Summer holiday suggestions please!!

sapphireeye

Outdoor cinema? A lot are adult films but there are some PGs available - these are only the ones I've heard about!!
http://www.thelunacinema.com/whats-on-buy-tickets/4563432152
http://www.popupscreens.co.uk/whats-on/

Adventure Golf? I've been to this dinasour one in New Malden before which was great: http://www.jurassicencounter.com/
And I've also been to Pirate Island golf in Woking, Surrey and would recommend that too - http://www.pirateislandgolf.co.uk/woking
It's a bit more fun than normal crazy golf (especially the dishevelled ones in local parks)!

Have you thought about going camping? It can be cheap and something different and would mean you could do days out away from the areas that you usually spend time.

A craft workshop? This place is in Surrey (as I live in the area) and does mother and daughter sewing workshops, there might be something nearer you that does similar? http://www.makemeworkshops.com/kids.html

I'm out of suggestions for now but will come back if I think of anymore!

Tiddlywinks

Round the M25 - Dover Castle:

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/dover-castle/events

They have some great theme events.

Near you: Windsor Castle, LegoLand, London for museums and the dungeons, ferry to the Isle of Wight, Gaydon motor museum....

Shelldean

Not cheap but instead of the ferry to the IOW what about the Hovercraft? that would be different?

whodathunkit

Shelldean wrote: »

Not cheap but instead of the ferry to the IOW what about the Hovercraft? that would be different?

The hovercraft to the IOW isn't particularly expensive but neither is it particularly interesting.

Shelldean

whodathunkit wrote: »

The hovercraft to the IOW isn't particularly expensive but neither is it particularly interesting.

We'll agree to disagree on the expense, I just felt that a hovercraft ride is not something done everyday. And the novelty may appeal to a 7yr old.
My kids go on ferry most yrs yet the twins (almost19) haven't been on one since they was about two, and my youngest almost 16 had never been on one. I know they'd enjoy it as something different rather than interesting, IYSWIM?

double_mummy

loads to do in MK this year

cinema in campbell park

the milton keynes play day is always great

the mascot olympics

Nadstar

Lots of fab ideas, thank you all!

I have never been on a hovercraft but we just got home from IoW so I am busy seeing where else they have them

Outdoor cinemas sound fun - I had seen some but the dates of the shows never fitted (Harry Potter in a forest was top of my list lol) Handy to see that MK has some, off to have a nose which

Elsewhere

I can suggest a few things near Bournemouth, since I come from the area .

Fossil hunting at Barton-on-Sea? Or at Charmouth (bit more of a drive). There's a Go Ape at Moors Valley country park. For real apes, Monkey World, just near there's the Tank Museum at Bovington (I'm not keen on tanks personally, but it's worth seeing once.)

Near Bournemouth airport there's http://www.adventurewonderland.co.uk/

Also the Russell-Cotes Museum in Bournemouth is fascinating.

Something different to do a bit further away in Weymouth is a trip on the Fleet behind Chesil Bank in a glass bottomed boat

http://www.thefleetobserver.co.uk/

Or the model town at Wimborne http://www.wimborne-modeltown.com/

hoglet121

We took DH's kids to Calais for the day as a complete surprise. It was a few years ago, and the day return ferry was 40 pounds for the car and passengers. It took a little bit of planning as we had to ask their mum to give us their passports and for her to not let on what we were up to. We told them to pack swimming stuff as we were 'going to a swimming pool a long way away' and it was so far away we would be leaving at 5am...

They fell asleep in the car and woke up as we were checking into the ferry terminal. One of them was completely convinced it was a wind up, and only believed us when we arrived in France.

We went to the beach, ate crepes and ice cream, looked at the shops, I guess we didn't actually DO very much but they loved the adventure of it and they still remember it very fondly. Granted you can do all that in the UK, but the looks on their faces were well worth the ferry ticket.

snowleopard61

Brownsea Island, by ferry from Poole, is a National Trust island (so you'd only have to pay for the transport and not the entrance) and it has red squirrels

Corfe Castle is a great place in itself, and even better if you go there by steam train from Swanage.

The New Forest Wildlife Centre (if that's what it's still called; they've changed name so many times I've lost track!) has lots of otters, as well as Scottish wildcats (which always intrigue me because they look just like big grumpy tabbies but you know they'd probably take your hand off). Also incredibly tiny harvest mice and lots of other wildlife.

Old Sarum, outside Salisbury, is another great ruined castle. It's English Heritage though, not NT.