History Buffs
Make precious memories visiting historic villages, museums, heritage sites and castles during your stay with us.
Fun Family Days Out
There’s so much to see and do right on our doorstep. From animal encounters and historical attractions, to adrenaline-fuelled sports and relaxing crafts, enjoy a fun-filled staycation with activities to keep the whole family entertained!
Colchester Zoo
Walk on the wild side with a day out at the Colchester Zoo. Take a trip to one of the UK’s best zoos and animal conservation projects. Monkey around for hours, and enjoy a great family day out visiting over 260 animal species. Find out about their conservation projects, and take part in zoo experience days.
Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park, Ipswich
A fun day out for all of the family. Get lost in the Wildlife Park, where you’ll find over 80 species of exotic animals and rare breeds – from lemurs to guinea pigs, or head to the Tropical House to meet some friendly reptiles and birds. Kids big and small can also explore WonderWood, spotting native plants and animals, building dens, whilst you relax with a coffee.
Leisure World, Colchester
Make a splash at Leisure World! Ride the colourful Flumes, splash through the Rapids, float along the Crazy River, jump the waves, soak each other with Shipwreck Water Cannons, or relax in the Castaway Spa Pool. The whole family will be entertained for hours! No need to book in advance, just purchase your swim tickets on the day.
Blue Owl Pottery Painting Cafe
Great fun for all ages! They offer pottery painting sessions, baby keepsakes and clay/techniques workshops for adults. Choose from a wide selection of pottery to paint including mugs, plates, figurines, tealight holders, vases and much more. All items are glazed and fired in their kilns after painting but can be posted to you for a small charge.
Treasure Hunt Trail, Dedham
Explore Dedham on a self-guided treasure hunt walking trail. Great fun for both kids and adults. The 1.4-mile trail takes around 1.5 hours to complete, depending on your pace. There’s also a handy text message service which will send you clues if you get stuck! Choose to have your trail guide posted to you, or download for instant access.
East Anglian Railway Museum, Wakes Colne
There’s lots to keep all of the family occupied at the East Anglian Railway Museum. Explore the Station buildings, Goods Shed, signal boxes, working Restorations Shed and more. If you’d like to take a ride in a vintage carriage, make sure you visit on a Steam Day. Take the opportunity to enjoy unlimited steam rides on restored Steam Engines. Thomas and friends also pay regular visits to the station, for a day filled with train rides and family fun!
AirHop, Colchester
AirHop is the perfect destination for adrenaline junkies of all ages! The huge indoor trampoline park features an Open Jump arena, Slam-dunk, Big Bag, Dodge Ball court, and Wall Trampoline. If you’d prefer to sit this one out, you can enjoy something to eat or drink from the café overlooking all of the activities.
Alpaca Trekking at Hilly Ridge, Ipswich
Spend some time with the alpacas at Hilly Ridge – a fantastic experience for all the family. During your trek, you’ll take part in a farm tour, enjoy a relaxing walk with your furry friend, meet the alpaca mums and babies, and complete a fun obstacle course! Choose to walk your own alpaca, share an alpaca between two of you, or accompany a walker.
West Stow Anglo Saxon Village
A bit further afield, West Stow Anglo Saxon Village is a fun and educational day out for children and adults alike. Surrounded by 125 acres of beautiful countryside, you will be able to explore history and nature, say hello to rare breed pigs and chickens, and dress up as an Anglo Saxon. You can also visit the surrounding West Stow Country Park, the perfect place for a picnic while the kids play on the adventure playground.
Colchester Climbing Project
Fancy trying your hand at Bouldering? Colchester Climbing Centre is Essex’s only dedicated bouldering centre – where you’ll climb walls without any ropes! Children over 5 years old are welcome to climb with adult supervision, so they can experience the world of climbing. Situated just around the corner from Rollerworld, why not make a day of it?
