School holiday ideas: fun days out at the seaside

A sand sculptor creates a Sphinx on Brighton seafront. Photograph: Alamy

Brighton is hosting its first Sand Sculpture festival this summer (brightonsandsculpture.co.uk, adults ￡6, kids ￡4, until 30 Sept). More than 20 world-class artists have transformed a neglected stretch of the seafront at Black Rock, near Brighton Marina, into a sandy wonderland. Sand sculpture workshops for older kids and a sand pit for toddlers should keep all ages happy. It's organised by the people behind the popular Sand Sculpture festival at Weston-super-Mare (westonsandsculpture.co.uk, adults?￡3.50, kids ￡2, family ￡10, until 30?Sept), where this year's theme is Hollywood.

Pitch up at a beachfront campsite and fall asleep to the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. Scotland has some of the best seaside camping spots (if not the weather to go with them). Traigh na Beirigh campsite (01851 672265) on Lewis in the Outer Hebrides has pitches among the sand dunes, while Camusdarach in Inverness-shire (01687 450221, camusdarach.com) is a stone's throw from three white sandy beaches. Elsewhere, Bryher Campsite in the Isles of Scilly (￡10pppn) and the 300-acre Shell Island in Gwynedd, north Wales (adults ￡7.25 a night, kids ￡3) both have pitches with sea views. And there are dozens more coastal campsites at guardian.co.uk/travel/camping

Hiring a beach hut means having a base camp to explore from for kids … and somewhere to relax for parents. Photograph: Paul Mansfield/Getty Images

The first beach hut appeared on Bournemouth beach in 1908 and the seafront is still lined with more than 250 of the cute cabins, many of which can be hired out for the day (0845 055 0968, bournemouthbeachhuts.co.uk, from ￡35 a day). Children will adore the dinky proportions and the adventure of having a beach base camp, while parents will appreciate having somewhere to relax with a?cuppa or shelter from the, ahem, blistering British sunshine. Choose between traditional wooden huts or a slick new "beach pod" (weekly hire only) near the artificial surf reef at Boscombe (from ￡260 a week, 01202 451781, bournemouth.gov.uk).

Poking around in a rock pool is one of the great beach pastimes. If you want some help identifying sea creatures, sign up for a Rocky Shore Safari run by the Thanet Coast Project around Broadstairs and Margate in Kent (thanetcoast.org.uk, small charge per person). On the Gower peninsula in Wales, you can go on a free pond-dipping and porpoise spotting trip with marine biologist Judith Oakley (07879 837817, oakleyintertidal.co.uk).

Punch and Judy show, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. Photograph: Jack Barnes/Getty Images

Take your children back to a simpler age – when watching an angry puppet beat his wife and baby with a stick was considered rollicking good fun. The finest purveyors of the art of the Punch and Judy show will gather on the world's longest pleasure pier, at Southend-on-Sea (visitsouthend.co.uk/whats-on, pier admission from ￡2 adults, ￡1?kids, 2–4 Aug), for its annual puppet festival. As well as regular puppet shows, there will be a display of Punch memorabilia and puppet-making workshops for children. The Yorkshire resort of Redcar ( redcar-cleveland.gov.uk, 2–8?Aug, free) will also be taking a nostalgia trip with a week of Punch and Judy shows, retro beach games and free donkey rides .

You don't have to be into sailing to enjoy a regatta: the racing element tends to play second fiddle to the onshore entertainment. One of the best for families is Falmouth Week in Cornwall (falmouthweek.co.uk, 9–18 Aug), which boasts a packed programme of live music, carnival parades, hog roasts, games and fireworks. Also worth checking out are Ramsgate Week Regatta in Kent (ramsgateweek.com, 12–17 Aug) and the daddy of all regattas, Cowes Week on the Isle of Wight (aamcowesweek.co.uk, 3–10 Aug).

Walking with dinosaurs on the Isle of Wight. Photograph: Ian Weightman

The Isle of Wight has launched an augmented reality app (visitisleofwight.co.uk/dinosaur-island) that allows visitors to search for prehistoric remains and then take a photo of their family walking with the dinosaurs that roamed the island millions of years ago. The trail visits six coastal locations, including Blackgang Chine, Ventnor and The Needles, all connected by a hop-on/hop-off bus service (adults ￡10, kids ￡5). For a more hands-on experience of prehistory, join one of the ever-popular fossil-hunting walks run?by Chris Pamplin (￡5, fossilwalks.com) at Charmouth on Dorset's Jurassic coast.

Try out the latest surf craze at the new Croyde Surf Academy in north Devon. Adults and over-fives can sign up for tuition in hand-planing, which is like bodysurfing but you hold a small hand-board to achieve a longer ride. Family-friendly lessons are available, with prices from ￡35. Hand-planing lessons are also available at the Extreme Academy in Watergate Bay, Cornwall .

The Red Arrows air show. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

The skies over Britain's coasts will be buzzing with vintage aircraft and?precision flying this summer. The Airbourne International Airshow in Eastbourne (eastbourneairshow.com, 15–18?Aug, free) will feature?four displays from the Red?Arrows, plus parachute teams, wing-walkers and the chance to see?classic fighter planes, such as the Spitfire, being put through their paces. Similar events will be held in Clacton (clactonairshow.com, 22–23 Aug) and also in Cleethorpes (cleethorpesairshow.co.uk, 27–28 July).

The seaside village of Anderby Creek, Lincolnshire, is home to the UK's first – and only – purpose-built cloud-viewing platform. Tucked among the sand dunes of this unspoilt stretch of sand, the "Cloud Bar" doesn't serve alcohol but it does have Cloud Menus, which identify different formations, mirrors that can be swivelled to reflect different parts of the sky and cloud-viewing seats, on which visitors can recline and enjoy the view.
‧ bathingbeauties.org.uk. Free

Fountains on the South Bank, London. Photograph: Sarah Lee

It's nowhere near the coast, but Oxford isn't going to let a detail like that spoil its fun. The university town has thrown off its gown and pulled on a pair of budgie smugglers to mark the arrival of its own beach, in the historic Oxford Castle Quarter (thebigbangrestaurants.co.uk, until early Sept, entry free), complete with 23?tonnes of sand, deckchairs and palm trees. Punch and Judy, petanque, and beach volleyball complete the picture. Not to be outdone, the Southbank Centre in London has a pop-up beach as part of its Festival of Neighbourhood (until 8 Sept. Free).

The charming village of Blakeney on the Norfolk coast is the launch point for boat trips to the seal colony at Blakeney Point. Beans (adults ￡10, kids ￡5), a family business, has been running trips to the sandbanks at the far end of the harbour for more than 50 years. In Scotland, one of the best places to spot seals (and dolphins too, if you're lucky) is Loch Carran, a sea loch in the Highlands. So confident is Calum Mackenzie (01599 544306, calums-sealtrips.com, adults ￡10, kids ￡6) that you'll spot seals, that he runs his boat trips out of Plockton harbour on a no-seal no-fee basis.

