Things to do on a rainy day in Kent during February half term 2020
First Storm Ciara, then Storm Dennis, and then more and then more rain.
It's been an extremely wet February half term and if you're dreading more inclement weather we've rounded up some of the best indoor activities and events happening in Kent should the final weekend of the half term holiday bring with it more rainy days!
1. Visit a museum
Some of Kent's museums are free to enter - making them the perfect place to explore on a rainy day.
And with half term on the horizon plenty have additional activities on offer alongside their regular displays and exhibits - albeit that these may require a small extra charge to join.
Among those which are free to visit are Maidstone Museum, which also has Make-It workshops between Tuesday and Friday, The Beaney in Canterbury, that also has tickets available for its family-friendly comic book exhibition on sale, and The Guildhall Museum in Rochester which is running a 'famous couples from history' trail around the museum.
Other popular museums in the county include The Battle of Britain Museum, which has the largest Battle of Britain collection of memorabilia and artefacts from over 700 crashed aircraft on display and costs £10 for adults and £4 for children to visit and Dover Transport Museum which is home to many forms of vintage transport and also features vintage shop fronts. Admission in Dover is £8 for adults and £4 for children. Full details here.
2. Take the kids to soft play
It's noisy, it's busy but on a rainy day when they kids are climbing from the walls it can be a life saver!
Grab a coffee and let the kids burn off some energy at an indoor activity centre. The majority have separate areas for babies and toddlers and when everyone is hungry and thirsty, make use of the on-site cafes or restaurants to keep everyone's energy levels up.
3. Find a film
The big release for the February half term holiday is Sonic The Hedgehog.
Dolittle, starring Robert Downey Jr as the man who could talk to animals, is also at cinemas up and down the country for February half term and for families still yet to catch Frozen 2, many cinemas are also still showing that on the big screen during the holidays.
And for those looking to save a penny or two, it's worth checking out the reduced price family screenings. Odeon Kids and Movies for Juniors at Cineworld are both showing family film Playing With Fire all week at Odeon branches in both Chatham and Maidstone and at Cineworld Rochester and Ashford. With ticket prices from just £3 a person this can make a perfect reasonably priced outing for an inclement day!
4. Get active with indoor climbing or trampolining
A raft of new indoor activity parks have leapt up in Kent in the last few years providing the ideal rainy day activity.
Gravity runs indoor trampoline parks in Maidstone and at Bluewater shopping centre (which also has an indoor climbing site Gravity Rocks), Jump In can be found in Tonbridge and Flip Out has parks in Ashford and Chatham. There is also SOAR Trampoline Park welcoming visitors in Gillingham.
Clip 'n Climb has an enormous activity centre also in Tonbridge as well as smaller sites within both Dover Leisure Centre and Swallows in Sittingbourne. Swallows Leisure Centre however did suffer some damage to its roof from Storm Ciara so please do check opening arrangements before planning any visit.
5. Make a splash
You might be trying to avoid the water outside - but there's nothing wrong with making a splash inside!
Kids love the chance to plunge in a pool and Kent's leisure centres offer plenty of options.
Cascades in Gravesend has recently carried out improvements work to its popular flumes and water attractions whilst Maidstone Leisure Centre at Mote Park is running its energetic Aqua Challenge inflatable course every day during the school break for confident swimmers age six and over, who will also be given a life jacket to wear.
6. Test your skills in an Escape Room
Families with older children could consider a visit to one of the county's exceptionally popular Escape Rooms.
Kent has rooms based in Margate, Maidstone, Canterbury, Medway, Ashford, Faversham, Gravesend, Tunbridge Wells and Paddock Wood, to name but a few. Combining teamwork and puzzle solving, the games are often around a theme, and places can be booked in advance. For a complete guide to some of the attractions in Kent, please click here.
