Give the kids a break...

IT’S Bank Holiday weekend already and the kids start school again in just over a week’s time so why not give them a special treat before they have to get back to books and homework?

Here TRISHA HARBORD gives you some ideas on how to cram in some last-minute family fun.

PORT LYMPNE ANIMAL PARK

IT has the largest breeding herd of Black Rhinos outside Africa as well as Siberian and Indian tigers, African elephants, small cats, monkeys and lions as well as home to the world's largest gorillarium. Enjoy the Kent park and a night away at the three-star Quality Hotel Burlington, Folkestone.

TO GO: Entry to the park and B&B for a family of four sharing a family room costs from £152. See www.superbreak.com or call 01904 644455.

THOMAS LAND

PARP PARP! The fantastic Thomas Land at Drayton Manor Theme Park in Staffs is great for all ages. While older kids can enjoy rides like the 70mph G-Force rollercoaster and the Stormforce 10 water ride, younger ones have more than 12 rides to choose from in their own corner.

Thomas Land boasts Jeremy the Jets Flying Academy, the Troublesome Trucks Roller Coaster and Harold’s Heli Tours which even toddlers will love.

TO GO: Adults £20.50, child £17.50, family ticket £70. See www.drayton manor.co.uk or call 0844 472 1950.

CHESSINGTON WORLD OF ADVENTURES AND ZOO

JAM-PACKED with non-stop fun for all the family. Come face to face with sharks in the new SEA LIFE Centre, ride the breathtaking rollercoasters, and stroll through the zoo at the Surrey park. Kids’ TV sensation SpongeBob SquarePants and his best-friend Patrick Star are making an appearance today and tomorrow.

TO GO: Advance booking, adult £23, child £16, family £78. Stay at the on-site Holiday Inn, tickets and room for family of four from £149. See www.chessington.com

GULLIVER’S WORLD

THE Matlock Bath park set in beautiful Derbyshire countryside is celebrating its 30th birthday. Great for kids, especially under 13s. It has three sister parks—one in Warrington, Cheshire and two in Milton Keynes, Bucks. Each park has themed areas containing rides, attractions, shows, restaurants and shops.

TO GO: Adult and child £9.95. See www.gulliversfun.co.uk

CAMELOT THEME PARK

THIS medieval kingdom near Chorley, Lancs, is celebrating its 25th birthday with summer saver specials. For bravehearts there is the 87ft Knightmare rollercoaster with a G force of 5. There are pink knuckle treats for younger visitors as well as Squire Bumpkin’s farm. Harry Potter fans will love Merlin’s magic school and the whole family can enjoy the jousting. Camelot’s Park Hall hotel is a short stroll away in beautiful woodland.

TO GO: B&B and entry to the park for a family of four costs from £149 per night with 20 percent discount on certain dates. See www.camelotthemepark.co.uk, www. parkhall-hotel.co.uk or call 08716 63 65 65.

BOURNEMOUTH AIR FESTIVAL

HEAR the roar and feel the force with more than 12 hours of displays from August 28 to 31. The thrilling line-up includes the Red Arrows (Friday 3pm, Saturday, noon, and Sunday 3pm) accompanied by an original Folland Gnat jet, the return of the Sea Vixen, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, Royal Navy Black Cats Helicopter Display Team, Team Guinot Wing Walkers and much more!

TO GO: FREE along Bournemouth and Boscombe Piers.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

HUNDREDS of exciting, interactive exhibits. Highlights include Dinosaurs, the ultimate dinosaur exhibition and Mammals with its unforgettable blue whale. Don’t miss The Power Within, offering an “earthquake experience” and Investigate—a new hands-on science centre.

TO GO: FREE. See www.nhm.ac.uk or call 020 7942 5000. Stay at the London Covent Garden Travelodge, rooms from £29. Visit www.travelodge.co.uk

DIG FOR DINOSAURS

SEARCH for dinosaurs tomorrow on a two-hour fossil hunt along Sandown seafront. With more than 30 miles of Heritage Coastline, the Isle of Wight is famous for its amazing fossil discoveries— most recently a two-inch dinosaur tooth belonging to a fish-eating carnivore which roamed the island 125 million years ago.

TO GO: Book the expedition and see the tooth at Dinosaur Isle. Family ticket £12. See www.dinosaurisle.co.uk

GO APE!

THE award-winning high-wire forest adventure will get you climbing trees, crawling through tunnels, walking planks, swinging like Tarzan and zipping to the ground on slides. There are 17 courses throughout the UK from Stirlingshire to Devon.

TO GO: From £20, but you must be aged 10 plus. www.goape.co.uk or call 0845 643 9215.

WARS OF THE ROSES

SEE the Lancastrians and the Yorkists battle it out in the historical setting of Kenilworth Castle, Warwicks. This event has colour, spectacle, action, adventure and the chance of treachery in high places.

Children will love the idea of spending an action-packed day at the castle.

TO GO: Today and tomorrow, see www. english-heritage.org.uk

COLCHESTER CASTLE MUSEUM

TO mark a 20-year friendship with the Jiangsu province of China, Essex hosts an international arts festival which includes 43 2,000-year-old terracotta figures.

from the Chinese Han Dynasty.