Black Rock Beach Club, Millendreath, Cornwall. Photograph: Khalile Siddiqui

Be among the first to check out a new watersports facilities at the Black Rock Beach Club, Cornwall, which opens this weekend in the Cornish resort of Millendreath. The new beach club, offering tuition in kayaking, stand-up paddle-boarding and surfing, is part of a huge regeneration project of the coastal valley near Looe. A cool new beach cafe serves Cornish produce.

Teach your kids that fish doesn't come out of the sea covered in breadcrumbs on a fishing trip from the ruggedly beautiful harbour town of Staithes in North Yorkshire. On a new trip for this year, fisherman Sean Baxter (01947 840278, realstaithes.com, ￡10 per person per hour) will take you out in his boat and show you how to catch and clean a mackerel before cooking it on a barbecue . Mackerel fishing trips are also available from West Bay harbour in Dorset (07967 944781, westbayfishingtrips.co.uk, ￡10ppph).

Photograph: Alamy

Few things are more exhilarating than splashing through the surf on horseback. Kimmerston Riding Centre (two-hour trip: adults?￡90, 13-15-year-olds ￡80, under-12s ￡70) in Northumberland offers experienced riders the chance to gallop along the golden sands of Holy Island, with the option of a?bareback swim in the North Sea for the brave. Marros Riding Centre (over-16s only, ￡60 for two hours) in Carmarthenshire also offers beach rides on nearby Pendine Sands.

Watching an open-air performance at cliff-top Minack Theatre (adults ￡4, 12–15-year-olds ￡2, under-12s free) against the stunning backdrop of Porthcurno Bay in Cornwall should be on everyone's must-do list. Family-friendly shows on Tuesday and Thursday mornings are included in the normal daytime admission. In Margate,?Kent, Richard III will be replacing donkey rides on the Main?Sands for one day as the Theatre Royal puts on its Shakespeare on the Beach event (20 July. Free).

March of the Mermaids, Brighton

Here's a perfect excuse to raid the dressing-up box. March of the Mermaids is a new event in Brighton (facebook.com/mermaids.march, 27 July, free) in aid of the Marine Conservation Society. The parade starts in Hove and makes its way along the seafront to Marine Parade, where there will be prizes for best mermaid or prawn costume . Along the coast, Hastings will be attempting to break the record it set last year for the world's largest gathering of pirates (hastingspirateday.org.uk, 21?July. Free). So put on your eye patch and your best wooden leg and head to the seafront for sword fighting displays, sea shanties, stunts, hog roasts and dancing.

Nowhere does gothic kitsch quite like Whitby. The Dracula Experience (adults ￡3, kids ￡2.50), with its trailing cobwebs and dangling rubber bats is the ultimate, slightly rubbish rainy day seaside attraction. Follow it with a visit to Whitby's ruined cliff-top abbey (adults ￡6.40, kids ￡3.80, english-heritage.org.uk). At weekends throughout the school holidays the site will be bringing Bram Stoker's tale to life with a cast of actors and time-travel-themed events.

Morelli’s ice-cream parlour and cafe, Broadstairs, Kent. Photograph: Graham Turner/The Guardian

For a taste of seaside nostalgia, nothing beats tucking into a strawberry sundae at a traditional ice-cream parlour. Classic examples include Morelli's in Broadstairs, Rossi's on the Esplanade in Weymouth, where the ice-cream has been made from scratch on the premises since the 1930s, and Ives on Aldeburgh High Street, where unusual flavours include rhubarb and lemon curd.

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School holiday ideas: five of the best UK beaches for kids

Southwold beach huts. Photograph: David Levene

With its colourful beach huts, pier, lighthouse and model boating pond, Southwold offers plenty of old-fashioned seaside charm but without brash amusement arcades, end-of-the-pier shows or burger joints. Rainy-day attractions include the alternative slot machines and eccentric inventions on Southwold Pier and the working lighthouse, which offers guided tours (adults ￡3.50, children ￡2.50).
‧ southwold.info

The sand train on Mablethorpe beach. Photograph: Alamy

Mablethorpe is something of a one-stop shop when it comes to a?family day at the seaside. Golden sandy beach, donkey rides, funfair, paddleboating, crazy golf … Take the Sand Train along the seafront and admire the Bathing Beauties, a stretch of colourful beach huts playfully reinvented for the 21st century – our favourite is the gin and tonic hut, complete with straw and a slice of lemon.
‧ mablethorpe.info

Burntisland beach, Fife. Photograph: ByronV2/Flickr

There are perhaps more beautiful beaches in Scotland than Burntisland, but this Blue Flag stretch of sand overlooking the Firth of Forth scores pretty highly for family appeal. When you tire of sandcastle building there are rockpools to explore, and the Seaside Park is a short stroll away, with crazy golf, bouncy castle and summer fairground.
‧ burntisland.net

Blackpool Sands, Devon. Photograph: Alamy

On a sunny day when the sea is turquoise, this beautiful sheltered bay has an almost Mediterranean feel. It's a great spot for swimming, with clear, calm waters and a?bathing raft. Tots will love the sandpits, while older children can hire kayaks, boogie boards and snorkels. The beachside Venus cafe?serves sandwiches, burgers and?ice-creams.
‧ blackpoolsands.co.uk

St Catherine's island, Tenby. Photograph: Alamy

With no fewer than four beaches to choose from and a quaint town centre of ice-cream coloured houses and shops, Tenby is an appealing spot for a day at the seaside. Let off steam on the vast sandy expanse of North Beach, with its many rockpools, or take a boat trip out to Caldey Island from Harbour beach.
‧ tenbyvisitorguide.co.uk

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School holiday ideas: wildlife experts select 10 days out for kids in the UK

Take your kids on a dragon hunt this summer, no armour necessary. Dragonfly nymphs look like extras from Star Wars, with hinged projectile jaws for dispatching their prey. To catch these survivors from the age of the dinosaurs, all you need is a cheap shrimp net and an empty ice-cream tub. Take turns to sweep weedy areas, transferring your haul to the container, half-filled with pond water. Any healthy pond (even quite small ones) will do for your quest, or join one of the fantastic dragonfly safaris at Wicken Fen, near Ely in Cambridgeshire (adults ￡8.50, kids ￡2.50). Many nature reserves also have pond-dipping areas with boardwalks for safe, easy access –?try the Wildlife and Wetland Trust's nine centres around the UK.
Ben Hoare, features editor, BBC Wildlife Magazine

Nothing engages kids more with the wild world than a mission of discovery. Prepare a nature table (it can be a drawer if you don't want all the bits and bobs on public display) and populate it with things they find in the garden/park/local woodland/holiday venue. Search under logs for nuts that have been eaten by voles and mice; make plaster-cast moulds of footprints; collect feathers and mount them on card with the species name next to them. Go pond dipping. Climb a tree. Make a den in the woods. Eat outdoors.
Simon King, naturalist and broadcaster (see simonkingwildlife.com for info on identifying tracks and other signs)

Tiger at Isle of Wight Zoo Photograph: Alamy

The Isle of Wight Zoo (adults ￡10, kids 3-16 ￡7.50) is a wildlife gem and well worth crossing the Solent for. It's home to jaguars, tigers, lemurs, lions, wallabies, black spider monkeys and more. There's something about this zoo which really sets it apart: it's one of those special places which can offer a truly transformational experience. For example, the kids can learn to talk to tigers or help to give the wallabies lunch.

