There is a rare opportunity to just turn up and drive at karting circuit BUCKMORE PARK, near Chatham, this weekend. Family day only happens several times each year, and one such date is this Bank Holiday Monday between 10am to 5pm. All three circuits will allow specially designed driving experiences for everyone, from age four to adults, and even passenger rides for those not wishing to drive. There is no need to book, just turn up, sign in, and kit up with everything provided. Do allow time for your visit, as queues form at peak times. Karting starts from £15. Call 01634 661617 or visit www.buckmore4kids.co.uk

Silly comedy, storytelling and craft activities will keep youngsters entertained at this year’s CANTERBURY CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL. The free event during half-term will include performances at the Marlowe Theatre Studio and interactive craft and storytelling workshops at the Beaney Institute. The week ends with monster costume workshops and a parade with prizes for the best-dressed monster. For full listings of the festival, which runs from Saturday, May 24, to Saturday, May 31, visit marlowetheatre.com or call 01227 787787.

Medieval costumed characters will make a return pilgrimage to the CANTERBURY TALES to present five of Chaucer’s stories. The larger-than-life performers proved so popular when they appeared as part of the attraction’s 25th anniversary celebrations last summer that they have been asked to deliver all the tales again this half term. Setting aside the usual audio handsets, visitors can immerse themselves into a live theatre experience from Saturday, May 24, until Sunday, June 1, between 3pm and 5pm. Tickets cost £8.75 for adults, £6.75 for children and £26.95 for family tickets. Call 01227 454888 or visit www.canterburytales.org.uk

Join Charles Darwin’s assistants and explore evolution at its birthplace, as you delve daringly into the mysteries of science at DOWN HOUSE, near Biggin Hill. See the study where Darwin wrote On the Origin of Species, still as it was when he worked here, and stroll through the extensive gardens that so inspired the great scientist. The Discover with Darwin event runs from Tuesday, May 27, to Friday, May 30. Open daily from 10am to 6pm. Entry is £10.30 for adults, £6.20 for children and £26.80 for a family ticket. Call 01689 859119.

The first-ever permanent Hello Kitty attraction in Europe is there for all to enjoy at DRUSILLAS PARK in East Sussex. The Hello Kitty Secret Garden is the showpiece of the zoo near the Kent border. Passengers can jump aboard the cat-themed car ride and the magic tea cups. The feline herself will be there to meet on three days next week: Bank Holiday Monday, Wednesday, May 28, and Friday, May 30. Open daily from 10am to 6pm. Tickets from £15 per person or from £56 for families of four. Call 01323 874100.

Show off your roller-skating moves and best skills to a backbeat of pop songs. Expect cheesy tunes and lots of fun – with fancy dress encouraged but not essential – at the roller disco at FOLKESTONE QUARTERHOUSE on Thursday, May 29, from 4.30pm onwards. Ticket prices and session times vary, so visit www.quarterhouse.co.uk or call 01303 858500.

Saddle up for a journey into the Wild West at GROOMBRIDGE PLACE. Team up with the cowboys to make sheriff badges and fire up in the Nerf gun shooting gallery, then swap sides to join the Indians for activities in the forest teepees including arts and crafts, Indian face-painting and drumming workshops. Fancy dress is welcome. Open daily between 9.30am and 5.30pm. Groombridge Place is near Tunbridge Wells. Entry costs £9.95 for adults, £8.45 for children and £33.95 for a family ticket. Call 01892 861444.

Gain a fascinating glimpse into the Edwardian era, just before the First World War when the Astors were in residence at HEVER CASTLE, near Edenbridge. Children can experience an Edwardian school where the Three Rs of education – reading, writing and arithmetic - will be taught. Traditional games will include croquet, a coconut shy and tin-can alley. Visitors can have a go on old-fashioned telephones and watch rare home movies on a 1930s TV set. The event runs from Saturday, May 24 to Sunday, June 1. Open from 10.30am to 6pm. Entry costs £15.50 for adults, £8.70 for children and £39.70 for a family ticket. Call 01732 865224.

A country show combines a dog and sheep show, ferret racing, birds of prey displays, and medieval re-enactment including The Knights of the Damned Jousting Team. The West Kent Country Show at the HOP FARM SHOWGROUND, Paddock Wood, will be held on Sunday, May 25 and Bank Holiday Monday from 10am to 5pm. Broom making, spinning and weaving activities will keep the kids busy, while parents can enjoy the real ale and scrumpy bar. Entry is £7.50 for adults, £3.50 for children and £19 for a family ticket. Visit www.thehopfarm.co.uk

If history and battle is your thing, then a family-friendly re-enactment could be a sure-fire hit. The largest gathering of Napoleonic re-enactors in the UK for over 20 years will be meeting at HUNTON COURT, just outside Maidstone, this weekend. Over 300 enthusiasts will create a live battle featuring a parade, gunpowder display and a living camp. Visitors can see, hear and smell the battle, as well as understand living conditions and camp life in the Napoleonic forces. The event on Saturday, May 24 and Sunday, May 25, runs from 10am to 5pm, with battle commencing at 1.30pm. Entry is £10 per car, or a one-off £11 if you attend both days. Call 07594 918705.

