Photo: Rabe!, CC BY-SA 4.026 children's activities at 7 National Trust places in Kent, in one list, and all 20 places on a map. Entry is free for members at most places; where an activity costs extra, the price is on it.
Knole (National Trust), Sevenoaks · 29 August to 1 November 2026
Twelve giant hand-painted Gruffalo sculptures are dotted around Knole's parkland and the Orangery. Each was decorated by an artist with designs drawn from nature. The trail ends with the October half term, so this is the last chance to see it.
Emmetts Garden (National Trust), Ide Hill · 16 October to 1 November 2026
An outdoor family trail around Emmetts Garden where children help two woodland characters protect the underground fungal network. Playful challenges along the route lead to a secret code. It runs through the Autumn Festival and the October half term.
Ightham Mote (National Trust), Ivy Hatch · 16 October to 1 November 2026
To mark 30 years of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Ightham Mote is showing 30 Pikachu cards, each drawn by a different illustrator, on a trail through the house and grounds. Visitors can pick up facts about the character and design their own Pikachu card. It is a half-term option that is not Halloween themed.
Emmetts Garden (National Trust), Ide Hill · 16 October to 1 November 2026
A folklore game played on the free Stranger Folk app, where the Old Crone sets families silly and magical tasks to find goblins and boggarts and close a rift between worlds. One phone is enough for a family. It takes about 20 minutes or can be spread through a visit.
Chartwell (National Trust), Westerham · 16 October to 1 November 2026
A gentle ghost-themed trail through the parkland at Chartwell, made for young families. There are eight stops with games and small challenges, and cheeky ghosts to spot along the route. Children collect a sticker from the shop at the end.
Scotney Castle (National Trust), Lamberhurst · 17 October to 1 November 2026
Scotney's monsters are having a day off around the moat, but they have lost the invitation to tonight's party. Families follow the trail, spot the hidden creatures and solve clues to work out where the party is. Younger children can do a simpler spotter version.
Chartwell (National Trust), Westerham · 27 October to 28 October 2026
A storytelling session based on the We're Going on a Ghost Hunt books, with the Bunnies of Hoppity Hill searching for ghosts, pumpkins, bats and owls. It mixes story, music and mild spookiness for small children. Sessions run on two days of half term in the Mulberry Room.
Emmetts Garden (National Trust), Ide Hill · 29 October to 1 November 2026
A drop-in craft under the marquee where children weave a spider web or make a pinecone spider to take home. A Forest School teacher and volunteers are on hand to help. There is nothing extra to pay beyond admission.
Emmetts Garden (National Trust), Ide Hill · 29 October to 1 November 2026
A small-group wood carving session led by a Forest School teacher, where children learn to use carving tools safely and whittle a wooden mushroom keyring to take home. Each workshop has just eight places. It runs over the last weekend of half term.
Knole (National Trust), Sevenoaks · 16 October to 18 December 2026
A weekly play session for babies and toddlers in the Hayloft at Knole. Each morning opens with songs and music, then there is free play with toys, books and a small craft, before winding down with a story. Light refreshments are on offer.
Quebec House (National Trust), Westerham · 17 October to 1 November 2026
Quebec House is dressed with harvest displays showing how an 18th-century household got ready for winter and turned garden produce into pantry staples. Children can try on costumes and hunt for crocheted squirrels around the house. On some weekends volunteer cooks offer tasters of period and autumn treats in the Coach House.
Knole (National Trust), Sevenoaks · 19 October to 14 December 2026
Monday mornings at Knole for under 5s and their grown-ups. The Brewhouse cafe hosts a relaxed coffee morning with toys and games, and little ones get a free babyccino when you buy a hot drink. At 11am there is a storytime in the bookshop mixing new picture books with old favourites.
Emmetts Garden (National Trust), Ide Hill · 23 October to 1 November 2026
Traditional fairground rides return to the meadow at Emmetts Garden for the October half term. A local operator brings a carousel, swing boats and a teacup ride. A day wristband lets a child ride as often as they like.
Knole (National Trust), Sevenoaks · 24 October to 25 October 2026
A family showing of The Gruffalo film in the Hayloft at Knole, with colouring and toys to play with afterwards. Everyone gets a cup of squash and a biscuit. It runs on the first weekend of half term.
Sissinghurst Castle Garden (National Trust), Sissinghurst · 27 October to 28 October 2026
Families choose a pumpkin from the Sissinghurst vegetable patch to take home. For a little more, you can carve it at the picnic area next door straight afterwards. Pumpkin numbers are limited, so places must be booked.
Knole (National Trust), Sevenoaks · 27 October 2026
Children paint and decorate a wooden wreath with an autumn design to take home. All materials are provided. The session is held in the Hayloft Learning Centre during half term.
Chartwell (National Trust), Westerham · 19 November to 3 January 2027
A winter trail through Chartwell's garden based on Rob Biddulph's picture book I Follow the Fox. Children track the little fox from stop to stop, with a seasonal activity at each one, then hand in their sheet at the visitor centre for a prize. It opens a week before the house is decorated for Christmas.
