Essex is a great county for families, with plenty of exciting attractions and activities to keep children of all ages entertained. From farms to castles, parks to play centres, there is something for everyone. Here are some of the top ideas for fun days out with the kids in Essex.
Explore the Outdoors
Get some fresh air and enjoy the great outdoors as a family. The Essex coastline has beautiful beaches like Brightlingsea and Frinton, with soft sands perfect for sandcastle building. Further inland, there are lots of nature reserves and country parks to explore like Weald Country Park and Thorndon Country Park. Pack a picnic and make a day of nature walks, pond dipping, den building and more. Lee Valley Park is also a top pick, with plenty to keep the kids busy including their Farmyard Play Village, tree top high ropes, cycling tracks and nature trails. Colchester Zoo and Adventure Island in Southend are always crowd pleasers too.
Rainy Day Fun
If the weather lets you down, don’t despair. There are plenty of indoor play areas where kids can run wild. Try Kidspace in Romford with role play activities, Jungle Adventure in Colchester with huge play frames and slides, or 360 Play in Basildon, a futuristic play zone with laser tag, dodgems and interactive games.
For a more cerebral time, visit the Museum of Power in Langford, the Essex Police Museum, or the Chelmsford Museum. If you are fostering children with orangegrovefostercare.co.uk, they are bound to enjoy a museum day out.
Back in Time
Help history come alive by visiting some of Essex’s best castles and historical sites. Colchester Castle is a must, with plenty of hands-on displays about Roman history and life as a gladiator. Tiptree Jam Factory also has great interactive exhibits showing how jam is made, with the chance to sample the goods.
Younger kids will love the fairy tale Towers and Tales play castle at Wat Tyler Country Park, while older children might prefer the battle reenactments at Colchester’s Hollytrees Museum. Audley End House and Gardens combines stately home with outdoor play park and lawns perfect for running around.
Fun on the Farm
Pick-your-own fruit farms like Lathcoats Farm and Wickham Fruit Farm are brilliant days out, where kids can enjoy ripe strawberries or juice apples while learning about food production. There are also great farm parks like Marsh Farm Animal Adventure Park near South Woodham Ferrers, with tractor rides, pony grooming and close encounters with sheep, goats, pigs and more.
Perfect Petting Zoos
For animal interactions, head to Marsh Farm or Barleylands Farm Park and Craft Village near Billericay. As well as pig racing and lamb feeding, Barleylands has a perfect petting zoo with guinea pigs, rabbits, chicks, reptiles and more. Meanwhile at Marsh Farm, guests can watch sheep dog agility shows and meet alpacas, wallabies and exotic birds up close.
With so many wonderful attractions across the county, fun family days out are never far away in Essex. Get out and explore, making memories to last a lifetime.