Summer holiday survival guide 2025

The summer holidays are upon us once again, with schools set to break up on Wednesday, July 23. You’ve probably got a full itinerary planned for the six weeks already. You planned an itinerary, right? 

On the off chance you still have a day or two spare, we’ve pulled together a list of options. Just because we’re nice like that, and absolutely not because we just looked at the calendar and had a little panic.

See below for ideas of things to do all around Thanet, as well as trips out into the wilds of East Kent and into London. Outdoor exploration, museums, crafts, theatre and more, there’s loads to do covering all budgets. 

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Things to do in Thanet

The isle of Thanet has loads of events and activities to choose from over the summer holidays. There’s fun for all the family, plus activities they can head off and do on their own - leaving you time to work/have a nap/contemplate existence. 

Broadstairs Folk Week
This week-long festival bang in the middle of the summer holidays has plenty of family-friendly events throughout, spanning music, dance, theatre, circus skills and craft. 
Various locations, Broadstairs. August 8-15. All ages. £0-8. broadstairsfolkweek.org.uk

Crab Museum
Whether a local or just a visitor, 96.3% of experts agree that you haven't properly experienced Margate if you haven’t spent some time in the Crab Museum. Come for the crabs, stay for the covert education on climate change and the nature of truth. 
9 Broad Street, Margate. Friday to Sunday, 11am-5pm (Wed-Sun from July 30). All ages. Free. crabmuseum.org

Crab Museum reveals what bums can tell us about evolution

How do you get kids excited about science? Make it about bums. Margate’s Crab Museum is bringing this knowledge to the wider world in a new children’s book

Strange TouristAndy Malt

Revolution Skate & Scoot Camp
If your kids are into skateboarding or scooter riding, this is always a great way to keep them entertained. Running Monday to Friday over three separate weeks of the holiday, passes are available for the full week or single days. As well as access to the ramps, there are games, challenges and lots of new friends to be made. 
Revolution Skatepark, Oakwood Industrial Estate, Broadstairs. w/c July 28, August 11 & August 25, 10am-4pm. 7+. £30-40 per day or £100-150 per week. revolutionskatepark.co.uk

Quex Adventure Farm Park
This place has proven to be a life-saver countless times in recent years. It’ll keep kids occupied for hours with giant bouncing pillows, an adventure playground, toddler area, animal feeding, maize maze and more. This summer sees the addition of two new giant paddling pools too.
Quex Park, Birchington-On-Sea. Daily, 9.30am-5pm. Ages 1-15. Prices vary. quexadventurefarmpark.com

Thanet Coast Project Seashore Safaris
Aimed at primary school age children (and their families), these regular events along the Thanet coastline give a crash course in exploring and understanding the creatures living in rock pools. 
Various locations, dates and times throughout the holidays. Ages 4-11. £2.50pp. thanetcoast.org.uk

This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete
This museum is filled to bursting with old tech that can be used to make music (whether originally intended for that purpose or not). There’s a heavy emphasis on interactivity, perfect for curious minds. Read our interview with the museum’s founder Sam Battle.
Church Hill, Ramsgate. Weekends (except 23/24 Aug) and August bank holiday Monday, 1-4pm. All ages. £0-7. this-museum-is-not-obsolete.com

Interview: This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete

Ever had the urge to push a mystery button? Strange Tourist visits This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete, where visitors are invited to do just that. Visitors are encouraged to make music and sound with old tech (whether it was designed to or not) and in the process learn about how it works

Strange TouristAndy Malt

Dreamland
The biggest attraction on Margate seafront, Dreamland is great whether you want rides, the roller disco, or just the arcades. Ramping up for a busy summer, the park has various new attractions this year, including a log flume and a free roam VR experience. There's also the Margate Summer Series concerts, many of which are all ages shows.
Marine Terrace, Margate, CT9 1XJ. 10.30am - 6pm from April 5. All ages. Free entry. dreamland.co.uk 

Happy Reading Bookshop
As ever, the Happy Reading Bookshop is laying on a wide range of events throughout the holidays. There will be weekly book club events and sessions with writers and illustrators including Lucy Strange, Natalie Quek, and James Sellick. 
Upstairs at Staple, 30a Reading Street, Broadstairs, CT10 3AZ. Various dates. Various ages. £5. happyreading.uk

Monkton Nature Reserve
Monkton Nature Reserve is laying on lots of events for kids over the holidays, exploring nature, science, food and more. 
Canterbury Road West, Ramsgate, CT12 4LH. Various dates. £5. monkton-reserve.org

Drum Club Summer School Band
Drum Club has been teaching children how to play drums and percussion during term time for the last year. Over the summer holidays, they’re launching the Drum Club Summer School band, expanding out to other instruments and getting kids to write their own songs. No previous music lessons required.
Bar Nothing, 17 Cliff Terrace, Margate, CT9 1RU. July 30 and August 6, 13, 20 & 27. Ages 8-12. £16. instagram.com/drumdrumclub/

