A Great Escape: Top Father’s Day Activities For 2015

Falling on June 21^st this year, Father’s Day is right around the corner! Plan a special day for your much loved father and/or partner (if your kids are young), and peruse our selection of top activities. Enjoy a break this June and embark on a Father’s Day Great Escape adventure…

Family Segway Rally

A Segway Rally is the perfect activity for some family fun! An exciting challenge, you must master the skills of navigation using your weight to twist and turn through the course. With multiple locations across the country, you can find a local track or go further afield for a weekend getaway.

There are multiple deals/experiences for a Segway rally with vendors including places like Tesco or you can go with Red Letter Days or Virgin Experiences depending on which offer/location suits you best!

National Trust Events

With many impressive estates across the UK, The National Trust run a myriad of family friendly fun-filled events. In addition to exploring the grounds, gardens, and houses that are bursting with history and heritage, there are a range of Father’s Day activities to enjoy, from vintage cars to den building! We’ve picked a few of our favourites below, most of which are free!

Vintage Transport Weekend at Upton House and Gardens (near Milton Keynes)

Father’s Day Special – Outdoor Climbing Adventure at Hadrian's Wall and Housesteads Fort (near Newcastle)

Den Building for Dads at Brimham Rocks (near Leeds)

Father's Day - Captain Geoffrey's Discovery Day (classic cars & traditional sporting pursuits) at Dudmaston Estate (near Birmingham)

Father's Day Beer, BBQ and Sports Day at Sudbury Hall and the National Trust Museum of Childhood (near Derby)

Raft Building in the New Forest

Take on a family challenge with raft building! It’s the perfect activity for all ages to get stuck in and get their hands dirty. With team leader (dad) taking charge of the puzzle, there could be chaos or a well-oiled unit, either way, it’ll be a Father’s Day to remember! So enjoy the sweat, tears, and achievement – will you sink or swim?

Sessions last up to two hours at Sopley Lakes (just 40-minutes from Southampton). Adults cost £25 and children £20 with a minimum age of 8 years old.

For more things to do in the area, take a look at our Enchanted New Forest Map and attractions guide.

Aerial Adventures

Push dad a bit out of his comfort zone and embark on a challenge amongst the trees this Father’s Day. There are multiple ‘high ropes’ companies across the UK offering a great day out for adventurous families. See below some of the popular companies and tackle climbing, swinging, zipping and more…

Extreeme Adventure: Adults £30, Child (over ten, under 18) £25

Aerial Extreme: Adults £26, Child £21

Go Ape: ‘Gorillas’ £31-33, ‘Baboons’ £25

Go Karting

Go Karting is great fun and the perfect Father’s Day activity! The children can enjoy a ‘driving’ experience while dad can rally around the track like a pro, tasting his ‘F1’ go karting victory. With multiple venues across the UK offering karting, you’re not short on choice - see below for tracks near you.

UK Go Karting

Formula Fast (Milton Keynes)

F1K Indoor Karting

Archery

Treat dad with a day of archery. A truly underrated activity, archery can be great fun for all as you practice your accuracy skills and take on the target board. This task takes some patience but is well worth it for the achievement of getting closer to, if not hitting the bullseye! Become Katniss Everdeen or Robin Hood as you try your hand at a legendary skill and enjoy a fun-filled family day out. See below for ‘experience days’ offering archery lessons across the UK.

Into The Blue (offers days according to location)

Experience Days

Extreme Element

Driving Experience

This one is a solo dad activity offering some grown up time around a track, whether driving his dream car, a tank, or a 4x4 off-road adventure! If cars are not dad’s cup of tea, there are plenty of pilot (helicopter & planes) days/lessons, and even a ‘drive a steam train’ experience. See below for the driving experiences available and give ‘dad of the year’ a very special day out.

Driving Experiences (Tesco)

Father’s Day Driving (Virgin)

Red Letter Days

Bear Grills Survival Academy

This is a Father’s Day activity with a difference! This is a much pricier option (£429 for and adult and child) but offers a survival experience unlike any other. Available in multiple locations (Surrey, Brecon Beacons and Dartmoor) the Survival Academy puts participants to the test as you embark on learning survival skills and tackling adventure tasks. You will learn to build and light a fire, forage for rodents, build a shelter , navigate river/lake crossings, and more. Not for the feint hearted, this academy is ideal for the adventurer at heart to break out into the wild, it also offers the perfect opportunity for family bonding as you share an unforgettable experience.

Just a stone’s throw away from Dartmoor, Exeter offers a city weekend getaway for the family members wanting the comforts of urban life rather than surviving the wilderness!

Hiking, Walking, Picnicking

Savour some quality time with dad and explore the great outdoors. There are plenty of activities close to home that will take the whole family out and about for a day of bonding and sense of achievement. Whether it’s hiking, off-road biking, or roaming the countryside, pack a picnic, a couple of outdoor activities (football, Frisbee, etc.) and enjoy a very special Father’s Day, all for free!

Thinking about a family weekend staycation for Father’s Day instead? Take a look at Leonardo Hotel’s Best Weekend Getaways for 2015.