drive from Lourdes, the Parc also offers lots more animal entertainment, with a petting farm, nature trails and other enclosures, including those housing bears and birds of prey. Argelès-Gazost is worth a visit, too, with a thermal spa and a casino, plus

, then the smaller caged animals are ideal. A hamster is a great first pet as they are easy to care for and, though nocturnal, they can be trained to be awake at suitable times. They do still need watering, feeding and cleaning, but in a solid-sided cage, they

Children can see the goats being milked, tend to the hens and get close to the Shetland ponies on Farmer John’s special tour during a stay at The Dandelion Hideaway at Osbaston House Farm in Warwickshire. You can stay in one of five luxury self-catering Canvas Cottages that resem...

, children can enjoy a host of games at the villa, from volleyball to cricket, take a bike ride to the village of Aranwella or get close to nature with whale watching. Animal lovers can also visit the Udawalawe elephant park, the Kalametiya bird sanctuary

and inspire your child with new home art ideas.Animals in Art by Joanna Skipwith (Silver Jungle, £9.99). Pick out an animal (tiger or rhino) and look at how this familiar image has been recreated in art, discussing style and materials with your child.The Art

 restaurant, led by Head Chef Tom Rains, features a specially created Children’s Menu. Nearby attractions include Cotswold Farm Park with its array of animals, the Tailor of Gloucester Beatrix Potter Museum and Gloucester Cathedral – the setting for Hogwarts

,000 marine animals – and the Atlantis Kids Club. The camps cover everything from lessons in DJ spinning to pizza making, plus there’s a special summer rate with rooms  from £147 per night until September. This rate includes access to The Lost Chambers

tents or Little House On The Prairie-style timber houses. There are full- and half-day Kids Corps programmes every day for children aged five to 12, as well as daily feeding of the baby animals at the Cow Pokes’ Corral. The Bushbaby travel group offers a

Hallowe’en in the US coincides with half term in the UK, and what better way to celebrate it than in Washington DC? The capital lays on a host of events children will love, such as a Boo at the Zoo trick-or-treat evening where you can enjoy animal

To see professional sand sculptures visit the beach at Weston-Super-Mare in Somerset until 4 September. This year the theme is the jungle and you’ll be able to see a variety of wild animals, flora and fauna all created from sand.Read about our five