For Steam trains Kent has the big and the small – The Hythe and Dymchurch narrow gauge railway runs from Hythe to Dungeness and you can stop along the way, maybe to explore the museum at New Romney. This has a large working model train layout, playground and a turntable to watch the trains being turned around. Also stop at Romney Sands to have a bit of time on the beach.

For full size steam trains there is the Kent and East Sussex railway which runs from Tenterden town centre to Bodiam.

At Folkestone, Lower Leas Coastal Park there is an excellent adventure playground and open air amphitheatre providing free family entertainment during weekends in the summer.

Kent has two fantastic zoos,
Port Lympne http://www.totallywild.net
and Howletts http://www.totallywild.net
which are featured on the BBC2 “Roar” programme, and they concentrate on conservation and education, whilst being very child friendly.

If you are specifically interested in big cats, the Wildlife Heritage Foundation is an absolute "must" http://www.whf.org.uk

Wildwood, Wingham Bird Park, Farming World and the South of England Rare Breeds Centre concentrate on our more native breeds and also entertain the kids with extensive adventure playgrounds.

To learn a bit more about Kent and days gone by there is the Cobtree Museum of Kent Life at Maidstone, the new Dickens World next to the Chatham Dock Yard. At the Dock Yard you can see them making ropes in the ropery, see life in Nelson’s day and wander over a Destroyer and a submarine.

There are plenty of forests owned by the Forestry Commission open to the public, and now at Bedgebury Forest there is “Go-Ape”, an award winning high wire forest adventure course of rope bridges, tarzan swings and zip slides up to 40 feet up in the trees.