Kinder Collective
Children’s clothes shop Kinder Collective will put on a programme of craft events for primary school age children over the holidays. Sessions include bug monoprinting and crocheting your own worry worm, and a family beach clean. 
8 Nelson Place, Broadstairs, CT10 1HQ. Various dates. Ages 4-11. £0-7. kindercollective.co.uk

Thanet Open Top Bus
Stagecoach is bringing back the Thanet open top bus for the summer holidays, which both delights children and is a great way to see the area at its summery finest. An all day ticket will allow you to jump on an off as much as you like. 
69 bus route, Ramsgate’s Viking Ship to Minnis Bay. July 19 to August 31, then weekends to September 21, 8.55am-7pm. All ages. £2.30-£6. stagecoachbus.com

Tide & Seek Beach School
Giving kids the opportunity to spend a day learning about the natural world, Tide & Seek has announced four sessions over the summer. Pupils can join in with a range of activities from exploring marine habitats to creating beach art.
Stone Bay, Broadstairs. August 13, 18, 26 & 27, 9.30am-12pm. 5+. Ages 4-11. £20 per child. DM to book. 

Things to do in East Kent

Thanet has plenty to offer, of course. But don’t forget the rest of East Kent is right there too. There are a huge number of events, attractions and activities on offer over the summer. We’ve collected a few of our favourites here. 

bOing! Festival
The bOing! family arts festival marks its tenth anniversary this year. There are performances, workshops, activities, film screenings and more for a range of ages and interests.
Gulbenkian Theatre, Canterbury. August 23-24. All ages. Free (some events ticketed). boingfestival.com

Lower Leas Coastal Park
We love this park that stretches along the coast between Folkestone and Sandgate. As well as just being a lovely spot for a walk, a bike ride or a picnic, there’s plenty more to see and do - including the south east's largest free adventure playground.
Lower Sandgate Road, Folkestone. Daily, 8am-8pm. All ages. Free. folkestone-hythe.gov.uk

Betteshanger Country Park
Another great spot for getting outdoorsy, particularly for families who enjoy cycling - the 3.5km cycling track is great fun. There are lots of events going on over the summer, and kids can also join the park’s forest school.
Sandwich Road, Deal. Daily 8am-5pm (6.30pm at weekends). All ages. betteshanger-park.co.uk

Felderland Pick Your Own Farm
Nestled in the countryside between Sandwich and Deal, Felderland Farm offers multiple fields of fruits to pick yourself, including strawberries, raspberries and plums. Buy a punnet at the gate and then fill it as high as you can. Afterwards you can grab something from the cafe while the kids run around in the play area. 
Deal Road, Worth, CT14 0BJ. Tuesday to Sunday, 10am-4pm. All ages. felderland-pyo.co.uk

Brickwrecks: Time Travellers Assemble
As part of the Brickwrecks: Sunken Ships in Lego Bricks exhibition at Chatham Dockyard, which runs until November, this summer holiday activity will guide children through the dockyard’s history. Grab a Time Travel Passport, get stamps along the way, answer quiz questions and complete a mini-challenge. 
The Historic Dockyard Chatham, Main Gate Road, Chatham ME4 4TZ. July 23 to August 31. All ages. Free with entry. thedockyard.co.uk

Super Canoe
Explore the River Stour in a family-sized canoe. Canoe Wild in Fordwich has just launched its new fleet of larger super canoes, allowing groups of 4-6 people to paddle along the river and back, or take a one way trip to Grove Ferry - perfect to jump off for a pint at the Grove Ferry Inn. 
Canoe Wild, Fordwich Road, Sturry, CT2 0BW. Daily. All ages. £65-120. canoewild.co.uk

Taskmaster at Dover Castle
English Heritage has partnered with Channel 4’s Taskmaster at a number of its venues, including Dover Castle, for fun family events this summer. Grab a score card and embark on a series of silly challenges. Alex Horne and Greg Davies won’t be on site to help/chide you, sadly, but this sounds like a huge amount of fun. 
Castle Hill, Dover. July 19 to August  31, 10am-5pm. All ages. Free with entry. english-heritage.org.uk

Canterbury Roman Museum
The Canterbury Roman Museum has a variety of activities to keep kids occupied this summer, including coin and mosaic making, dressing up, Roman board games, and other daily challenges. 
Butchery Lane, Canterbury, CT1 2JR. Daily, 10am-5pm. All ages. Prices vary. canterburymuseums.co.uk 

Wildlings Holiday Club
Wildwood wildlife park should be on your list of days out, but if you're looking for somewhere to drop the kids for the day on their own, check out this forest school. Children get into nature, learn about the animals in the park, explore mini-beasts, and get involved in craft activities, games and bushcraft.
Herne Common, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 7LQ. July 24, 30, August 20, 22, 27, 29. Ages 5-11. £40. wildwoodtrust.org

Things to do in London

Probably stating the obvious here, but London is absolutely filled with great summer holiday activities. The ease of travel between the coast and the capital really is a blessing (especially as kids’ off-peak train tickets only cost a quid). It’s not exactly easy to draw up a shortlist, but here are some things on our wishlist to do before school starts again.

