FAMILY FUN DAY OUT ON A BUDGET

For under £100...

We asked Robbie Lane from Isle of Wight Guru for his favourite days out on a budget, for a family of four spending under £100. 

With £100 in your pocket, you’ll be able to go to town on the Isle of Wight. 

More specifically, I would head for Yaverland for a dinosaur-themed day out along the Island’s four-mile-long sandy beach that includes Sandown and Shanklin.

Start off with a visit to Dinosaur Isle, which costs about £20 for a family ticket. The museum is the UK’s first purpose dinosaur museum and is even shaped like a pterodactyl (yes, I had to look up the spelling).

There are some truly impressive fossils on display, as well some interactive bits where children can prod, poke and brush away without being thrown out.

For an extra £20, a family of four can go searching for their own artefacts as part of an organised fossil hunt on the beach. These take place at various locations across the Island, but popular spots include Yaverland and Brook Chine. The latter features some world-famous dinosaur footprints. To the untrained eye, they may resemble foot-shaped rocks, but I am assured that they are the real thing.

Our dinosaur tour continues with a visit to one of the Isle of Wight’s three dinosaur themed minigolf courses. Go for Sandown’s Dino Islands course, including a puffing volcano or Shanklin’s Jurassic Bay. A round for a family of four will cost you about £25. Minigolf fans may like to know that the third dinosaur themed course can be found at The Needles.

After you’ve argued your way round 18 holes, take a trip to Jurassic Jim’s Fossil Shop in Shanklin. This small shop is an essential visit for dinosaur fans, with some magnificent fossils to admire as well as plenty of pocket money souvenirs.

With your remaining budget, head for The Salix at Small Hope Beach. If you’re lucky, there’ll be some live music to accompany your cappuccino and mint choc chip.