On safari, Wiltshire
Within earshot of the roars, hoots and howls emitted from the safari park, Longleat has turned a spare field into a campsite for the summer, for families who fancy a safari-style break in deepest Wiltshire. Its "Octopads" have wooden walls and floors and a canvas roof, and come with a double bed and two singles. There are also bell tents with four camp beds.
Available 30 July-26 August, for two- or three-night packages, from £200, including tickets to the park for two adults and two children (01985 844400, longleat.co.uk)
Sea-kayaking, Highlands
For a real family adventure, Wilderness Scotland offers a four-day small group sea-kayaking trip around the Sound of Arisaig off the west coast of Scotland. Kids must be aged 10 and over, and you'll be with a few other families in a small group, where you get tuition, a guide, accommodation in family-friendly inns and most meals.
Trips on 18 July, 23 August, from £465pp (0131-625 6635, wildernessscotland.com)
Ping pong, London
Whether it's the fact that, as Boris Johnson put it, "ping pong's coming home" for the 2012 Olympics, or that the game is having a fashion moment (lots of trendy east London bars doing nights; Damon Albarn plays), but come July, London will be hosting a summer of table-tennis events. Ping! will see 100 tables planted in top tourist spots around the capital between 24 July and 22 August, including Tate Modern, Soho Square, Heathrow airport and even (hallelujah!) the Guardian's HQ, Kings Place, in King's Cross. Bats and balls will be supplied (until they walk) and there will be lots of events, including classes.
Ice-cream vans, Coventry
Who doesn't have a Pavlovian reaction to the tinny chimes of Greensleeves? Ever since the 20s, children have begged cash from their parents and dashed into the street to buy a scoop from the ice-cream van (or Hokey Pokey vans as they used to be called). Even earlier, cones came from handcarts and "stop me and buy one" tricycles. Early examples of all these, plus old photos depicting the history of the industry, go on display in July at Coventry Transport Museum.
19 July-26 September (024-7623 4270, transport-museum.com)
Underage driving, Surrey
The famous Brooklands motor-racing track and airfield in Woking became a proper holiday destination for petrolheads earlier this year with the opening of the Brooklands Hotel, right beside the famous course. Also on site, the Brooklands Museum is home to a large collection of biplanes, jets, 20s racing cars and motorcycles. Kids can have a go in the Concorde flight simulator in which the supersonic jet's pilots trained. Afterwards, they can visit the Mercedes-Benz World attraction, pictured below, which offers off-road driving classes in real cars. The contemporary-feel hotel has simple but stylish rooms and a spa.
From £220 a night for two adults and a child, including breakfast and a child's 30-minute off-road driving class (01932 335700, brooklandshotelsurrey.com)
Crab-fishing, Cornwall
The posh Lugger Hotel in the fishing village of Portloe used to ban children (the meanies). New managers have done away with the rule and are encouraging families to stay. There is plenty for them to do: crabbing from the rocks just outside the hotel (which provides the lines), picnicking on the beaches, and visiting the Eden Project and Lost Gardens of Heligan.
Rooms for two adults and one child £140 in July from Sunday to Thursday (01872 501322, luggerhotel.co.uk)
Free open-air films, Manchester
Plonking the kids in front of a DVD is a bit of a cop-out when the Screenfields festival in Manchester, which shows free films in an open-air venue, is launching a Family Friendly Film Festival this summer. Films are shown every Saturday through the school holidays at 11am at the Spinningfields development off Deansgate. The flicks include Hannah Montana: The Movie on 24 July, Up on 31 July, Madagascar on 14 August, High School Musical on 21 August and Fantastic Mr Fox on 28 August. No need to book.
Family boot camp, Norfolk
It may sound like the sort of holiday you'd only get in Texas, for strict parents who want to tame their tearaway teens, but a "boutique boot camp" organiser, which has until now specialised in weight-loss breaks for women, is branching out with a camp for families with teenagers. No 1 Bootcamp lays on fitness training by Royal Marine and Royal Navy instructors, in the form of games, exercises and motivational talks to encourage participants to shape up and learn about healthy eating, in pretty seaside and countryside settings.
The course lasts three, five or seven days from 17 July, and is for 14-year-olds and over. A week's course costs £1,450 for one adult and one child (020-8502 1144, no1bootcamp.com)
Festival Babysitting, nationwide
Unless you're Kate Moss with infinite stamina and money for childcare – children can pretty much spell the end of your party days. But if you just can't live without that summer weekend at a festival, what do you do with the kids? Step forward Boutique Babysitting, a team of childcare professionals working this year's big events. Two tents – for two-to-four-year-olds, and for five-to-eight-year-olds – look after children in four-hour slots, occupying them with dressing-up boxes, dance floor areas and a "studio" for jamming sessions.
£12 an hour, Latitude, Camp Bestival, the Big Chill festival, Serenata festival (boutiquebabysitting.com)
Harvest at Jimmy's, Suffolk
For a festival that's more about sausage and mash than mash-ups, that Pied Piper of wholesomeness, Jimmy from the TV show Jimmy's Farm, celebrates his second Harvest at Jimmy's festival at his Suffolk farm this September. Soggy noodles are definitely not on the menu; instead there's a River Cottage Canteen, a pop-up from London restaurant Konstam and demos by top chefs including Mark Hix. Bands include the Futureheads and the Hoosiers, with gardening workshops and den building in the woods adding to the kid-friendly fun.
11-12 September, adult day tickets £32.50, weekend tickets with camping, £85. Weekend tickets for children six-17 £35, younger ones free (020-729 27121 harvestatjimmys.com)
