Desperate to beat the January blues? Switch off the screens and get outside with Samantha Laurie's ideas for some family fun
It's January, the tree is drooping and your enthusiasm for the role of family entertainment officer is starting to go the same way. Time for reinforcements in the war against screen bondage and all allied complaints...
Donuts on the slopes
Forty years ago a teacher was coming through Waterloo station, when he noticed an ex-demo dry ski slope from the Daily Mail Ski Show alongside the platform with a sign: ‘For Sale, £400’. He purchased it. As a result, Christ’s College, Guildford became one of the few state schools in the land with its own in-house ski facilities.
Now, run by ex-pupil James Harrison – one of the first boys to put boot to matting – it offers ski and
snowboard lessons (private and group) on three dedicated slopes. There are also three public sessions each weekend on the donuts
– rubber tubes used to launch yourself down the slopes. These cost £10 an hour, with kids aged six and over allowed to join in the fun – as soon as they’re old enough not to dawdle at the bottom and become ‘donut kill’, explains James.
Book a slot by calling (01483) 504988; more info at guildfordskislope.co.uk
Swing from the trees
An urban Go Ape – it’s almost an oxymoron. But Go Ape in Battersea Park, the first man-made site from the high wire specialist, boasts wires twice the height of its country cousins.
Space may be scarcer, but the technical challenges make this one of the most exciting c
ourses. From Jan 4, Tree Top Adventure (for ages 10+, min height 1.4m / 4ft 7”) will be open daily. Tree Top Junior (6-12) opens weekends and holidays. Prices £18 – £33. Go Ape also in Alice Holt Forest, near Farnham and Bracknell.
More info at goape.co.uk
Breathtaking descents
Here’s a fact: Surrey Hills is a mountain biking mecca. A mix of geology – the quick-draining sandstone militates against mud and bog – and the open access policy of the Bray family, Lords of the Manor of Shere since 1487, has created the most thrilling trails in the South-East. Singletrack School, a major provider of skills courses and guiding, recommends a half-day Family Skills course (2 hrs training, 1 hr ride). Meet halfway up Holmbury Hill and get off road at once, heading up to glorious peaks before a rollercoaster return. Teaching is typically for 1-3 people (£199 for a half day). Not cheap, but unforgettable.
More info at singletrackschool.co.uk
Footgolf anyone?
A bizarre hybrid of football and golf, this is tipped to be one of the hottest new sports of 2016. Played over 9 or 18 holes, footgolf involves kicking balls into oversized golf cups in as few shots as possible.
Ideal for football mad kids and up to five players, and a great way for golf clubs to attract youngsters. Burstow Golf Club, near Horley, axed golf entirely to become Burstow FootGolf Centre, an 18-hole venue where a round (circa 90 mins) costs £8 to £15.
More info at burstowfootgolf.co.uk; also available at Horton Park Footgolf, Epsom; also available at Hoebridge Golf Course, Woking hoebridgegc.co.uk
Or if you're staying in...
Escape the cold and keep the kids entertained with these family board games