The Hawk Conservancy Trust (adults ￡12.75, kids ￡8.30) in Hampshire is a top-notch destination for families. Set in 22 acres of woodland and wildflower meadows, it offers sensational bird of prey flying displays, and the conservation-based ethos of the park is beyond compare.

The Wildfowl and Wetland Centre (adults ￡11.65, kids 4-16 ￡6.50) in Barnes, west London, is also a favourite of mine. It has several habitats – lakes, gardens, marshes and ponds; six hides; and the chance to spot frogs, birds, bats and slow worms.
Chris Packham, nature TV presenter

OK, the horses aren't actually wild, but lots of riding schools run pony weeks or own-a-pony days when kids can fall in love with a new best friend; find one near you through the British Horse Society, or Association of British Riding Schools. Many horse, pony and donkey rescue centres are free to visit and have open days and special events. Try the Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth, Devon; Horseworld near Bristol; Redwings in Norfolk, Essex and Warwickshire; World Horse Welfare in Aberdeenshire, Somerset, Norfolk and Lancashire; Horse and Pony Protection Association in Burnley; and Bransby Horses in Lincolnshire.
Janet Rising, editor of Pony Magazine and author of The Pony Whisperer series of books

Basking shark and divers at Porth Chapel, Cornwall. Photograph: Alamy

I'm always flattered that basking sharks, the world's second-largest fish, choose to spend their summers in our coastal waters. Despite growing up to 12m long and weighing around seven tonnes, these beautiful behemoths won't give your kids nightmares. From May to October these creatures spend long summer days hoovering up plankton in their millions. There is no need to take to the water. The majority of basking sharks sightings are from land. Though England's south-west (from Land's End for example), the Isle of Man, Wales and the west coast of Scotland are noted hotspots, there really is a chance of them emerging from the deep anywhere along the UK's western shore. You can do your bit for conservation by lodging a report of your sighting at sharktrust.org.
Gordon Buchanan, wildlife film-maker

Get an eyeful of our beautiful birds of prey at one of the RSPB's raptor viewpoints. You can spot white-tailed eagles on Mull or Skye, ospreys in Snowdonia and goshawks in the New Forest. There's even a viewpoint at Tate Modern in London, where you?might see a peregrine falcon dive at 200mph on an unsuspecting?pigeon!?From sparrow hawks in Edinburgh's botanic gardens to barn owls in Coombe Valley, Staffordshire, each?viewpoint is staffed by experts; telescopes or live webcams offer wonderful close-ups, and there are sometimes extra activities for kids, such as dissecting owl pellets.
William Gray, travel writer and?zoologist

When I was growing up it was just me and my dad, and we lived in a tiny bedsit in central London. I loved animals, but we didn't have room for a pet and we couldn't afford to go to London Zoo. So instead, my dad took me on "urban safaris", introducing me to all the wildlife that was right on our doorstep. I fed the sparrows on the window ledge, made friends with the squirrels in the parks, and spotted enormous stag beetles pottering along the pavements. Charities such as Birmingham & Black Country Wildlife Trust and London Wildlife Trust manage lots of wonderful urban nature reserves, that are free to visit.
Serena Cowdy, wildlife presenter and writer (serenacowdy.com)

Coasteering on the Pembrokeshire coast. Photograph: Alamy

A great way to immerse kids in the diversity of wildlife on our craggy coastline is by coasteering, a mix of cliff jumping, scrambling and swimming. Curiosity may find them (and you!) delving into rock pools, gazing up at razorbill nests perched on cliffs or meandering through hidden coves, hoping to spot a seal. Centres providing wildlife-themed coasteering include TYF Adventure in Pembrokeshire, the eco-coasteering tour with Coasteering-Wales on Anglesey, and Eco-Coasteering with The Coast with the Most in Dorset.
Octavia Hopwood, environmental scientist and TV presenter (octaviahopwood.co.uk)

Just a short boat ride from Edinburgh or the neighbouring seaside resort of North Berwick, lie the Firth of Forth islands, a cluster of 12, surrounded by smaller estuarine islets and rocky outcrops. All but Inchcolm are now uninhabited, and they have been reclaimed as sea-bird cities. Wildlife highlights include the hordes of puffins nesting on Craigleith, or the army of gannets that have conquered the crags of Bass Rock. The journey out to the islands (try forthtours.com, or seafari.co.uk) offers the tantalising possibility of spotting seals, dolphins and even minke whales. If the sea conditions conspire against you, it is possible to enjoy the spectacle from the comfort of the brilliant Scottish Seabird Centre (seabird.org) at North Berwick harbour.
Matt Havercroft, editor, Wild Travel magazine

Geosafari plankton net

Many of us have enjoyed crabbing but have you tried plankton netting? Children's plankton nets are available on the internet (try learningresources.co.uk or auravita.com), and are best used on any estuary or seaside wall in places such as Salcombe estuary or Aberdovey. Throw the net into the sea (holding on to the end of the string) and tow the net through the water, then wash the contents of tiny creatures into a dish for inspection.

I also run competitions with kids on my local beach to discover the highest number of crab species on one seashore safari – can you beat seven? Have a copy of the RSPB Handbook of the Seashore at hand to discover the difference between our edible, shore and velvet swimming crabs.
Our British coastal waters are full of vibrant hues thanks to our glorious seaweeds. Storms break seaweed from the sea bed and deposit them on the beach. Collect one or two specimens of bright red, pink and green thin seaweeds. Simply place a thick piece of paper in a tray of water, spread the detail of the seaweed out and lift the card out on to some newspaper; place a j-cloth or muslin on top of the seaweed followed by some more newspaper and a couple of heavy books. Change the damp newspaper every day until bone dry then peel the muslin away and you are left with a stunning seaweed print.Maya Plass, marine and coastal ecologist

THREE MORE UK MAMMALS TO SEE A deer in Richmond Park, London. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Not just for Christmas … kids can meet the free-ranging herd in the Cairngorms, both roaming in the mountains and on the Glenlivet Estate. Several deer species live in the UK, ranging from muntjac, fallow and sika to red deer. See the British Deer Society website for a list of places to spot them, including estates such as Dyrham Park in Wiltshire and Dunham Massey in Cheshire, to deer parks like Abergavenny Priory and the Highland Wildlife park in Inverness-shire.

