BY MATT HILL
A is for art
Every Sunday between 3pm and 4.30pm, Venice’s Peggy Guggenheim Collection holds fun workshops for artistic under-10s. The result? Contented kids, relaxed parents and some new modern-art masterpieces. Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, 701 Dorsoduro, tel: +39 (0)41 240 5401, www.guggenheim-venice.it
B is for the beach
Le Bombarde beach, just outside Alghero, is perfect for families, with golden sands, a clear sea and shallow pools to explore. Hire bikes from the town centre and make a day of it. Cicloexpresss, kiosk on Via Garibaldi in front of the port, tel: +39 (0)79 986950, www.cicloexpress.com
C is for childhood
Nostalgic for oldies and fun for kids, Edinburgh’s Museum of Childhood has everything from teddies to arcade games – no wonder it’s the world’s noisiest museum! 42 High Street, Royal Mile, tel: +44 (0)131 529 4142, www.edinburgh.gov.uk
D is for Dairyland
A fun day out based around cows? Pull the udder one! Newquay’s Dairyland Farm World offers farmyard fun, including a Pat the Pet area, pony rides, mini tractors, a milking barn, delicious cream teas and a nature trail. If it rains, the indoor Bull Pen playground will keep the kids entertained. Moosic to parents’ ears (alright, stop milking it!). A3058, near Newquay, tel: +44 (0)1872 510246, www.dairylandfarmworld.com
E is for education
Dudley Zoo ticks all the boxes for a fun, educational day out. There’s wildlife (natural history), an 11th-century castle (history) and a cable car (science). Oh, and it’s 26km from Birmingham (geography). 2 The Broadway, Dudley, West Midlands, tel: +44 (0)1384 215313, www.dudleyzoo.org.uk
F is for fishing
A few hours on the Anna II fishing boat off the Jersey coast and you’ll be hooked! Rods, tackle, bait, tea, coffee and the skipper’s 30 years of experience are all included. Pontoon A29, La Collette Marina, St Helier, tel: +44 (0)1534 888552, www.fishingjersey.co.uk
G is for Grand Prix
An hour from Belfast, Formula Karting is the largest indoor karting track in Europe. With cadet karts for budding Jenson Buttons (eight to 12 year olds) and plenty for spectators, everyone’s a winner! Unit 4, Greenbank Business Centre, Warrenpoint Road, Newry, Co Down, tel: +44 (0)28 3026 6220, www.formula-karting.com
H is for heights
Don’t have a head for heights? Grab a family ticket for Le Pic du Jer funicular and conquer your fear in Lourdes, home of miraculous healings. You’ll thank us when you see the Pyrénées from 1,000m up. Re-opens for the year on 5 February, tel: +33 (0)5562 940 041, www.picdujer.fr
I is for indoor excitement
Perpignan’s frantic but fun Magic Park is great for rainy days. With ball pools, slides and bouncy castles, the kids will do a rain dance every day in the hope of going back! Salle des Festivités du Parc des Expositions, tel: +33 (0)6 6278 2065, www.mairie-perpignan.fr
J is for Jeux
A trip to Planète Jeux, Toulouse’s best video-game arcade, will keep teenagers happy for hours, or at least until their coins run out and it’s “game over” for the day. 10 Boulevard de Strasbourg, tel: +33 (0)5 3441 4980.
