Unusual Days Out with the Kids
We have put together a short list of places to visit for some unusual family fun days out.
But the one thing that I enjoyed, and remember most fondly was the Ripley’s
Believe it or Not oddities museum in Fisherman’s Wharf.
“What is this place?” I wondered as I walked past, and after a trip to see the
sea lions on the pier at Fisherman’s Wharf I asked my dad if we could go back to
Ripley’s and find out what it was.
Right inside the front door was a large ‘painting’ or the Mona Lisa carved out
of toast. As soon as I saw that, I knew that I wasn’t going to leave until I
saw every artefact in the place.
There were models of the tallest man in the World, animals with birth defects
which gave them 2 heads, a man eating and subsequently regurgitating pool balls.
This place was just incredible!
So when I heard years later that the largest attraction venue in London was
going to be turned into a Ripley’s Believe it or Not, I was ecstatic.
The trip to that strange oddities museum in San Francisco was one of the most
memorable parts of my childhood, and so I thought I would scour Britain for some
unusual child friendly things to do.
Here is my list of unusual days out with the kids:
1. Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum, Picadilly Circus, London.
Sprawled over 5 floors are some of the most amazing and unusual things that you
will ever see. From genuine shrunken heads, to a Mini Cooper embossed with
1,000,000 Swarovski crystals it is a place that you will never forget.
At £26.95 per adult, or £87.95 for a family of 4, it is expensive, but as a
treat from the norm it is highly recommended.
Find out more information about Ripley’s Believe it or Not here.
2. Go Ape!
If oddities aren’t your thing, and you are into more exhilarating experiences,
then maybe Go Ape is for you?
With locations all around the UK, you’re never really too far from a Go Ape.
GoApe is a tree-top adventure, with rope bridges, zip lines and a whole lot
more. It is fantastic fun for all the family.
If you don’t believe me, check out this video of the ‘Longest Zip Wire in the
UK’ and GoApe’s Aberfoyle venue. Amazing!
Search for 'GoApe' on our 'Fun Search
Engine' to find the nearest one to you.
3. The ‘Gorilla that walks like a man’ at Port Lympne Safari Park
In 2010 I went to a music festival in Folkestone called ‘Hevy’ which was set in
the grounds of a safari park, and part of the entrance price, was also the
opportunity to go around the safari park for free.
On the Saturday morning, I got up early before any of the bands started and went
on the safari around Port Lympne Safari Park. On our journey in the back of the
jeeps, seeing a whole host of wonderful animals such as Lions, Rhino’s ,
Giraffes and more we got round to the Gorilla pen and as I looked to the right,
there was a gorilla, standing on his back legs and walking around like a human.
I burst out laughing, and was also amazed at what I was witnessing.
A few weeks later, I was watching the news on TV and the gorilla that I had seen
had since become a YouTube sensation with it currently at 3.2m+ views.
I would highly recommend Port Lympne Safari Park as it is a wonderful
experience, and has featured on my ‘Unusual Days Out with the Kids’ list due to
the gorilla walking like a man, and subsequently becoming a YouTube
sensation.
Find out more about Port Lympne Safari Park here.
4. Cave and Mine adventures
Another great fun day out, is a visit to a mine or caves. Seeing stalactites
and stalagmites might not sound particularly exciting, but it is.
Chuck in the odd spooky story whilst down in the dark, dank cave and you have a
perfect, cheap family day out to an unusual attraction.
You can find a whole host of gold mines, caves and more on our 'Fun Search
Engine'.
5. Diggerland
Diggerland is exactly what it says on the tin. A large venue filled with JCB
diggers for kids to use to dig up treasure, ride and generally play with.
It is great fun for all the family, and I highly recommend it. There are
numerous Diggerland venues around the UK, so you are never too far away from
one.
Check out this video for some of the fun things for you to do at Diggerland.
Search ‘Diggerland’ on our ‘Fun Search
Engine’ to find out more about them.
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