Summer playtime for all ages with the National Trust

Summer with The National Trust

This summer the National Trust is doing more to offer visitors of all ages perfect places to play – whether its family fun throughout the school holidays or a relaxing day out, there’s something for everyone.

For families, there’s natural play areas, picnic spots and quiz trails, as well as a range of more unusual activities including creative writing workshops, traditional farmer’s games, cricket fixtures, teddy bears picnics and even raft making, dragon parades and archaeological digs.

Don’t forget to try the phenomenally successful challenge, 50 things to do before you’re 11¾ including simple pleasures such as climbing a tree, pond dipping, flying a kite and making a daisy chain. Pick up a scrapbook at your local property or download a planner to help you decide where to go at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/london-and-south-east.

The beautiful gardens, parkland and countryside offer plenty of fun for grown ups too. Many National Trust gardens are at their colourful best in summer with cool, shady spots, perfect for picnics and chilling out.

Spend the long summer days with us; some of our favourite things to do in Kent and East Sussex include:

Kent

Chartwell: Winston’s hobby trail

Daily from Saturday 4 July to Sunday 6 September, 10 am to 4 pm.

Find out what Churchill loved doing in the gardens and woodlands at his family home and tick off some 50 things activities as you go.

Normal admission charges apply, £1 donation per child.

Emmetts Garden: The Owl and the Pussycat trail

Daily from Saturday 4 July to Sunday 6 September, 10 am to 4 pm.

Follow characters from the classic poem, The Owl and the Pussycat, around the garden and try some 50 things activities too.

Normal admission charges apply, £1 donation per child.

Ightham Mote: Summer holiday fun

Daily from Saturday 25 July to Tuesday 1 September, 10 am to 4.30 pm.

There are so many fun holiday activities at Ightham Mote, you’ll not need to visit anywhere else! Lots of quizzes, trails, 50 things activities, a Teddy Bears’ Picnic, archaeological fun, brass rubbing and a different theme every Thursdays.

Normal admission charges apply.

Knole: Family Mondays

Every Monday between 20 July and 24 August, 11 am to 3 pm.

Every Monday this summer there will be craft activities and the chance to tick off some of your 50 things activities.

Free event.

Knole: Deer Diary

Every Thursday from 30 July to 27 August, 11 am to 3 pm.

Pens, pencils and hooves at the ready – budding authors are being encouraged to write from the perspective of a deer over the last 100 years at Knole. Led by young poet Ella Frears from Spread the Word, ‘Deer Diary’ is a creative writing and multi-sensory storytelling event for all the family in the county’s only medieval deer park. Extracts will be available in Knole’s new bookshop café.

Free event.

Scotney Castle: Summer holiday adventures

Daily from Saturday 25 July to Monday 31 August, property to add times.

Build a den in our wilderness camp or den building areas, roll down a really big hill in our garden, go bird watching or create your own adventure at Scotney Castle this summer.

Normal admission charges apply.

Sissinghurst Castle Garden: Friday fun days

Every Friday between 7 August and 28 August, 2 pm to 3.30 pm.

Join the team of rangers each Friday to discover something new. On 7 August it’s mini raft and kite making, 14 August there will be pond dipping to find out what lives below the surface in some of the ponds and on 21 August there will be exploring the woods on an tree adventure.

On 28 August there will be learning essential bushcraft and shelter making skills, with food cooked on the fire pit. Timings for this event are 11 am to 3pm.

Normal admission charges apply, tickets £5 per child, bushcraft event on 28 August £12 per child.

Booking recommended on 08442 491895.

Quebec House: Mrs Wolfe’s recipes

Every Sunday, 1 pm to 4 pm.

Ever tasted potato pudding or lemon drops? Go to Quebec House to see the recreation of Mrs Wolfe’s 18th century recipes.

Normal admission charges apply.

South Foreland Lighthouse: The Big Dig at the Lighthouse

Daily from Wednesday 29 July to Sunday 9 August, 11 am to 4 pm.

Discover the hidden archaeology of the lighthouse on a big dig when volunteers from Up on the Downs and Canterbury Archaeological Trust will be running a major excavation in the grounds of South Foreland Lighthouse. Go along and have a look at their progress and hear about their latest discoveries. You’ll also be able to try your hand at archaeology yourself by booking a trench tour on 1 and 2 August.

Free event, booking essential for trench tours on 01304 853281.

East Sussex

Bateman’s: First World War weekend

Daily between Saturday 1 August and Sunday 2 August, 11 am to 5 pm.

Re-enactments, an encampment with ammunition store, a large model First World War aeroplane, mess tent and more.

Normal admission charges apply.

Birling Gap: Frog Firle open day

Sunday7 June, 10.30 am to 3.30 pm.

Explore Frog Firle, a traditional Sussex farm, on the family open day. This is a day of farmland crafts, traditional farmer’s games like welly wanging, walks and activities before enjoying a cream tea in the barn. You’ll also discover the history of the farm and the wildlife secrets of the floodplain ditches and the chalk grassland of Cradle Valley.