Learn how to grow your own pizza at IGHTHAM MOTE. This new event for families – called Plant It, Grow It, Eat It – runs on Sunday, May 26 and Bank Holiday Monday from 11am to 3pm and gives tips on how to grow favourite items you’d find on pizza toppings. Children will have the opportunity to follow a treasure hunt around the gardens near Borough Green with a compass, enjoy the fabulous natural play area and embark on the National Trust venue’s ‘50 things to do before you are 11¾’ activity sheet. Open daily, 10.30am to 5pm. Entry £11.50 for adults and £5.75 for children. Call 01732 810378.

Make a splash with water zorbing and whizz around on the quad bikes at KENT LIFE, near Maidstone. These adrenaline kicks are on offer alongside the more traditional thrills of animal feeding and farmyard fun. Open daily from 10am to 5pm. Tickets cost £9.25 for adults and £7.25 for children. Call 01622 763936.

The Knights of Royal England will return to LEEDS CASTLE on horseback this half-term week. Watch displays of spectacular daredevil stunts, medieval weaponry, falls, fights and galloping horses. Meanwhile, the Knights School includes hobby-horse jousting, mini battles and trying on armour for younger children. There will also be a mini medieval market to explore. Open daily from 10am to 6pm. Annual tickets cost £24 for adults and £16 for children. Call 01622 765400 or visit www.leeds-castle.com/events

Longbows, crossbows and the live firing of black powder weapons will all feature in a medieval weekend at LULLINGSTONE CASTLE, near Swanley. Living history displays, authentic dress, campfires and tents all add to the excitement, which will peak with a re-enactment of a medieval battle. The event takes place on Sunday, May 25 and Bank Holiday Monday from 11am to 5pm, with battles at 3.30pm. Entry costs £7 for adults, £4 for children and £18 for a family ticket. Call 01322 862114.

TV favourites Charlie and Lola are back with their Extremely New Play, and this time they’re bringing along Sizzles the Dog. The show is recommended for children between three and six years old. There are no loud bangs, strobe lights or scary moments and it lasts for around one hour and 15 minutes including the interval. Join the pair at Dartford’s ORCHARD THEATRE on Bank Holiday Monday at 11.30am, and then again on Tuesday, May 27, at 1pm and 3.30pm. Tickets from £12.50. Call 01322 220000.

The half term fun has a military theme at PENSHURST PLACE, near Tunbridge Wells. Make spy binoculars and create your own red poppy, then take part in the full First World War event on Sunday, May 25, and Bank Holiday Monday. Hands on History will transport visitors back to the early 1900s by dressing in uniforms and clothes worn during the period. Artefacts will be on display from 11am to 5pm. Entry £10 for adults, £6.50 for children and £28 for a family. Call 01892 870307.

Walk on the wild side at PORT LYMPNE ANIMAL PARK with special activities to learn about hooved animals. Use your detective skills to work out who the tails and horns belong to, follow the trail to identity hoofstock animals by their legs, and join the education team at special talks around the park throughout half-term. The park near Hythe is open daily from 9.30am to 6.30pm. Annual tickets cost £23.95 for adults and £19.95 for children. Call 0844 8424647.

Tractor rides, barnyard animals and the butterfly tunnel are among the incentives to visit the RARE BREEDS CENTRE, near Woodchurch. Those brave enough can tackle the Mysterious Marsh adventure course, while tree-lovers can explore over 10,000 different trees in Rainbow Wood. Open daily from 10.30am to 5.30pm. Tickets cost £9.95 for adults, £8.50 for children and £28 a family ticket. Call 01233 861493.

There’s a different theme on most days of half term at WILDWOOD, near Herne. Celebrate the wolves’ birthday with a party on Tuesday, May 27. Boo in the Zoo on Wednesday, May 28, looks at the scariest resident creatures. Hoo in the Zoo on Thursday, May 29, studies animals that make hoot sounds, and Poo in the Zoo explores what we can discover from animal dung. Workshops are from 2pm to 3pm, and are £2 per child on top of the entry fee of £9.95 for adults, £7.95 for children and £32.50 for a family. Open daily, 10am to 5pm. Call 01227 712111.