It's been a tough April weather-wise, but it looks like it is starting to brighten back up again. After all the rain showers, freezing cold mornings and strong winds, I feel like we deserve a few warm days of sunshine. May is an exciting month with two bank holidays and a week of half-term to look forward to at the very end. So lots of places in Kent have pulled out all the stops to keep little ones and their families busy.
Please click on the buttons labelled "find out more" for more information on each event, including exact times, FAQs and more detailed info.
Day Out with Thomas
When: 4th, 5th and 6th of May
Location: Spa Valley Railway, Tunbridge Wells
Cost: £19.50 for adults, £16.50 for children between 2 and 17. Under 2s go free.
Do you have a big fan of trains at home? What about a fan of Thomas the Tank Engine? At Spa Valley Railway this early May bank holiday weekend, train fans will have a chance to meet their favourite train in person. Board an actual steam engine, enjoy live entertainment, meet Sir Topham Hatt, try some Thomas-themed yard games, a scavenger hunt, a balloon modeller, giveaways and more! It's more than just a ride on a train - this is an all-day event with activities included in the ticket price.
May Day Weekend at Hever Castle
When: 4th, 5th and 6th of May
Location: Hever Castle, Hever
Cost: Included with admission. Normal prices for gardens only are £18.35 for adults, £11.50 for children over the age of 5. Under 5s go FREE.
Hever Castle is always a fantastic choice during warm weather days and this weekend is no different! To ring in the month, families can partake in May day activities like dancing around the Maypole, take part in a traditional May Day play, enjoy a rendition of King Arthur. Children and adults alike will delight in meeting familiar characters like Robin Hood, Maid Marion and even the Sheriff of Nottingham. Hever Castle also features one of my personal favourite children's playgrounds in Kent, as well as a popular water maze, hedge maze, and more.
May Day Celebrations at Kent Life
When: 4th, 5th and 6th of May
Location: Kent Life, Maidstone
Cost: £11.36 for over 2s. Babies under 2 go free.
Joining in with the May Day celebrations is the popular family farm in Maidstone. Along with all the usual favourite farmyard activities, like holding guinea pigs, seeing the new lambs and going on a tractor ride, children can dance around the may pole, enjoy Big Top shows and village games. There's also opportunities to groom a pony, watch an owl flying demo, get creative and more.
Weald of Kent Country Craft Show
When: 4th, 5th and 6th of May
Location: Penshurst Place, Tonbridge
Cost: £8 for adults, children go free Enjoy artisan shopping in a breathtaking location at Penshurst Place. Featuring over 185 different stalls, plenty of activities, craft demos and workshops, street food and more, expect a busy day out at this country craft show. You can expect to find funfair rides, axe throwing, a falconry display, blacksmith demos, a chocolate workshop, willow weaving, heritage crafts, live music, and of course plenty of opportunity to shop for local, artisan and handmade products. Children will also delight in Penshurst Place's wonderful adventure playground.
Rochester Sweeps Festival
When: 4th, 5th and 6th of May
Location: Rochester, Medway
Cost: Free
This annual event in the historic town of Rochester is a popular draw from all around. It's a celebration of folk music, dating back 300 years. Expect to see spirited dance troupes, one of the largest gatherings of Morris sides in the world, ceilidh bands, children's activities, funfair rides, street food, etc. There are even workshops and performances to try out, such as a children's performance workshop, a drawing workshop, making paper flowers, ceramic tile art, foil embossing, and more. It's a packed weekend of music, colour, and dance.
May Day Festival
When: 6th of May
Location: Southborough Cricket Green, Southborough
Cost: Free
To celebrate May Day, the Southborough Street Community is putting on their annual festival. Located on the gorgeous cricket green, you will find all the traditional may day festivities like maypole dancing and live music and also entertainment like face painting, local crafts, a bouncy castle, family activities for children, lots of food and drink choices and even a fancy dress competition! Best of all - this event is entirely free to enter!
Dear Zoo Live
When: 7th - 8th of May
Location: Hazlitt Theatre, Maidstone
Cost: £17 for adults, £15 for under 16s.
Almost everyone will have a copy of it in their bookshelf. Dear Zoo is a recognisable and instant children's classic. With the help of puppeteering magic and music the book has leapt from the pages right onto the stage in this interpretation. Perfect for young children, this is a great way to introduce them to stage productions and delight young and old.
