Booking a family adventure holiday is the easy part. The nerves tend to arrive a few weeks later, when someone asks, “Can the kids actually do all this?”
If your week away involves white water rafting, sea kayaking or paddle boarding, there’s a chance some of the family has never tried it before. That’s completely normal, and it’s half the fun. But a little practice close to home can make a big difference.
Kids who’ve already wobbled on a paddle board or spent a day in the saddle of a bike trailer arrive on holiday excited rather than anxious. Parents arrive knowing what to pack, what the kids will love and where the limits are.
Here are five easy UK weekend adventures to try before you fly. We’ve also pointed out the kit you can hire for each one, so you don’t have to buy gear your family might only use once.
1. Find your balance on a calm canal
A flat, quiet canal is the friendliest place to learn stand up paddle boarding. There are no waves, no tide and no current, so the whole family can wobble, fall in and laugh about it before trying open water abroad. Start on your knees, then stand up once everyone feels steady. Younger children can sit or kneel in front of a parent on a larger board, and everyone should wear a buoyancy aid.
Two practical points from the Canal & River Trust:
- You need a licence to paddleboard on a canal (a short-term visitor licence is available if you’re going alone, and clubs usually arrange one for you) and,
- Paddleboards aren’t allowed through locks, so you’ll need to carry your board around them.
Best for: Families with kids who can swim confidently.
Kit to hire: Stand Up Paddle Boards and paddle accessories.
2. Test a packraft on flat water
A packraft is a lightweight inflatable boat, and a calm lake is the best place to meet one. Spend a day learning how to get in and out, paddle in time, steer together and, importantly, what to do if someone ends up in the water. That teamwork carries straight over to a rafting day on holiday, when your guide will be telling you when to paddle hard and when to hold on.
Keep your first trip to still, sheltered water. Moving rivers are a different matter: conditions change quickly, access rules vary and experience matters, so only head out on a river with a guide or an experienced paddler. Always wear a buoyancy aid and check the weather first.
Best for: Active families, teens and confident swimmers who want to try something new.
Kit to hire: Pack rafts and the paddles and safety gear to go with them.
3. Ride a traffic-free trail with a bike trailer
If your holiday includes cycling, a day on a flat, traffic-free trail is the perfect warm-up.
Cornwall’s Camel Trail follows a disused railway for about 18 miles between Padstow and Wenfordbridge. It’s easy to split into short sections: Padstow to Wadebridge is 5.5 miles, Wadebridge to Bodmin 5.75 miles and Bodmin to Wenfordbridge 6.25 miles. Look out for otters and kingfishers along the way.
Prefer Devon? The Tarka Trail runs for around 30 miles along another old railway line, with places to stop for refreshments at Instow and Bideford.
Plan short rides, pack snacks and layers for little passengers, and build in a stop every few miles. If the kids enjoy it, you’ll know they’ll love the cycling on your adventure week.
Best for: families with toddlers and young children, and parents who want an easy ride.
Kit to hire: A kids‘ bike trailer.
4. Hike to a waterfall (and spend a night under canvas)
Many family adventure holidays include a national park, and the best preparation is a good walk to somewhere beautiful. In Devon, the National Trust’s Lydford Gorge has a 1.75-mile circular walk down to the 30-metre Whitelady Waterfall, through temperate rainforest.
It’s rugged, with steep, uneven steps and narrow paths beside fast-flowing water, so it’s a great test of little legs and of how well your child carrier fits. Check opening times first, as some trails close in winter.
Turn it into a proper weekend by camping nearby. A trial run in the garden or on a campsite tells you what you forgot, and whether the tent really does go up in ten minutes.
Best for: Families with toddlers and children who like exploring.
Kit to hire: A child carrier, plus tents, sleeping bags and backpacks from our Camp & Hike range.
5. Practise snorkelling on the Dorset Coast
If you’re heading to the Adriatic, a snorkel in British waters is a great way to build sea confidence. Kimmeridge Bay in Dorset has a marked snorkel trail: five buoys along a 400-metre route, passing sandy seabed, rocky reef and seaweed gardens.
The trail runs from May to September and is for confident sea swimmers, so it suits older children and teens best. Go on a clear, calm day, and take a wetsuit, as British seas are chilly.
Best for: Confident swimmers and older children.
Kit to hire: Kids’ and adults’ wetsuits from our Tri & Swim range, so you only pay for the weekends you use them.
Capture the whole adventure with a GoPro
The best family memories happen when you’re too busy having fun to take photos. That’s where an action camera comes in. The GoPro HERO12 Black is small, tough and waterproof, so it’s ideal for rafting, kayaking, paddle boarding and snorkelling. Hiring also means you don’t have to buy a camera you might only use once a year.
Ready for your adventure?
A family adventure holiday works best when everyone arrives excited rather than nervous. Try a few of these weekends first, and by the time you reach the river, the sea or the trail, the whole family will know what to expect, and the kids will be asking to go again.
Adventure Kit Hire delivers outdoor kit to your door across the UK, so you can try before you travel.
Ready to plan your holiday? Take a look at the family adventure weeks we organise in Croatia, package prices starting from £995 pp Excluding flights to Split.