Bats make up a quarter of all the UK's land mammal species (there are 18, including tiny pipistrelles, brown long-eared and natterer's bats), and they are most active on warm dry nights. The Bat Conservation Trust is running several events this summer, including Bats, Owls and Spooky Tales, a myth-busting, storytelling walk from the Cobleman Campsite in Gartmore, Stirlingshire (nixinnature.co.uk, ￡5pp, non-campers welcome, regular dates through summer). The trust also has links to more than 90 local bat groups who will take visitors out spotting, and a "big bat map" of the UK for you to add your own sightings.

Download a PDF of 34 places in Britain that are good for spotting otters from the Wildlife Trust. These include Aughton Woods in Lancashire, Portrack Marsh in the Tees Valley, and Glenarm nature reserve in Antrim.

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School holiday ideas: learn to lifeguard on a juniors course

A day on Perranporth?beach, Cornwall, normally?means a great deal of sunbathing and a quick dip in the waves – but not for my seven-year-old daughter Amelie and me: our morning was more like a trip to the gym and a surf lesson all in one. We were trying our hand at surf lifeguarding, on a course offered by Surf Life Saving GB in partnership with the?holiday company Cottages4You, as an introduction for young children?to beach safety and as a confidence builder for any kid spending time in the sea.

A complete water baby, Amelie had often asked what lifeguards do when they're not riding around the beach on their quad bikes, and this was her chance to find out. Once we had our wetsuits and rash vests on, Nigel Bowden, a local coach, gave our group of about 20 a brief overview of different types of waves, currents, rip tides, surfboard types, boats and the local lifeguarding crew.

Before the kids got too fidgety, we ran to the beach for some warm-up dashes up and down the sand, and running into the chilly surf kicking our legs high – we looked and felt rather comical, but this, we learned, is the way the tough guys do it.

We raced in teams of two, crawling on our tummies through the surf and practising dolphin diving, bodysurfing and – the really fun bit – lying on and paddling a rescue board. As Amelie was one of the smallest (and I was one of the oldest) we were delighted to come sixth.

We were not going to be saving any lives in the course of a short morning. However, we did learn some basic beach safety skills and got an overall appreciation of how fit lifeguards have to be. It's not all grabbing damsels in bikinis; they need a supreme level of fitness to get out through the surf quickly and safely to where the trouble is. Everyone who took part got a Surf Life Saving Great Britain Junior Lifeguard certificate, and kids who were inspired by the taster course can go on to take further classes as part of the organisation's Nipper education programme. Who knows – they may end up as volunteer or professional lifesavers when they're older, vital roles. It was incredible how such a serious subject was made so much fun.

‧ Surf Life Saving GB (slsgb.org.uk/youngsurflifesavers) runs Junior Lifeguard courses through the summer for seven to 14-year-olds in various locations around Britain at an average cost of ￡15pp – just turn up and take part. Accommodation was provided by Cottages4you (0845 268 1560, cottages4you.co.uk); Trescowe Farm Barns in Pendarves near Penzance (ref:?25335) sleeps six and costs ￡860 for?a week from 19 July

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School holiday ideas: rainy day escapes

At the Airkix centres in Milton Keynes, Manchester and (newly opened) Basingstoke, lucky kids can find themselves blown up in the air by a?powerful wind machine to create a?floaty feeling similar to skydiving.
‧ 0845 331 6549, airkix.com. Minimum age four, from ￡30pp

Visiting a cave is a great wet-weather option. Some of the biggest and best include: in North Yorkshire, Ingleborough Cave near Clapham Village (adults ￡7, kids ￡3.50) and the nearby White Scar Cave (￡8.50/￡5.50); in Derbyshire, Speedwell Cavern near Castleton (￡9.50/￡7.50), which has underground boat trips; Cheddar Caves (from ￡16.65/￡10.80) in Somerset; and Dan-yr-Ogof (￡13.75/￡8) in the Brecon Beacons.

Waterworld, Staffordshire

If they're gonna get wet, they may as well get really wet, in one of the UK's massive indoor waterparks. Waterworld (adults ￡14.50, kids from ￡7.49) at Festival Park in Stoke-on-Trent has rapids in the dark, ringos and a wave pool; Wet 'N Wild (adults ￡11.95, kids ￡6.95) in North Shields, Tyneside, is one of the UK's biggest, with a flume running down three floors and a black hole ride; the LC in Swansea (adults ￡7, kids ￡4) offers up Wales's biggest indoor pool, with a rollercoaster water slide and whirlpool.

Build confidence and learn what could be a thrilling lifelong hobby. There are hundreds of indoor walls around the country: download a list of some of them from the British Mountaineering Council or see ukclimbing.com to search for one near you.

Prevail Skatehouse, Poole

Suitable for over-fours, skate parks offer sports including BMX, scootering, inline skating and skateboarding, with lessons and sessions for youngsters. Prevail Skate Park (from ￡3.50 an hour) in Poole, has skate and BMX schools in the holidays, plus under-13s sessions and parties. Unit 23 Skatepark (￡9 for two hours) in Dumbarton, has rails and a foam pit. High ollie competitions, coaching, and a new foam pit this summer are part of the package at Rampworx (from ￡5.50 for two hours, summer holiday pass ￡99) in Liverpool.

Adventure Kidz in Aylesford, Kent (adults free, kids from ￡4.95) has indoor high ropes, quad bikes and a soft play area; Kidspace adventure parks in Croydon and Romford (adults from ￡2.75, kids from ￡5.95) offer classes in football, dance, music and karate, plus climbing frames and slides; Playzone in Swansea (adults from ￡1.25, kids from ￡1.99) and Portsmouth are massive warehouse spaces filled with slides, tunnels and climbing frames.

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School holiday ideas: top 10 museums and attractions for kids

History in the making … Nottingham's Galleries of Justice is one of many UK attractions bringing the past to life in entertaining and educational ways

Everyone loves a bit of gruesome history and there's plenty of gore and horror at the Galleries of Justice, an attraction based on the history of crime and punishment. In the home of the nasty Sheriff of Nottingham – at the city's old courthouse and county gaol – character actors lead visitors through the grim dance from trial and sentencing to prison (or death) in a real court. Along the way a range of displays tell the story of penal reform. A separate Robin Hood exhibition draws the crowds (and hosts free kids' activities in the summer holidays).
‧ The Lace Market, 0115 952 0555, galleriesofjustice.org.uk. Adults ￡9.50, kids ￡7.50

A funny and fascinating trip back into 14th-century England, The Canterbury Tales recreates five of Chaucer's pilgrim stories through a series of rooms in a converted church. Costumed guides bring the scenes to life, along with sounds and (strong) medieval smells. Little ones might freak out a bit at the wax characters and the gloomy dark but this is a fun way to bring a fairly weighty school text to life.
‧ St Margaret's Street, 01227 479227, canterburytales.org.uk. Adults ￡8.50, 5-15 years ￡6.25

