Top Kids' Attractions In Kent

The English county of Kent offers some of the country's most popular national tourist attractions and boasts a fantastic location. As a midway point between London and the continent, Kent has always been a popular area for both tourists and English nationals as it is fiercely British but has continental influences and a large amount of attractions and land forms.

Like much of the British Southern coast, the area is well-known for its rustic and traditional English seaside resorts, gardens and coastline. Indeed because of its abundance of orchards and hop gardens it is widely regarded as "The Garden of England" and the South Downs are just one example of Kent's picturesque areas. Such beautiful landscape means it is great for family outings like nature rambling, wildlife spotting and hiking, as it's light exercise and a fantastic way to enjoy and see the countryside and spend quality time with each other.

In addition to the inshore areas of Kent, the county's coastal regions are home to many towns and the traditions that come with English seaside resorts. Many of these old-fashioned English customs are great for kids; coconut-shies, magic shows and Punch and Judy performances for example. For slightly older kids, the fairground rides, pedalos, watersports, funhouses and circuses can be great ways to really enjoy the Summer months. Many of these towns also offer piers, sweet shops and typically British food outlets and cafes selling fresh fish and chips and other traditional fayre.

Apart from offering a typically British beach holiday, Kent also has towns and cities of interest such as Dover and Canterbury. Dover is famously home to the White Cliffs; an international landmark and stunning piece of coastline. Dover is a bustling town, although mostly used as a through-pass to France, is ever becoming a fantastic English holiday destination, especially for families with young children. In Dover alone there are a variety of things to do, apart from enjoying the scenery. Dover Castle is fantastic for young ones, as it offers a labyrinth of secret wartime tunnels, medieval rooms and an underground hospital to explore and educationally learn a bit about the area's history too. In a similar vein, Kent is home to a lot of Roman ruins, and museums allowing you to dress up as Romans, see their beautifully restored mosaics and generally experience Roman ways of life.

In Canterbury there is also a Canterbury Tales attraction with medieval settlements, historical themed shows and attractions and interactive characters such as knights and princesses, For a more light-hearted treat, Howletts Wild Animal Park is a fantastic facility with hundreds of the world's most interesting species, including the largest family group of Gorilla's in captivity. The area is also home to lots of special outdoor music festivals, Summer festivals and regattas. Dover also holds Teddy Bears' Picnic events for younger children to enjoy.

As weather predictions for this year look good, with meteorologists promising it to be the Summer of the barbeque, Britain's coastal tourism areas look set to enjoy a booming peak season. Whether you enjoy the facilities of a holiday park or stay in a traditional B&B, your children will enjoy all that the English seaside has to offer.