Autumn seems to be approaching fast, and the days are getting shorter. But I still have kids to entertain during the weekends and October half term. We have a few ‘go to’ destinations and a few that are on our ‘we really should visit’ list. I’ve collected a few ideas here in case anyone else is stuck for things to do with kids this autumn in the south of England!
Visit Marwell Zoo
A day spent watching Animals is always fun, no matter the weather. We’ve had great days out at Marwell Zoo during the colder months as well as warmer ones. Of course you can always warm up in the Tropical House which is definitely a highlight of any visit, you may even see a Sloth! There are adventure play areas, a land train, a cafe and of course literally hundreds of amazing animals to see and learn about. Check out opening times and book your zoo tickets.
Explore Henry VIIIs prized ship
Portsmouth is well known for its impressive maritime heritage, and what better way to dive into the city’s history than visiting the Historic Dockyard. Home to the nation’s big three – Nelson’s formidable warship, HMS Victory, the ironclad HMS Warrior and Henry VIIIs favourite ship, the Mary Rose – this is a family adventure like no other.
The Mary Rose museum is not only home to the vessel’s impressively restored hull and thousands of artefacts that were discovered at the bottom of the Solent in the late 1970s, but there you’ll find the immersive When the World Ended immersive experience. Voiced by Dame Judi Dench, you’ll get an eye-opening story of the ship’s final moments before she sank in the Battle of the Solent in 1545. Make sure you take advantage of the three different ticket options – single attraction, 3 attraction day tickets or unlimited yearly pass – to make the most out of your trip.
National Trust properties in the South East
With our National Trust membership we’ve explored most of the houses and gardens and their associated grounds near to us, definitely all the ones in Sussex and Hampshire! During the autumn months our favourites are Sheffield Park which is just beautiful when all the leaves are turning, and Nymans which not only has a beautiful semi-ruined house but acres of gorgeous gardens to explore along with a huge woodland area with lots of walking trails. To the west there are Petworth with a stunning deer park and Uppark which has a really lovely house to explore – we all love the giant Victorian dolls house! Find some ideas here on the National Trust website.