L is for the Little Train
All aboard for a 45-minute tour of Bastia’s beauty spots, including the Citadel and the old port, on the town’s tiny train. Pick up the ride opposite the tourist office. St Nicolas Square, Bastia, www.bastia-tourisme.com
M is for miniatures
If the thought of going round every Barcelona attraction with the kids leaves you weak, head to Catalunya en Miniatura to see mini versions of every city landmark in one day. Torrelles de Llobregat, tel: +34 93 689 0960, www.catalunyaenminiatura.com
N is for National Football Museum
Head to Preston’s National Football Museum, 48km from Manchester, to share World Cup highs (see the ball from the 1966 final) and lows (cower at Maradona’s “hand of God” shirt) with young fans. Sir Tom Finney Way, Preston, tel: +44 (0)1772 908 442, www.nationalfootballmuseum.com
O is for ocean life
Take a dip in the marine scene at the smashing, splashing MundoMar Aquatic Park, 30 minutes from Alicante. You’ll have a whale of a time as you meet dolphins, seals and fish galore. Sierra Helada s/n, Rincón de Loix, Benidorm, tel: +34 96 586 0100, www.mundomar.es
P is for the park
With an open-air theatre (children’s shows every Wednesday), play areas, a film museum and a café serving pancakes, Amsterdam’s Vondelpark on the southern edge of the city is great for a break from the streets and the open space is ideal for little ones to have a run about. Tel: +31 (0)20 678 1678, www.vondelpark.nl
Q is for quiet
Whisper it: the American Library in Paris is a great way to find some peace and quiet in this busy city. Children’s workshops, storytelling sessions and internet access will keep youngsters occupied while you explore the huge collection of the largest English-language lending library in Europe. 10 rue du Général Camou, tel: +33 (0)1 5359 1260, www.americanlibraryinparis.org
R is for rafting
You’re guaranteed to make a splash with the family by taking them on a rafting adventure down Geneva’s Arve river with Rafting.ch. It’s safe and relatively sedate, but with six waterfalls to negotiate there’s still plenty to keep everyone occupied! 8 Quai des Vernets, Les Accacias, tel: +41 (0)79 301 4140, www.rafting.ch
S is for skirmish
Competitive siblings can let off steam and a few rounds of paint at Cardiff’s Taskforce Skirmish. The 30-acre paintball site features a village, bridges and even a helicopter, while junior GIs can make enemies in the 11 to 16 age group. Cowbridge, Cardiff, tel: +44 (0)29 2059 3900, www.taskforcepaintball.co.uk
T is for toys
While kids while away the hours with their toys, dads spend equal amounts of time wondering how these nifty bits of plastic are made. Keep everyone happy with a trip to Malta’s Playmobil Funpark, where you can see the toys being made. HF80 Industrial Estate, Hal Far, tel: +356 22 242445, www.playmobilmalta.com
U is for underground fun
Nottingham’s Broadmarsh Shopping Centre is great for shopaholics, but if you’d prefer an adventure, descend into the City of Caves, located on the mall’s upper level. The Anglo-Saxon tunnels make for a great day out – or should that be in? Collin Street, tel: +44 (0)115 988 1955, www.cityofcaves.com
V is for the views
On a clear day, passengers on the Benalmádena Cable Railway in Malaga can see Africa. And, after the stunning “flight” to the top of Mount Calamorro, you can even witness some stunning fliers, with a birds-of-prey demonstration. Explanada Tivoli s/n, Arroyo de la Miel, Benaládena, tel: +33 902 190482, www.visitcostadelsol.com
W is for Water
One of Europe’s biggest water parks, Aqualand El Arenal in Mallorca, has a slide for every family member. Wind down the Congo River, drop into the Black Hole or set the pulse racing on Anaconda (just make sure your swimming costume is fully secured!). Palma-Arenal Motorway, exit 13, km 15, El Arenal, tel: +33 971 440000, www.aqualand.es,.
X is for X Factor
You just can’t escape the X Factor stars, so quit boring younger family members with your knowledge of 1980s rock and embrace their love of the talent show. The X Factor Live Tour is coming to Birmingham, Cardiff, Nottingham, Manchester Belfast and Glasgow. www.xfactor.itv.com/2009/live-tour.htm
Y is for yachting
Oysterhaven Bay, 30 minutes from Cork, is a beautiful location for sailing and beginners are well catered for at the Oysterhaven Centre, where a range of activities will keep the whole family happy. Oysterhaven, Kinsale, tel: +353 (0)21 477 0738, www.oysterhaven.com
Z is for zoo boat
It’s not quite Noah’s Ark, but do you really want to share a river ride with lions and tigers? Play it safe and travel along Prague’s Vltava River on a boat trip with Fun in Prague, which includes a stop off at the zoo. 12 Michalská, tel: +420 242 480797, www.funinprague.eu/boats
