It’s that time of year when the kids are off school for a whole summer and you are left scratching your head trying to think of ways to keep them entertained.

This year, there’s no need to worry as we’ve six weeks’ worth of activities to help you plan the perfect summer holidays for you and your family.

WEEK 1

Fill your first week with a family trip to one of Kent’s leading museums and a National Trust Tudor festival…

MAIDSTONE MUSEUM

Get crafty this summer with a series of arts and crafts workshops at the Maidstone Museum. Each week there will be a number of sessions that children can get involved in, each with their own unique theme. The sessions include Roman puppet making, Stone Age cave painting and wooden spoon decorating.

Details: Tuesday, July 25 to Thursday, August 24 at the Maidstone Museum. Book online here.

IGHTHAM MOTE, Sevenoaks

Travel back in time for a Tudor summer at this historic estate. There will be a Tudor festival to kick off the holidays on Saturday, July 29 and Sunday, July 30 which features interactive demonstrations and immersive displays. There will also be an outdoor shield trail, craft workshops and costumed characters over five weeks.

Details: To Thursday, August 31 at Chartwell in Westerham. Book online here, free for National Trust members.

WEEK 2

It’s only the second week so there’s still plenty to do, including a trip aboard a gaming bus, close encounters with scallywag pirates and a chance to meet your favourite cartoon characters…

DOVER CASTLE

Set sail on a swashbuckling adventure on the high seas. The most infamous pirates in history will moor up at the castle to tell stories of their hunts for treasure and battle each other at close quarters. There will be hands-on activities and exciting shows that the whole family can enjoy.

Details: Saturday, August 5 and Sunday, August 6 at Dover Castle. Book online here.

HOWLETTS WILDLIFE PARK, Canterbury

One of Kent’s biggest wildlife parks will be home to not only rare and endangered animals this summer, but also a host of children’s TV characters. Families can meet their favourite characters from shows such as Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig, PJ Masks, Hey Duggee and Bluey every Wednesday during the holidays and grab a selfie as they wander through the park.

Details: Weekly from Wednesday, August 2 to Wednesday, August 30 at Howletts Wildlife Park in Bekesbourne, near Canterbury. Book online here.

MEDWAY TOWNS

Hop on board and enjoy two floors of gaming this summer. The gaming bus will tour the area throughout August, giving passengers a chance to try their hand at video games, table top games and retro games as they travel from one town to another.

Details: Tuesday, August 1 from Military Road in Chatham; Wednesday, August 2 from Strood Town Centre; Thursday, August 3 from Gillingham High Street and Friday, August 4 from Parkwood Youth Centre. Free entry, no need to book.

SPA VALLEY RAILWAY, Tunbridge Wells

Help Jolly Roger find his lost treasure aboard an authentic steam train. The show starts at the station where the captain will get his crew in order with lots of slapstick comedy and audience participation. Then you will board the train and hunt for gold using activity packs before being rewarded for your help on the way home.

Details: Weekly from Thursday, August 3 to Thursday, August 31 at Spa Valley Railway in Tunbridge Wells. Book online here.

WEEK 3

Starting to get restless? Don’t worry, you can get the kids out of the house to meet roar-some dinosaurs, explore an art exhibition and play a round of crazy golf…

BEDGEBURY NATIONAL PINETUM, Goudhurst

Admire a new nature-themed outdoor exhibition at this stunning forest. The Earth Photo display will showcase 30 stunning images, both still and moving, that reflect the climate change crisis. After you have enjoyed the exhibition, you can stroll along one of the country park’s many outdoor trails.

Details: Open daily until Friday, October 13 at Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest in Goudhurst. Entry is free, no need to book.

CHURCHILL THEATRE, Bromley

Are you brave enough to face larger-than-life prehistoric creatures this summer? Jurassic Earth brings the most toothsome and terrifying dinosaurs in history back to life using state-of-the-art animatronics. This thrilling and immersive experience gives audiences a chance to learn about these fascinating creatures in a brand new way.

Details: Wednesday, August 9 and Thursday, August 10 at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley. Book online here.

MILLBROOK GARDEN CENTRE, Gravesend

Fall down the rabbit hole with Alice and join the Mad Hatter on his crazy golf course. The course, which returns this summer, has nine holes filled with fun and colourful obstacles that are suitable for all ages.

Details: Daily until Sunday, September 3 at Millbrook Garden Centre in Gravesend. Book online here.

WEEK 4

We’re over the halfway point and there’s still lots of exciting activities taking place in Kent, from treetop adventures to sand sculptures and children’s theatre…

BLUEWATER, Greenhithe

Hangloose, Bluewater’s thrilling adventure park, has opened a brand new attraction just in time for the holidays. Skytrek will suspend visitors 15 metres in the air, overlooking the chalk cliffs, before taking them through a series of family-friendly treetop obstacles and challenges, including walkway over the picturesque lakes.

