Free family fun this summer

Cost-effective ways to entertain the kids during the summer holidays


About this article

  • Published on
  • Area Deal, Dover, Sandwich
  • Category General, Seasonal, Events, History & heritage, Experiences, Food & drink, Arts & crafts, Music, Nature, Walking, Cycling

With weeks of school holiday ahead and days to fill to keep the kids busy and entertained, it can be a super expensive time of year. However, there are plenty of things to do here in White Cliffs Country that either won't cost you a bean or are very good value - read on for our suggestions for memorable activities that won’t put a strain on your budget.

Marvellous museums

Head back in time at the fantastic museums in the district (most are free to enter), including:

  • Sandwich Guildhall Museum, open Wednesdays to Sundays, where there is an original Magna Carta and Roman artefacts.
  • Deal Museum, open Fridays to Sundays, full of fascinating local history and a specially designed kids' area, new for 2025.
  • Dover Transport Museum, open Wednesdays and Sundays, home to transport of all kinds, model railways, vintage street scenes and loads more.
  • Dover Museum, open every day, where you can see a life-size polar bear called Fred and the oldest-known seagoing boat in the world, the Bronze Age Boat!
  • Kent Mining Museum at Betteshanger Park, open Wednesdays to Sundays, which tells the story of mining in the county with entertaining and immersive exhibitions and activities.
  • Sandwich Medieval Centre on Sandwich Quay, open Thursdays to Sundays, where there is loads to do, including trying on armour! 
  • Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel-le-Ferne, open every day, the national memorial to the brave pilots who flew during the Battle of Britain, with life-size aircraft, an interactive exhibition and more.

 

A donkey in a green field
Meet Fred the donkey at Little Farthingloe Farm.

Fabulous farm visits

Wander through ancient woodland, meet Fred the donkey and have fun in the natural play area at Little Farthingloe Farm on the outskirts of Dover. There’s also a farm shop, bakery and café on site.

For a super-duper ice-cream treat, visit Solley’s Farm in Ripple near Deal. Explore marked trails and the maize maze, and hop on board the tractor trailer for a tour before visiting the ice-cream parlour to choose which flavour of ice cream to have on the farm where it’s made! The parlour sells other refreshments (including much-loved breakfasts); dogs are welcome, too. Their £7.50 Summer Bundle includes a tractor ride, Maize Maze admission and an ice cream!

Felderland Farm, just outside Sandwich, is famed for its fantastic pick-your-own fruit, and with a café, picnic and play area and pizza wagon on site, you can make a day of it. This summer, there will also be face painting on Sunday 3, 10 and 17 and Saturday 23 August. Bring the kids along for a day of fruity fun and let their imaginations run wild. No booking required, just turn up, pick your own, and enjoy a family day out on the farm!

A smiling boy in a bike helmet and green top on a bike
Cycling on smooth tracks at Betteshanger Park near Deal.

Brilliant bike rides

Dust off your bike helmets and cycle along one of the many fantastic routes in the district – the well-signed National Cycle Network Route 1 takes you past three castles and a Roman fort! Cycle a short section of the route according to your ability: the flat, gentle route along Deal and Walmer seafronts, the slightly more off-road route from Deal to Sandwich or the more demanding, steep climb from Dover up to the White Cliffs.

There are many other perfect places to explore on two wheels and a 3km stretch of traffic-free, safe cycling at Betteshanger Park is perfect for younger children. The park is free to enter but there are parking charges if you drive here.

Bring your own bikes or hire them from one of the many local cycle-hire locations in the area (see 'Discover more' below).

Perfect picnics

A couple of miles outside Dover you'll find Green Flag Award-winning Kearsney Parks with beautifully landscaped gardens to spread out in, majestic trees to lie under, ornamental lakes, a chalk stream and a fantastic play park and café - a lovely place for a picnic.

It's the Summer of Play on top of the world-famous White Cliffs at South Foreland Lighthouse until Sunday 31 August. Try your hand at hula hoops, bean bags, skipping, skittles, quoits and more; play 'guess the bird song', hunt some bugs, create art with nature or try building a den; enjoy some mindful colouring, animal yoga, or quiet meditation. No need to book. Games and activities are free of charge for all, subject to availability. You’re welcome to bring a picnic – there are plenty of benches and lots of space to spread your blankets to enjoy a picnic with your family with some awesome views.

The Butts in Sandwich follows the old town walls – popular with locals and visitors for picnics and walks, this is a lovely place to stroll, sit and watch the cricket (when playing) or the world go by and admire this lovely old town.

Please dispose of any rubbish responsibly – take it home with you or use the public bins. Thank you.

Two children standing in a rockpool with nets
Rock-pooling on the beach - a great way to discover wildlife.

Wonderful wildlife

Visit the wildlife haven at Samphire Hoe and immerse yourselves in the beauty of this rare chalkland nature reserve at the base of the world-famous White Cliffs. A lovely place for a walk, this is a fascinating place by the sea and you may spot birds of prey, rare butterflies and wildflowers.

Other nature hotspots in the area include Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory (where there are family events taking place throughout the summer), Gazen Salts and Monks Wall Nature Reserve.

There's a programme of nature-based events at the White Cliffs throughout August, including a Reptile Ramble and Geology for Beginners (part of the National Trust's Summer of Play programme).

Taskmaster and more at the castles

English Heritage currently has a 25% off membership offer running, plus members' kids go free and eat free. Membership will give you free entry to the incredible castles in White Cliffs Country - Dover Castle, Walmer Castle & Gardens and Deal Castle - and Richborough Roman Fort.

It’s all fun and games at Dover Castle and Walmer Castle & Gardens this summer, with loads of activities for the whole family to get stuck into. English Heritage has partnered with TV’s Taskmaster to set you silly challenges as you explore each property. Collect your Taskmaster score card and complete your tasks. There might also be a rubber duck or two to spot on the way too. Please note that Alex and the Taskmaster team won’t be doing the tasks with you, but that means you’re in charge!

As well as Taskmaster fun, each weekend at Dover Castle during the summer holidays you can try your hand at archery, and at Walmer Castle Gardens there is a fantastic programme of events, from open-air theatre performances to guided photography walks. Head to Walmer Castle Garden’s Oval Lawn at 11am every Wednesday during the school holidays for Summer Holiday Storytime. Stories are suitable for ages 0-10 but all are welcome.

Two large dinosaur models with a crowd of people
The dinosaurs are coming to Dover on 6 August!

Exciting events

It wouldn't be summer without a fabulous fun event or two and here in White Cliffs Country we have a lot going on over the school summer holidays, including these free family events:

Toasting marshmallows over an open fire outdoors
One of the joys of camping - toasting marshmallows over a campfire!

Sleep under the stars

Wake with birdsong and fall asleep under the stars, find the perfect stick to toast marshmallows and make s’mores! There’s no better way to make great memories and experience the fresh air and special outdoor places here than to bring camping gear and pitch a tent at one of our fantastically located campsites.

Get back to nature and camp in farmers’ fields or take the luxury option and try glamping instead – we have campsites in the countryside and campsites overlooking the sea. And if sleeping under canvas isn’t your thing, there are holiday parks with static caravans for hire. See below.

Travel tips

At just over an hour from the capital by highspeed train and with great connections from other stations in Kent, White Cliffs Country is easy to get to by rail. Plus, with southeastern’s Kids for a Quid and GroupSave offers, travelling by train is a great way to explore the area.

The road network is also well connected and the emergency services work hard to keep the traffic flowing around the busy port area at Dover. Listen out for up-to-date travel news and leave plenty of time for your journey in busy periods.

 

Title photo credit: Coxhill Camping