16 Things To Do In Kent With The Kids
You’ve booked a Kent campsite for the family holidays and you’ve packed your bags. The only thing that remains is to come up with activities that will tire out the kids so you can have a quiet drink at the end of the day while they sleep soundly.
There’s a wide range of things to do with the children in Kent, and we’ve narrowed a seemingly endless list down to 16. The activities below are sure to keep the kids entertained, and many might also pique the parents’ interest. After all, a holiday is about spending time together as a family, so why should the youngsters be the only ones having fun?
Here are Pitchup’s top 16 things to do in Kent with the kids.
Around Sevenoaks
Willows Birds of Prey & Wildlife Trail
Falconry experiences and a family of wallabies
If you’ve been sitting in front of Springwatch with the kids, they might have developed an interest in birds of prey. What better place to start your family holiday in Kent, then, than this specialist centre with falconry displays?
Kids can learn the basics of this age-old pastime here, as they send a hawk soaring into the sky and then thrill as it swoops down to a tasty morsel in their gloved hand. If you’ve got younger children that would prefer to stay away from sharp beaks and talons, they can hang out with farmyard animals, alpacas and wallabies instead.
Knole Park
Free entry to parkland with resident deer
Stay in the countryside around Sevenoaks for more wildlife encounters – this time, with the hundreds of wild deer at Knole Park.
The free-roaming animals are accustomed to people and may well approach as you sit under a tree, relaxing or planning which adventure playground to drive to next. However, interacting with and feeding them is strongly discouraged, even if the kids protest that ‘the deer started it’.
Although entrance to the park is free, the car park is only for National Trust members and visitors to Knole House, so plan accordingly.
Reuthe’s – The Lost Gardens of Sevenoaks
Alpaca guides and scavenger hunts
They might not hold aloft a red umbrella, but the alpacas here are as experienced as any tour guide – plus they’re furrier and cuter. Follow them as they lead you through the grounds past rhododendron bushes, on gentle, hour-long treks.
Kids can also take part in a scavenger hunt or look for fairies hiding in the woodland. (They’ll find them, too: a local artist’s delicate wire creations can be spotted clinging to the trees.)
Secure a campsite in the Sevenoaks area.
Port Lympne Reserve, Hythe
Wildlife encounters and guided safaris
Got a budding David Attenborough type in your brood? At this wildlife park run by the Aspinall Foundation, they can have close encounters with more than 70 species, including gorillas, antelopes and big cats.
Little legs might struggle to cover the vast reserve, so book a safari tour and relax while a ranger drives an open-sided vehicle through herds of free-roaming giraffes.
The Aspinall Foundation also runs the smaller Howletts Wild Animal Park, near Canterbury, home to African elephants, monkeys and giant anteaters. If the kids aren’t wiped out yet, let them loose on the cargo nets and hanging tyres of the Treetop Challenge adventure course.
Check out campsites around the Port Lympne Reserve.
Dover Castle
Centuries of history on the White Cliffs and sea safaris
Dover Castle has plenty to keep the kids (and the grownups) entertained for the best part of a day – not surprising, given its centuries-long history, from forbidding medieval stronghold to top-secret HQ for the Dunkirk Evacuation of 1940.
After exploring the castle’s atmospheric settings and displays, take a breezy stroll across the iconic White Cliffs of Dover for far-reaching coastal views or to marvel at the comings and goings at the Port of Dover.
Alternatively, head down to Dover Harbour and join a sea safari to the notorious Goodwin Sands or to Pegwell Bay, a nature reserve that’s home to a colony of seals.
Look for campsites within easy reach of the White Cliffs of Dover.
Around Maidstone
Leeds Castle
Play areas, a maze and birds of prey
You might want to set aside a full day to explore Leeds Castle and its vast grounds, as there are so many family-friendly activities here.
While parents admire the floral displays and the moated castle, kids can squeeze through twisting ropes, balance on a rolling log and swing on the monkey bars at the obstacle course, or keep taking left turns (isn’t that how you find your way out?) in the maze.
A replica castle doubles as an adventure playground, and there are also daily falconry displays in summer.
Cobtree Manor Park
Adventure course and wildlife-rich trails
On the site of a former zoo, this park has several play areas, including an adventure course that’s likely to keep the kids running around for yet another turn on the slides and rope bridges.
The whole family can explore leafy paths scattered with balancing logs, and compete to see who can spot the most squirrels, woodpeckers and summer dragonflies.
There is a small charge for the car park, but otherwise Cobtree Manor is free to access and dog-friendly to boot (as long as your hound is well behaved).
Mote Park
Miniature golf and a two-level adventure course
Can you even call it a summer holiday without a family game of miniature golf? Have a go at Mote Park’s dinosaur-themed nine-hole course, inspired by Iggy the Iguanodon, a fearsome prehistoric creature whose skeleton was unearthed locally in the 1830s.
There are more kid-friendly activities here than you can shake a golf club at, including a challenging 32-foot climbing wall, a large two-level Sky Trail and a boating pond, not to mention several play areas.