Details: Open daily at Bluewater shopping centre in Greenhithe, near Dartford. Book online here.

LEEDS CASTLE, Maidstone

There’s plenty of activities going on all throughout the holidays at Leeds Castle, but this week in particular is bursting with great things to do. The castle’s new man-made beach will host family sand sculpture workshops on Monday, August 14 and, towards the end of the week, there will be traditional Punch and Judy shows on the sands. Visitors can also enjoy the maze, playground, garden trails and birds of prey displays.

Details: Sand sculpture workshops take place on Sunday, August 13 and Monday, August 14 at Leeds Castle near Maidstone. Punch and Judy shows take place on Saturday, August 19 and Sunday, August 19. Book online here.

MARLOWE THEATRE, Canterbury

One of Disney’s most lovable characters is being brought to life on stage. Winnie the Pooh will be joined by all of his friends, including Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga and Tigger, for this magical family production. The story will be brought to life by life-sized puppets and the Sherman Brothers’ Grammy Award-winning music.

Details: Friday, August 18 to Sunday, August 20 at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury. Book online here.

ORCHARD THEATRE, Dartford

Britain’s most revolting history show is back on the road. Horrible Histories is bringing its latest production, Barmy Britain, straight from the West End to theatres across the country, with even more outlandish characters and grotesque stories. From Queen Victoria to William the Conqueror, learn about some of the most notorious figures in history - sparing none of the gory details.

Details: Wednesday, August 16 at the Orchard Theatre in Dartford. Book online here.

WEEK 5

This week there’s an ice cream festival for the kids, a cider festival for the grown ups and days out at two Kent landmarks for the whole family…

BROGDALE, Faversham

The orchard’s annual Cider Festival is back for another year. The grown ups can sample more than 40 ciders, all locally produced, and join in with cider making demonstrations, while young visitors can sing and dance along to live music and get stuck into craft activities.

Details: Saturday, August 26 and Sunday, August 27 at Brogdale in Faversham. Book online here.

CHARTWELL, Westerham

Visitors to Winston Churchill’s family home can make the most of its 80 acres of country gardens. Children are invited to dress up in the butterfly house, follow the woodland trail sheet to the two-storey treehouse and join in with dance classes on the lawn throughout the summer.

Details: Saturday, July 22 to Thursday, August 31 at Chartwell in Westerham. Book online here, free for National Trust members.

DREAMLAND, Margate

No trip to Margate beach is complete without a visit to the town’s vintage fairground. Dreamland will open its gates daily for the summer holidays to make sure that all visitors get a chance to hop onto the ferris wheel or Scenic Railway roller coaster before heading home. There are also arcade games, children’s activities and food and drink stalls.

Details: Open daily until Sunday, September 3 at Dreamland in Margate. Free entry, no need to book.

KENT LIFE, Maidstone

As part of Kent Life’s summer holiday activities, the much-loved Ice Cream Festival will be making a comeback. The festival will feature more than 40 flavours to try, as well as sugary toppings such as syrups, marshmallows and sprinkles and some dairy-free and vegan options. Visitors can also grab a glass of Pimms, enjoy live music and visit the farm’s animals.

Details: Saturday, August 26 to Monday, August 28 at Kent Life in Maidstone. Book online here.

WEEK 6

It’s the final week of the summer holidays and, while that may be relief for some, it’s also the last chance to spend some quality time with your kids by watching a thrilling jousting tournament, enjoying some outdoor theatre or heading on an underground adventure…

HEVER CASTLE, Edenbridge

Cheer on your favourite medieval knights in a thrilling battle of physical strength and spectacular stunts at the final jousting tournament of the season. The huge battle arena will see knights challenge each other in one-to-one combat until one is crowned the ultimate champion. The tournament, which takes place all throughout the summer, will go out with a bang at this stunt-filled spectacular.

Details: Select dates until Monday, August 28 at Hever Castle near Edenbridge. Book online here.

HISTORIC DOCKYARD, Chatham

Make the most of the last few days of the holidays with an open-air performance of children’s classic Robin Hood. The infamous story of the outlaw who takes on the Sheriff of Nottingham and gives to the poor will be retold using live music, comedy and sword fights. Before taking your seat for the show, you can explore the dockyard’s ships, meet monsters from the deep sea and help the Octonauts with their underwater adventures.

Details: Saturday, September 2 at the Historic Dockyard in Chatham. Book online here.

MARGATE CAVES

Head below ground and discover a world of summer fun during the holidays. The caves’ Alice in Wonderland-themed activities with fun characters and an adventure trail, as well as tours through the striking underground tunnels where you can learn about the history of Margate. Also, starting this week, each Monday there will be craft activities taking place in the community rooms for just £1 per child.

Details: Daily until Sunday, September 3 at Margate Caves. Book online.