Sussex

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized is-style-muddy-sponsor-logo"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/1.selina-1000x600.jpg" alt="Selina Finance sponsor logo" style="height:170px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2024/07/1-1000x667.jpg" alt="things for kids to do locally" class="wp-image-69127" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2024/07/1-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2024/07/1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2024/07/1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2024/07/1.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-outdoors">OUTDOORS</h2>



You may think you know Sheffield Park but ever seen it from a duck’s perspective? On select dates until 13 Sep, Moxie Unleashed are bringing <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/sussex/sheffield-park-and-garden/events/00b8d153-93d2-449f-9d63-23b8f405d0e8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stand-up paddle boarding</a> tasters and intros to the far lake, offering a peaceful yet active way for the whole family to enjoy this other aspect of the park. And apparently there’s a precedent for it: Muddy hears that the Third Earl of Sheffield loved nothing better than water sports, and liked to make a splash by showing off his diving to the public. 



Over at Ashdown Forest aka the original Hundred Acre Wood, months of preparation are culminating in The Big One Hundred’s <a href="https://thebigonehundred.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">opening weekend</a>, from&nbsp;18-19 Jul. Celebrate Winnie-the-Pooh’s centenary with performances, workshops, and the debut of Poppet the giant puppet.&nbsp;If you know any 5-12-year-olds, don&#8217;t forget <a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/nature-thursdays-tickets-1979660118706?aff=erelexpmlt" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Thursdays</a>. Running throughout the school hols, they deliver activities to help build natural world knowledge and connect kids with the wild. Weekly themes include hoppers and leapers and toes and talons. 



Missed this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed? Head over on&nbsp;19 Jul&nbsp;or&nbsp;30 Aug&nbsp;and you can generate your own records with a pedal-powered <a href="https://www.goodwood.com/cycling/cycling-track-sessions/?ctx=cycling-sessions--cycling-sessions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cycle Track Session</a>. Yes, the classic circuit is being turned over to cyclists of all ages for the day – and you can even hire a bike. Traffic-free fun for the whole family.&nbsp;



The UK’s largest inflatable obstacle course returns to Leonardslee Lakes &amp; Gardens from 24-26 Jul. <a href="https://www.leonardsleegardens.co.uk/all-events/labyrinth-challenge-2026" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Labyrinth Challenge</a> spans a whopping 1,000 feet of clambering, sliding and leaping. The all-new Toddler Zone is for smaller ones but packs in just as much action. Wind down afterwards with model boat watching on the lake, a visit to the wallaby enclosure, or a mosey round the epic dolls’ house exhibition.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/cowdray_sunflowers-1000x667.png" alt="Maze Maize and flower picking at Cowdray Estate, Sussex" class="wp-image-85125" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/cowdray_sunflowers-1000x667.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/cowdray_sunflowers-800x533.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/cowdray_sunflowers-768x512.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/cowdray_sunflowers.png 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Flower power is go at the end of the month when Cowdray Estate opens its annual&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cowdray.co.uk/maize-maze-2-2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Maze Maize and Flower Picking Patch</a>&nbsp;(31 Jul-23 Aug). The 2026 theme is ‘Around the World in 80 Maze’, and there’ll be a stamp trail, sunflowers and wildflowers, a refreshing Maze Café, and plenty of kids’ play equipment to give you a breather. It’s all set against stunning views over the Lawns Polo fields towards the Tudor ruins.&nbsp;



Finally, fancy a festival? Family-friendly music festival <a href="https://skyglowmusicfestival.co.uk/west-sussex/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SkyGlow</a> is set to light up Fontwell Park Racecourse on 25 Jul with live tribute acts, stunt shows and hands-on activities. Come dusk, there&#8217;s a &#8216;Sky Safari&#8217; finale featuring tethered hot air balloons in a choreographed &#8216;glow&#8217; display.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.selinafinance.co.uk/use-cases/private-school-fees?utm_source=affiliates&amp;utm_medium=partnerdm&amp;utm_campaign=_consumer_prospecting_consideration_muddy_stilettos_main_schoolfees_ms_g3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/03/1.selina.jpg" alt="Selina Finance sponsor logo" /></a></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-theatre">THEATRE</h2>