TMC: Totally Toddler!
When: 10th of May
Location: Tonbridge Baptist Church
Cost: Adult and up to 3 children £8
Baby's first concert! This event by the Tonbridge Music Club is a relaxed concert especially for young children. This is a great option if you are hoping to introduce your toddler, baby or young child to the world of music and concerts. At this concert children aren't expected to sit still. They can move around freely, dance and sing along with the music. Expect to journey to different parts of the world via music and meet instruments from around different corners of our planet, including Brazil, Turkey, Germany and more.
Tunbridge Wells Literary Festival
When: 9th of May - 12th of May
Location: At various locations around Tunbridge Wells
Cost:
This huge annual event is back across various venues around Tunbridge Wells. Author events will take place at the Amelia Scott, Trinity Theatre, Assembly Hall Theatre, Paddock Wood Community Centre, The Forum and even on the Calverley Grounds. There will be workshops and talks that are perfect for young readers and adults alike, including a very exciting book signing and workshop by Liz Pichon of Tom Gates fame. Other big names include Rob Biddulph, Laura Noakes, and more. At the Calverley Grounds families can also enjoy face painting, free storytelling events, performances, crafts, tote bag printing, puppet shows and more!
Retro Children's Party
When: 11th of May
Location: Reuthe's The Lost Gardens of Sevenoaks
Cost: Children's early bird tickets cost just £1, adults cost £3, plus £3 for parking. Please check event page for more details.
Boogie along to top hits from the 80s, 90s and 00s, all while enjoying top children's entertainment - including the chance to meet some friendly alpacas! The ticket price includes entry to the expansive gardens, 3 hours of live entertainment, party games, prizes, and more. All while enjoying some of the best music from mum and dad's childhood. Expect retro vibes and plenty of entertainment.
Vauxhall Inn Dog Show
When: 18th of May
Location: The Vauxhall Inn, Tonbridge
Cost: Free to attend, £5 for entering a dog into a round of your choice & automatic entry into the Best Boy or Best Girl rounds.
Do you have a four-legged friend? Or perhaps you just have a dog-obsessed child? If you like dogs, this is the place to be. At this event you can enter your dog to compete for a prize and perhaps one of these exciting titles: Waggiest Tail, Best Rescue Story, Best Trick, Old Timer (over 8 years of age), Best Cross, or even Best Boy. It'll be a fun little event that is bound to bring a smile to your face.
Tonbridge Food and Drink Festival
When: 25th and 26th of May
Location: Tonbridge Castle
Cost: Free to attend
The annual food and drink festival is back! Located in our castle's beautiful grounds, expect to find plenty of choices from the very best food and drink vendors Kent has to offer. There will also be family-friendly activities to try. This event typically gets very busy, as it's super popular! Grab a bite to eat and watch the river, take a stroll around the castle or even take the kids back to the Racecourse playground nearby.
The Queen's Joust
When: 25th - 27th of May
Location: Leeds Castle
Cost: Included in admission cost - pay once, visit all year round: £31.50 for adults, £22.50 for children over 3, under 3s go free!
Come one, come all to Leeds Castle this late May bank holiday for a royal occasion! Enjoy a trip into jousting history and marvel at displays of combat, horseback riding, medieval living and feasting, medieval dance and music, blacksmithing, coin-minting, tailor workshops, and even more. If your kids still need to get that half term-energy out, I heartily recommend the two huge adventure playgrounds, the sandy beach and the incredible maze. There's plenty to do at Leeds Castle and with tickets allowing entry throughout the year, keep an eye on more exciting events to come!
Extinct Express
When: 25th - 27th of May
Location: Kent & East Sussex Railway, Tenterden
Cost: adult tickets are £24.95 and children from 6 months to 11 years are £14.95. Infants under 6 months go free.
Take your little dino-fan on a jurassic journey into the past! The fantastic Kent & East Sussex steam railway is allowing young visitors and their adults a chance to travel through history and meet some of their favourite reptiles up close! Collect a free dinosaur storybook, biscuit, activity sheet and crayon and complete tasks during the journey. Prepare to be astonished by your fellow passengers and spot everything from the famous T. Rex to velociraptors.
