It’s official – school is out for the summer! Six long weeks of freedom and utter mayhem for the adults… But no fear! We have rounded up our guide of fun-filled activities, full of wild and wonderful events happening around the country. Say goodbye to the dreaded moans of boredom and follow our hand-picked guide of things to do. Be sure to plan a jam-packed summer of adventures, keeping all ages entertained and out of mischief…
Brighton & Weston-Super-Mare Sand Sculpture Festival
With over two thousand tones of sand and twenty world-class artists flying in to transform two of the UK’s popular beaches into magical works of art, the Sand Sculpture Festival is not to be missed! Marvel at your favourite artists and musical eras turned into giant sand sculptures in Brighton, or spot movie a-listers and Hollywood-themed masterpieces on Weston-Super-Mare beachfront. Why not take part in a sand sculpture workshop, learning the behind-the-scenes secrets that keep these impressive sandy artworks intact for months at a time.
Open daily till the end of September 2013, westonsandsculpture.co.uk / brightonsandsculpture.co.uk
South Bank Festival of Neighbourhood with Mastercard, London 
© Belinda Lawley
This summer step into the South Bank Festival of Neighbourhood, London’s friendliest neighbourhood. Stroll along the popular urban beach designed by James Bowthorpe, watch Cirque Alfonse perform their impressive circus show ‘Timber!’ with juggling axes, daring acrobats and stunts, with little ones enjoying ‘The Queen’s Knickers’ comedy production.
Hop, skip and jump along to the pop-up Beano Town in the Festival Hall to celebrate the 75th birthday of The Beano, visit the impressive archive with never seen before stories dating back to wartime Britain. Join in with the fun and games taking place in The Beano Social Club, then get creative at the many workshops taking place with comic book drawing sessions to unleash your inner prankster at the Ultimate Prank Academy!
Open daily until September 8th 2013, London, southbankcentre.co.uk
Bats, Moths, Fire and Food at Hyde Park, London
© Hugh Clark, Bat Conservation Trust
Calling all nature fanatics! Do you dare to go along to the park after dark? Head on down to Hyde Park and join the Royal Park’s Education team to explore and uncover the wildlife that inhabits the park. Identify the different types of bats that reside in the trees, listening to the secret calls of the Common Pipistrelles flying above with your very own bat detector. Then head on back to camp to settle around the fire for a light-night snack, learning about all the moths who flutter by.
Thursday 29th August 2013, Hyde Park, royalparks.org.uk
Jacobite Stream Train, Fort William - Mallaig, Scotland
Go back in time on a classic stream train ride to Mallaig on the West Coast Railways, chug along on the Jacobite Stream Train through the picturesque hills of the Highlands. Boarding the train at Fort William marveling at Ben Nevis, steam along the 84 mille round trip, passing the deepest fresh water beauty of Loch Morar and crossing the famous 21-arch Glenfinnan Viaduct as seen in the Harry Potter films! Whilst gliding along on in your very own Hogwarts Express, spot the small isles of Eigg, Rhum, Muck and Canna in the distance. With a whistling stop at busy fishing port Mallaig for a well-deserved fish and chip supper, dip your toes in the sea and soak up the sea air before returning home.
Running weekends till 22nd September 2013, running weekdays till the 25th October, westcoastrailways.co.uk
IncrEdibles Festival at Kew Gardens, London
Take a voyage through the weird and wonderful world of edible plants at the IncrEdibles Festival at Kew Gardens this summer. Imaginative and informative is the dish of the day, taking your seat at the Rose Garden Tea Party where you can sample the delicious plant delicacies and decipher the riddles to guess what ingredients are in your favourite tea-time treats. Discover the 60 edible plants housed in Kew’s Palm House Tropical Larder, uncovering the plant’s fascinating historical and cultural histories. Get hands on with a Curiosity Box where you can have of a whiff of the smelly Durian Fruit and get a feel for a yam.
Next door, things are hotting up at the Waterlilly house where you can gaze at the 30 different species of chilli, with plenty of recipes to try at home. Don’t forget to take a ride on the Tutti Frutti Boating experience to reach the Pineapple Island art installation or taste the delights of Kew’s homemade ice cream in an incrEdible array of flavours; fancy a scoop of curry leaf and white chocolate ice cream or perhaps honeyberry and coriander seed?
Open daily till the 1st September 2013, Kew Gardens, kew.org
Knights Camping at Leeds Castle, Kent
Set behind the majestic backdrop of Leeds Castle, come on in for a medieval sleepover in one of their luxury glamping tents in the castle vineyard, complete with four poster beds and a wood burning stove for cooking your supper, like knights preparing for battle. Come day, explore the castle once used by Henry VIII and journey through 900 years of captivating history. Punt gently along the castle moat, lose yourself in the spiraling maze and meet the castle falconer to get up close to the impressive birds of prey. Enroll young ones into the Knights and Princess classes where brave knights can dress in chain mail and armour learning combat skills. Whilst fair maidens can learn a medieval court dance and perfect their etiquette for meeting their prince charming.
Available till the 29th September 2012, leeds-castle.com
Blists Hill Victorian Town, Shropshire
Experience life as it was over 100 years ago at Blists Hill in Shropshire, the recreated Victorian village. First stop is the town bank where you can exchange your money into pounds, shillings and pence. Discover first hand what day to day life was like, seek out the curious remedies in the pharmacy, admire the items on sale for the drapers or old favourites in the sweet shop, take a look inside the Victorian cottages and witness traditional skills in action at the printers and candle factory. Dress up in Victorian costume for a snap in the photographers shop and don’t forget to take a journey around the town in horse and cart.
Open daily 10am-5pm, ironbridge.org.uk
National Cycling Centre, Manchester
Whilst the Olympics may have come and gone, we are still on a high remembering all the inspiring sporting moments. Why not pop along to the National Cycling Centre, where the likes of Sir Chris Hoy and Laura Trott trained to become world and Olympic champions? Register young ones in the Summer School Vendrome Sessions running daily, where you can spend an hour on the track with expert coaches learning the skills of what it takes to become a sporting medalist. Summer School Velodrome Sessions running daily till 6th September 2013, nationalcyclingcentre.com
So there you have it, our round-up of exciting adventures to be had – will you be visiting any of these attractions? Don’t forget to check out our range of girlswear, perfect for summertime fun!