7 family-friendly activities to entertain the children on school strike days
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WITH schools in the Highlands set to be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday due to ongoing teacher strike action, there are bound to be plenty of parents out there looking for activities to entertain the children during their unexpected days off.
Looking for some inspiration yourself? Then why not check out some of the following suggestions – which range from completely free outdoor fun, to more expensive theme park trips, and everywhere in between.
Cinema
A number of family-friendly films and specials are set to entertain cinema-goers in Inverness on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Related: All Highland schools will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday
From Marvel's latest blockbuster Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, to Shrek spin-off Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, and even back-to-back specials of The Gruffallo and The Smeds & The Smoos, there's something for kids of all ages, and silver screen adventures of varying lengths.
And with a range of seating prices available, the trip shouldn't break the bank balance to boot.
Walk on the beach?
With the weather set fair and sunny in many parts of the Highlands this week, you could opt for a low-cost option that will also do you and your loved ones the world of good – head out into the great outdoors.
Beaches like those at Nairn, Dornoch, Gairloch, Durness and more make for great places to stretch the legs and enjoy a little seaside fun like flying a kite or building a sandcastle or two.
And in the likes of Nairn (which is certainly not alone in this regard) there's plenty of facilities within easy reach of the sands too – from picking up an ice cream to playing pitch-and-putt, or nabbing some tasty chips for lunch or tea.
Enjoy an adventure on two wheels
Sticking with the great outdoors, the coming spring offers ample opportunities to head a little further afield by hopping on a bike and venturing onto some of the area's many minor roads and traffic-free routes.
Be it a leisurely ride on the quiet road along the north shore of the Beauly Firth out towards Redcastle, or opting instead for an even safer traffic-free ride along the Caledonian Canal, there's all manner of great low-impact cycle rides to choose from for you and your loved ones.
Where will two-wheeled inspiration take you?
Hit the lanes at the Rollerbowl
The industrial action may not be the only strikes you see on Tuesday and Wednesday if you opt for this slice of family fun.
The Rollerbowl bowling alley in Inverness is open from 10am to 10pm on both days, providing ample opportunities for a little fun competition to see who can grab the most strikes.
And the ten-pin bowling, while the main attraction, is certainly not the only thing you can enjoy while there, with pool tables and arcade games also vying for attention, and food and drink available when not on one of the site's 24 bowling lanes.
Hit the pool
Speaking of pool, why not swap the billiard cue for a splashing good time in the waters of one of the region's many swimming pools?
It may be too cold to take to the sea at the moment, but from small community pools to the large Aquadome in Inverness – complete with flume rides and more – there's plenty of warm indoor locations to enjoy a little family fun in the water.
Play parks
There are plenty of play parks around the region to enjoy the open air with the little ones.
From ones with play equipment like swings, slides and roundabouts, to others with plenty of open space in which to enjoy a little kickaround with a ball, you've plenty of locations to choose from – with the added bonus that there'll be no costs involved bar the fuel you use to travel to them and back again.
And there's some great locations to choose from, be they in Inverness, or the great forest play equipment at Wyvis Natural Play Park at Little Garve, just off the A835 Dingwall-Ullapool road.
Super-size the experience?
If the idea of forest play parks sounds enticing but you want to super-size the experience then the Landmark Forest Adventure Park just outside Carrbridge is another possible contender if you want to splash some cash.
From safari ride-on-cars and shooting gallery, to the pre-historic giants of the Dinosaur Kingdom, and the super views from atop the 105-step wooden Forest Tower (and much, much more besides) there's plenty to keep the little ones amused.
And much more besides...
And these are just some of the near countless options available. Many more activities are also out there waiting to entertain all ages. From the go-kart raceway in Inverness to the delightful animals of the Highland Wildlife Park, and from the fun of crazy golf and skate park down by the riverside in Inverness, to historic attractions like Fort George or Urquhart Castle – there's all manner of activities out there to entertain you and the children. And, as some of the free-to-use options earlier in this list show, they don't have to break the bank. Where will inspiration take you and the family during the teaching strikes?
