You may not be able to go on an actual family holiday but here are some tours you can take with the kids from the comfort of your living room.
HERSHEYPARK
HERSHEY, PENNSYLVANIA
If your child loves chocolate — and which child doesn’t? — Hersheypark is a family theme park worth visiting. Located on the outskirts of Philadelphia, the park is owned by chocolate manufacturer The Hershey Company. While factory tours and tastings are out of the question in these COVID-19 times, you could buy a couple of Hershey chocolate bars or kisses, settle on the sofa with your child, and go on a virtual ride on 15 of the park’s roller coasters. They include Trailblazer, which reaches a speed of up to 45mph; Sidewinder, a boomerang coaster; and Great Bear, the only inverted roller coaster in the park.
WALT DISNEY WORLD
ORLANDO, FLORIDA
While there are myriad theme parks around the world, Walt Disney World is widely regarded as the gold standard among them. With virtual tours now available, you can recreate some of that Disney magic in your living room. There are a host of stories, videos and activities for children to do. Learn to draw a Disney-inspired pirate scene, zoom along on the exhilarating Incredicoaster, the fastest attraction at the Disneyland Resort, and join a cooking class by Disney chef Kevin Downing.
TIVOLI GARDENS
COPENHAGEN
First opened in 1843, Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens is the second most-visited seasonal theme park, attracting 5 million visitors a year. Besides beautiful decorations, the park offers dozens of rides for all ages. The Demon is Scandinavia’s first coaster that allows visitors to explore a virtual reality experience. Reaching a height of 28m, the roller coaster features a vertical loop, an Immelmann loop, and a zero-gravity roll. While going on the stomach-churning ride, prepare to encounter fireworks, fire-breathing dragons and demons from Chinese folklore.
NASA GLENN RESEARCH CENTER
CLEVELAND, OHIO
If your child is interested in space and aeronautics, consider a virtual visit to NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Ohio. The tours offer a 360-degree behind-the-scenes view of the centre’s world-class facilities and labs. It’s where they simulate flight conditions in the harshest conditions found in our solar system right here on Earth. View one of their 10 virtual tours to see some testing in action.
ROALD DAHL MUSEUM
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
A great family attraction for fans of Roald Dahl’s books is his museum. Located in the author’s home village of Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, the museum has three fun-packed galleries, with plenty for children to make, see and do. The virtual tours, aimed at six- to 12-year-olds, give visitors a chance to listen to Stanley Tucci read from The Witches, draw Willy Wonka with cartoonist Quentin Blake, and perform experiments with TV and YouTube scientist Greg Foot.