredkites.co.uk.
CLIMB A MASSIVE TREE, SCOTTISH BORDERS
What kid doesn’t like to climb a tree? With tree-climbing experiences run by Wild Tree Adventures, there’s the safety factor of knowing you or your children are harnessed up, and with an instructor. Plus, once they get up, there’s the wonder of being high in the trees, up among the branches and leaves, and looking down on the world.
Climbs available this summer, for children six years old and above include a 200-year-old Turkey oak in Paxton house and trees at Traquair House, as well as several other locations that are yet to be confirmed.
It’s also not just for kids – one recent customer expressed her gratitude by saying: “Thank you for allowing my dream of being up in a tree for my 70th birthday to come true.” wildtreeadventures.com
SOLVE A SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY AT THE EDINBURGH SCIENCE FESTIVAL
Edinburgh Science Festival, June 26-July 11, might not be operating as it does in normal years, but it still has an innovative and imaginative programme that’s set to get kids out and about across the city and beyond. Sherlock Holmes and the Biofilms Mystery, for instance, a self-led tour starting at Cameron Toll, in which the challenge is to find out who broke into Holmes’s apartment.
Will it be elementary, my dear Watson? Family bushcraft sessions, a birdsong event, a mathematical walking tour and a host of online events are also part of the programme . www.sciencefestival.co.uk.
CLAMBER THE AQUAPARK, WILDSHORE DUNDEE
A giant floating playground of bouncy inflatable fun, suitable for anyone over the age of six, this big blue obstacle course spans 600 square metres. Its challenges include the moon jump, Neptune’s steps and the 3.8-metre-high “Mighty Mount Rainer”. Of course, the idea is to cross the whole thing without falling in, but who really wants to keep dry when it’s so fun getting wet? At WildShore Dundee, formerly Foxlake, there are plenty of other activities, including wakeboarding, stand up paddleboarding, Ringo and open water swimming. www.wildshoredundee.co.uk.
FALKIRK WHEEL AND MINI-GOLF, FALKIRK
The world’s only rotating boat lift, which take boats up 115 ft between the Clyde Canal with the Union Canal, is also home to a growing centre for outdoor activities – Segway, paddle boarding, peddle boats, are all available, as well as the giant paddling pool of the Splash Zone, great for small kids on a hot day,
But the latest addition to the site is likely to be a winner for the whole family, young and old, a new mini-golf, with holes designed around canal themes, from boats to mini-kelpies. Each round is £5 per person. www.scottishcanals.co.uk
RIDE A PUMP TRACK, VARIOUS LOCATIONS
Children don’t have to have a mountain bike, or BMX, to ride a pump track. It’s possible to have a go on a road bike, skates or scooters – though, of course, the BMX is the ultimate set of wheels for this activity. There are already many Velosolutions pump tracks in Scotland, including the Cathkin Braes track which was host to the Pump Track World Championships in 2018, the Skelf Pump Track, hidden away at the bottom of Arthur’s Seat, and, new to Edinburgh, the Hunter’s Hall Park track, just behind the Jack Kane Centre.
So, what exactly is a pump track? Essentially it’s a continuous loop of slopes and banks, designed to be ridden without pedalling, but using a pumping movement. Fans say it offers a great core body workout. Mostly though, it’s just extreme fun.
LOCH LOMOND FAERIE TRAIL, LUSS, ARGYLL & BUTE
“Place your hands here. Count to 10. Let the faeries take your worries away,” says one of the signs on this nature trail with a twist. A mile-long walk through magical woodland is transformed into a mystery adventure, complete with evil trolls and