Half-term Trail
When: 25th of May - 2nd of June
Location: Scotney Castle, Tunbridge Wells
Cost: Cost: £3 in addition to normal NT admission
Scotney Castle is a gorgeous medieval castle on the outskirts of Tunbridge Wells. In addition to all the usual features of a National Trust property (grand rooms, manicured vast gardens, etc.) children can find a natural play area complete with a mud kitchen, ball run, toddler houses, drum kit and more. To keep little ones entertained this half-term, the team have also put together a very special trail. Children can spin dials around the estate and put together their very own story. They can even win a reward at the end for successfully completing their masterpiece!
Half-term fun at Drusillas Zoo
When: 25th of May - 2nd of June
Location: Drusillas Zoo and Park near Polegate, East Sussex
Cost: Day tickets cost £30 for adults and children over the age of 2, under 2s go free
Be a half-term hero with a visit to Drusillas zoo. There are three distinctive areas for children and adults to explore: You've got a zoo with animal experiences, walk-through enclosures and animal feeding sessions. You've got an endless amount of places to play with two huge adventure playgrounds, a splash park for when the weather gets warm, and a fantastic jungle-themed soft play area. As if that wasn't enough, children can also delight in the many free rides to try out. There is a children's carousel, a train ride, flying cheetahs, jeeps, and more. This is the ideal day out on a sunny day.
Clip N Climb
When: Throughout all of May
Location: Clip N Climb, Tonbridge
Cost: From £12
How about getting some of that half-term energy out via a climbing wall? Always a favourite activity for children, this one even has a session just for pre-schoolers. With extended opening hours and multiple sessions for Little Rockers (children from 2-4), this is certainly an attractive mid-week (and now even a weekend!) option during the half-term. You can also bring children older than 4, who are free to climb with assistance from staff members, making this an attractive option for larger families.
Dino Golf
When: Throughout May
Location: Mr. Mulligan's Dino Golf, Tonbridge
Cost: Adults pay £9.75, under 16s pay £7.24. A family of 4 can also go for £27.50
In case we're lucky enough to get a few bright, fair weather days, then a trip to the local adventure golf course would be a great way to get the whole family moving. Perfect for larger groups and families of differing ages. I've even taken my 14-month old before, although he declined to play any golf. It's often very busy, so it would be best to book sessions in advance.
Acer Forest School Drop-in Sessions
When: 25th of May - 2nd of June
Location: Acer Forest School, Sevenoaks
Cost: Adults pay £2.50, children pay £10
Acer Forest School offer family stay and play sessions throughout the half-term as well. These two hour sessions, starting at 09:30 am, allow little forest explorers to be hands-on with messy play, try out different themed activities (these change weekly) and have a go at engaging with the natural world in this woodland camp. An ideal choice for more outdoor play and less time spent indoors.
Explore Kent via Playground
When: Throughout May
Location: Various
Cost: FREE
Check out my handy guide to the very best places to play and explore in this wonderful county! I've included free highlights close by like Dunorlan Park and Calverley Grounds, as well as places a little further afield like Lower Leas Coastal Park in Folkestone and Toddlers Cove in Canterbury. With summer approaching, there's nothing better for kids than an afternoon spent burning off energy on an adventure playground. Combine it with exploring someplace you don't go that often and you've got a lovely day out for the whole family.
Bricks 4 Kidz Camp
When: 28th - 31st of May
Location: Kings Hill, Tunbridge Wells, Bearsted and Sevenoaks
Cost: £40
Need something to keep little ones occupied throughout the half-term this month? Bicks 4 Kidz is a creative camp perfect to keep children between the ages of 5 and 12 entertained during your working hours. This term the virtual and brick worlds collide by bringing popular video game characters to life via Lego. Think Pokemon, Pac Man, Super Mario and Sonic. Tear your kids away from screens and let them create their own brick figures in a supervised environment.
Visit a Play Cafe
When: Throughout May
Location: Happy Bunny Kidz Cafe at the Hop Farm OR Penelope's Pitstop at Cannon Lane
As we all know too well, the weather can't always be counted upon. In order to make the most of rainy days, why not head to the amazing play cafe we have nearby. Happy Bunny Kidz Cafe at the Hop Farm near Paddock Wood is an incredible find, particularly as it is free to attend. This is a larger play cafe, filled to the brim with colourful ride-on vehicles, role play toys, dress-up clothing, and more.
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