Peruse our range of campsites in the Maidstone area.
Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway
Miniature steam train and Romney Marsh exploration
A draw for steam enthusiasts of all ages, this miniature train travels about 13 miles from Hythe to Dungeness, chugging merrily through the Romney Marsh.
Get on and off at any station to explore beaches, lighthouses, nature reserves and unusual sights like Romney Sands’ Sound Mirrors – not mirrors at all in fact, but large concrete structures built to detect enemy aircraft between the two world wars.
Can’t get enough of that steam action? The Kent & East Sussex Railway runs through the Rother Valley, linking Tenterden and Bodiam.
Click here for campsite accommodation around the Romney Marsh.
Betteshanger Park, Deal
Bike trails, outdoorsy birthday parties & ice cream
Popular with walkers and runners, Betteshanger Park, just outside the seaside town of Deal, has a wide range of activities for the whole family. Bring (or hire) a bike and ride on dedicated tracks over different terrain, or spend a couple of hours geocaching or orienteering.
In addition to classes in archery and fossil hunting, the park also organises birthday parties that focus on outdoor adventure. And if the kids fancy continuing the celebration, Solley’s Ice Cream Parlour is just a 10-minute drive away.
Look for campsites around Deal.
Thanet beaches
Sandy beaches with play areas and Dreamland
If all these activities have got you looking at the dent in your wallet and asking, ‘What can you do in Kent for free?’ head over to the Isle of Thanet.
The crescents of golden sand at Margate and Broadstairs have shallow waters for paddling and play areas with swings and inflatable structures. Margate also has the colourfully vintage Dreamland amusement park, with old-fashioned rides like dodgems and a waltzer.
When the kids’ energy levels start to dip, the hot doughnuts from Margate’s beachfront kiosk make for a revitalising sugar-laden snack. Or if you’re in Broadstairs, grab a delicious ice cream from Morelli’s.
Book your base in Thanet, or read about the 7 best beaches in Kent.
Around Royal Tunbridge Wells
Bewl Water
Floating obstacle course, paddleboarding and birthday parties
Slip into a wetsuit, fasten your buoyancy jacket and head to the humongous floating structure on the lake, an inflatable obstacle course where you can climb, slide, jump and bounce to your heart’s content. And, of course, end up in the water a few times.
If their fingers aren’t pruning yet, the kids can stay on the lake for ‘have a go’ paddleboarding and kayaking sessions. Otherwise, return to land, where there’s a (free) adventure playground inspired by a pirate ship, bikes to explore the lakeside trails and laser-tag challenges.
Hiring the laser battlefield area will ensure an epic family party if your kid’s birthday coincides with your holiday in Kent.
Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest
Adventure playgrounds and Gruffalo sculptures
This expanse of woodland is known for its family cycle trails and its Go Ape treetop adventures, a ropes course with three levels of difficulty – the last one culminating in a hair-raising 170-metre-long zipwire.
A leafy path leads to secluded play areas with equipment such as rope swings, jungle drums and a shipwreck-themed playground. Younger kids might also like strolling through the forest hunting down the seven large sculptures of the Gruffalo and his friends.
Browse our range of campsites near Royal Tunbridge Wells.
The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge, Canterbury
Free art and activities for all ages
The eclectic collection at The Beaney will appeal to the whole family. While parents get nostalgic over original props from TV shows Bagpuss and The Clangers, kids can dress up and recreate some of the artworks on display, or take part in organised activities and special events. Need to sweeten the deal further? The Beaney is free to enter.
If you’re in the mood for more free history, take a 35-minute drive to Ramsgate’s Spitfire & Hurricane Memorial Museum to get up close to those World War II planes and book a simulator flight. If you opt for the scenic route, you could even stop off for a paddle at Herne Bay on the way.
Check out campsites around Canterbury.
In the Medway area
Diggerland
Construction vehicles and go-karts
Have you always dreamed of getting behind the controls of a JCB or dumper truck? Load the kids in the car and head off to Diggerland, where you’ll be able to do just that. There’s no upper age limit here, though the focus is on playtime and adventure for those aged four to 14.
On-site activities range from learning how to handle an excavator to go-karting. And if the weather takes a turn, head indoors to a soft-play area, coin-operated rides and a restaurant.
The Historic Dockyard Chatham
Historic vessels, a working ropery and play areas
At this sprawling site, kids can pretend they’re sailing the seven seas aboard a Victorian sloop or a World War II destroyer, or visit the working Ropery, in a building that’s so long the staff get around by bike.
Young adventurers can also tackle a series of challenges as they set out to become Dockyard Explorers, progressing through the naval ranks each time they return. (Your ticket covers admission as many times as you like for a year.)
Add in the historic railway, play areas and ice cream, and you have an action-packed family day out – and then some.
Explore accommodation options in the Medway area.
We’ve barely scratched the surface of the kid-friendly activities in the Garden of England, but you get the picture. Not forgetting that your choice of accommodation could become an adventure in itself if you opt for one of our unusual places to stay in Kent. Families with hounds might also want to check our suggestions for the best dog walks in Kent.