Older kids will love to learn about the history of video games, budding thespians can ham it with stage makeup in acting workshops and nascent architects can hone their craft at Legoland in and around London.

Castles

Bodiam Castle
Bodiam, Robertsbridge, East Sussex TN32 5UA
Open 10.00 until dusk, Tuesday-Sunday
Age All
Cost £9.75 family; £3.90 adult; £1.95 child
Other info This largely intact fairytale castle with moat is extremely child-friendly. Explore the castle or play in the grounds.
Call 01580 830436.

Discovery

Climbers and Creepers Play Zone
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB
Open Summer 11.00-17.30, Winter 11.00 - 15.30 daily
Age 3 to 9
Cost Admission to the gardens is £8.50 adult, free children 16 or under
Other info This attraction, opened in June 2004, focuses on learning about plants and ecology. The most exciting features are the super-sized Venus Fly Trap, Grandy Flora flower and harvest mouse nest, which kids can slide down, climb into and scramble over, complete with goofy sound effects. Kids can watch bees at work in the enclosed hive and see butterflies flit in the butterfly cage. The indoor area is situated in a glasshouse, making it bright and airy. An outdoor area called AirPlay, with whirling flower windmills, water squirts and 'leaf' hammocks allows for more active play. The building also houses The Lookout, a rest and observation area with a snack bar that overlooks the play space, and The Munchbox, which offers space for school groups to gather and have lunch. An associated website has games, stories and plant information.
Call 020 8332 5655 or visit the website
Read our review of Climbers and Creepers to see if it's right for your kids.

Game On
Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2
Open 10.00 daily
Age Anyone old enough to play video games
Cost £11 (16+); £5 (5-15); children under 5 go free
Other info An exhibition exploring the history and culture of video games from ancient times (1962) to the present day.
Call 020 7638 8891 or visit the website

Museums

Grossology
Science Museum, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2DD
Open 10.00-18.00 daily
Age All, but very small children will have difficulties reaching some of the hands-on exhibits.
Cost Admission to the museum and its magnificent hands-on children's galleries is free, but the charges for this exhibition are £5.95 adult; £4.95 child
Other info This is an exhibition of the 'Impolite Science of the Human Body', which, disturbingly, includes 16 hands-on exhibits as part of the presentation.
Call 0870 870 4771 or visit the website

Natural History Museum
(the one with all the dinosaurs)
Cromwell Road, London SW7
Open 10.00-17.50 Monday-Saturday, 11.00-17.50 Sunday
Age All
Cost Free, but there may be charges for special exhibitions
Call 020 7942 5011 or visit the website

Tangmere Military Aviation Museum Trust
Tangmere, Chichester, Sussex, PO20 2ES
Open 10am-5.30pm March-October; 10am-4.30pm during February and November (last admission 1 hour before closing time). Closed during December and January.
Age All ages
Cost Adults £5; children £1.50; over-60s £4; family ticket (2 adults, 2 children) £11
Other info Exhibits depicting 70 years of military aviation in Sussex, with special emphasis on the RAF at Tangmere and its role in the Second World War. Plenty of planes to interest the historically or mechanically minded. The museum has an intimate atmosphere - many of the volunteers who run the museum were wartime RAF personnel. Souvenir shop, cafeteria, grassed picnic area and memorial garden.
Call 01243 775223 or visit the website

Music

Fabulous Sound Machines
Croydon Clocktower, Katherine Street, London CR9
Open 11.00-17.00 Monday to Saturday; Sundays and bank holidays from 12.00
Age All
Cost £4.75 family (2+4); £2.20 adult; £1 child
Other info A hands-on exhibition exploring the science of sound and colour through the use of unusual musical installations, such as the Sonic Armchair and the Timbrachord.

Theme Parks

Chessington World of Adventures
Chessington, Surrey KT9 2NE
Open 10.00-18.00 (19.00 in August)
Age All
Cost £65 family (2+2 under 12); £24 (12 years and over); £18 under 12; children under 4 go free
Other info There are small reductions on tickets purchased in advance.
Call 0870 444 7777 or visit the website

Legoland
Winkfield Road, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 4AY
Open 10.00-19.00 daily
Age All
Cost £22.95 adult; £19.95 children aged 3-15 (there is a £1 discount on any ticket bought online)
Other info A Lego-based theme park with over 50 rides and attractions.
Call 08705 040404 or visit the website

Thorpe Park
Staines Road, Chertsey, Surrey KT16 8PN
Open 10-19.30 daily
Age All
Cost £67 family; £25 (12+); £18.50 (under 12)
Call 0870 444 44 66 or visit the website