Relax. You’ve got this.

Some say there are three four things a child needs: education, exercise, love, and a table full of culturally inspiring home-recipe Sri Lankan food (just the way our Amma’s used to make it).

Now, we know that school provides the bulk of the first two. You obviously supply the third. And we can help with the fourth – especially with our generous offer. More on that later ;)

In the meantime, we thought you might need a little inspo. Thinking of things to keep the young’uns occupied isn’t easy, especially in the holidays where the weather isn’t usually kind. So, here’s a list of fun (mostly indoor) activities you can do with the pups in our favourite UK cities.

Our top picks:

In Bath

We all want our kiddywinks to shoot for the stars. And the Herschel Museum of Astronomy might be just what they need to spark their scientific genius. The museum provides child-oriented guides that are probably more fun than the adult ones, if we’re honest. And the best bit is under-17’s can enter the museum for free.

Little-known fact: Herschel helped double the size of the known solar system! Luckily, it’s only a nine-minute walk from our restaurant when all that learning doubles the size of their appetites. Stellar!

In Birmingham

We think it’s good that our children know what life was like in the good ‘ol days. So, we suggest you visit the Birmingham Back to Backs. This incredible National Trust site takes you back to when the Industrial Revolution exploded.

Once you’ve bought some treats from the Olde Sweet Shoppe, you can walk along the historic canals and explore the library (one of the largest in the world). Then wrap it all up by letting us rustle you up something nice. Bostin’.

In Bournemouth

Right, let’s burn through some energy. Ideally located on the end of Bournemouth Pier is the awesome, Rock Reef. It even sounds cool, doesn’t it? Let your little monkeys loose on 28 themed Clip ‘n Climb walls, a 65-meter indoor cave, and a 250-meter zip line.

If we’re honest, that sounds so cool we’ll probably have a go ourselves! Either that or negotiate to get that zip wire to land directly into our nearby restaurant. Now that would be cool!

In Bristol

We’ll stay with being active for Bristol. After all, we know kids can be a bit, erm, ‘bouncy’ when school is out. In which case, take a visit to AirHop, Bristol. An indoor park packed with trampolines, slides, and squidgy stuff to land on. Their website says it doesn’t matter if you’re 7 or 57… and, let’s face it, we’re all big kids at heart, so if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!

(Since you definitely can’t beat the taste of a freshly cooked kotthu or authentic curry from our kitchen, then feel free to join us at either of our Bristol restaurants. Just like the trampolines, they’re always jumpin’ too!)

In Cheltenham

Cute animal alert! Just a few miles from our original restaurant in Cheltenham, you and the children can spend time watching lambing season live. For just over a fiver, kids can meet the new lambs, learn about how it all works and might even witness the arrival of a new addition to the farm! With 500 Ewes on site, that sounds pretty likely. As you might imagine, you’ve got to book this one, but we think it could be worth it.

We appreciate it might put you off our lamb cutlets, but we’ve got tonnes of other tastebud-twisting dishes on our menu, including a hug range of vegetarian & vegan options.

In Oxford

What do Torvill & Dean, and Bambi have in common? They all liked to slide around on the ice!

Now, regardless of what end of the figure-skating scale you’re on, Oxford Ice Rink is perfect entertainment for the hols. With sessions every day and just a short walk from the train station, this is a bit of a no-brainer. They even have a roller drome if ice isn’t your thing.

Afterwards, why not pop in and show us your best Biellmann spin (yes, we looked that up). Don’t worry, we’ll clear up if you knock a drink or two off the tables…

In Reading

We’re sure, for a few of us, locking up the little rascals for a couple of hours during the school break is tempting. Well, good news! At Reading’s Escape Hunt you can do just that. It’s okay, they give you clues on how to get out (and if you don’t manage it, they’ll let you out. Eventually!). There are five themed rooms, from Vikings to the Wild West, to make it great fun, whatever they’re into.

When you do manage to escape, you’ll find The Coconut Tree virtually by the back doors of this place, so come and debrief over a selection of deliciously authentic Sri Lankan food.

‘Cozzy living’ – it’s a real thing.

Precious moments with our children last a lifetime, but we know the costs can rack up. Especially these days! So, to help, we’ve laid on a bit of a treat during the upcoming school holidays. Between the 10^th and 16^th of February (inclusive), kids eat free at The Coconut Tree. Simples.

We love to see families having fun. It warms us up even more than our curries!

Right, we’re off to do the school run. See you soon,

TCT.

The Coconut Tree is a uniquely Sri Lankan restaurant where everyone is welcome and you’re guaranteed good food, good people & good times… With a huge menu including plant-based and vegetarian dishes, and a kid’s menu too, there’s something for everyone. Be sure to ask us about our latest offers when you book or when you’re seated. For more information about our menus, cocotails and locations, click here.