Wizards and wildlife on the coast, Northumberland
The imposing exterior of Alnwick Castle (01665 510777, alnwickcastle.com; adults £12.50, children £5.50) will be familiar to fans of Harry Potter, as it stood in for Hogwarts school in the films. A busy programme of family events includes wizarding weekends, open-air theatre and a knight's quest with dressing up and jousting. Just a few minutes' walk from the castle is the Alnwick Garden (01665 511350, alnwickgarden.com; combined ticket for Alnwick Castle and Garden: adults £19.80, children £16.80, family tickets £45.50). Kids will love the water sculptures, bamboo labyrinth and the wobbly rope bridges leading up to the Treehouse restaurant (01665 511852), which has a roaring log fire and trees growing through the floor.
If the weather's fine, pack buckets and spades for an afternoon on Bamburgh beach, a 30-minute drive away. From nearby Seahouses, you can take a boat trip to the Farne Islands, a haven for seals and puffins (01665 720308, farne-islands.com/boat-trips; adults from £11, children from £8).
A model day out, Buckinghamshire
The village of Great Missenden, a 40-minute train ride from London, was Roald Dahl's home for 36 years. The life and works of the children's author are brought to life in the small but charming Roald Dahl Museum and story centre (01494 892192, roalddahlmuseum.org; adults £6, children £4), which has chocolate-bar-shaped doors, craft activities and story-telling sessions. Complete your whimsical day out with a visit to Bekonscot Model Village and Railway, 10 miles away in Beaconsfield (01494 672919, bekonscot.co.uk; adults £8.50, children £5, family tickets £25). Opened in 1929, it claims to be the world's oldest model village.
Going green, Snowdonia
If big, noisy theme parks leave you cold, then head to Snowdonia for two low-key family attractions which combine education and entertainment in a peaceful rural setting. At Ewe-phoria (01490 460369, adventure-mountain.co.uk; adults £4.50, children £3.50) near Conwy, families can enjoy sheepdog training demonstrations (held at 1pm), learn about sheep-shearing techniques and meet puppies. Lunch is served in an attractive converted barn. Then it's off to GreenWood Forest Park (01248 671493, greenwoodforestpark.co.uk; adults from £7.60, children from £6.35) in the foothills of Snowdonia, where all the rides and activities, from the world's first people-powered roller coaster to the BareFoot Trail (over pebbles, bark and straw), are designed to have minimal environmental impact. Den-building, mini tractors and forest theatre complete the picture.
Seaside nostalgia, Kent
With its sandy beach, Punch and Judy shows and ice-cream parlours, Broadstairs is the perfect place to indulge in some seaside nostalgia. Start by discovering the fascinating rockpool life to be seen on a two-hour seashore safari organised by the Thanet Coast Project (01843 577672, thanetcoast.org.uk; suitable for 4-to-14-year-olds; free).
After fish and chips on the beach, stroll around Broadstairs' quirky shops including Bee Antiques and Teddy Hospital (23B Albion Street, bbears.co.uk), which sells vintage teddy bears, and Sweet Yesterdays (33 High Street), where you can stock up on sherbet lemons and bullseyes. In the afternoon take a 90-minute boat trip to see the seal colony at Goodwin Sands (07931 744788, horizonseasafaris.com; adults £25, children £18, trips are available most weekends).
Teenagers and older children might prefer to try bodyboarding or surfing in neighbouring Joss Bay (01843 868171, jossbay.co.uk; two-hour surf lessons £30 for under-16s).
Bikes and boats, Lake District
In the heart of the Lake District, Grizedale Forest Park (01229 860010, forestry.gov.uk/grizedalehome; free) is the perfect base for active families. Hire mountain bikes and follow marked trails through the forest, stopping off to admire the outdoor sculptures and views of Windermere. Or you can take to the trees for a high-wire forest adventure with Go Ape! (0845 643 9215, goape.co.uk; adults £30, over-10s £20). Enjoy the views from the park's Cafe in the Forest (01229 860455), which has a kids' menu, before heading to nearby Coniston for a Swallows and Amazons themed cruise on Coniston Water (01768 775753, conistonlaunch.co.uk; Wednesdays; adults £12, children over 6, £6).
