We would like to be able to analyse the basic traffic on our website, e.g. number of visits and page views. To do this we need to place a cookie on your browser (details here).
top
menuBrowse the site

Welcome! From bumps to teens we have it covered.
This is your one-stop site for everything you need to know about living in Southend with children.

Mums guide to Southend advertise with us
Mums guide to Southend planner

FEATURE

Welcome to your summer holiday guide and everything you need for a summer of fun! 

Find the BIG summer holiday guide here with our top picks or separate links to each article below

We have everything you need for a summer of fun:

☀️What's on guide - Your summer bible to finding all the local events. Use the list to browse all events or click the calendar to jump to any date in the future

☀️65+ FREE & low cost things to do this summer 

☀️Things to do - A huge category of local attractions including museums, farms and zoo's, sports and leisure, transport, out and about and hands-on activities.

☀️Summer Holiday Planner - An A3 planner to print out and help you get organised

☀️Summer bucket list - A cute activity to do together 

☀️Guide for working parents - Evening and weekend events for working parents NEW

☀️Mum's Guide to Waddle On Sea - More info on the Waddle-On-Sea trail and where ideas to make a day of it! NEW

☀️Places to stop on The Open Top Bus - Suggestions on where hop on and off! NEW

☀️Summer holiday guide for Under 5's NEW

☀️Pubs with play areas 

☀️Holiday clubs and classes   - Local summer camps and regular groups still running through the holidays. This includes baby and toddler groups!

☀️10 FREE & low cost days out in London - COMING SOON

☀️Where to play Crazy golf  - A round-up of all the places you can play crazy golf in and around Southend

☀️ Places to go Fruit Picking

☀️Cafes with play areas 

☀️Days out for teens & tweens - A great list if you're stuck on ideas for the older ones

☀️Where to find discounted tickets for local attractions - Get discounted tickets for Adventure Island and Sealife!

☀️Places to take babies and toddlers - If you're looking for somewhere quieter to take the younger ones!

☀️ Summer Reading Challenge - Sign up at any library for free! 

☀️ Kids week - Take the kids to a London Theatre for FREE with a full paying adult ticket

☀️Summer Scavenger hunt  - A cheap idea to keep you busy whilst out and about

☀️ Kids eat free - COMING SOON

Advertisements

Mums guide to Southend crazy golf
Pubs with Play areas

Feature

A great day out for every summer is fruit picking and it's fun for the whole family. We don't have many farms that you can pick your own near Southend unfortunately, but we've pulled together the closest. Always check before travelling what and if/what fruit is available, depending on how much has been picked the day before. Most PYO farms require you to book before visiting.

Click here to find out more about these PYO farms

🍓 Hilltop Farm - Benfleet, SS7 1PH (Approximately 15 - 20 minutes from Southend)

🍓 Lathcoats Farm - Great Baddow, Chelmsford. CM2 8LX (approximately 30 minutes from Southend)

🍓Little Mountains Farm (approximately 45-50 minutes from Southend)

🍓 Cammas Hall Farm - Hatfield Broad Oak. CM22 7JT (approximately 50 minutes from Southend)

🍓 Foxes Farm Produce - Colchester. CO6 3PR (approximately 1 hour from Southend)

🍓 McLauchlans of Boxted - Boxted Berries - CO4 5RB (approximately 1 hour from Southend)

Is fruit picking on your list this summer? If you go somewhere new, tell us about it here

Monthly Picks

The Summer Reading Challenge is free and runs from Thursday 24 July to Saturday 30 August. You can join in at any of Southend's 6 libraries.

🌳This year's theme is Story Garden - Adventures in Nature and the Great Outdoors. It will help children use their imagination by reading stories and learning how nature and storytelling go together in a fun and magical way.

How it works
Join the challenge at any of our libraries from 12 July (or at any time during the challenge).
Borrow books you like and read them at home.
Come back to the library and tell us about the books you read. You will get a collector's card and a sticker for each one.
Keep collecting rewards as you read more books.
The rewards are as follows:

Read 3 books - you will get a bookmark
Read 6 books - you will get: A medal
A certificate
A chance to win prizes like tickets from:

Caddies
Adventure Island
Southend Theatres (Pantomime)
Southend United Football Club

Children under 4 can join the mini challenge. It is a simpler challenge where you read or share 6 books with a grown.

