В Лидс-кастле открыта новая экскурсионная трасса «Маленькие люди, большие мечты»

More on KentOnline Leeds Castle is one of Kent’s most iconic attractions - so it is quite fitting that it is honouring iconic women in its new trail this summer. We visited the castle for our very first Family Friendly Kent review last year - and have enjoyed many return visits as tickets last for 12 months. We were back again to try the Little People Big Dreams Inspiring Women trail, which is running until August 31. The trail has been created in partnership with the children’s book series Little People, Big Dreams, and features Marie Curie, Queen Elizabeth II, Rosa Parks and even Beyoncé. The trail takes families on a journey through the grounds, with 12 stops along the way. Each stop was about a different person and had some information about them as well as an activity to do. There’s also a letter at each station and you have to write these down on your trail sheet which you collect from the visitor centre. Make sure you take a pen or pencil. We also got a bag of duck food from the visitor centre for £1 - but this actually got forgotten about as the kids were too busy doing the trail activities. Don’t take the land train if you want to do the trail - as you will miss half of it out. The last point on the trail map is by the obstacle course over by the bird centre - so little legs need to be prepared to walk the length of the grounds. The first stop was just down the hill by the lake. It was about American aviator Amelia Earhart, who was the first female passenger to cross the Atlantic by airplane. Children were challenged to make and fly a paper aeroplane. Before we set off, I had been a bit worried that Max wouldn’t like the trail as it was all about women but this activity was a great start and once he started trying to get his plane through the target, I struggled to get him away to continue with the rest of the trail. It was great to see something as simple as a paper aeroplane keeping them both entertained. The next stop was a Shake Station, inspired by Taylor Swift where children could make lots of noise with musical instruments, followed by a stop to learn how to do a royal wave. Then there was the chance to become a fashion designer (an activity inspired by Vivienne Westwood) followed by an activity station where the kids could take to the political stage with a chalk placard (inspired by activist Emmeline Pankhurst). The next station was probably my favourite. It was a nurse’s station inspired by Florence Nightingale. There were bandaging instructions and the children were challenged to bandage up a teddy bear. We were about halfway through the trail by now and had arrived at the pavilion lawn - the perfect spot to stop for our picnic. After our lunch, there were more stops and activities based on Agatha Christie, Rosa Parks and Beyoncé. We arrived at the far end of the castle grounds just before 2pm - and just in time for the daily falconry display. We haven’t seen this for a while and Millie loved it. She was so excited to have the birds flying over her head. Next up was Max’s favourite - the maze. We headed in all together at first and then Max and Millie ended up going round twice more to see if they could get faster each time. They think they might have set the world record for completing it in the fastest time! After persuading them not to do the maze for a fourth time, we did the other activity stations which included a penalty shoot-out, inspired by footballer Mary Earps, and having a go at the obstacle course. We went back to the falconry area for 3.30pm when they have their meet the birds experience. The kids then went in the massive children’s play area for a bit (there are two to choose from - one for younger kids and one for older kids) before we decided to head home. If little legs are tired by this point, you can catch the boat across the lake for a small fee but we decided to get some ice-creams and take a slow walk back through the grounds. This also gave us a chance to have another go at the trail activities on the way. Leeds Castle is rated as the second most popular thing to do in Kent on TripAdvisor and it’s easy to see why. There’s always something new to see. We have visited Leeds Castle many times but the kids never get bored of it. We’d had a fun-filled day and they had got to try some different things. Millie loved dressing up at some of the activity stations and, in the end, Max didn’t mind at all that it was all about women. To find out more about the trail, click here. Location: Leeds Castle is located just a few minutes from Junction 8 of the M20 and there are brown tourist signs to follow. If using a sat nav, use the postcode is ME17 1RG. Food and drink: There are places to buy food and drinks at the entrance, at a kiosk near the castle itself, in the stable courtyard and by the play area. We saved cash by taking a picnic - there are lots of places to stop. Toilets: These are dotted around so you are never too far from one. They are at the entrance, the courtyard, the castle and by the play areas. Parking: Free and plenty of it. Cost: The trail is included in the normal admission price. A family ticket for one adult and up to three children costs £87 and a family ticket for two adults and up to three children is £115. These last for 12 months and the attraction is open all year round. Kids’ verdict: Millie said: “The trail was really fun. There was lots to do. My favourite bit was dressing up at the Agatha Christie station.” Max said: “The trail was really good and Leeds Castle is always good to visit. My favourite bit was bandaging the bear.”