Since it's almost the law that small boys (and a good many girls) fall in love with all things Jurassic from the age of four, Dinosaur Isle, (shaped like a pterosaur, naturally) makes a perfect day out. Kids can design a stegosaurus, smell the stinky breath of a carnivore and scream at a bloody-jawed animatronic raptor. There are fossils galore (pleasingly, you can pick some up) and a lab where kids can ask the experts questions about the items on display.
‧ Culver Parade, Sandown, 01983 404344, dinosaurisle.com. Adults ￡5, three-15 years, ￡3.70

The highlight here is a 50-minute guided visit around the HMS Victory, Nelson's flagship, where visitors can inspect a replica of an officer's cot (which, alarmingly but highly practically, also doubled as his coffin) and learn fascinating/disgusting facts, such as that sailors washed their clothes in urine. Pop into the new Mary Rose Museum, do the HMS Warrior 1860 tour and try simulated helicopter flying in the modern Royal Navy exhibition hall. There are also daily talks in the National Museum of the Royal Navy.
‧ Victory Gate, HM Naval Base, 023 9283 9766, historicdockyard.co.uk. Adult ￡26, kids ￡19.75

Photograph: Alamy

Trips don't come more "classic" than a West Coast Railways Jacobite steam-train ride. Boarding at Fort William close to Ben Nevis, passengers cross the famous 21-arch Glenfinnan Viaduct. And if your kids aren't excited yet, sling on a Harry Potter film beforehand and point to the shot of the Hogwarts Express chuffing towards the wizard school – it's the same train. The loco whistles past sparkling Loch Morar, through the lovely villages of Lochailort and Arisaig (from which you can make out the small isles Rum, Eigg, Muck and Canna) and finishes up at Mallaig – where a fish supper on the quayside, legs dangling over the water, comes highly recommended.
‧ 0844 850 4685, westcoastrailways.co.uk. Adults ￡33 return, kids ￡19

Take your seat in the miners' waiting room at the Big Pit, wearing your helmet, cap lamp, belt, battery and self-rescuer mask, and prepare to descend 90m down a mineshaft. After this, it's a 50-minute tour around the original coalfaces, engine houses and stables of this former colliery in the company of a former coal miner, which gives this attraction an authentic feel. Back above ground, the Pithead Baths building houses exhibitions such as the story of children in mining, and pit-town home life. On 27 July, a family fun day to mark Big Pit's 30th anniversary will feature competitions, demonstrations and workshops about the history of coal-mining.
‧ 0300 111 2 333, museumwales.ac.uk. Free entry

Children look at a projection showing an image of the Titanic wreck on the seabed at Titanic Belfast. Photograph: Alamy

On the Belfast slipway on which the original ship was launched, the city's newest attraction, Titanic Belfast, takes on the story of the famous ship's creation and demise. Nine galleries narrate the tale, from context-setting in boomtown early 1900s Belfast, through construction and fitting-out, all the way to the launch and catastrophic maiden voyage. Superb special effects add an extra dimension so that, for instance, as you walk past the original slipway, the ship is superimposed on the window to create the view workers would have seen in 1911. Later galleries deal movingly with the sinking and the aftermath.
‧ 1 Olympic Way, Queen's Road, 028 9076 6386, titanicbelfast.com. Adults ￡14.75, five-16 years ￡7.25

With more than 250 cars, ranging from Del Boy's Reliant Robin to several world land-speed record-breakers – including Donald Campbell's Bluebird – this museum set in a country estate tells the story of motoring history in a child-friendly way. The museum has kept exhibits lively and current, so kids can gorge on the largest collection of James Bond vehicles in the world, as well as Top Gear rejects such as the Alfa/Saab stretch limo and an amphibious Toyota. There is more to do outside: smaller ones will particularly enjoy the monorail around the grounds and the 1912 open-top London bus ride.
‧ 01590 612345, beaulieu.co.uk. Adults ￡20, 13-17 years ￡12, five-12 years, ￡9.95

While medieval theme and colurful striped tents at this summer pop-up glampsite may be aimed at kids, there's no doubt the luxurious interiors have been created to keep mum and dad happy – think oak four-posters, woodburning stove, luxury linens and even a dressing table. Tents are pitched in the one-acre vineyard in the castle grounds, which campers have to themselves once the castle has closed for the day, allowing kids to explore while you cook dinner on the cast iron griddle over a fire pit – though you can choose to dine in the restaurant.
‧ 01622 767823 leeds-castle.com/glamping. Tents for four from ￡120 a night, two-night minimum at weekends

Home of the Percy family for the past 700 years, this glorious castle does family fun in spades. Aside from the fact this is the setting for many scenes in the Harry Potter movies (naturally you can take broomstick lessons, watch magic shows, and see where the first Quidditch match took place), Alnwick also cheerfully goes full medieval tilt as far as kids are concerned. There are costumes to dress up in, actors to meet as they recreate life in a village square, and traditional games and crafts plus knightly skills to master. The hall of grisly mirrors based Dragons Quest is good fun for slightly older kids. From now until the end of October, Alnwick is hosting regular Battleaxe to Broomstick Tours in which kids learn from costumed guides about the estate's film career and learn about the similarities between the castle's very own knight Harry Hotspur and JK Rowling's boy wizard.
‧ 01665 511100, alnwickcastle.com. Adults ￡14.50, five-16 years ￡7.30

Follow the Story Explorer at the National Maritime Museum

How do you stay alive when marooned at sea in a lifeboat? (Drink turtle blood, of course). What do lighthouse keepers' eat for tea? Ever fancied learning to steer a boat? Take the kids here to quench their thirst for all things nautical: over five floors, the museum has 15 galleries of excellent, hands-on exhibits – one of the highlights is a Sea King rescue helicopter, whose cockpit kids always scramble to sit in. Don't miss the regular storytelling sessions, where wide-eyed listeners get to handle real pirate treasure while learning about survival skills and the history of seafaring.
‧ Discovery Quay, 01326 313388, nmmc.co.uk. Adults ￡11, six-15 years ￡7.60

History lessons come to life at this museum in north London, which houses over 100 aircraft including Harriers, Chinooks, Tiger Moths and an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet. The Battle of Britain Hall's sound and light show, Our Finest Hour, tells the story of the blitz. Children get to sit in a Jet Provost cockpit and soar through the sky in a dogfight in the 4D cinema (￡4). This summer the museum is hosting a family events, such as Land Army Week, when youngsters meet the animals people were encouraged to keep during the war to ensure fresh food supplies.
‧ Grahame Park Way, Barnet, 020-8205 2266, rafmuseum.org.uk. Free

Photograph: Chris Nottingham

Any kids' historical attraction that involves a sweetshop has to be good news. The one at Blists Mill, part of the Ironbridge Gorge world heritage site in Shropshire, lets children pay in Victorian shillings and farthings (which you can get in the bank on arrival). This recreation of a Victorian town comes with pub, pharmacy, greengrocers, drapers, printers, candle-makers, workers' cottages, bakery and even a chip shop. Children can try rides on the Victorian fairground in the summer, dress up in period costume for a snap at the photography shop and take a clip-clop round town on a horse and cart. On 20 July, a Meet The Animals day allows visitors to find out more about the town's four-legged residents, chat to the shopkeepers, learn about old-fashioned remedies in the pharmacy and witness long-lost skills with the artisans.
‧ 01952 433424, ironbridge.org.uk. Adults ￡15.95 kids ￡10.50

