Best family days out

There are some fantastic options for fun family days out in East Sussex and Kent, starting with Port Lympne Zoo. Set in 600-acres of Kentish countryside, Port Lympne has over 900 rare and endangered animals ranging from western lowland gorillas and Bengal tigers to giraffe, spectacled bears, and the UK’s largest herd of black rhino. It’s open every day except Christmas Day and young and old will love living out their safari dreams on the Kentish savannah and hopping aboard a safari truck for a tour to spot free roaming camels, giraffe, zebra, and wildebeest. 

Train aficionados will love Kent and East Sussex’ railway offerings and there are more than a few. The Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway is a heritage gem and has been operating since 1927. Running between Hythe and Dungeness, it stops at Dymchurch, St. Mary’s Bay, Romney Warren, New Romney, and Romney Sands so you can hop out and explore. The East Sussex Railway steams through Tenterden, Northiam and Bodiam and has a Junior Engineering Experience for children aged 6 – 12 to get behind the scenes and discover how steam locomotives really work. To ride the rails a different way, the East Hill Cliff Railway is the UK’s steepest funicular and offers some pretty epic views. 

For rainy days, take the family to the Hastings Aquarium and dip into the world beneath the waves. Walk through the underwater tunnel to spot tropical sharks and rays swimming overhead. Check out the nursery tanks to see teeny, tiny new hatchlings and get the chance to feed a fever of rays.

Take a family day out in nature

East Sussex and Kent are filled with rather magical countryside to discover, and The Dungeness Nature Reserve is a must-visit. Crossing eco-systems of open shingle, freshwater pits, wet grassland and wildflower meadows, wildlife is abundant. Listen out for the call of the cuckoo, spot flocks of seabirds and in spring and autumn you can marvel at the murmuration of swallows and swifts in the skies. To learn more about the local nature, the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve has some well thought-out activity trails for kids. 

A day out seal spotting will be a family trip to remember forever and there are two types of seals that can be spotted in local waters, the grey seal, and the harbour seal. Full Throttle Boat Charters will whip you out on the open seas on a seal safari to see the wonderful, playful creatures in their natural environment. 

Come nightfall, Dungeness, Woodchurch and High Halden have some of the darkest skies recorded in Kent and on a clear night you can spot star clusters and even the Milky Way. Romney Marsh, a former locale of smugglers, favoured for its shadowy spaces is another great spot for stargazing. To delve further into everything celestial The Observatory Science Centre in Hailsham runs children’s workshops and stargazing evenings with their state-of-the-art telescopes. 

Reminisce your childhood and take your family to Tibbs Farm near Rye in the picturesque Tillingham Valley for fruit picking. Through the summer months, May to August, you can pick everything from apricots, raspberries, and plums to the lesser-known tummelberries and boysenberries.

Sporty family days out

Bedgebury Pinetum has something to pique the interests of everyone in the family, with fun family days out for all ages. Younger members can jump, swing, climb and play to their heart’s content at the Play Trail, while older kids can try the treetop challenge at Go Ape. Against a backdrop of magnificent conifers, you can cycle the nine kilometres of family trails or try the four-kilometre route for younger riders. 

For an afternoon spent messing about on the river, you can head to Bodiam for kayaking and canoeing. Bodiam Boating Station hires out single or tandem kayaks, Canadian canoes, rowing boats and SUP paddle boards. You can paddle upstream for a visit to the beautiful National Trust Bodiam Castle. Post-paddle you can head to the Hub at Quarry Farm for lunch. 

Grove Farm Riding School near Rye, has a range of activities for family days out for horse-mad families, from private lessons and hacks (with a picnic) to Pony Days and Stable Mates, where children can brush, feed, tack up and muck out the horses before their lesson. For more experienced riders Saddles Riding Centre in Bexley in Kent runs beach rides on Camber Sands, through the year, so you can gallop along the golden sands. You can book online and meet them in Camber. For more beach action in Camber and older families, The Kitesurf Centre has plenty of activities to choose from, ranging from kite surfing lessons to kite buggies, kite landboard and power kiting. 

For more thrill seeking on family days out, there’s Go Karting at the Lydd Kart Circuit in Romney Marsh. Every other Friday from April you can book a space on the Bambino Kart Academy for young children to get a taste of karting with on-track training and classroom activities. For two wheels rather than four, Harbour Cycles hires out high-quality bikes for family rides on some of the well-marked routes in the area. For very rainy days, you can always book a family swim at the Rye Sports Centre.

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