The countdown is on! School holidays are on the horizon, and we know just how tricky it can be when you’ve got teens and tweens to entertain for five weeks! If you’re scratching your head for ideas for days out with older children in Hertfordshire that don’t involve TikTok, the X-box, or staring at a screen, we’re here to help. We’ve got adventures, action-packed days out and things that even the trickiest of teens and tweens will enjoy.
Atria Watford
Show us a teen or tween who isn’t interested in one of the following – shopping, eating, the cinema, or bowling…We’ll wait. At Atria Watford you’ve got the choice of over 200 favourite high street brands, stacks of spots to dine out, and even a Cineworld, so you can treat the kids, before relaxing with dinner and a movie night. Shopping, movies and dinner – it sounds like everyone’s a winner. But if you feel like taking things up a notch, the on-site Hollywood Bowl offers the perfect chance for you to impress them with your bowling skills, or maybe just sit back and let them score a few strikes.
More fun in Watford
Looking for something a little more adrenaline-fueled? We hear you. Boom Battle Bar in Watford is perfect for teens hoping to try out something new, from shuffleboard, to Crazier golf (think catapults, loops and conveyors), and even augmented reality darts! For the clue-seekers and problem-solvers, Escape Hunt has you covered. Take on one of the escape room challenges, testing out your family team-working skills on one of the exciting problem-solving missions. Remember, team work makes the dream work.
The Snow Centre
We’re on a roll with the adventures as our next spot is the UK’s largest indoor lesson ski slope, so if you’ve got a snow bunny in the making, this is the place to bring them. Let them try out their skills on the 160m main slope, that’s always a brisk -2 degrees (that beats air conditioning), or book them in for lessons in snowboarding or skiing to get their confidence up, and ready to rival Eddie the Eagle (you may need to explain that reference to them).
Roller City
“And we rollin’, rollin’”, we’re rolling right over to Campus West in Welwyn Garden City with this one as the Roller Skate Disco sessions provide family-friendly skating that’s perfect for getting everyone up on their feet. Bring along some friends, hire some skates, and get ready for a laugh. Once you’ve skated to your heart’s content, Humphrey’s Lounge is there to provide you with all the sustenance, and coffee, you need to get back out on eight wheels.
Paradise Wildlife Park
If you’ve got a budding zookeeper in the family, Paradise Wildlife Park’s zookeeper experiences are the perfect way to give them a taster session. The Junior Zookeeper Experience is great for kids aged 9-13, with the chance to shadow a real keeper as they let you in on just what it what it takes to care for all of those animals. While the Shadow a Zookeeper experiences, suitable for those aged 14+, offer the chance to get involved in enclosure cleaning, food preparation and even the watching the Big Cat Feed.
Get active at The Grove
Book your football-lover into the Grove’s two-day Football Escape and we can guarantee they’ll love it far more than playing FIFA 23. With first-class training with former Premier League players and UEFA coaches, it really doesn’t get much better than this. Better yet, you can even add a couple of extras to their stay, with archery, laser clay shooting and cycling all on offer. But if your teen is more of a golfing great than a football fan, The Grove Junior Open 2023 could be just the thing to help put their skills to the test on the Grove’s luxury course.
At Home Farm
This summer, At Home Farm will be playing host to Giffords Circus, a spectacular vintage village green circus that offers an unforgettable experience for the whole family. Expect a side-splitting show, brought to you by comedy genius Cal McCrystal, whose big fans include rock stars and A-listers. Expect acrobatics, jugglers, horses, musicians, dancers and a production to rival a West End show right in the heart of the beautiful Herts countryside.