With more than 1,000 events at almost 400 museums, castles, monuments and houses in the UK, the festival of archaeology is a celebration of the UK's complex heritage. The event is a collaboration between English Heritage, Cadw, the Museum of London Archaeology, The British Museum and the Manchester Museum, with community groups, local museums and archaeologists. Kids can roll their sleeves up and dig for skeletons, dress up as Romans, handle neolithic artefacts, go metal detecting, learn medieval royal etiquette, take a lesson in stone-age survival skills, and take part in period-focused workshops.
‧ 01904 671417, archaeologyfestival.org.uk/whatson

Family ticket and online discounts are available at many of these attractions

Ben Hatch is author of family travel memoir Road to Rouen. To order a copy for ￡9.59 including UK p&p, call 0330 333 6846 or visit guardianbookshop.co.uk

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School holiday ideas: fun and games with the kids

Ideas for clever, fun games to keep kids entertained in the summer holidays include den and fort building, 'easy' cricket and word-based activities too. Photograph: Alamy

This is a simple game for journeys that the youngest children can play. You think of a word or name (I often get the children to choose one of their own names or the name of someone they know). I also choose a word, with the same number of letters as the word or name they have chosen. We then have to look out of the window of the car or train to find words on signs, car registration plates, adverts, whatever, which include the letters of the name – and the letters must be found in the order of the letters of the name.

So let's say child A chooses "Michael", and I?choose "rabbits" (another seven-letter word). "A"?has to first find a sign that includes the letter M, then something with the letter I and so on. Meanwhile I'm looking for signs with first R, then A, B, and so on. First to complete the word is the winner. You can up the difficulty by only allowing first letters on signs and adverts, and by disallowing more than one letter from any one sign.

I would never have guessed that this would work so well, but since my daughter was seven, she has organised us (the family plus my wife's parents plus guests) into an all-day sports day. We each have to choose a nickname – mine is Dynamo Nebbish. She makes and issues us with admission tickets, which she sells to us on the day. She draws up a set of sports, which include welly-throwing, egg-and-spoon race, boules, sprints, long-distance running, and paper-dart making and throwing. We have a scorer for each event, so by the end of the day there is an overall winner, who receives a cup and a medal – also made by my daughter. Careful falling over, bad legs and the like can guarantee that the youngest wins.

Collecting interesting things on a walk can, at the end of the day, become part of an exhibition that kids will show off. Photograph: Alamy

When you go for a walk, tell the children that the point this time will be to make an exhibition when you get back. So throughout the walk you're looking for treasures and interesting things to put in the exhibition. This could involve many hours of debate about what is "interesting" and what is a "treasure". You may need to invent criteria, such as: "Will it interest grandma?" Or you could make it alphabetical, and try to find things that all begin with a certain letter.

Impose an upper limit on the number of objects. Then when you come back, you lay everything out, and everyone must label their objects themselves. You may want to include a flower-press in this, either home-made – where you place grasses or flowers between sheets of paper and put these between two books at the bottom of a heavy pile of books – or a commercial version. You can also buy reasonably cheap "creature peepers" (trywildforms.co.uk). These are transparent boxes with built-in magnifying glasses so you can view little bugs from the top or the side. When it's all laid out, you invite visitors in.

These are best played with a scrunched-up ball of paper. Possible games are lobbing into wastepaper baskets; knocking small plastic figures off tables; "saves" using the sofa as the goal; cricket using a table tennis bat; and rounders with a ruler.

Photograph: Alamy

Building these requires blankets, sheets, boxes and clothes horses. If you don't want the proper ones being used, keep a store of old ones. You also have to be prepared to leave the structures up for at least a day – and to play the part of the big bad wolf, the "enemy", the Romans, or any potential marauding force.

Players take it in turns to say a letter spelling a real word. Your aim is to avoid being the player who completes it. If you do, you've lost that round, and the winner starts the next one. If you think a player has said a letter that makes a word that doesn't exist, you can challenge. If the challenge fails (because there is a real word), you lose; if the challenge succeeds, the person who said that letter loses. So, as an example: Jack says "b", Mary says "a", Fred says "l", Jack says "i". Mary challenges Jack. Jack says "baling". Mary loses. Jack and Fred play: Jack says "c", Fred says "r", Jack says "i", Fred says "s", Jack says "i", Fred says "s" and concedes the game.

Family games of cricket can have their rules tweaked so that youngsters can enjoy the game more. Photograph: Alamy

Cricket is great for families, so long as you don't play by the proper rules and adapt it so the youngest can be helped to stay doing the exciting stuff. This means bowling a slow underarm full toss; not bothering about six-ball overs; having a rule that the youngest has three "lives" and can't be out first ball; adults carefully dropping catches and/or spooning up catches when batting; playing the "in" rule – which is that you don't have to run to the opposite end and back so long as you shout "in!" when you arrive at the opposite end; no lbw; agreeing beforehand on how many innings will be played.

My children insist that I include this one in the list. Need I say more?

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School holiday ideas: top 10 outdoor activities for kids

The water-based assault course at the Ultimate Adventure Centre in Bideford, north Devon, is inspired by TV's Total Wipeout, so expect to laugh, to get very wet – and to bounce on (and off) some big balls.
‧ ￡25 for a half-day session, age 8+, theultimatehigh.com

Kite buggies sit low to the ground, are steered with the feet and powered by the wind. They can reach speeds of around 70mph and lift off the ground to perform tricks. Most operators are found on the south coast, such as SB Kites in Poole, Dorset.
‧ 07706 445145, sbkites.co.uk. Full-day lesson ￡75, half-day lesson for experienced flyers ￡55; age 8+

Raptors of the world day, Eagle Heights Wildlife Park. Photograph: Lisa Bennett

Lots of birds of prey centres offer owl and falconry experiences, but the Eagle Heights Wildlife Park in Eynsford, Kent, has launched an exciting "raptors of the world" day. Participants can fly a vulture and two kinds of eagle, and take a group of hawks for a walk.
‧ 01322 866577, eagleheights.co.uk. ￡120 (plus ￡30 for an accompanying guest, optional), including lunch; age 14+

Gorge walking with a Lake District twist, ghyll scrambling involves exploring a mountain river by climbing waterfalls, traversing rocky obstacles and jumping into icy plunge pools. It's widely available in the Lake District, including at the Keswick Adventure Centre, which also offers white water tubing (over-18s only), Via Ferrata and ziplines.
‧ 01768 775687, keswickadventurecentre.co.uk. From ￡25 for a 3hr session; age 7+

Mountainboarding is a bit like snowboarding – minus the snow, and plus four wheels. It's available at dedicated centres such as the Marlborough Downs Mountain Boarding Centre in Devizes, Wiltshire. Boarders can camp in the grounds of the nearby Barge Inn, an eccentric pub that attracts crop-circle enthusiasts.
‧ 07596 766795, mdmb.co.uk. ￡10 a lesson

The National Trust website has a selection of family-friendly walks around the UK. For example, the woodland walk on Brownsea Island, Dorset, features rare red squirrels, the site of the first ever Scout camp and a castle. WalkNI.com has a comprehensive collection of walking routes in Northern Ireland, including a section on short walks (up to five miles) ideal for families. Sustrans has tips for making walking fun, including games to play en route and downloadable activity sheets. Or pick up a copy of one in the series of Wainwright Family Walks guides to the Lake District.