Free event.

Birling Gap: Beach picnic

Saturday 4 July, 6 to 8 pm.

Celebrate all things coastal with a fun evening of family activities on this beautiful beach. Dig out your picnic blanket, bring a picnic or a barbecue and join in with the free family games and wild art activities (please remember disposable barbecues must be raised above the shingle beach and placed in the barbeque bin in the car park at the end of the evening).

Free event.

Birling Gap: Pond dipping and bug hunting at Frog Firle

Friday 24 July, 2 pm to 4 pm.

Go and find crazy creatures on this family fun bug day.

Tickets £3 per person, booking essential on 01323 423197.

Birling Gap: Gayles Farm open day

Saturday 5 September, 1 pm to 5 pm.

Celebrate the National Trust’s newest spot with an afternoon of family fun.

Free event.

Bodiam Castle: Midsummer Dragon Festival

Friday 19 June, from 6 pm.

Bodiam Castle is celebrating midsummer with a special evening where you can meet Dragon experts, Alchemy, as well as some of their fiery charges, and enjoy a summer evening of telling tales round the bonfire. Become a knight in armour and see if you are brave enough to slay a dragon or try on one of our dresses and be a princess. There are also dragon masks to be made so you can join in with the dragon parade from the castle at the end of the evening.

Tickets £10 per adult and £8 per child, under 2s free. Booking not necessary.

Bodiam Castle: Midsummer celebrations

Saturday 20 June and Sunday 21 June, 11 am to 4 pm.

Lots of fun on this weekend as the National Trust celebrates Midsummer with a wealth of dragon activities, including storytelling and a dragon’s parade.

Normal admission charges apply.

Bodiam Castle: Knights and princesses academy

Every Wednesday and Thursday from Thursday 29 July to Thursday 27 August, 10.30 am to 4.30 pm.

Are you brave enough to become a knight or princess of Bodiam Castle? With our 45 minute academy you’ll receive all the training you need from sword fighting for the knights to dancing and deportment for the princesses. You will also get to try on some pieces from our costume and armour collection.

Normal admission charges apply. All tickets £6.50 per person.

Booking essential on 01580 831324.

Bodiam Castle: Lammas celebration

Saturday 1 August, 11 am to 4 pm.

The National Trust will be kicking off its summer of Building Bodiam with Lammas, the medieval festival of wheat harvest. They’ll be lots to do as it tries out the bread oven built last year, and back by popular demand, the sheep chase with a twist.

Normal admission charges apply.

Bodiam Castle: Building Bodiam

Daily during the month of August, 10.30 am to 4 pm.

This summer, the National Trust be transforming Bodiam from a ruin to a building site as medieval craftsmen take up residence and demonstrate the building of Bodiam. This month long programme showcases a range of medieval craftsmen at work, carrying out activities such as wood turning, tile making and ironwork. Many of the crafts will use original medieval techniques, some of which haven’t been seen for hundreds of years.

Normal Admission charges apply. Different craftsmen will be onsite each week during the month long event.

Sheffield Park and Garden: Children’s picture perfect photography workshops

Saturday 6 June and Saturday 13 June, 10 am to 12 pm.

Bring your budding photographers along to learn how to frame the perfect picture. These workshops are aimed at beginners, ages 8 to 12 years. Includes squash and biscuit for children, additional refreshments available from our tearoom.

Normal admission charges apply, tickets £12 per person.

Booking essential on 01825 790231.

Sheffield Park and Garden: 50 things summer challenge

Daily from Thursday 23 July to Tuesday 1 September.

Join us for a changing timetable of weekly workshops including tree climbing, wild art, den building, pond dipping and raft building. Self led activities are available every day, and tracker packs and maps can be collected from the marquee.

Normal admission charges apply, activities from £3.50 Booking recommended on 01825 790231.

Sheffield Park and Garden: Sunflower trail

Daily from Thursday 23 July to Tuesday 1 September.

Pick up a trail sheet from our marquee and learn all about the different varieties planted around the garden during this celebration of sunflowers.

Normal admission charges apply.

Sheffield Park and Garden: Cricket fixtures

Matches take place most weekends through the summer. Check online for details of dates, times and fixtures.

Cricket has been played at Sheffield Park for over 160 years and the tradition lives on today. Bring your picnic, pick a spot around the pitch and relax to the sound of leather on willow as you take in a game of local cricket at our historic ground.

Normal admission charges apply.

Cricket matches are weather dependant and may run for longer or shorter lengths of time than advertised due to the nature of the sport.

Standen: Super summer

Daily from Thursday 22 July to Wednesday 2 September, 11 am to 4 pm.

Enjoy a range of fun 50 things family activities on selected dates, or try a trail through the house or garden available every day.

Normal admission charges apply, small charge for some activities. House and garden trails each £1 per person with prizes!

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