Quantum Theatre’s al fresco adaptation of Beatrix Potter’s treasured <a href="https://www.quantumtheatre.co.uk/event-details/uppark-house-peter-rabbit-day-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Tale of Peter Rabbit</a> is hopping here there and everywhere this summer. You can catch it at Sussex’s Uppark House on&nbsp;24 Jul. Prepare for spellbinding and occasionally hair-raising adventures!&nbsp;



All for one and one for all! Yes, <a href="https://www.parkwoodtheatres.co.uk/the-hawth/whats-on/the-three-musketeers" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Three Musketeers</a> are tumbling into The Hawth’s outdoor amphitheatre on&nbsp;21 Jul. Bring a picnic and prepare for intrigue and swashbuckling action, revenge and romance. Good to know: it’s part of the government’s Great British Summer Savings scheme, so child tickets benefit from a VAT reduction.&nbsp;



Brace yourself for thrills (and quite possibly spills) of a different kind over at the Muddy Award-winning Chequer Mead Theatre on&nbsp;25 Jul. That’s when <a href="https://www.chequermead.co.uk/shows/utterly-revolting-science/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Utterly Revolting Science Show</a> takes to the stage with their stealth STEM blend of burp biology, fart physics and more.&nbsp;



Room for one more outdoor show? Make for Brighton on&nbsp;29 and 30 Jul&nbsp;and you can catch matinees of <a href="https://www.brightonopenairtheatre.co.uk/event/the-wonderful-wizard-of-oz-3/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Wonderful Wizard of Oz</a> at the city’s Open Air Theatre. Billed as ‘bonkers’, it’s a family comedy adaptation complete with physical humour and all the usual suspects, from munchkins to winged monkeys.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-activity-camps-amp-workshops">ACTIVITY CAMPS &amp; WORKSHOPS</h2>



School may be out but the learning never stops. Lancing College’s ever-popular&nbsp;<a href="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/www.lancingcollege.co.uk/activity-camps/">Little Explorers (aged 5-7) and Young Adventurers (aged 8-12)</a>&nbsp;(various dates&nbsp;until 2 Sep) offer thoughtfully structured programmes aimed at honing physical and creative abilities while boosting confidence, self-esteem, and social connections. Art, team sports and visits to the college’s farm all feature, and there’s an extended day option running from 8.30am-5.30pm for parents who don’t get a half term. Also on offer: lunch in the College’s dining hall, with a side of Hogwarts-style awe.&nbsp;



Ready for something a bit different? Worthing Museum is running a <a href="https://wtm.uk/events/highdown-goblet-dance-workshop/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">free dance workshop</a> for kids aged 8+ on&nbsp;18 Jul. It’s themed around the story of the Highdown Goblet, dating from around 400 AD and discovered on nearby Highdown Hill. An experienced dance caller will be on hand to bring a new dance to life, infused with local history as well as hares.&nbsp;



Leap Then Look is running a 5-day <a href="https://phoenixartspace.org/Events/leap-then-look-summer-art-school-27-31-jul/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Summer Art School</a> from&nbsp;27-31 Jul&nbsp;at Brighton’s Phoenix Art Space. Aimed at the 8-13-year-old crowd, it explores the world of contemporary art through cutting-edge techniques like screen printing, installation and performance. It rounds off with an exhibition finale for family and friends.&nbsp;



For anyone with a sporty child to keep busy, the University of Sussex has an array of camps. They’ve also teamed up with High Top Circus to run 5-day <a href="https://www.sussex.ac.uk/broadcast/read/70792" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">circus skills camps</a> for ages 7-11 and 12-16 (various dates&nbsp;until 28 Aug). Along with trapeze and acrobatics, they can learn to juggle while you’re doing the same!&nbsp;



Stay tuned for our August picks! 



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />



In the mood for more? 



<ul>
<li><a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/for-kids/best-uk-family-attractions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">School&#8217;s out! The UK&#8217;s best family attractions for an epic summer</a></li>



<li><a href="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/travel/uk/arts-culture-things-to-do/summer-reading-sorted-just-add-beachy-vibes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Summer reading, sorted – just add beachy vibes</a></li>



<li><a href="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/eat-out/local-producers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Get the scoop! Local ice cream makers conjuring bold new flavours</a></li>
</ul>

15 ways to start the school hols strong this summer

You may also like