A fresh perspective on the city, Edinburgh
Immerse yourself in disorientating visual effects at Edinburgh's Camera Obscura and World of Illusions (0131-226 3709, camera-obscura.co.uk; adults £9.25, children £6.25; under-fives free). The 175-year-old attraction has just been given a £1.2m renovation. Among the exhibits are a light tunnel that gives the sensation that you are spinning upside down. Then head for Henderson's (94 Hanover Street, 0131-225 2131, hendersonsofedinburgh.co.uk) where you can sit down for a wholesome veggie lunch (half-size portions available for children) or take away delicious sandwiches and pizza from the deli counter next door. If you are looking for a picnic spot, Arthur's Seat is hard to beat. It's a relatively easy walk to the summit of this hill and the views of the city are spectacular. The hills, lochs and glens of the former royal hunting estate of Holyrood Park (historic-scotland.gov.uk; free) offer a taste of the Highlands right in the city.
Monkey magic in the Potteries, Staffordshire
The Gladstone Pottery Museum near Stoke-on-Trent offers a hands-on history of this Victorian china works (01782 237777, stokemuseums.org.uk; adults £5.95, children £4.50, family ticket £18). Children can try throwing a pot or painting a plate, before exploring the old bottle kilns and a Victorian doctor's surgery where they can learn about workers' ailments such as "potters' rot". The Trentham shopping village (trentham.co.uk), a 10-minute drive away, is a handy lunch stop with plenty of family-friendly cafes. From here you can catch a boat across the lake to the Monkey Forest (01782 659845, monkey-forest.com; adults £6.50, children £4.50; under-threes free) where 140 monkeys roam freely through 60 acres of woodland. Follow a winding path through the forest and watch the Barbary macaques rustling through the trees overhead.
Canoeing and crab sandwiches, Suffolk
The Suffolk Broads offer a quieter alternative to their counterparts in Norfolk and you can spend a delightfully relaxing morning paddling a canoe through the marshlands, reed beds and meadows of the Waveney Valley. Hire a Canadian canoe, rowboat or day cruiser from the Waveney River Centre near Beccles (01502 677343, waveneyrivercentre.co.uk; canoes from £16 for half a day) and take a gentle hour-long meander down to Somerleyton Hall (01502 734901, somerleyton.co.uk; admission to gardens only, adults £5.50, children £3.50), a lavish country house with attractive gardens and a maze. At the end of the day, head into nearby Lowestoft for an afternoon tea of Cromer crab sandwiches and homemade cakes at Flying Fifteens (19a The Esplanade, 01502 581188).
Tracking rhino, Cheshire
You might have a hard time selling a walking tour of historic Chester to your children, but the prospect of 62 colourful rhinos might just seal the deal. Decorated by local artists, the fibreglass rhinos have been placed around the city (until 12 September) – pick up a trail map from Chester visitor centre (rhinomania.co.uk; free).
Stop at the Joseph Benjamin deli on Northgate Street (01244 344295, josephbenjamin.co.uk/deli) to pick up the ingredients for a gourmet picnic. Then check out the real black rhinos at Chester Zoo (01244 380 280, chesterzoo.org; adults from £13.90, children from £9.90; family ticket from £41.50; under-threes free), which is one of the best in the country, with more than 400 species of rare, exotic and endangered wildlife. The grounds have plenty of places for a picnic and there's a Fun Ark for children.
A midsummer knight's dream, Warwickshire
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon (01789 204016, shakespeare.org.uk) will be bringing the Bard to life for children throughout the summer holidays. Begin your day by following a special woodland trail at Anne Hathaway's cottage, in search of the fairies from A Midsummer Night's Dream (family ticket £19.50), or experience the sights, sounds and smells of a working Tudor farm at Mary Arden's farm (until 29 August; 01789 293 455, family ticket £24.50). Children can let off steam in the wildflower meadow or follow the nature trail to see long horn cattle and other rare breeds. For lunch, stock up on deli goods at the delightfully old-fashioned Paxton & Whitfield on Wood Street (01789 415544, www.paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk) and head for the peaceful riverside gardens of Holy Trinity Church (where William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway are buried). From Stratford it's a 15-minute drive to Warwick Castle where, on certain days, you can watch knights jousting, enjoy a fantastic fireball show, birds of prey and wandering storytellers (until 5 September; 0871 265 2000, warwick-castle.co.uk; adults £10, children £5).
