School is out and the summer holidays are upon us and many parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts will be on the lookout for ways to entertain younger family members that does not involve a screen.

Here are a few ideas, including some less well-known things to do within an easy day’s journey of Reading and we’ve compiled a map to help you plan your days out.

Most people with kids will be familiar with the larger scale local attractions - Beale Park, Wellington Park and slightly further afield, Paulton Park, but there are some great alternative attractions and events within an easy day's drive.

The Hawk Conservancy Trust is a fantastic day out an hour or so drive from central Reading near Andover, where you can get up close and personal with a wide variety of birds of prey. There are impressive displays which are not to be missed and the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. There is a café on site but the nearby by Hawk Inn also does an excellent lunch.
https://www.hawk-conservancy.org

Another place to get up close to birds is at Birdworld, where, amongst other things, you can ride a safari train and watch the penguins being fed.
https://www.birdworld.co.uk/

Unfortunately London’s zoo’s local outpost is shut for August due to staffing issues.
https://zoo.bca.ac.uk/

The Living Rainforest in Hampstead Norrays is another great place to get up close to animals, including a hard to find sloth and poison toads! On a cold day the temperature inside is always rainforest hot and humid.
https://livingrainforest.org/

For a close up experience with more domestic animals then try out Bucklebury Farm, where you can see what reindeer get up to when not pulling Santa’s sleigh. There are also play areas and a nice café.
https://buckleburyfarm.co.uk/

Or for more reindeer plus ducks and chicken and delicious eggs you can visit Riverways Farm – although this is more of a pit stop than an attraction.
https://www.riverwaysfarm.co.uk/

If you fancy a pizza with alpacas and kids activities then Lockey Farm in Arborfield is worth a visit.
https://www.lockeyfarm.co.uk/

For larger animals it's got to be Beale Park, or, a longer trip to Marwell Zoo:
https://bealepark.org.uk/ 
https://www.marwell.org.uk/


Small World

A special day out is the fantastic model village at Bekonscot in Beaconsfield, around forty minutes from central Reading.
https://www.bekonscot.co.uk/


Splashing About

If the weather is fine then it's a great opportunity to make the most of all the waterways and parks we have around us. Caversham Lakes might have closed down but there are alternatives - there's Lagoona Park in South Reading https://www.lagoonapark.com/.

Oxford Wet & Wild is a bit further afield in Wallingford and has a very nice cafe and bar https://www.oxfordwetnwild.com/bookings/.

If the weather isn't so great then you can enjoy splashing around indoors at the Coral Reef Waterworks outside Brachnell https://www.everyoneactive.com/centre/coral-reef-waterworld/

You could even be s but more adventurous and hire a boat and head off along the Thames (see our directory).

Caversham Boat Services, based in Fry Island not far from Reading station have a wide variety of boats you can hire by the day. No experience is needed, but the crew will literally show you the ropes.

Thames Rivercruises are offering free boat trips during the Reading Children's Festival from May 27th - 31st from 11am - 5pm.

If you fancy being more active there are canoes and paddleboards available to rent from the Wokingham Watersports Centre or from Thames Canoe Hire https://www.thamescanoehire.com/

For the ultimate active water destination head to Taplow where, at  Wake Plus you can do everything from kayaking and wild water swimming to Axe throwing and water skiing.
https://www.wakeplus.co.uk/

Looking At The Past

If you feel like sticking to town there is a treasure trail available from https://www.treasuretrails.co.uk/products/things-to-do-reading-berks

And of course, we have the excellent Reading Museum in the Town Hall where you can learn about everything from how the Romans conquered the area through biscuit making to seeing a full size replica of the Bayeux Tapestry, fitting in a trip to the abbey ruins before or after.
https://www.readingmuseum.org.uk/

The Museum Of English Rural Life is full of fascinating objects, charting how life in the countryside has changed down the centuries.
https://merl.reading.ac.uk/

And the small but perfectly formed Museum Of Berkshire Aviation has some fascinating displays charting the role Reading played in the development of aviation.
https://museumofberkshireaviation.co.uk/

Looking further back in time there isn’t a lot left of the local Roman town of Silchester (or Calleva Atrebatum), but if your young ones have been studying the Romans it may be worth a visit, along with a visit to Reading Museum, where many of the finds and artefacts from the site are on display.
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/silchester-roman-city-walls-and-amphitheatre/

A bit further afield and further back in time, There are the stone circles at Avebury and, of course, Stonehenge, which remain awe inspiring however often you visit and for those really interested in the past there’s The Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology at the University
Collections – UreMuseum – Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology (reading.ac.uk)

A more recent collection of motorised vehicles, including a concorde can be found at Brooklands Museum of Aviation & Motoring, some forty minutes away.
Brooklands Museum: Aviation & Motoring Museum in Surrey

 

Active Activities

For those kids that need to burn up some energy, here are some active ideas.

Red Kangaroo Trampoline Park - Let the kids bounce off some energy at this indoor trampoline park – perfect for a wet day. The Mad House Play and Party World is an indoor play area that's perfect for younger children to explore and have fun.

Older kids can use up their energies learning to climb at Clip N Climb in Arborfield. https://reading.clipnclimb.co.uk/ For a less active, but more creative experience, Mad Hatters Pottery Painting Café allows kids to get creative with pottery painting.

For older kids (they say aged 8+) Escape Hunt Reading allows the whole family to engage in some thrilling escape room adventures. There are other escape rooms in Reading (see our Directory for details). Hollywood Bowl hasn’t yet landed in The Oracle, but there is a bowling lane and indoor crazy golf at Spinners, next door to The Biscuit Factory where you can catch a movie and enjoy some of Sarv’s fine pizzas.

Reading Escape Room Games & Experiences | Escape Hunt

Spinners UK | Play. Drink. Eat

These are just a few options to make the summer holiday memorable and fun for the kids. Be sure to check the specific dates and availability as they may vary during the holiday period. Have a fantastic summer !