England: Children’s Attractions: Traditional Tourist Destinations Now Feature Child-Friendly Activities

No longer do parents have to worry that the kids will get restless at numerous historic sites and country homes; just about all these traditional tourist destinations now feature child-friendly activities. Even Shakespeare has been adapted for young ones!

London alone proves a cornucopia of delights. The Tower of London, ranking on many tourists’ to-do lists, makes an ideal trip, combining the allure of seeing an authentic castle and bejeweled crowns with a chance to indulge a taste for the macabre by viewing the chopping block where so many heads rolled. For a less gruesome treat, parents and kids will both enjoy the Museum of Transport at Covent Garden, where lively exhibits encourage participation in learning about buses, trains, and cars. Street performers abound at Covent Garden as well. At the "New" Globe Theatre, little actors can recite and tape record themselves reading Shakespeare. And there’s no better way to let off steam than staging a mock mutiny on the pirate ship replica that dominates Princess Diana Memorial Playground.

Wiltshire in Southern England also proves surprisingly well-suited to families traveling with children. Salisbury Cathedral, for instance, offers children crayons and paper to draw the mythical creatures represented in its stained glass windows. Indeed, many estates even come equipped with playgrounds; Longleat in nearby Bath claims a miniature wooden reproduction of a castle for exploring and a daunting maze. From the safety of your car, you can even glimpse lions and tigers in the safari park on Longleat’s grounds. After all this excitement, children will be clambering to return to the giant amusement park that is England.