Here we have gathered together a selction of fun and cheap things to do for the whole family around Britain.

THE SOUTH

Canoe Tamar
Near Plymouth

Rent a Canadian canoe and paddle down the river between Morwelham and Cotehele quays in southwest England, punctuated with old quays, sloping woodland, herons, kingfishers and otters.

£22 per person, under-5s free, www.canoetamar.co.uk

Ibstone Windmill
Turville, Buckinghamshire

Climb up the hill behind Turville to reach the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang windmill, then go for lunch at the superb Bull and Butcher pub. Windmill free, www.windmillworld.com; www.thebullandbutcher.com

Roves Farm
Swindon

Take the children along to play with the animals at the farm. Follow the trail of Mole, Toad and Ratty along the Wind in the Willows trail in August. Adult £6.50, child 3-16yrs £5.50, www.rovesfarm.co.uk

Natural History Museum
London

See a mini-volcano erupt and wander through the buttefly jungle among other events at the museum this summer. Free entry, www.nhm.ac.uk

The Hop Farm Family Park
Kent

Visit the only magic factory in Britain, where all the tricks of the trade are revealed. Adult £13, child £13, www.thehopfarm.co.uk

Wetlands
Slimbridge, Gloucestershire (and other locations around the UK)

Wetlands provide habitats for a huge variety of wildlife. Go pond-dipping, search for bats on a batty walk, or play in an interactive wet-adventure play area. Adult £7.45, child £4.10, www.wwt.org.uk

Ocean Drifters
National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth

The UK’s largest collection of jellyfish has opened at the National Marine Aquarium, where you will find everything from sharks to seahorses and turtles. Adult £11, child £6.50, www.national-aquarium.co.uk

Zorbing
Brighton

Try zorbing, which involves being strapped into a giant ball (orb) and spinning downhill at up to 30mph. Orbs take two people. £25 per person per roll, www.orb360.co.uk

Dickens World
Kent

Take the children to Dickens World for a Great Expectations boat ride, a telling-off at a Victorian school and come face to face with some of Dickens’s best-known literary characters. Adult £11.20, child £6.30, www.dickensworld.co.uk

Butterfly World
Hertfordshire

The brightly coloured carpet of the largest wildflower meadows in the UK is a sight to behold, brimming with native butterflies, bees and moths. Pick flowers while children design their own garden. Adult £12.50, child £5, www.butterflyworldproject.com

Teddy Bear Trail
Petworth House, West Sussex

The magnificent Petworth House has an array of activities in August. Bring a picnic and follow the teddy bear trail to find the Petworth bears. August 10 and 11, £4 adult, £2.10 child, www.nationaltrust.org.uk

MIDLANDS AND EAST ANGLIA

The Muckleburgh Collection
Norfolk

Action boys and girls will love this — a military museum with working tanks, Gama Goat personnel carriers to take you on a ride along the coast, and an astonishing collection of kit, from Soviet tanks to field guns. Adult £6, child £4, www.muckleburgh.co.uk

Whale spotting
Northumberland

Dubbed the most tranquil county in England, Northumberland is the perfect place for a country escape. Its coastline is teeming with wildlife, so go and spot whales, dolphins, otters and red kites. Various dates over summer, £30-£45, www. northernexperiencewildlifetours.co.uk

Quad trekking
Shropshire

Test your courage at this adventure activity centre, with everything from quad trekking to zooming down a mountain on a skateboard. From £15 per activity, pre-booking required, www.theedgeadventure.co.uk

Kite surfing
Hunstanton, Norfolk

Pump up the adrenaline and learn to kite surf on this wide, open beach with flat, shallow water and cross onshore winds — perfect for beginners. Lessons from £90, www.kitesurfhunstanton.com

Dinosaur Adventure Park
Norfolk

Creep through woodland to come face to face with life-sized dinosaurs while helping the ranger to find Tyrannosaurus rex, using lookout towers and radios. Unearth fossils, race in raptor karts and swing around in the adventure play area. Adult and children from £8.95 (£9.95 peak summer), www.dinosauradventure.co.uk

BeWILDerwood
Norfolk

Describing itself as a “Curious Treehouse Adventure Park”, visitors venture through the Sccaaaaary Lake, Toddlewood Valley, the Treacherous Trail and the Black Marshes, led by characters from the BeWILDerwood tribe. Adult £10, child £6, OAP £8.50, www.bewilderwood.co.uk

NORTH

White Scar Cave
Ingleton, North Yorkshire

The longest show cave in Britain. Weave your way through this underground maze, adorned with stalactites and stalagmites, amazing cave formations, cascading streams and waterfalls and prehistoric mud pools. Adult £7.95, child £4.95, www.whitescarcave.co.uk

Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics
Manchester

On a rainy day, go to this 3-D theatre to journey on board a spacecraft, flying over Martian volcanoes and canyons. Come back down to Earth in the Environmental Discovery Centre, where you can wander through 35 acres containing over 2,000 species of trees and a variety of wildlife.Adult £2, child £1, theatre £1 pp per show, www.jodrellbank.manchester.ac.uk

Via Ferrata, Honister Slate Mine
Cumbria

Fancy climbing but don’t have the experience? Via Ferrata allows people to hang off vertical walls more than 2,000ft high, while attached to a fixed cable, along the rock face of an old Victorian mining route with Lake District views. Adult £25, child £20, www.honister-slate-mine.co.uk

Peasholm Park
Scarborough

During the summer, war breaks out on the lake in Peasholm Park, where 20ft replica battleships recreate the tension of battles at sea. When the war is over, bring yourself back into the 21st century with a walk along the beautiful Tree Trail. Until September 1, adult £3.30, child £1.80, www.peasholmpark.com

Bessy Beck’s Trout Farm
Cumbria/Yorkshire border

There are three small lakes producing some of the best rainbow trout in Cumbria here at Bessy Beck’s. Hire your rod and tackle for next to nothing and have afternoon tea at the onsite tea room. Price on application, www.bessybecktrout.co.uk

Blue Reef Aquarium
Tynemouth

This is no ordinary aquarium. An underwater walk-through tunnel gives you amazing proximity to tropical sharks, lobsters, seahorses and an exotic coral reef, home to hundreds of brightly coloured fish. Adult £7.75, child £5.75, www.bluereefaquarium.co.uk