1 London
Had enough of Christmas schmaltz? Then take the family to the London Dungeon where you can visit Satan's grotto and sing along to horror-themed Christmas carols with the devil or his sidekick Lucy Fur. The impaled elves and roasting robins will appeal to the ghoulish; a sensitive child may be traumatised for life. Pull a prize from the Yucky Dip for £1. Happy anti-Christmas!
Entrance: £14.50, children, £10.95. thedungeons.com, 020-7403 7221. Until Jan 3.
2 Bristol
This year's festive offering at the Old Vic in Bristol - the longest continuously running theatre in the country - comes courtesy of the award-winning author Philip Pullman. His version of the classic Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp stars Danny Worters and is directed by Aletta Collins who was associate director on His Dark Materials at the National.
From £5. Suitable for seven-year-olds up. Until Jan 28. bristol-old-vic.co.uk, 0117 9877877.
3 Yorkshire
Convinced your little darlings are more talented than most? Then enter them into the X-Mas Factor competition at Eureka! The Museum for Children in Halifax (daily from Dec 27-31). They can even exchange the crap present from Auntie Ivy at the Swap Shop. More entertainment is provided by roaming characters including two mischievous fairies, the Festive Frolics (Dec 21), the Dickensian Science Buskers (daily until Dec 23) who perform tricks, and a pair of stilt-walking Jack Frosts (Dec 28-30).
£6.50, £1.95 (1-2 year olds); Saver ticket £27.50 (five people). eureka.org.uk, 01422 330 069.
4 Kent
Diggerland theme park turns into a snow-covered playground each winter with ski runs, a snowboarding park and tobogganing for smaller kids.
£2.50 to Diggerland, plus £5 for an all-day snow pass. £28 for a family of four (must be bought 2 days in advance). <a href="http://www.thesnowpark.co.uk, diggerland.com. Until March 27.
5 Scotland
The Cairngorm Reindeer Centre looks after the only reindeer herd in Britain. Visits to the herd are made at 11am every day when children can pat and feed the animals. Some of the herd are currently making a guest appearance at the Reindeer Garden in the centre of Edinburgh (pictured), open until Dec 23.
Adults £8, children £4; family ticket £20. reindeer-company.demon.co.uk, 01479 861228.