Quebec House (National Trust), Westerham · 20 November to 20 December 2026
General James Wolfe's childhood home in Westerham is transformed into a woodland world, with trees and hidden creatures telling a winter story room by room. Volunteer cooks prepare 18th-century treats in the Coach House across the garden. It is a short, gentle visit that combines easily with Chartwell nearby.
Knole (National Trust), Sevenoaks · 21 November to 23 December 2026
Knole's courtyards are hung with trees and garlands, and the Great Hall is laid with nature-inspired woodland decorations around a large sparkling tree. Families can pick up a free spotter trail in the showrooms and follow a winter trail out in the deer park. Climb the Gatehouse Tower for views and a 1930s-style festive setting.
Scotney Castle (National Trust), Lamberhurst · 21 November to 3 January 2027
The Victorian mansion at Scotney is decorated with scenes inspired by favourite fairytales, and a gingerbread trail runs outdoors for children. On selected late nights the gardens are lit with twinkling illuminations. Scotney is just outside Lamberhurst, so it combines easily with other festive outings in the area.
Knole (National Trust), Sevenoaks · 21 November to 3 January 2027
A festive trail out in Knole's deer park themed on the animals and birds that live there. Families peep into bird boxes, hunt for wooden deer and try Christmas activities on the way round. It carries on after the house decorations end on 23 December, right through to 3 January.
Ightham Mote (National Trust), Ivy Hatch, near Sevenoaks · 21 November to 3 January 2027
The moated medieval manor house near Sevenoaks is decorated for the festive season, with seasonal displays through the rooms. A festive trail is planned for families to follow during the visit. The National Trust has said more details are still to come.
Scotney Castle (National Trust), Lamberhurst · 21 November to 3 January 2027
A runaway gingerbread trail around the grounds at Scotney. Children pick up a sheet, search for the escaped Gingerbread Men and other festive characters, and play games along the way. It runs alongside A Fairytale Christmas in the mansion.
Chartwell (National Trust), Westerham · 27 November to 3 January 2027
Winston Churchill's family home is decorated with a theme inspired by his love of painting, with colourful trees, lights and displays through the rooms. Children can follow a festive trail based on Rob Biddulph's picture book I Follow the Fox. Live carols are performed in the garden on selected weekends.
Chartwell (National Trust), Westerham · 6 December 2026
A two-hour painting session where children make a canvas portrait of Jock, the marmalade cat Winston Churchill adored, with a practising artist showing them the techniques. Everything is supplied and the finished canvas goes home with you. It suits beginners as well as keen young painters.
Chartwell (National Trust), Westerham · 12 December 2026
Author and illustrator Rob Biddulph, known for his #DrawWithRob videos, leads a live family session at Chartwell. He reads from his picture books and teaches everyone how to draw one of his characters, then signs books afterwards. His summer workshops here sold out weeks ahead.
Kent places in colour and activities in orange, with Sussex in grey so you can plan further afield. Tap a pin for details and directions.
Gardens, houses, castles and countryside worth a visit any time, with opening times and what to see.
Image: ChartwellChartwell was the family home of Sir Winston Churchill, on a hillside near Westerham. Walk through rooms of the family house, see the largest collection of Churchill's paintings in his studio, and explore the rose garden, walled garden and woodland that inspired him. Allow half a day, and book a timed ticket for the house.
Image: National TrustCobham Wood is a rare surviving ancient wood pasture in the Kent Downs, grazed by Highland cattle and crowned by the 18th century Darnley Mausoleum designed by James Wyatt. Follow the woodland tracks to the Mausoleum for views over the North Downs. Plan two to three hours, including the walk in from the car park.
Image: National TrustColdrum Long Barrow is a megalithic chambered tomb built more than 6,000 years ago and the best-preserved example in Kent, ringed by large sarsen stones. Walk up from the small car park to explore the stones, which have been unfenced to mark 100 years of National Trust care. It suits history lovers, walkers and dog owners, and an hour is plenty unless you add a longer walk.
Image: Emmetts GardenEmmetts Garden is an Edwardian hillside garden at Ide Hill, near Sevenoaks, planted with rare trees and shrubs. Wander the rock garden, rose garden and woodland, which offer something to see through the year, then stop at the Old Stables Tea Room. Allow two to three hours.
Image: National TrustFan Bay Deep Shelter is a network of Second World War tunnels dug into the White Cliffs in 1940 and 1941, explored on a hard hat and head torch tour with National Trust guides. The visit also takes in two early sound mirrors and the excavated number 3 gun emplacement. It suits older children, teens and adults keen on history, and takes around 90 minutes plus the clifftop walk.