Zegos are ultra-speedy catamarans for one. Adults can pilot them at Grendon Lakes near Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, which also offers jetskiing and wakeboarding. Groups of six or more children can experience them during a multi-sport day alongside hovercraft, banana boat and off-road 4x4 rides.
‧ 07427 251725, rideleisure.co.uk. ￡49 for 30mins (adults), ￡45 for kids' package including lunch

The Avalanche at the Chill Factore. Photograph: Jason Lock Photography

Zorbing or sphereing (rolling downhill in a big ball) is now offered all around the UK, sometimes on water. You can even try it on snow at the Chill Factore in Manchester, which also offers ski and snowboard lessons, ice-sliding, ice-tubing and a snow play area. Even in summer.
‧ 0161 749 8457chillfactore.com. From ￡35 a roll; age 12+

Flowboarding is a great way to learn the basics of bodyboarding and surfing in a controlled indoor setting, on a thin sheet of water over a stationary wave. One place to try it is at FlowHouse in Bedford, which also has simulated flying, basejumping and driving activities. Also available at FlowHouse Yorkshire and Retallack Resort, Cornwall.
‧ 0845 200 2928, flowhouse.co.uk. Adults ￡29.99, kids ￡21.99; age 5+

The Shropshire Hills Mountain Bike Centre offers pods from ￡35 a night

The Shropshire Hills Mountain Bike Centre in Marshbrook has 15 marked trails in four acres, including Minton Batch, one of the best single-track descents in the UK. There is a pub, cafe and campsite on site – the latter has six cosy wooden pods, each sleeping five. Need a lesson first? Try SingletrackSchool.co.uk.
‧ 01694 781515, mtb-shropshire.co.uk. Bike hire ￡17 (half day) or ￡22 (full); pods from ￡35 a night and tents from ￡12, camping-shropshire.co.uk

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School holiday ideas: top 10 theme parks

Loop the loop, the loop, the loop … Smiler at Alton Towers promises a world-record 14 loops. Photograph: Martin Elliott

Grabbing all the theme park headlines this year (not least because of its late opening, and ensuing technical problems), Alton Towers' new ride, The Smiler, fulfils its dubious promise to "marmalise" riders through its world-record 14 loops. For those open to the idea of being mentally beaten up by a theme park ride, it also comes with "mind manipulations" to disorientate riders. For those less keen on being terrified, the park has more than 50 other rides for all ages, including the charming Charlie and the Chocolate Factory boat-ride.
‧ altontowers.com. Adults ￡46.20, under-12s ￡39

Home to Europe's longest rollercoaster, the six-minute Ultimate, this theme park close to the cathedral city of Ripon and a 30-minute drive from Harrogate, has recently unveiled an Angry Birds activity park, bringing the smartphone and video game to life in the form of slides, tunnels, slingshots and nesting towers. Also new in 2013 is the Eagles Creek petting farm, with tractor rides. Tickets include entry to the Lightwater Valley Falconry, with its raptor displays.
‧ lightwatervalley.co.uk. Adults and kids over 1.3m ￡28, over 1m ￡23, under 1m ￡5

Attracting toddlers in droves with its Peppa Pig World, this park on the edge of the New Forest has just opened a sensory cinema screening the award-winning Curse of Skull Rock. State-of-the-art 4D technology, including moving seats and water effects, means viewers feel like they're riding the waves, getting blasted by sea-spray, peering through spooky mist and navigating the ocean bed. Other attractions include a menagerie housing meerkats, penguins, wallabies and other tot-pleasers, the garden-themed Trekking Tractors, Land of the Dinosaurs and a handful of daring rides, including a volcano-themed drop-and-twist tower called Magma.
‧ paultonspark.co.uk. From ￡22.50pp (children under a metre tall free)

Far from the madding crowds deep in the south Wales countryside, Oakwood has expanded for 2013 with the addition of the Peter Pan-themed Neverland, aimed at younger kids. Among its 10 new rides are the Skull Rock log flume, the Crocodile Coaster, the Journey to Neverland interactive walk-through experience, Tink's Flying School, Hook's House of Havoc softplay and the Sights of London "taxi-ride" taking in Big Ben, the Tower of London and other iconic sights. Little ones will like the new Circus Land, and existing thrill rides will keep older kids happy. Bluestone national park resort is a short drive away.
‧ oakwoodthemepark.co.uk. Adults ￡21, kids three-12 ￡15

Tea Cups ride at Pleasurewood Hills

This once-ailing park near Lowestoft is part-way through a multimillion-pound investment that's bringing it firmly into the 21st century. Of its four new rides for 2013, the headline-grabber is Hobs Pit, a horror-themed dark ride through an abandoned mine that has a 12A age rating from the British Board of Film Classification (putting it on a par with Nemesis Sub-Terra at Alton Towers). But there are also Pleasurewood Paddlers (pedalos on the lake), the Woody's Tea Party tea-cup ride and the whale-themed Moby Dick. They join a host of attractions new last year, including The Jolly Roger drop-tower and the Pleasurewood Pony Rail.
‧ pleasurewoodhills.com. Adults ￡19, children three-11 ￡16

The adrenaline addicts' theme park outside London is the perfect spot for kids aged 10 and up (1.4m and over) eager to progress to hardcore rides. This year's new thrill is The Swarm: Backwards. The existing Swarm – the UK's only winged rollercoaster, which means the seats hang out over the sides of the track – has had its back two rows of seats reversed, making the ride even more intense. Backward or forwards, expect an inverted first drop taking you upside-down as you plunge;?the panic-inducing near-misses are only experienced forwards. Try it both ways and see which is your favourite. Also new for 2013 is The Crash Pad, a temporary hotel on the theme park's lakeside, with functional but funky cabin-style rooms.
‧ thorpepark.com. Adults ￡43.20, under-12s ￡37.20, under 1m free

Lego Legends of Chima 4D Movie Xperience

This favourite with toddlers and young kids has pulled out all the stops this year, with several new attractions – the Legends of Chima 4D movie; the impressive Lego Star Wars gallery; the Lego Hero Factory with its building tables; and, for those elusive hot summer days, Duplo Valley Splash and Play, with the UK's biggest outdoor waterplay structure. With so much more than a single day's worth of fun on offer, the on-site hotel – rated among Trip Advisor's top UK hotels for families – is a tempting proposition.
‧ legoland.co.uk. Adult ￡45.60, three-15 years ￡39

Kids who want to go on Zufari: Ride into Africa!, the new attraction at this younger kids' park south of London, are questioned by an expedition leader as to their suitability to become part of a research team. Then they head across rough terrain in a 4x4 in search of mysterious carvings – and along the way meet animals from the park's zoo, including white rhino and giraffes. For a full-on African holiday without leaving the UK, stay over in one of the hotel's adventure-themed rooms, with tented sleeping area for kids and four-poster bed for grown-ups. As well as the theme park rides and zoo, Chessington has its own Sea Life centre.