Find out more here 

WHAT'S ON THIS WEEK


28th May 2025-05-28 2025-09-02 https://schema.org/EventScheduled - 2nd September
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModeWild Forest, Kelvedon Hatch, Brentwood


11th July 2025-07-11 2025-09-03 https://schema.org/EventScheduled - 3rd September
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModeSouthend-On/Sea, Southend centre, Shoeburyness and Leigh


18th July 2025-07-18 2025-08-31 https://schema.org/EventScheduled - 31st August
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModeDestination Lakeside, Thurrock


19th July 2025-07-19 2025-08-31 https://schema.org/EventScheduled - 31st August
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModeAudley End Miniature Railway, Saffrom Warden


19th July 2025-07-19 2025-08-31 https://schema.org/EventScheduled - 31st August
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModeCall of the Wild Zoo, South Woodham Ferrers


19th July 2025-07-19 2025-08-31 https://schema.org/EventScheduled - 31st August
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModeRHS Hyde Hall, Chelmsford


19th July 2025-07-19 2025-08-31 https://schema.org/EventScheduled - 31st August
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModePets at Home, Rochford Road, Southend


19th July 2025-07-19 2025-08-31 https://schema.org/EventScheduled - 31st August
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModeHadleigh Country Park, Hadleigh


19th July 2025-07-19 2025-08-31 https://schema.org/EventScheduled - 31st August
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModeBarleylands Farm, Billericay


21st July 2025-07-21 2025-08-31 https://schema.org/EventScheduled - 31st August
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModeHopefield Animal Sanctuary, Brentwood


21st July 2025-07-21 2025-09-01 https://schema.org/EventScheduled - 1st September
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModeNuclear High Ropes, Kelevdon Hatch, Brentwood


21st July 2025-07-21 2025-08-31 https://schema.org/EventScheduled - 31st August
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModeMarsh Farm, South Woodham Ferrers


25th July 2025-07-25 2025-08-31 https://schema.org/EventScheduled - 31st August
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModeGaron Park, Southend


26th July 2025-07-26 2025-08-31 https://schema.org/EventScheduled - 31st August
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModeScotts of Southend Garden Centre, Rochford


26th July 2025-07-26 2025-08-31 https://schema.org/EventScheduled - 31st August
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModeScotts of Southend Garden Centre, Rochford


28th July 2025-07-28 2025-08-31 https://schema.org/EventScheduled - 31st August
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModeLemon Witch, Leigh-On-Sea


30th August 2025-08-30 2025-08-31 https://schema.org/EventScheduled - 31st August
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModePriory Park, Southend-On-Sea


31st August 2025-08-31 2025-08-31 https://schema.org/EventScheduled
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModeEssex Fire Museum (Grays Fire Station), Grays


31st August 2025-08-31 2025-08-31 https://schema.org/EventScheduled
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModeJohn Burrows park, Hadleigh


4th September 2025-09-04 2025-09-04 https://schema.org/EventScheduled
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModeThe Green Barn Farm Shop, Benfleet

More events >

Add your event >

COMING UP IN TOWN


25th July 2025-07-25 2025-08-31 https://schema.org/EventScheduled - 31st August
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModeGaron Park, Southend


28th July 2025-07-28 2025-08-31 https://schema.org/EventScheduled - 31st August
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModeLemon Witch, Leigh-On-Sea


30th August 2025-08-30 2025-08-31 https://schema.org/EventScheduled - 31st August
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModePriory Park, Southend-On-Sea


6th September 2025-09-06 2025-09-07 https://schema.org/EventScheduled - 7th September
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModePriory Park, Southend-On-Sea


6th September 2025-09-06 2025-09-06 https://schema.org/EventScheduled
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModePriory Park, Southend-on-sea


13th September 2025-09-13 2025-09-13 https://schema.org/EventScheduled
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModeHM Coastguard Rescue station, Southend-On-Sea


13th September 2025-09-13 2025-09-14 https://schema.org/EventScheduled - 14th September
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModePriory Park, Southend-On-Sea


20th September 2025-09-20 2025-09-21 https://schema.org/EventScheduled - 21st September
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModePriory Park, Southend-On-Sea


27th September 2025-09-27 2025-09-28 https://schema.org/EventScheduled - 28th September
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModePriory Park, Southend-On-Sea


18th October 2025-10-18 2025-10-18 https://schema.org/EventScheduled
https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceModeDo It Like A Mother, Westcliff

More events >

Add your event >

RECENTLY ADDED

Why not browse through some of the listings we have recently added to the site...

Family Health

This Mum Thrives Health Coaching

Add your business >

New Parents

A handy guide for new parents in Southend or parents new to the area

Last updated: May 2023

Read more >