There is now a long six weeks ahead for parents as the summer holidays start and youngsters want to make the most of their time off school.
Two major visitor attractions in Leicestershire may have the answer to fill some days out with fun the whole family can enjoy.
At Conkers, in Moira, Sooty and his friends will be stopping by for a visit and have decided to put on some shows while they are there.
Presented by Danny Rogers, Sooty, Sweep, Soo and their friends will be performing their entertainment and magic show in the covered amphitheatre at Conkers, on Monday, August 21.
Chris Sturdy, regional operations manager at Conkers, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Sooty and his friends for their debut performance at Conkers.
"We’re sure that there will be lots of fun, excitement and Sooty’s famous magic tricks to keep the family entertained.”
The Sooty Show is included within the general admission price and visitors should book for the show on arrival at Conkers Discovery Centre. Shows will run until September 3.
There will be plenty of other things going on at Conkers throughout the six weeks.
Conkers will be treating visitors to a range of events, live shows, performances and activities this summer.
Highlights include an acrobatics show, bubble pop, Punch and Judy, clown shows, Lollipop ponies, Sublime Science, animal encounters, storytelling and Ranger activities such as survival training, bush craft, pond dipping, construction derby and sensory art.
There are also 120 acres to explore at the Conkers site including indoor and outdoor play, high and low ropes with a climbing wall, and the new 4D cinema.
More information is available by visiting the Conkers website at www.visitconkers.com or by calling 01283 216633.
Anyone with a love of animals may also want to head over to Twycross Zoo which has a programme of events for all ages throughout the summer holidays.
This includes the Summer Zoo Club which offers activities for children between the ages of eight and 14.
The experienced discovery and learning team welcome children into the zoo to take part in arts and crafts activities, animal health checks and animal toy building.
Children will also have the chance to learn about the importance of wildlife conservation, zoo ethics and world habitats.
The Zoo Club will take place from 9am to 4.30pm until September 1, however 'wrap around care' which extends from 8.30am to 5.30pm is available for busy parents. Children can either drop in just for a day, or spend the week at the zoo.
Twycross Zoo also offers Zooniversity for animal enthusiastic teenagers, aged between 15 and 18 year olds. It runs from Monday to Friday, August 21 to 25 and is aimed at young adults interested in conservation, captive breeding and veterinary science.
The week-long experience will leave children with a clear understanding of the zoo’s role and how it helps protect endangered animals.
For those who enjoy live music, the whole family can join the zoo on Saturday evenings until August 12 for the Summer Sundown evenings.
It will be showcasing local bands with each evening focusing on different genre from rock, pop and jazz to funk and soul. The evenings will start at 5pm and finish at 8.30pm, parking is free and there are reduced cost £5 entry tickets.
Families visiting on a hot and sunny day can take advantage of Wet ‘n’ Wild water play. The area allows children to splash around near the penguin pen and is open every day throughout summer. In addition, there are food outlets located nearby with places to sit down and rest.
The importance of invertebrate life in the ecosystem is often ignored. However, this summer Twycross Zoo is holding the BIAZA Big Bug Bonanza which celebrates creepy crawlies through a multitude of activities, such as bug handling, bug hunting and honey tasting.
The zoo aims to encourage positive behaviour towards invertebrates with a programme all day every day between August 7 and 11.
Family fun
Claire Oldham, the zoo's director of discovery and learning, said: “There’s so much fun for all ages throughout summer here at Twycross Zoo; not just in the day time, but also on a number of evenings throughout the summer. As a modern and sustainable zoo, we are keen to educate our visitors about what we do.
“We believe that it is very important to engage with and inspire the younger generations, with the like of Zoo Club and Zooniversity, as they will be the ones protecting our animals from extinction in the future.
“In addition, there are a number of zoo babies for visitors to come and see. We have recently welcomed endangered snow leopard twins, two critically endangered Bornean orangutans and a Northern white cheeked gibbon baby, so there is plenty to see and do every day.”
Towards the end of the summer, visitors can also head to an outdoor cinema evening at Twycross Zoo with a showing of Disney’s The Jungle book (2016 version).
Twycross Zoo is open to the public from 10am to 6pm.
More information about Zoo Club and other events is available by emailing bookings@twycrosszoo.org , calling 0844 474 1777, or visiting www.twycrosszoo.org .
