Best beaches in the UK and Europe: readers’ travel tips
Recently, Bournemouth was rated the UK’s best beach by TripAdvisor but our tipsters prefer quieter sands, picking favourites from Ireland to southern Italy
Top 20 family summer holidays in Europe
Want sea, sandcastles, adventure, a city break, camping, just a pool? We pick holidays across Europe to keep everyone, from tiny tots to sulky teens, in a sunny mood
City safari: overnight with wolves and monkeys in Bristol
A stay at a new wildlife centre offers families a mini safari experience – with monkeys, a night-time wolf expedition and breakfast with giraffes
Take the kids to … Western Approaches, Liverpool War Museum
A reopened secret wartime bunker that was used by Churchill and staffed by WRNS and WAAF personnel offers an educational day out – and the cheapest cup of tea in the land
Take the kids to … the Lost Gardens of Heligan, Cornwall
This rediscovered garden wonderland has woodland trails, fun sculptures and an adventure playground to explore this half-term
Take the kids to … Aerospace Bristol
Boarding Concorde takes pride of place at this extensive new museum dedicated to Bristol’s role in aviation history
Cycling the North York Moors – a galaxy on my doorstep
Looking for an adventure with a cosmic feel, our writer reckons a new cycling centre in the wonderfully named Great Fryup Dale will fit the bill
Top 10 last-minute half-term holiday deals
Looking for a family break but no time to browse? Our pick of late deals in Europe and further afield will ease the way to a February escape
Take the kids to … the Ragged School Museum, east London
Once a school that provided a free education for destitute children, this museum gives visitors a chance to step back in time – and into the classroom – for a strict Victorian lesson
The Secret Life of 5 Year Olds on Holiday review: at times, more like I’m a Child Get Me Out of Here
It’s Cyprus ahoy for the kids from the Channel 4 show but it’s not all sunshine and water slides, for while there may be chocolate spread for brekkie, there’s also squid and octopus tasting to be done. Yuck, sort of!
Take the kids to … the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Somerset
Chocks Away! This huge, family-friendly museum is packed with jets and helicopters that children can climb into – and an exhibition on women aviators
Take the kids to … Lappa Valley Steam Railway, Cornwall
With miniature steam engines, a special Santa train, a boating lake and a maze, this charming small attraction near Newquay is a great day out for families with younger children
The best Christmas days out 2017
Our pick of great days out this December ranges from skating on London’s rooftops to Santa steam train rides, fairy-lit gardens and carols by candlelight
Creche course: a family skiing holiday in France
With round-the-clock childcare on hand in the quiet, family-friendly village of Ardent, mum and dad get to snowboard some of the best slopes in the French Alps while the kids are entertained back at base
Take the kids to … The Making of Harry Potter, Warner Bros Studio, Leavesden, Herts
This tour of the behind-the-scenes magic that went into transferring JK Rowling’s stories from page to screen will delight fans of the boy wizard, especially at Christmas, but watch out for expensive extras