‧ chessington.com. Adults from ￡32.40, kids under 12 and over 0.9m tall ￡25.20, under 0.9m free

Celebrating its 170th birthday this year, this gentle and quirky theme park has a not-so-gentle setting in an eroded coastal ravine – the unstable terrain means that its rides and attractions are being continually moved further and further inland. Most are aimed at younger kids – Magical Fairy Village, Smugglerland, Dinosaurland (full of fibreglass dinos dating back to the 1970s) and Rumpus Mansion, with its goblins, boggarts and other mischievous critters. The Cliffhanger rollercoaster may be small but it offers great views from its twists and curves.
‧ blackgangchine.com. From ￡12.50pp, under-fours free

Adding to the slightly nostalgic ambience of this classic seaside theme park, the new Wallace & Gromit Thrill-o-matic is a gentle dark ride replacing the old Gold Mine ride. Sitting inside one of Wallace's slippers, riders at least 90cm tall take a jaunt through various scenes from the duo's films, including The Curse of the Were Rabbit. Tots will like Nickelodeonland, where they can try out lots of tame but colourful rides and mingle with Dora the Explorer, the Spongebob crew and other primetime characters. For older kids, there's a good choice of thrill rides, including an exhilarating five-looper, Infusion.
‧ blackpoolpleasurebeach.com. Adults ￡30, kids two-11 ￡27

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12 ideas to improve development research access and uptake

Open access can strengthen research quality: OA journals employ different business models from other journals, but there's nothing stopping them from having the same editorial quality standards. Also, with enough feedback systems in place, research quality can increase with exposure.

Researchers shouldn't have to plan how their work will be applied: If researchers were required to plan how their research would be made into policy and practice, it could put them off asking truly innovative research questions. However, I do think that researchers should be engaged with the practical uses of what they are working on.

Resources:

Here's an example of how altmetrics can show research reach by demographic, from a BioMed Central public health article (click the donut to see the metric breakdown).

Here is a list of organisations who allow funds to be used to make their research OA.

Interesting points on the importance that is given to research prestige vs relevance were made by Michelle Willmers from the Scholarly communication in Africa programme at BioMed central's last Open Access Africa event.

Open access approaches don't work everywhere: OA approaches in developed countries are not always appropriate and transferable to developing country contexts. Ajol is planning a Sub-Saharan Africa research project in order to understand the current state of scholarly journal publishing in Africa much better. It will be the first stage of developing an approach to OA advocacy that is informed by country and region-specific needs.

Research assessment standards should universal: Because the ISI index is widely available, it is widely misused as a low quality index to measure research impact in academia. Growing support for the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment will hopefully call an end to that illogical idiosyncrasy of the academic world.

Open access must be affordable for developing country authors: OA offers great potential for developing country researchers as readers, but as authors it creates new problems. Author processing charges are significant and beyond the reach of many. Several OA publishers have offered fee waivers, which is helpful, but we also need to think seriously about the sustainability of this model into the future.

Invest in new research impact metrics: OA is driving some exciting experiments with new metrics. For example, you can now begin to track where an article goes across social media and other online citations or uses. This has been badged altmetrics - there's even a series of papers about in this Plos collection, but a great example is also one that Plos advocacy director Cameron Neylon discussed in Stellenbosch last year, showing that he could track how a piece of HIV/Aids work by the University of Cape Town was being re-tweeted and picked up by local community organisations.

Think tanks should bridge research and policy: By nature, think tanks can be effective translators between academics and policy makers, combining academic and practical points of view.

Researchers should help put their work into practice: While researchers should not have to become implementers, they should be given opportunities to get involved in designing policy plans. There is a space for this kind of consultation on each level of development policymaking process, from the strategic level down to the single project.

Open access limits what authors know about their readers: OA can deliver the basic metrics that measure usage. However, the true unimpaired access of the OA model does not permit the harvesting of more detailed impact metrics, for example, the location of reader, purpose of usage and type of reader. To obligate readers to provide this information would go against the spirit of OA.

Track your research reach: DfID Research uses a range of social media platforms to communicate their broad research portfolio, and they do a good job of tracking who they reach, where, and what is the nature of demand for what kind of research. This is valuable information as proxy demand for what people want to know. The dashboard of indicators is publicly available.

Research quality is paramount: OA needn't threaten research quality, provided everyone concerned constantly reminds themselves that quality matters. Research conclusions and policy prescriptions are utterly worthless - dangerous even - if the methodology on which they're based is flawed. This might seem obvious, but perhaps it's so obvious that we sometimes forget it. It's this collective amnesia which threatens research quality, not OA itself.

Resource:

Tom Cochrane at Queensland University of Australia has shown altmetrics can be used to demonstrate successful research communication to the benefit of all concerned, including the researchers themselves.

Plan communication at all stages of research: Too often decisions are made before research outcomes can signify what types of communication may be appropriate. It would make sense to have two stages of funding for communications in all major and large projects - one that funds start-up and project-wide communications, and another that funds specifically targeted communications when the research bases and messages are clearer.

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New ‘TED Talks Education’ Brings Big Names And Big Ideas

This past Tuesday, PBS aired an hour long special called TED Talks Education. We’ve talked about TED talks before, and there has always been a number of education related TED talks out there, so TED talks about education are not really anything new. But this special put together?a diverse group of teachers and education advocates delivering short, high-impact talks on the theme of teaching and learning.

Pearl Arredondo, Founder, San Fernando Institute for Applied MediaGeoffrey Canada, President, CEO Harlem Children’s Zone, Education Reform AdvocateDr. Angela Lee Duckworth,?Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of PennsylvaniaBill Gates, Technologist and philanthropistMalcolm London, Chicago poetRamsey Musallam, Chemistry teacher and blended learning specialistRita F. Pierson, Ed.D.,?Educator and anti-poverty advocateSir Ken Robinson, Ph.D., Educator, author and most-watched TED Talk speaker on TED.com

The program?also features two short films profiling high school students with remarkable stories. The documentaries were produced by two-time Emmy-winning filmmaker Tony Gerber and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and MacArthur Genius Award-recipient Lynn Nottage. Musician John Legend hosted the event.

With topics varying from teacher-student relationship building to leadership and the challenges teachers face, each of these TED talks is an original (so they’re not just repeats from previously recorded talks that are already on their website). You can check out the website if you’re looking for the clips of individual speakers (some – not all – are available).

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