7 great days out for teenagers in the summer holidays in Kent

by Sam Lawrie

slawrie@thekmgroup.co.uk

Teenagers are notoriously hard to please; sometimes it feels that if there’s not a video game or YouTuber involved, they’re not interested.

But if you want to peel your teen off the sofa this summer and get them out of the house, we’ve got some great days out that will cater to even the most apathetic of adolescents…

Challenge your teens to a race on The Beast, one of the world’s largest inflatable assault courses. Picture: Betteshanger Country Park

BETTESHANGER COUNTRY PARK, Deal

One of the world’s largest inflatable obstacle courses is making its return to Deal’s country park this summer. The Beast is a four-part course with rope swings, climbing walls and slides and, new for this year, there’s also a ‘mini bounce zone’ for kids. Climb over giant blow-up walls, bounce over balls and see if you can beat the course record during the 30-minute session.

Details: Saturday, August 24 to Monday, August 26 at Betteshanger Country Park in Deal. Tickets cost £15. Book online here.

CANTERBURY VENUES

If your teen needs to brush up on the Bard’s work for their exams, you can start this summer with the Canterbury Shakespeare Festival. The open-air event brings outdoor performances of some of the playwright’s best-loved works to venues all over the city. Watch Rosalind and Orlando fall in love in As You Like It at Tyler Hill House and be part of the royal battle in Henry VI at St Gregory's Centre for Music.

Details: Wednesday, July 25 to Saturday, August 17 at various venues in and around Canterbury. Ticket prices vary, some performances are free. Book online here.

There will be chilled-out music performances on Sundays during the summer at Maidstone’s Brenchley Gardens. Picture: Maidstone Borough Council

JUBILEE SQUARE AND BRENCHLEY GARDENS, Maidstone

Enjoy a variety of live music each weekend of the summer holidays. The free performances are part of the Maidstone Summer Series and include jazz musicians, brass bands, rock covers and musical theatre tunes. On Saturdays, there will be entertainment in Jubilee Square and the town centre, such as comedy, circus acts and acrobats, while Sundays will see more chilled-out music in Brenchley Gardens.

Details: From Saturday, July 27 to Sunday, September 1 at Jubilee Square and Brenchley Gardens in Maidstone. Entry is free, no need to book.

Leeds Castle’s Motors by the Moat returns this summer. Picture: We Are Destination

LEEDS CASTLE, near Maidstone

For a high-octane day out, take the family to this year’s Motors by the Moat. The annual car show returns with a huge display of sports cars, American engines, modified vehicles and vintage models, but it’s not only the motors that are bringing the horsepower over the weekend. There will also be edge-of-your-seat stunts from the ‘DJR’ freestyle Jet Ski team with backflips and aerial tricks over the castle’s moat.

Details: Saturday, August 10 and Sunday, August 11 at Leeds Castle, near Maidstone. Adult tickets cost £31.50, child tickets £22.50. Book online here.

The PATINA Classic Car Show is a showcase for unrestored cars that have been used regularly over the years. Picture: Lullingstone Castle

LULLINGSTONE CASTLE, near Swanley

For the third year, Lullingstone Castle will host the PATINA Classic Car Show, which gives petrolheads a chance to see vintage cars in a completely unaltered and unrestored state. Unlike other car shows, this display will be full of motors that have racked up plenty of mileage over the years and are still in use today. This year, around 100 cars are expected to pull up on the lawns of this picturesque estate.

Details: Sunday, August 4 at Lullingstone Castle in Eynsford, near Swanley. Adult tickets cost £10, child tickets cost £5. Buy on the gate.

Margate Soul Festival is set to take over the seaside town for a weekend, including a main stage on the beach. Picture: 360 Dragonfly

MARGATE BEACH

Margate Soul Festival is one of Kent’s longest-running music festivals and boasts a great line-up of musicians and DJs. Venues all over town, including Olby’s Soul Cafe and the Victoria Hotel, will be taking part, and there’s a new stage on the seafront where crowds can watch the sunset against the coast while bands are playing. The festival boasts lots of other activities over the weekend, such as rollerskating, a free ‘soul train’ and a vinyl fair.

Details: Friday, August 2 to Sunday, August 4 at Margate Beach and various venues. Weekend tickets cost £99, day tickets cost £55. Book online here.

DJ Pete Tong is bringing Ibiza Classics to Mote Park with Jules Buckley and the Essential Orchestra

MOTE PARK, Maidstone

Who needs to travel all the way to Spain to get a taste of the party island? Radio 1 DJ Pete Tong is bringing classic Ibiza anthems to Maidstone this summer as part of his new live show. The production will see floor-fillers reimagined with the help of Jules Buckley and the Essential Orchestra, along with a string of guest vocalists.

Details: Saturday, July 27 at Mote Park in Maidstone. Adult tickets cost £55, child tickets cost £21. Book online.