Kent is known as the Garden of England, and Sussex is known for its strong tradition of bonfire celebrations; plus, the county is home to the Brighton Festival. Both counties can be found in the southeast of England, and both have plenty on offer to keep families entertained. So if you are looking for family days out in Kent and Sussex, you have come to the right place.
Hever Castle
Hever Rd, Hever, Edenbridge TN8 7NG
Hever Castle is located in the village of Hever, Kent. You can experience 700 years of history at this double-moat 13th-century castle, once the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. Hever Castle boasts a historic English Yew Maze and a splashing Water Maze. Explore the Tudor Towers Adventure Playground – a nine-metre tall wooden play castle, bigger than a four-bedroom house and complete with its moat, drawbridge and three turrets! Shaded by mature trees, children up to the age of 14 years can enjoy the enclosed wooden playground. For the under 5s, there are swings, rocking wooden horses and a castle-themed climbing frame with a slide.
Please visit the website for further details
Penshurst Place
https://www.penshurstplace.com/explore/see/gardens-and-grounds
Penshurst, Tonbridge TN11 8DG
The House at Penshurst Place, once the property of King Henry VIII, was left to his son King Edward VI and granted to Sir William Sidney in 1552. Featuring a commando trail, a high wooden top, an enormous slide, simple swings, a Toddler area and now a new zip line, the Adventure Playground at Penshurst Place has been a staple of the attraction for many years, welcoming families throughout the open season. There are plenty of things for the whole family at this Kent attraction.
Please visit the website for further details
Drusillas Park
Alfriston Rd, East Sussex BN26 5QS
Drusillas Park is a small 10-acre zoo near Alfriston in East Sussex. It is regarded as the best small zoo in the country. This is an animal- and child-friendly environment where fun is always focused. However, animals are only half the fun; Go Wild!, Get Wet!, Go Safari!, The Rainforest Adventure, SPARK, Amazon Adventure, Mungo’s Adventure Maze and all our free children’s rides are a paradise for anyone wanting a theme park experience. It’s no ordinary zoo; it’s no ordinary day out.
Please visit the website for further details
Groombridge Place
https://www.groombridgeplace.com/
Groombridge, Tunbridge Wells TN3 9QG
Groombridge Place is a moated manor house in the village of Groombridge near Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Groombridge features a boardwalk, adventure play areas, falconry, and a canal boat ride, and there is always plenty of fun going on within the enchanted forest. It is currently closed so do keep checking to see when they will reopen.
Please visit the website for further details
Bewl Water
Bewlbridge Ln, Lamberhurst, Wadhurst TN3 8JH
Discover incredible landscapes, native wildlife, and woodland adventures at the largest reservoir in the South East. The 800-acre parkland is open all year round and is unlike anywhere else. There is outdoor fun for all ages with miles of scenic pathways to walk, cycle, run, or ride and hundreds of protected species to discover. Whether you take to the waters for a relaxing afternoon of fishing or enjoy wildlife spotting on land, Bewl Water provides a great family day out.
Please visit the website for further details
Mote Park
https://www.visitmaidstone.com/things-to-do/mote-park-p12581
Mote Ave, Maidstone ME15 7RN
Mote Park is a 440-acre multi-use public park in Maidstone, Kent. This huge green space is extremely popular. The park includes natural features such as grassland, woodland, rivers and a 30-acre lake. The vast numbers of mature trees create a beautiful, tranquil landscape. It is also home to over-wintering birds, many of whom stay to nest and raise their chicks here in the spring.
Please visit the website for further details
Wildwood Trust
https://kent.wildwoodtrust.org/
Wealden Forest Park, Canterbury Rd, Herne Common, Herne Bay CT6 7LQ
Wildwood Discovery Park, now known as the Wildwood Trust, is a woodland discovery park in Herne. Here you will get to meet British Wildlife past and present. Set in 40 acres of ancient woodland, Wildwood holds a collection of over 200 British animals in natural enclosures. See bears, wolves, otters, foxes, deer, badgers, owls, wild horses, lynxes, beavers, wild cats, bison, squirrels, wild boar, reindeer and many more as you walk around.
Please visit the website for further details
Riverhill Himalayan Gardens
https://www.riverhillgardens.co.uk/
Riverhill, Sevenoaks TN15 0RR
Riverhill is renowned for its beautiful and historic gardens, expansive views across the Weald of Kent and warm and friendly welcome. The gardens are a big hit with children of all ages. They have an exciting calendar of events throughout the season designed to entertain and educate, as well as den building woods, hedge maze, adventure playground and yeti spotting.
Please visit the website for further details
Knockhatch Adventure Park
Hailsham Bypass, Hailsham BN27 3GD
For the animal lovers out there, Knockhatch has a Children’s Farm and an Owl Sanctuary. There are several outdoor playgrounds and a boating lake, amongst other outdoor activities. There are also a number of large indoor adventure play areas, including Froggies Soft Play Area, the Lost World Playbarn and the Cannon Arena. They are adding new attractions all the time, so if you haven’t visited, you are bound to find something new at Knockhatch Adventure Park in Sussex.
Please visit the website for further details
Go Ape Crawley
https://goape.co.uk/locations/crawley
Tilgate Dr, Crawley RH10 5PQ
Go Ape is located at Tilgate Park, a few minutes’ drive from Crawley in West Sussex. They have adventures for every age of thrill-seeker. Older children and adults will love Treetop Challenge. While young adventurers will find Treetop Adventure rewarding. Set within a park containing a lake, extensive woodlands, multiple activities and a themed restaurant, there is plenty to do. You could also have a Forest Segway adventure.
Please visit the website for further details
Pevensey Castle
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/pevensey-castle/
Castle Rd, Westham, Pevensey BN24 5LE
Founded in the 4th century as one of the last of the Roman ‘Saxon Shore’ forts, Pevensey Castle in Sussex was also the landing place of William the Conqueror’s army in 1066. You can visit the exhibition to discover stories of sieges and royal prisoners, see a recreated 1940s commander’s office and pick up the phone to hear emergency messages. Children can crack the Pevensey Castle Code, peer into the dungeon and make the most of the wide open spaces on an adventure in the fresh air.
Please visit the website for further details
Wakehurst
https://www.kew.org/wakehurst/visit-wakehurst
Selsfield Rd, Haywards Heath RH17 6TN
Wakehurst, previously known as Wakehurst Place, is a house and botanic gardens in West Sussex. Home to the Millennium Seed Bank, over 500 acres of diverse landscapes and plants from across the globe. Being a huge area with gardens, woodlands and a nature reserve, there are plenty of things for families to do at Wakehurst, plus kids go free! There are natural play spaces scattered across Wakehurst for kids to explore. Find your way through the Labyrinth, seek out wooden carvings in our woodlands and play along the mown pathways in our summer meadows.
Please visit the website for further details