Summer Boredom Busters

hands-on science exhibits that demonstrates the basic mechanics that make them work. There’s lots more hands-on fun in the Roald Dahl Children’s Gallery where you will find exhibits inspired by Roald Dahl’s wonderful children’s stories. There’s a café, shop and garden too! For more information, opening times and ticket prices visit: discoverbucksmuseum.org

In July and August, bring the whole family for a jam-packed day out at Waddesdon. Throughout the school holidays, enjoy a range of fun activities included with your admission ticket to their Summer of Play. Get active playing rounders, have the chance to hold a bird of prey, learn how to juggle, listen to storytelling and much more! New for 2023, pick up a delicious soft serve ice cream from the Woodland Takeaway or head to the Stables and tuck into homemade pizza. For something extra special, book tickets for one of their family theatre shows or spend the day at the ever-popular Chilli Fest. Chilli Fest runs from 1 – 3 September and, this year, the Friday is focused on family fun. Titan the Robot, who was featured on Britain’s Got Talent, will be performing and it’s sure to be a favourite! Find out more at: waddesdon.org.uk/summer-holidays

This summer Discover Bucks Museum in Aylesbury is hosting a wonderfully humorous, hands-on exhibition combining art, science and engineering which will delight visitors of all ages. Mechanics Alive! celebrates the fascinating world of automata (beautifully hand-crafted mechanical sculptures) and displays them alongside

Step back in time at Chiltern Open Air Museum. They have a jam-packed schedule of events this summer. Every Tuesday in August is a Terrific Tuesday with themed family crafts, activities and hands on clay. There are historical reenactments every weekend throughout August including Tudors, Victorians and Vikings. There’s lots to explore on the 45-acre site such as the new adventure playground, a working farm with sheep, cows, goats and chickens, gardens and lots of old buildings to go inside such as a 1940’s post-war home, Iron Age roundhouse, a cottage built from earth and a furniture factory. Visit: coam.org.uk for full details.

Head to Missenden Abbey in Great Missenden on Sunday 16th July for their annual Summer Fair.

Visitors can enjoy a wide range of activities and entertainment including tombola, crafts and gifts stalls, food, kids rides and inflatables, live music and dancing, facepainting a spitfire flyover and much more! Book your tickets online: missendenabbey.co.uk

Join the education team for a Summer Family Nature Day at Amersham Field Centre on Wednesday 26th July. Explore the grounds, look for wildlife, follow the nature trail to find the clues and make some nature crafts. Discover what lives beneath the surface of the pond by doing some pond dipping. This is an event for families with children of any age, 10.30am-3pm. To book, call: 01306 734501 or email: enquiries.am@fieldstudies-council.org. More dates and nature activities will be confirmed soon, please see their website for more dates and events: field-studies-council.org

Children’s drama school Perform is hosting London’s first ever children’s theatre festival this summer in Coram’s Fields, Bloomsbury. This six-week festival features professional actors across four musicals, two of which are original productions. Shows run daily from 22nd July to 28th August. The line-up includes The Three Billy Goats Gruff, a smash hit musical adventure for 2-7 year olds. For 3-8 year olds, Elephant and Piggie’s We are in a Play! will be staged, based on Mo Willems’ wonderful books. Perform’s brandnew Caribbean adventure, Mermaids & Pirates, will be presented for ages 4-11. Finally, for ages 7-14, another original show from Perform, The Dream, inspired by Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, rebooted for a new generation. As well as these four fantastic musicals for children aged 2-14, there are special guest evening events for teens plus a charming all-day café and, of course, all the usual child-centred delights of Coram’s Fields. Tickets start at £14.50. Visit performinthepark.uk for more information and to book tickets.

Brilli-ANT: How someone small changed a big story. A new immersive exhibition at The Story Museum in Oxford takes you inside the world of an anthill to find out what happened next after Aesop’s Fable of the Ant and the Grasshopper. Whilst the Grasshopper sang his songs, the ants stored up their supplies for winter but now climate change is threatening their ordered world. Brilli-ANT is designed to give children practical ways to tackle climate change in an engaging and thoughtprovoking way, without making them feel like the weight of the world is on their shoulders. There are also Story Explorer workshops throughout the summer plus two LEGO master builder events in August. For more information and to book visit storymuseum.org.uk

Join in the Big Friendly Summer at the Roald Dahl Museum. There’s a huge range of BFG themed events and activities between Thursday 20th July and Sunday 3rd September, including BFG story-telling, arts and crafts such as ‘Build a BFG’, ‘Clay Snozzcumbers’ and ‘Create a Dream Jar.’

From Friday 28th to Sunday 30th July, Waterperry Festival are bringing their much-celebrated musical rendition of Revolting Rhymes to the Museum’s courtyard. On 3rd, 17th and 31st August, stretch your legs and explore the picture-perfect village of Great Missenden, the place that inspired so many of the stories. Follow in the BFG’s footsteps as you walk up the High Street, take a peek at the building that inspired Sophie’s orphanage and take a peek at Giant Country. To book,

Odds Farm Park near Beaconsfield turns up the heat with a Festival of Fun this summer.

The Festival of Fun kicks off on Saturday 22th July and runs through until Sunday 3rd September. There’s a fun-filled line up ready for guests including live entertainment, summer games and carnival-themed crafts every day during school holidays. Daily discos, outdoor summer games and plenty of ice cream to cool down in the warm weather. Visitors can also make a splash in the H2Odds water play area this summer. With over 500 square metres of water play, children can work together to move water through a series of pumps, channels, rivulets, wheels and gates across 80 metres of channels, streams and pools. And with two donkey foals and seven calves born in May this year, there will be plenty of baby animals too. To book, visit: oddsfarm.co.uk

Tring Natural History Museum is home to over 4,900 specimens, spread over six galleries. Book a Man and the Museum Tour and discover the history of Walter Rothschild and the stories behind the specimens at Tring. Tactile Explorer events provide blind and partially sighted children with the opportunity to get hands on with real Museum specimens. From 25th July to 31st August uncover the fascinating world of insects and discover what makes them so unique. On 2nd August discover, handle, create and identify fossils at the Fossil Fascination event. Entry to the museum is free but it’s recommended to pre-book your ticket which visitors can do online at: nhm.ac.uk.

Based largely in a medieval hall house, Amersham Museum explores life in the town in 1580, 1775, 1892, 1939 and 1964. Sit at the Tudor dinner table, relax in the 1930’s living room, or listen to stories in Ron Haddock’s 1960’s record shop. Visit the changing exhibition programme, join a guided walk, take part in an activity session, or wander through a medicinal herb garden. For opening times, visit: amershammuseum.org

For more summer holiday ideas, see What’s On from page 26.