With the high winds and rain at this time of year, venturing outside with the family can become a chore. Here are a few things you can get up to indoors while it’s cold and blustery.

Bowling

A family of four can play two games of tenpin bowling for £28 from 6pm on Friday to 6pm on Sunday at AMF Bowling’s alleys in Ashford, Crawley, Gravesend or Maidstone. Alternatively, a family of four heading to 1st Bowl at Chatham or Whitstable can play for 90 minutes for £30. Details at www.amfbowling.co.uk or www.1stbowl.com.

Canterbury Heritage Museum

From writing your name in Viking runes to sniffing medieval poo, families can get a hands-on history lesson. Children can investigate finds like an archaeologist, try on Elizabethan costume and listen to wartime memories, inspired by the museum’s Anglo-Saxon treasures, Tudor collection and the Blitz gallery.

See the real Bagpuss in Emily’s shop window and the original Clangers, Ivor the Engine and Noggin the Nog. They are on show as Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin created their much-loved children’s programme just outside Canterbury.

Built in 1373, the museum was originally a medieval hospital for poor, sick and retired priests.

There is also plenty to see at the nearby Canterbury Roman Museum, Herne Bay Museum and Gallery and Whitstable Museum and Gallery. Details at www.canterbury-museums.co.uk.

Cinema

Junior movies are shown every Saturday and Sunday morning at Cineworld in Ashford, Bexleyheath or Rochester. Tickets cost just £1 for children and adults, with classics like the Lion King, The Smurfs and Cars 2 on show.

At the Odeon cinemas in Beckenham, Canterbury, Chatham, Maidstone or Tunbridge Wells, it’s £2.50 for children, with accompanying adults going free, for their Saturday morning family movie. At any other time, adults pay children’s prices when buying a family ticket or save 15% off any ticket before 5pm from Monday to Thursday.

Admission is only £4.50 every Tuesday at Bluewater’s Showcase cinema. Orange phone network users can take advantage of the two for one offer every Wednesday at any of Kent’s major cinemas.

For something a little more cultured, catch foreign films and movies from the past few years at Canterbury’s Gulbenkian Theatre, Folkestone’s Quarterhouse or Tunbridge Wells’ Trinity Theatre.

Details at www.cineworld.co.uk, www.odeon.co.uk, www.showcasecinemas.co.uk, www.thegulbenkian.co.uk, www.quarterhouse.co.uk and www.trinitytheatre.net.

Dickens World, Chatham Maritime

Relive the Victorian era as you walk into the courtyard of the indoor attraction, which is celebrating Charles Dickens’ bicentenary this year. See what a 19th century schoolroom was like and walk through the corridors of the damp Marshalsea Prison. Look out for Magwitch on the Great Expectations boat ride and see a haunted house. There are also shows held at Dickens World’s Britannia Theatre. For full details visit www.dickensworld.co.uk.

Ice skating

Put on those blades and take to the ice at Silver Blades Ice Rink, just off the M2 in Gillingham. There are classes for beginners through to advanced. Details at www.theicebowl.co.uk.

Libraries

Dashwood library in Gravesend hosts its talk time at 10am every Friday, encouraging book lovers to join discussions and meet new people. Admission free. Call 01474 365489. A similar event happens at Southborough library (Fridays 10am to 10.30am, call 0845 824 7200).

Pre-school children will feel at home at the Maidstone library crafty tales events, every Friday from 2pm. Stories and crafts will keep the little-uns occupied. Admission free. Call 01622 752344. Dashwood library in Gravesend also has children’s craft mornings on Saturdays from 2pm to 4pm.

There are also children’s storytimes at Marden library near Tonbridge (Fridays, 10am to 10.30am, call 01622 831619,) Rusthall library near Tunbridge Wells (Fridays in term-time, 2pm to 2.30pm, call 01892 521667) and Whitstable library (Fridays in term-time, 2pm to 2.30pm, Sundays, 11am to 11.30am, call 0845 824 7200.)

Among the most outstanding Roman villas surviving in Britain, Lullingstone is an all weather family day out. Sitting in the Darent Valley, the villa was begun in about 100AD and developed to suit successive wealthy owners, reaching its peak of luxury in the mid-4th century.

Visitors to the villa can see the mosaics and rare wall paintings, a heated bath-suite and a house-church. There is a light show and Lullingstone’s collection of Roman artefacts. Children can try on the Roman costumes and play traditional board games from the period.

Admission £5.90, concessions £5.30, children £3.50, families £15.30. Call 01322 863467 or visit www.english-heritage.org.uk.

Maidstone Museum

Open for free all year round, Maidstone Museum was established in 1858 and houses more than 660,000 artefacts and specimens. Exhibits include items from ancient Egypt, Japanese art and stone tools proving that humans lived in the Maidstone area 400,000 years ago. The work of collectors, staff and benefactors over 145 years has created a rich and diverse collection. The museum also hosts regular children’s weekend workshops, beginning in February and running through the year.

For more details go to www.museum.maidstone.gov.uk.

Zumba

Leave the kids behind for an hour and try this Latin-inspired calorie burning dance fitness party. It runs at Stone Pavilion Hall, near Dartford, every Thursday from 6.30pm to 7.20pm and on Saturdays from 11.10am to noon. Costs £4. Call 07746 082182.

There are hundreds of Zumba classes across the county each week. Search our website for more details.

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