Take the Bush Tucker Challenge
With wildlife on the nation's radar, the BBC's major nature campaign, Breathing Spaces being launched and Springwatch back on television there has never been a better time for children and adults alike to get out and about and explore the wild side of Great Britain says Tourism South East.
As part of Tourism South East's drive to highlight the huge variety of opportunities on offer for family fun days out, aspiring Ray Mears' will be able to head off to various National Trust properties within the region and take part in a range of nature based activities from bush craft camps and dinosaur explorations to ugly bug hunts and bat walks.
- Woodlands Wanders Bush Camp - Claremont Landscape Garden, Esher, Surrey - Monday 31 July and Tuesday 1 August. 10.30am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 4pm. Admission + £5
Eight to twelve year olds can become the next Ray Mears and learn about simple bush skills for living in the woods, including making fire without matches, foraging for wild food, shelter building, making string from trees and plants, tracking and seeing animal and bird signs and basic green woodworking. Booking essential on tel 01372 467806
- Family Bat Walks - Polesden Lacey, nr Dorking, Surrey - Tuesday 15, 22 & 29 August. 8.30pm - 10pm. Adults £4, children £2.
Head out into the night and search for bats darting and diving around Polesden Lacey Estate. Booking essential on tel 01372 452048
- Dinosaur Discovery Day - Scotney Castle Garden, Lamberhurst, Kent - Friday 1 September, 12.30pm - 4.30pm. Admission + £2 per child.
Enter the dinosaur's lair! Follow a special pre-historic trail around the garden to discover which dinosaur lived at the castle millions of years ago. There are also dinosaur quizzes and themed craft activities taking place.
- Bug Hunt - Bateman's, nr Etchinham East Sussex - Wednesday 2 August, 2pm - 4pm. £2 per person.
Join a mini beast hunt to discover some of the amazing little creatures that inhabit the garden and estate. Booking essential on tel 01435 882302
- Pond Dipping - Sissinghurst Castle Garden, nr Cranbrook, Kent - Friday 4 & Monday 21 August, 2pm. £6 per child. Smallhythe Place, Tenterden, Kent - Wednesday 2 August. Admission + £1.50 per child.
A perfect opportunity for children to discover what is hidden in the depths of Sissinghurst lakes and the pond at Smallhythe in Kent. Booking essential for Sissinghurst Castle Garden on tel 01580 710700
Families looking for that ideal day out or weekend away can visit www.southeastengland.com/familyfun for details on accommodation, attractions and venues throughout the South East.
Ends
For further information or images please contact Jennifer Stallwood at Isis PR on 01844 212 005
Notes to Editors:
- To find out more about the National Trust please visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk
- www.visitsoutheastengland.com is the consumer website for the Tourism South East
- Tourism South East (TSE) is the new regional Tourist Board responsible for tourism in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Kent, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex.
- TSE is the largest tourist board in the UK outside London and is the driving force for innovation and growth in tourism - representing over 2,000 members from all sectors of an industry worth an estimated £10 billion and providing more than 225,000 jobs to the economy of the South East England.
- Recent research by TSE in 2005 involving 6,000 interviews in over 60 locations investigated the motivations for families taking short breaks; what they enjoyed doing in their leisure time and the types of accommodation they prefer. Education, entertainment and value for money are key factors when planning days out for the family, with heritage attractions and a preference for self-catering accommodation being high on the list of priorities.
- Results of this research study have shaped Tourism South East's domestic marketing plan for 2006 and TSE is working with a number of regional partners, on their first domestic campaign of the year: Family Fun.
- The Tourism South East Family Fun Campaign aims to promote attractions that are suitable for family days out. The South East of England has thousands of adventures within a two hour radius of London that won't break the bank, including:
o Cycling
o Family friendly beaches
o Water sports
o Maritime history
o Extensive shopping opportunities
o Theme parks
o Animal attractions
o Family friendly heritage centres
o Children's literary connections
- For more information about what to do and where to go this summer visit the Tourism South East web site at: http://www.visitsoutheastengland.com/familyfun