Young V&A
The V&A’s museum of childhood is a hit for kids and adults - we went around the whole place twice when we visited last year. As well as the main exhibition, on right now is Making Egypt, exploring the creativity of ancient Egypt and how it still influences art, design and popular culture today. The queue to get in can get long, so it’s worth trying to avoid peak times.
Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9PA. Daily, 10am-5.45pm. All ages. Free (Egypt exhibition £10). vam.ac.uk/young

Paradox Museum
Opened in West London just this week, the Paradox Museum is set across 25 rooms with an array of mind-bending optical illusions, you can experience anti-gravity and gaze into infinity. 
90 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge. Daily, 10am-5.30pm (7pm Friday & Saturday). All ages. £21.50-29 (family ticket also available). paradoxmuseumlondon.com

Discover Children's Story Centre
Well worth a trip into Stratford, this immersive play centre will get your kids’ imaginations firing. Beyond its two indoor floors and outdoor area, it is currently also hosting a special interactive exhibition designed by children’s author Nadia Shireen.
383-387 High Street, Stratford, E15 4QZ. Daily, 10am-5pm. Ages 0-11. £5-10 (Nadia Shireen exhibition £5). discover.org.uk

Greenwich + Docklands International Festival
This free festival featuring outdoor theatre, dance, circus and installations returns this summer. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, this year the festival’s performances span a high-wire walk and on-water physical theatre.
Various locations. August 22 to September 6. All ages. Free. festival.org/gdif-2025/

London Theatre Kids Week
London Theatre Kids Week is back and this year runs for all six weeks of the school holidays, allowing one child to go free to a whole range of shows for every full price adult ticket purchased. This includes shows like My Neighbour Totoro, Dinosaurs Live, Wicked, Back To The Future: The Musical, and loads more. 
Various venues. July 21 to August 31. Ages 0-17. Various prices. officiallondontheatre.com/kids-week/

REPLAY: A Limitless Recycled Playground
Part installation, part adventure playground, REPLAY is a space built entirely out of waste materials repurposed for fun in Royal Festival Hall’s exhibition space. Use the materials inside and your own imagination to design and use the space as you see fit. 
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX. Until August 24. Ages 0-11. £7.50. southbankcentre.co.uk

Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs
This immersive experience at Lightroom takes you into a prehistoric world using elements from Apple TV+’s Prehistoric Planet. It’ll take you from desserts up to the sky and down into the ocean, all with a Hans Zimmer soundtrack. 
12 Lewis Cubitt Square, N1C 4DY. Until November 2, 10am-5.30pm. All ages. £0-25. lightroom.uk

The Big Dig
The London Museum is turning kids into archaeologists this summer, uncovering London’s hidden past. Grab a trowel and get digging in your own trench to unearth real objects made and used centuries ago.
Smithfield, EC1A 9PS. July 20 to August 31, 10.15am-3.30pm. Ages 5+. £4.50. londonmuseum.org.uk

Join the Zoo Crew at London Zoo
Got a budding zookeeper among your number? This summer, children are invited to experience what it’s like to work at London Zoo with a range of roleplay and dress-up activities. As well as learning what it’s like to be a zookeeper, they can also become a field conservationist and scientist. They’ll also get a certificate at the end of it all. 
Outer Circle, Regent's Park, NW1 4RY. Jul 23 to September 1, 10am-6pm. All ages. Free with entry. londonzoo.org

Children's Puppet Festival
Little Angel Theatre is bringing back its award-winning Children's Puppet Festival for its fourth year. There will be a range of shows, workshops and activities over five weeks, exploring puppetry in many forms. 
14 Dagmar Passage, N1 2DN. July 28 to August 29. Ages 3-11. Prices vary. littleangeltheatre.com/childrens-puppet-festival-2025/

Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth?
The Natural History Museum’s ongoing exhibition allows kids to get hands on with items from outer space. They’re able to touch pieces of Mars and the Moon, and take a selfie with the 4.5 billion year old Allende meteorite, as well as learning about what life scientists believe might be out there elsewhere in the solar system.
Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD. Until February 22, 10am-4.30pm. Ages 8+. Free with entry. nhm.ac.uk