PHILIPPA May continues her guide of places and activities - close to home and further afield - that don't need suncream or wellies as they're all (or almost all) under cover as well as a selection of things to do and places to go when the sun has his hat on.

CADBURY WORLD

FOURTEEN chocolate-themed zones combine to create a fantastic chocolately day out.

From the history of everybody’s favourite treat to hands-on activities and a glimpse of how it all gets made ... as well as the chance to try some, Cadbury World is a sure-fire hit. More details at cadburyworld.co.uk.

DUDLEY ZOO AND CASTLE

HOME to some of the world’s biggest, rarest and most exotic animals. See some of the endangered species Dudley Zoo is helping to save including Asiatic lions, Sumatran tigers, lemurs and penguins. Then visit historic Dudley Castle and learn about its eventful past. Details at dudleyzoo.org.uk.

NATIONAL SEALIFE CENTRE BIRMINGHAM

SEE a wealth of marine life up close in a range of spectacular displays, from touch pools to walkthrough underwater tunnels providing close encounters with everything from humble shrimps and starfish to seahorses, sharks and rays. Details at sealifeeurope.com. Prices: Adult £14.50, child £11 (online).

WARWICK CASTLE

WATCH the jousting, see the guests at a Royal Weekend House Party at the castle, Join Richard Neville, Kingmaker and Earl of Warwick as he prepares his extensive household for the Battle of Barnet in 1471 and see what medieval life was really like.Details at warwick-castle.co.uk.

BERKELEY CASTLE

BERKELEY in Gloucestershire is a castle with a very special atmosphere, a Norman fortress built and enlarged through the middle ages and beyond to become a substantial home. See the King’s Gallery with the dungeons where King Edward II was imprisoned and murdered. The gardens were planted with the help of the renowned garden designer, Gertrude Jekyll, at the turn of the last century and the grounds also include a butterfly house. More details at berkeley-castle.com.

WALKING AND PICNICKING

PACK a picnic and put your best foot forward for a day that costs almost nothing, but offers a unique way to experience beautiful Shropshire. Reluctant walkers will be magically transformed into enthusiastic ramblers with the addition of a friend or two. With a quarter of the county designated as the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, so you’re guaranteed glorious landscapes to walk through. Visit shropshirewalking.co.uk.

INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR BIRDS OF PREY EARDISLAND

AN opportunity to see and learn about birds you’d never normally see and watch them in flight in one of the regular flying sessions run by both centres. International Centre for Birds of Prey on 01531 820286/821581 or icbp.org, £9.50/£6, family (2+2) £28.

WEOBLEY

SCHOOL'S out for Summer. A wide range of (mostly) free activities offered throughout the holidays by the Weobley Extended Schools Cluster. The line-up includes a sport experience week, free family cooking sessions, African drumming workshops, a day of canoeing or kayaking on Bodenham Lake and a multi-activity day at Taste for Adventure in Credenhill. For dates and prices and a booking form, call Jane Denny on 07814 576386.

FOLLOW A TREASURE TRAIL

PICK up your trail booklet at your local tourist information centre and discover a fun, healthy and educational way to get out and about. Choose from a murder mystery trail in Hay, Hereford, Ledbury, Leominster or Ross, or look for lost treasure in Weobley, with plenty of others close to home and further afield to choose from. At just £5 per trail, you’ll enjoy a real value-for-money day out withi money left over for ice-cream. For details, go to treasure trails.co.uk, local tourist information centres and youth hostels and B&Bs.

GO KARTING

KEEPING children of different ages amused can be a challenge in the school holidays, but for the overeights, go-karting offers a brilliant solution.

Boys and girls alike love speeding around the track, trying to beat each other and themselves, with every driver given a print-out of their lap times at the end. For details, call 01544 318334 or visit herefordshireraceway.org.uk.

SHORTWOOD FAMILY FARM, NEAR BROMYARD

TAKE a two-hour animal feeding tour, see the old-fashioned farmyard and even milk a cow at this working organic dairy farm. £7/£5. For details, call 01885 400205 or visit shortwoodfarm.co.uk.

MOUNTAIN BOARDING

TAKE to the hills and discover the exhilaration of the UK’s fastest growing board sport – mountain boarding.

Head for Court Farm in Tillington, a great place for mountain boarders, whether experienced or complete beginners. Safety kit,boards and tuition for beginners are provided and it doesn’t take long for novices to start going down the gentle nursery slope, while a big hill offers advanced riders challenging 500-metre runs.

At Out to Grass in Cradley, you’ll also be provided with board, safety kit and instruction before you head off in pursuit of downhill speed. For details, call Ironsides Court Farm Mountainboard Centre on 01432 760271 or visit courtfarm leisure.co.uk. Call Out to Grass on 01886 88099 or visit outtograss.com.

SMALL BREEDS FARM PARK AND OWL CENTRE, KINGTON

ALL of the British owls can be seen at this unique farm park, as well as a wide selection of other animals. For details, call 01544 231109 or visit owlcentre.com.

GO APE IN WYRE FOREST

WALK tall as you negotiate the treetop walkways of Go Ape, meeting the challenge of highwires, zipwires and cargo nets in a workout for mind and body. Details from goape.co.uk.

HORSE-RIDING

GET in the saddle and see the world from a different perspective. Bryngwyn Riding Centre: Old Rectory, Bryngwyn, Kington. Call 01497 851669 for more details. Sue Adams Riding School, Hamnish, Leominster. Call 01568 760267 for more details.

WEST MIDLAND SAFARI PARK

ALWAYS a favourite with its great mix of safari and exciting rides, this summer WMSP offers young enthusiasts the chance to be Junior Safari Rangers on Saturday, July 17 and Sunday, July 18.

Join in some hands-on fun with workshops, giving the chance for young ‘wannabee’ keepers to help look after a range of the small encounter animals.

West Midland Safari Park will also be open late every evening throughout August for their Summer Nights event, offering a marvellous opportunity to go on an amazing four-mile evening safari.

For details, go to wmsp.co.uk. Price: adult, £12.95, child £11.50, family (2+2) £44.

TWYCROSS ZOO

TWYCROSS, near Tamworth, is one of the major British zoos, particularly renowned for its collection of primates. For details, go to twycrosszoo.org. Price: Adult £11, child £7, family (2+2) £33, family (2+3) £39.