With teachers striking and schools closing all over the country this week, parents will be tearing their hair out wondering what to do with their kids.

Older children might be joining online classes or taking care of themselves but, if you’re spending the day with young kids and need to keep them busy, don’t worry - we’ve got a few ideas for you…

Explore a castle

The county is well-known for its abundance of historic castles, and they could be the perfect way to fill in the educational gap while your children are off school. The kids can learn all about the queens of Leeds Castle, stroll around the grounds of Rochester Castle or admire the gardens of Scotney Castle - to name just a few.

Visit indoor play parks

If you’re looking for a way to keep your children entertained for a couple of hours - and to get some peace and quiet for yourself - then you can’t go wrong with an indoor play park. Brave explorers can come face-to-face with prehistoric creatures at Dinotropolis in Bluewater, go on an intergalactic adventure at Kidz Planet in Folkestone, or take the leap at Flip Out indoor trampoline parks in Chatham and Ashford.

Meet the animals

While there are two well-known zoos in Kent - Howletts and Port Lympne, both run by the Aspinall Foundation - they aren’t the only places in the county you can meet some furry friends. Wingham Wildlife Park near Canterbury is home to tigers, chimpanzees and a walkthrough dinosaur park, Wildwood near Herne Bay has more than 50 species of native British animals, and Hemsley Conservation Centre in Sevenoaks looks after lots of rare and endangered animals. There are also a number of animal rescue centres, nature reserves and smaller animal parks across the county.

Stroll around a country park

From adventure playgrounds to nature trails, Kent has some fantastic country parks that are worth visiting - even in the winter months. Whether your children have bundles of energy to burn off or you just want to get them away from screens for a couple of hours, there are picturesque parks dotted all over the county. You can even check our top picks for winter walks in country parks to help give you some inspiration.

A trip to the cinema

When it’s cold outside, there’s nothing better than settling down with a bucket of popcorn and a great film. This week, Matilda the Musical, based on the stage show all about a young girl with remarkable powers, is in cinemas across Kent. The film, starring Emma Thompson, Lashana Lynch, Stephen Graham and Sindhu Vee, takes a musical that has been delighting families in theatres for years and brings it to the big screen. It’s showing at cinemas in Ashford, Bluewater, Chatham, Maidstone, Rochester, Sittingbourne and Tunbridge Wells.

A boat trip to London

A boat ride can be an easy and fun way to entertain your little ones during this half-term. You can sail to Central London aboard Uber Boat by Thames Clippers from Gravesend Town Pier and Tilbury. From Tilbury, the trip will take just 40 minutes to reach Greenwich Peninsula, or 60 minutes to London Bridge. Along the way, you'll sail past many of the city's iconic sights including The Thames Barrier, The O2, The Old Royal Naval College Greenwich, Canary Wharf and under Tower Bridge. Friday February 17 is now fully booked but dates for Thursday, February 16 are still available for a day trip to the capital.