Image: Ightham MoteIghtham Mote is a moated medieval manor house tucked into the countryside near Sevenoaks, with 700 years of history under one roof. Explore rooms from different eras, wander the 14-acre garden, then stretch your legs on more than 500 acres of estate walking trails. Booking is not required, making it an easy half-day trip.
Image: KnoleKnole has been an archbishop's palace, a royal residence and the Sackville family home, and sits within Kent's last medieval deer park on the edge of Sevenoaks. Tour the showrooms and climb the Gatehouse Tower, or simply walk the 1,000-acre park where a wild deer herd roams. Allow half a day for the house, or an hour or two for a park walk.
Photo: Christopher Nicol, CC BY-SA 3.0The surviving private rooms of a knight's house from about 1290, one of the rarest pieces of medieval domestic building in Kent. You can see the solar, a barrel-vaulted undercroft, a small chapel and a garderobe, with a later red-brick farmhouse standing where the great hall was. It is unstaffed and free, so it makes an easy stop on a walk from Ightham Mote.
Image: National TrustOldbury Hill is a National Trust woodland near Ightham crowned by one of the largest Iron Age hillforts in Britain, with earth ramparts around two miles long. Climb through oak, birch and pine to the summit and look for old rock shelters in the sandstone ridge. It is a good hour or two for walkers and history fans.
Image: One Tree HillOne Tree Hill is an unstaffed National Trust countryside site near Sevenoaks, with a network of woodland paths and a view south over the Weald of Kent. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, so look out for rare plants, insects and molluscs as you walk. Free and dog-friendly, it is ideal for a short countryside walk.
Image: National TrustOwletts is a Charles II house in Cobham village and the birthplace of the architect Sir Herbert Baker, who left his mark on its rooms. Room guides point out details such as an oval stained glass window, a 17th-century plaster ceiling and the Empire Clock he designed. It suits history lovers and families on its open days, and an hour or two is enough.
Photo: Marathon, CC BY-SA 2.0The Georgian town house in Westerham where General James Wolfe, who won the Battle of Quebec in 1759, spent his childhood. Rooms are set out as the family knew them in the 1730s, with a small garden of period planting and an exhibition in the Coach House. It pairs well with Chartwell, a few minutes up the road.
Image: Scotney CastleScotney Castle pairs a romantic 14th-century moated castle ruin with a later mansion house on the hill above it, on a National Trust estate near Lamberhurst. Explore the house and the terraced garden that drops down to the old castle, then head out across 780 acres of parkland and Wealden woodland. Allow half a day, or longer with an estate walk.
Image: Sissinghurst Castle GardenSissinghurst is the celebrated garden created by writer Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson near Cranbrook. Explore its series of garden rooms, including the White Garden and Rose Garden, climb the 16th-century tower to Vita's writing room, then walk out across the 450-acre estate and farm. Garden lovers should allow at least half a day.
Image: Smallhythe PlaceSmallhythe Place is the early 16th-century home of the Victorian actor Ellen Terry, near Tenterden. Her house is now a museum of her theatrical life, and the 17th-century thatched Barn Theatre still stages live performances. The cottage garden, rose arbour, orchard and ponds make a gentle stroll before tea.
Image: National TrustSouth Foreland Lighthouse is a Victorian lighthouse on the White Cliffs, built to guide ships past the Goodwin Sands and the first to use an electric light. Take a guided tour, enjoy the views over the Strait of Dover and stop at the 1950s-style tearoom. It suits families and walkers, and pairs naturally with a clifftop walk from Dover or St Margaret's.
Image: National TrustSt John's Jerusalem is a 13th-century chapel built by the Knights Hospitaller, set in a peaceful moated garden beside the River Darent near Dartford. Look inside the light, well-preserved chapel, then follow the garden paths and bridges with a picnic. It opens on just one afternoon a month in season, and an hour is enough.
Photo: Marathon, CC BY-SA 2.0A half-timbered yeoman's house built in the 15th century, a textbook Wealden hall-house with its great hall and solar. Around it are a colourful front garden, a wilder orchard behind and woodland walks across the Otham valley. It is a quiet, small-scale visit for anyone interested in medieval homes and Arts and Crafts gardens.
Image: National TrustThe National Trust's stretch of the famous chalk cliffs starts from the visitor centre at Langdon Cliffs, with clifftop paths and big views over the Channel and the port. Walk as far as you like along the coast path, stop at the café, or carry on to South Foreland Lighthouse. It suits walkers, families and dog owners, and a visit easily fills half a day.
Image: National TrustToys Hill is a National Trust woodland and heath near Brasted, with far-reaching views and a web of waymarked walks and bridleways. Look for the ruins of Weardale Manor, the well sunk by National Trust founder Octavia Hill and the old water tower now used by hibernating bats. It is ideal for a dog walk, a longer hike linking to Emmetts Garden and Chartwell, or a ride on the bridleways.
To Do in Kent is independent and not connected to the National Trust. Activities are checked against the Trust's own event pages; for membership and opening details see nationaltrust.org.uk.
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