TO GO: Adult £5.20, child £3.40. See www.colchestermuseums.org.uk or call 01206 282939.

BEWILDERWOOD

GREAT traditional outdoor fun and safe play within a natural environment at Wroxham, Norfolk. The new Toddlewood play area allows little ones to run riot in their own adventure playground. Older kids have a whale of a time walking the Treacherous Trail, zooming on zip wires and crossing Scaaary Lake.

TO GO: Under 3s FREE, 3 and 4s £5, Over 5s £10. See www.bewilderwood.co.uk or call 01603 783900.

LEGOLAND

THERE are SEVEN new rides at Legoland Windsor this season. Top of the bill is Land of the Vikings. Along with the thrilling Longboat Invader ride and an attempt to unravel the mysteries of Nordic-themed hedge maze, adventurers can take to the water with the Vikings’ River Splash. Legoland’s wildest, wettest ride yet. Plus there are three great new shows: a tradtional fairytale, a puppet show and the all-action outdoor Revenge of the Aztec Queen. Plus Mole-in-One Mini Golf (extra charge).

TO GO: Under 3s FREE, child £26, adult £35; online £32 and £23. See www. legoland.co.uk or call 0871 2222 001.

LONDON EYE

TODAY the world will watch as Beijing hands over the Olympic flag to London. To celebrate the London Eye will light up red, white and blue, launching the nation’s countdown to 2012. The light show will continue until tomorrow night and on every hour the wheel will sparkle gold in recognition of the British Olympic team’s success in Beijing.

TO GO: Adult £13.95, child £6.95. See www.londoneye.com

PAULTONS PARK

SET in 140 acres on the edge of the New Forest, this Hampshire theme park, celebrating its 25th anniversary, has more than 50 rides and attractions. New are The Sky Swinger that lifts you six metres above the ground and the amazing Floating Globe. Suspended on a jets of water, it weighs 6.5 tonnes but can be turned with the touch of a finger. The Cobra rollercoaster, the Raging River Ride log flume and the Jumping Bean drop ride all remain great favourites.

TO GO: £16, family of four £60. See www.paultonspark.co.uk

WARWICK CASTLE

BUY a ticket during the summer and get a FREE one to go back from October 1 to December 31. Attractions include twice-daily fighting knights, soaring Flight of the Eagles Birds of Prey Show, and an entire castle full of adventure to explore.

TO GO: Adult £17.95, child (4 to 16) £10.95, family ticket £55. See www.warwick-castle.com or 0870 442 2000. (10 percent off on-line).

ZIPPOS CIRCUS

GRAB your maracas and dust down your castanets—Zippos Circus is back with a new family show that pulses to the Spanish beat! Breathtaking high-flying sequences and hilarious clowns, plus jugglers and wire walkers are some of the acts on Peckham Rye Common, SE15, from August 28 to September 2.

TO GO: Adult from £8, child from £6. See www.zipposcircus.co.uk or call 0871 210 2100.

BAT WALKS

TAKEN the kids to see the new Batman movie? Now let them see the real thing! Go on a National Trust bat walk at UK sites from Devon to Derbyshire.

TO GO: See www.nationaltrust.org.uk/events

THORPE PARK

THIS Surrey park is home to Stealth, Europe’s fastest, tallest launch coaster, Colossus, the world’s first 10-loop inversion rollercoaster and Nemesis Inferno, the 4.5 G-force experience. Top freestyle Moto X riders star in a no-holds barred show today and tomorrow. Be wowed by breathtaking stunts such as the Superman Grab Seat, Rock Solid and Back Flip.

From August 28 to 31, the EA Hub returns, with the chance to check out latest games on PlayStation, Nintendo Wii and XBox.

TO GO: Advance booking, adult £24, child £16, family £78. www.thorpepark.com

MADAME TUSSAUDS

CALLING all Miley Cyrus fans! Madame Tussauds London has unveiled its new wax figure of the 15-year-old actress and singer, best known as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on hit Disney Channel show Hannah Montana. She joins Daniel Radcliffe and Orlando Bloom and Kate Moss A-list Party zone.

TO GO: £12.50, see www.madame-tussauds.co.uk or call 0870 400 3000.

ALTON TOWERS RESORT

THIS Staffordshire theme park has some of the best rides in the country—Air, Nemesis, Oblivion and more. But you don’t have to be a thrill-seeker to enjoy it. There are plenty of attractions for the whole family and a waterpark too.

TO GO: On-line adult £28, child (4 to 11) £21, family £78. Waterpark adult and child over 7, £13, child 4 to 6, £5, family £45. To book and for hotel prices see www.altontowers.com

TEDDY BEARS' PICNIC

TAKE the kids and their bears to Wallington Hall, Northumberland, tomorrow and Thornley Woodlands Centre at Derwent Walk Country Park, Gateshead on Thursday.

TO GO: See www.visitnortheastengland.com

FIND more events near you at www. enjoyengland.com/family, nationaltrust. org.uk and english-heritage.org.uk