Top Ten places for Kids to Get Behind the Wheel
Top 10 Places for kids to get behind the wheel...
Wow, what a choice! Children have a great opportunity to have a go at driving from a very early age, so check out some of the exciting opportunities we've come up with...
1. Young Drive at Blackland Farm
East Grinstead, West Sussex
Children's off-road driving, quad biking and off-road go karts and much much more! Young Drive has been running events since 1995 for children aged between 8 and 17. They specialise in events for children and families and are situated in 120 acres of glorious Sussex countryside just outside East Grinstead. Young Drive also teaches teenagers, aged 14 years and over the basics of driving a vehicle. This session covers steering, acceleration and braking, changing gear, and clutch control, all in a traffic free environment, in low range gears and therefore at low speeds. The session ends with each participant driving a 4x4 course; either the jungle run or a trials course, depending on the weather conditions. To find out more about Young Drive call 01342 822257 or visit the website
2. Legoland, Windsor, Berkshire
As if there isn't enough to do at Legoland! Children aged 6 to 13 will have great fun at the Driving School. After watching a road safety video, they will drive electric cars around a realistic course encountering traffic lights, roundabouts and other drivers. At the end, they all earn their very own LEGOLAND Driving Licence. Learner Drivers aged 3 to 5 years of age can have a go at smaller cars operated by a single pedal. The oval course is a lot simpler and to celebrate their achievement, all future drivers are awarded the LEGOLAND driving licence. www.legoland.co.uk
3. Arena Pursuits, Flimwell, East Sussex
Arena Pursuits offers young people from the age of 11 upwards the opportunity to learn to drive off road in safe surroundings under the tuition of experienced instructors. Using a manual Land Rover Discovery, initial lessons take place in wide open grass areas where steering, gear changing and other basic controls can be learned and mastered. Then it is on to over 8 miles of private roadways, tracks and headlands to practice their newly learned skills. Arena Early Learning Driving is not just a one off. More experienced young drivers can progress onto slaloms, skid control, auto tests, correct road driving techniques and even our purpose built ‘Jungle' 4 x 4 course. Arena Pursuits also offers Quad Biking for the 12 to 16 year old age group which includes a comprehensive briefings, practice and trekking around the 250 acre site. Arena Pursuits has an impressive list of Junior Activities on offer, so call 01580 879614 or visit the website to see for yourself
4. Let Racing Challenge Come To You!
If you are tired of the same old birthday parties and looking for something really different for your child's next birthday party, look no further! Racing Challenge can solve all your party worries by providing a unique themed party experience for kids aged 7 and up! This ensures an exciting event lasting two hours or more, allowing children time to participate in numerous races. Additionally, the whole event can be complemented with themed party accessories, including winners' medals for the fastest lap times. Interested? Intrigued? Simply call 01732 460614 or email nick@racing-challenge.co.uk to book your party now! Local operator website at
http://westkent.racing-challenge.com
5. Buckmore Park, Chatham, Kent
To let your kids experience the thrill of real outdoor Karting, head for Chatham's 1200m Buckmore Park Outdoor Kart Circuit, just off junction 3 of the M2. It's where British F1 sensation Lewis Hamilton learnt his trade and was discovered by McLaren in 1996. A session at Buckmore, celebrating its 47th anniversary this year, will be a day to remember as you follow in the footsteps of British F1 drivers Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and Johnny Herbert - all of whom learnt their trade here as youngsters. Buckmore Park offers a variety of karting options for youngsters including arrive ‘n' drive for ages 4 to 16, birthday parties for ages 4 to 16, kart training for ages 6 and up and a whole host of other activities. Visit www.buckmore4kids.co.uk today for more information.
6. Drive a Ferrari with Red Letter Days
Taking a Ferrari screaming down the straight is something most us only dream of. This is a chance to drive one before you've even passed your test. At Leicestershire or Lancashire, kick off with a safety briefing, then drive a Ford Fiesta or be driven in a cool little Mini Cooper with expert tuition of a fully qualified instructor showing you the most helpful driving techniques. Next up it's the big one, so big grin on face time as you speed off in an iconic Ferrari 360 or 575, with envious parents cheering you on from the sidelines. Receive a certificate to show off to friends and family. Aston Martin and Lamborghini Driving Experiences are also offered.
www.redletterdays.co.uk
7. The Hop Farm, Paddock Wood, Kent
The Hop Farm has a children's driving school which is fantastic for kids from 5 to 9 years old. It is a fun circuit where they can learn to drive around in their own brightly coloured mini cars and trucks. On the fun-size track our mini-drivers will learn the Highway Code basics - from observing signs and negotiating roundabouts, to giving way at zebra crossings and stopping at the traffic lights. Don't forget that it's an excellent way to get your kids thinking about safe driving practices in their early years - after all they're the drivers of the future! To make their driving experience complete, children can purchase their very own driving licence when they've completed the circuit and park up at the garage. www.thehopfarm.co.uk
8. YoungDrive! at Brands Hatch Circuit, Longfield, Kent
Let your youngsters drive someone else round the bend with an introductory driving lesson at one of the world's most famous racing circuits. YoungDrive! gives children aged at least 13 years old and over 4'10'' tall the opportunity to learn basic driving skills in a safe, traffic-free environment behind the wheel of a fabulous BMW 1 Series. A DSA-approved driving instructor will teach your teenager basic car control skills and hazard perception on closed off sections of the race circuit, to build up their confidence and vehicle knowledge. For more information call 0870 950 9000 or visit
9. Knockhatch, Hailsham, East Sussex
Get Ready, Get Set, Go-Kart ! Experience the thrill of Go-Karting at Knockhatch Adventure Park. Go-karting is one of the many fun family activities to be found at Knockhatch Adventure Park, near Hailsham, East Sussex. Zooming around a race track in a petrol-powered go-kart is an exciting and exhilarating experience. At Knockhatch, anyone aged over 3 can have a go at racing around their 150m all weather outdoor circuit, as there are different sizes of karts. The bigger sized karts are for over 8 year olds. Younger children (aged 4 - 8) need not miss out on the fun as there are mini-sized go-karts especially for them. Safety helmets and instructions are also provided. A visit to Knockhatch Adventure Park offers the chance for the whole family to enjoy a host of different activities, e.g, crazy golf, boating, indoor soft play areas, a children's farm, a birds of prey centre, reptile house, and tractor trailer rides, all of which are included in the main Park entrance fee. Go-karting, available at a small extra charge, due to the equipment and instruction provided, is just one of the many attractions at the Park, so, after a race around the track, why not take advantage of all the other fun activities on offer?
For further details, visit
or call Knockhatch Adventure Park on 01323 442051
10. Diggerland, Strood, Kent
This is one for the big kids! JCB Racing is certainly an experience not to be missed. Formula JCB Racing gives you the unique opportunity to get behind the wheel of 8.5 tons of sheer excitement. Experience the thrills of driving and racing these huge excavators on their specially designed course. Each event is supervised by highly experienced Instructors and is planned and hosted by an Event Manager. Diggerland provides top of the range JCBs and, after individual tuition and a safety briefing, participants are given the chance to race with fellow competitors completing a variety of tasks along the way. This adrenaline charged activity is available at all 4 Diggerland locations. Individual JCB Racing Days are held on one or two weekend dates per month from April until September at each Diggerland site. Bookings for Exclusive and Corporate Days can be made for either weekdays or weekends. As you would expect, there is an age limit - participants must be 17 years or older and hold a full driver's licence. Call 0871 2277007
Article written for Spring 2010 issue by Caroline Smith
