What to do with the kids when it’s cold, dark and rainy outside this winter? Father-of-two TOM OGG offers a few suggestions
1. Jump Jersey
Ask any parent of young children what the most exhausting aspect of being a mum or dad is and they’ll almost certainly reply: “Running around after the little so-and-so’s”. This is why Jump Jersey is such a win-win venue. The soft play areas are – as the name suggests – soft, which means you can leave toddlers and younger children to entertain themselves without the worry of them accidentally clonking themselves over the head with any hard objects or inadvertently inserting anything pointy up their nose.
2. Tintos Softplay
As above, but with added ball pit.
3. The Sheep Shed Jersey
Located on a family-run farm in the St Lawrence countryside, the Sheep Shed is a must-visit location for those with younger children, with a sizeable indoor play area featuring a bouncy castle, an actual climb-on-the-seat-and-pretend-you’re-driving-it tractor, arts and crafts and more toys than you can shake a newborn lamb at. Booking is required:
thesheepshedjersey@potagefarm.com.
4. Jersey Zoo
Can’t visit Jersey Zoo because it’s raining? Don’t be daft. In fact, it is when the weather is lousy that visitors to the zoo will often find themselves getting even more up close and personal with the animals than usual.
When the heavens unexpectedly opened during a recent visit with my sons, Teddy and Alby, the three of us legged it into the indoor section of the orangutan enclosure – only for Dagu and co to immediately follow suit. We then spent the next hour showcasing Teddy’s animal figurines through the window to some fascinated primates.
5. The Maritime Museum
The Maritime Museum is brilliant, with the perfect blend of interesting information for grown-ups and interactive activities for children. There are all kinds of buttons and knobs to be pressed and pulled, and the building is far bigger than it at first appears, with dozens of little side rooms and secluded exhibits to discover.
I must have visited the Maritime Museum at least 50 times with my kids over the last few years and, even now, we almost always discover something new. Just maybe steer more sensitive children clear of the big growling dog statue, which never fails to put the wind up my three-year-old.
6. Jersey Bowl
Everyone loves bowling, right? Much like Tetris, crazy golf and reading on the lav, it is one of those simple activities that never stops being enjoyable, no matter what your age.
And don’t worry if your offspring are a bit rubbish at bowling. You can just have those long inflatable snake things bunged into each gutter to avoid any stroppy meltdowns as and when you inevitably whup their butts on the scoreboard. Read it and weep, kiddos.
7. Acorn
Believe it or not, visiting Acorn is one of the favourite activities of my sons. A huge Aladdin’s Cave of second-hand goodies, Acorn is a guaranteed source of toys, books, toys, teddies, toys, board games, toys, toys and more toys, all of which are low in price but (mostly) high in quality.
And while young ones look around the child-friendly aisles, mums and dads can take turns to disappear off to the clothing section (my wife) and the film and music section (me).
8. Jersey War Tunnels
Informative and fun, the Jersey War Tunnels are worth a visit for anyone with kids aged three or above. Sure, younger children are unlikely to grasp what any of it really means, but they will nevertheless enjoy exploring the lengthy tunnels and the various different rooms and exhibits. And the adjacent shop is filled with terrific old-school children’s toys.
9. Cineworld Jersey
The States renewed Cineworld Jersey’s licence for another nine years in 2023 – woo hoo! – which means our lovely local multiplex is going to be on the horizon for the foreseeable future and the proposed “arthouse cinema” has been shelved.
And this is great news for anyone whose kids would rather watch the latest Pixar blockbuster than some experimental Lars Von Trier dogma film about social and political issues and the profundities of existential dread.
Sure, a visit to the cinema can be a bit pricey, especially if your kids all want buckets of popcorn to scoff throughout the film, but it’s worth it. And recently Cineworld have taken to screening dozens of classics from throughout cinema history (It’s a Wonderful Life, Jaws, Home Alone, etc), which are always a joy to revisit on the big-screen.
10. Buy some waterproofs and carry on regardless
Self explanatory really. So it’s raining? Big deal. Your kids aren’t made of dissoluble Aspirin, are they? Just whack on a cagoule and bung ‘em outside.
Need some boredom-busting ideas?
