The Beach, Nottingham

Brian Clough, DH Lawrence, Robin Hood … Nottingham’s finest citizens have always gone against the grain so it’s little surprise that being landlocked hasn’t stopped the city enjoying a bit of seaside atmosphere this summer. Open until 1 September in Old Market Square, Nottingham’s “riviera” includes 250 tonnes of sand, deckchairs, a beach bar, giant paddling pool, fairground rides and stalls selling everything from ice-cream to burgers.
• Entry free, prices for activities vary, open daily 10am-6pm, experiencenottinghamshire.com

Dyrham Park, near Bath

What do you do if you’re one of the region’s biggest historic attractions but you’re going to be shrouded in scaffolding for a year while you fix a leaking roof? If you’re Dryham Park, a National Trust property in Gloucestershire, you add free rooftop tours to your family-friendly visitor activities, alongside exploring a woodland play zone, clattering around on tractors in the Old Lodge children’s area and chasing deer in the parkland. Available until the scaffolding is taken down on 20 December, the self-guided tours offer the opportunity to see the property from an otherwise impossible angle and, for younger visitors with Bob-the-Builder aspirations, a chance to watch the roofers at work.
• From £11.20, under-fives and members free, check website for opening hours, nationaltrust.org.uk/dyrham-park

The Big Hoot, Birmingham

Every schoolchild knows owls are nocturnal, but they’re not in Birmingham this summer. A partnership between Wild in Art and Birmingham Children’s Hospital has created the Big Hoot, a trail of 89 giant owl sculptures in the city from Victoria Square in the city centre to historic Bournville neighbourhood. Following the owl around the open spaces and historic buildings is a good way to explore the city’s cultural heritage.
• Free, download a map from thebighoot.co.uk, ends on 27 September

Boxsmall, Edinburgh

From the book festival’s family- friendly events to the International Festival’s newly launched children’s strand, younger visitors won’t be short of things to do in Edinburgh this month. Boxsmall is a cluster of cubic stalls selling Scottish craft and street food, with a kids’ zone where children’s festival shows will be previewing. There’s also there’s a bouncy snake to wrestle and a rota of games to join in. It’s on the roof of Princes Mall, right by Waverley station, and the site includes a Bubbleparc pop-up activity centre for children with bungydome and bubblepod.
• Free to access stalls, £4 to enter the kids’ zone, open 10am-7pm daily until 31 August, boxsmall.com

Cardiff Bay Beach

The palm trees may be potted and the sand imported but the waterside setting adds a sense of authenticity to this temporary seaside. In place until 5 September outside the Millennium Centre, the area has a beach, a paddling pool, live music, food stalls, big wheel, trampolines, carousel and helter-skelter.
• Cntry free, prices for activities vary, open 10am-8pm Sun-Thurs, 10am-10pm Fri and Sat, cardiffbaybeach.co.uk

Sweets and Treats, Hertfordshire

Running until 6 September as part of Warner Bros studio tour, this exhibition shows how the supernatural sweets in Harry Potter films were created – including the floating pudding from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Find out how the “frozen” desserts were made at Florean Fortescue’s ice-cream parlour and see the art department’s sketches for some of the 120 confections in the Weasley twins’ shop. Then buy a tub of butterbeer ice-cream in the studio’s Backlot Cafe on your way out.
• Adult £33, child £25.50, under-fives free, open daily 10am to 8pm (10pm until 6 September)

Seven Secret Doors, Staffordshire

As a working estate, Shugborough, the former family home of photographer Patrick Lichfield, appeals to many adults as the location of England’s only log-fired commercial brewery. For children the walled garden (where volunteers will help them pick fruit and veg), play area and farm are the prime attractions. This summer there’s an added incentive; until 7 September younger visitors can hunt for seven secret doors that each lead to a special place or object in the gardens.
• Adult from £12.50, child £7.50, under-fives free, check website for opening hours. shugborough.org.uk

Shaun in the City, Bristol

In Birmingham it’s owls, in Bristol it’s sheep: until 31 August, 70 sculptures of Shaun the Sheep are bleating a path through Bristol before being auctioned in aid of Wallace & Gromit’s Children’s Charity. Download a free map from the website – or use the Sheep Spotter app – to tick them off. True Shaun fans should put Lotus on their list. The willow-patterned sheep was designed by Richard Starzak (writer and director of the Shaun the Sheep film) and sits outside the offices of Aardman Animations.
• Free, shauninthecity.org.uk

Adventures with Charlie and Lola and Friends, Hampshire

If you’re curious to know whether Charlie and Lola creator Lauren Child ever had a sausage dog, or why Charlie and Lola’s parents never appear in her books, the author’s first retrospective promises to reveal the answers. Running until 6 September at Mottisfont House, a National Trust property between Salisbury and Winchester, the Art of Lauren Child exhibition includes original sketches from the books, objects that helped inspire the stories, such as Lola’s pink milk glass, and illustrations from Child’s next book. Visitors can follow a themed family trail around the house and gardens, or take part in an activity weekend (of which this is one).
• Adult £12.60, child £5.85, under-fives and members free, check website for opening hours, nationaltrust.org.uk