Free Days Out With The Kids In Kent & Sussex
If you are looking for ways to keep the kids entertained this Summer, do not fear, there are plenty of days out that all the family will enjoy right on our doorstep.
Here we take a look at just some of the great places waiting to welcome you in Kent and Sussex – and even better they are free.
Top Image Photo by Jochen van Wylick on Unsplash
Head to the coast
It may be a bit chilly out there, but on a sunny day a brisk walk by the beach makes for a great family day out. Take a bucket and spade, a kite or a foam glider and make your own fun. It also offers an ideal opportunity to take your four-legged family members with you. Making a visit to the stunning White Cliffs of Dover in Kent or a trip to traditional Hastings in Sussex offer ample chance to make it an opportunity for some education too. The White Cliffs of Dover Visitor Centre is free to enter and has information for mapping out trails, gives access to a nearby viewpoint and has insights in the area’s wildlife and military history.
While Hastings Fishermen's Museum is free to enter and there are lots of artefacts to look at as well as the chance to climb aboard the deck of the last Hastings sailing lugger ‘Enterprise’ built in 1912. Nearby is Hastings RNLI Lifeboat Station which you can visit to find out about more modern aspects of life at sea.
Dunorlan Park, Image Index Digital
Spend time in the park
Both Kent and Sussex have a variety of free parks to get the kids outdoors and running off some energy. Mote Park in Maidstone, Kent covers 450 acres with a 30-acre lake and has three children’s play areas as well as a natural woodland play area for kids aged 8 to 15, plus a skate park.
With a Victorian garden and Grecian temple, meadows, water garden and wildlife to explore – not to mention a small adventure play park including the Dunorlan Dragon – Dunorlan Park in Tunbridge Wells is a beautiful setting to enjoy the fresh air and views across the water, with a variety of birds to see that make the lake their home.
On the outskirts of Tonbridge in Kent is Haysden Country Park, a Local Nature Reserve with a range of natural habitats such as river, grassland, freshwater lakes, marshland and woodland. If you are looking for a leisurely walk, the Eden Valley Walk and Wealdway go through the park, or you could check out the waymarked sculpture trail. There is also a children’s play area with slides, aerial runway, climbing structures and swings suitable for children up to 12 years.
Across the border in Sussex you will find Tilgate Park in Crawley with its grassy lawns, tranquil lakes, extensive woodlands and vibrant gardens. The Green Flag award-winning park also has a walled garden to discover making it a great location for exploration and enjoying a pleasant walk.
Tilgate Park. Image Index Digital
Check out a museum
For a day indoors, our counties’ free museums provide both a way to entertain and educate young minds, offering lots of fun. The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge in Canterbury is a free to enter museum, art gallery, library and visitor information centre which you can explore by yourself, or join a tour for a small donation. Immerse yourself in history, heritage, art and culture with its variety of rooms each offering a different experience – from The Garden Room which is dedicated to the work of prominent Canterbury-born artist Thomas Sidney Cooper to The Front Room, a contemporary gallery space. There is also The Smallfilms Gallery – a temporary gallery space celebrating work by the award-winning Smallfilms duo, Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate, where the adults will enjoy seeing old favourites such as Bagpuss, Clangers, Noggin the Nog and Ivor the Engine.
Home to a vast collection of fine art and historical artefacts, Maidstone Museum has more than 600,000 items of international importance, meaning there is plenty to explore on a trip to this Kent venue. As they say: “With collections dedicated to archaeology, costumes, ancient Egypt, ethnography, biology, fine art, geology, local history, and Japanese decorative arts and prints, a visit to Maidstone Museum in Kent represents a rewarding and fascinating day out for all ages.”
“Celebrating Margate’s unique community, culture, and history,” Turner Contemporary overlooks the town’s main sands meaning you can make the day out both an informative experience with its free exhibitions by international artists and enjoy a trip to the beach if the weather allows too. With an ever-changing programme of exhibitions there is always something new to discover, from world class art to creative work from locals.
Over in Sussex, take a trip to Battle Museum of Local History which features exhibits ranging from the age of the dinosaurs to the mid-20th century. It brings together collections of historical knowledge of the town and district, the location of “arguably the most decisive battle ever fought on English soil” – the Battle of Hastings.
On the historic RAF airfield at Manston in East Kent, you will find the Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum which also offers free admission – and once inside you will discover a unique collection of exhibits, including a Spitfire MkXVI which saw combat action during 1945 and a Hawker Hurricane, a classic fighter.
Also in East Kent, the ruined 12th century church and remains of a Roman 'Saxon Shore' fort, Reculver Towers and Roman Fort in Herne Bay is also free to enter. Spend some time exploring the historic ruins, wrap up warm and take a walk on the shingle beach while doing a spot of fossil hunting or head on a coastal walk.
Make a trip to the capital
If you fancy heading a little further afield, then London has a variety of free museums that would make a fantastic family day out. There is the British Museum offering two million years of human history and culture to discover, the Natural History Museum where you can learn about everything from dinosaurs and the ocean to space and human evolution, and the Science Museum where you can discover all things space, try out film production roles on a Marvel filmset and more. For art lovers, head to the Tate Modern for international modern and contemporary art, and the National Gallery with its collection of paintings from the mid 13th Century to 1900. Other free attractions in London include the Victoria and Albert Museum, Imperial War Museum and the Horniman Museum & Gardens.
To help make it cheaper to get into the city, Southeastern offer Kids for a Quid where you pay just £1 each for up to four children when you travel with them Off-Peak on Southeastern services.
If you think you may make these trips a more regular occurrence then you might want to consider getting a Family and Friends Railcard where you can enjoy 1/3 off rail fares for up to four adults and 60% off for up to four children aged between 5 and 15.
Please check the venue's opening times and admission policies before travelling to the attractions. Some exhibitions and activities may require a cost.
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