Ball Games
If a gentler indoor activity is more your thing, you might consider joining the Ashford Indoor Bowls Club close to Victoria Park. As well as enjoying a game of bowls in one of their leagues or tournaments, it’s a great place to meet people and socialise too in the bar and café.
Another indoor sporting opportunity can be found in the village of Wye, a 5 minute drive from Orchard Farm. A weekly table tennis session runs from 6.30 pm – 9 pm every Tuesday in the large village hall for people over 60.
If you haven’t heard of Pickleball yet, then you soon will! It’s a combination of tennis, table tennis and badminton and is one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S. You can learn to play in Ashford, Wye, Hawkinge and Lenham and your first session is free with the Eureka Pickleball Club.
Paddle around
If you’d like to get out on the water, the Pirates Canoe Club is based at Conningbrook Lakes in Ashford but offers events in many other parts of Kent too. In 2024 these include canoeing on the River Medway, and on the River Rother in Rye and there are many coaching sessions in swimming pools. It cost £40 a year if you’re an experienced canoer and £80 a year for beginners. They also offer family memberships so it’s worth getting your whole family involved.
Be a Gym Bunny
If you prefer solitary activities you’re spoilt for choice in Ashford if you’d like to join a gym. These include Pure Gym, Bannatyne Heath Club and Spa, The Gym Group, Anytime Fitness, Snap Fitness, The Stour Centre, CrossFit Great Stour and Eastwell Manor Hotel and Spa.
Skiing, Skateboarding and Climbing
If you’re planning a ski-ing break this year you can get in some practice on the dry ski slope at Folkestone Sports Centre or enjoy twenty climbing elements suspended in the air on the Skywalk.
Also in Folkestone, F51 is the world’s first purpose built multi-storey skatepark and home to the largest lead climbing wall in the South East and also features bouldering facilities and a boxing gym.
Active kids
If your children love being active there are so many opportunities for them to burn energy. Local haunts such as Flip Out is currently being upgraded to include Ninja Tag and another Tag game in Ashford is Battle Zone laser tag located in Kingsnorth. This is a themed World War two laser or nerf war game where teams shoot at each other over two floors. Finally, another family-friendly activity, that will get hearts pumping, is the newly opened Virtual Recreation Gaming Centre in Elwick Place. Their free roam room is suitable for 4 – 6 players and allows you to all enter the same virtual reality world via headsets.
You’ll find lots more inspiration on what to do with children, including where to swim, on the Days out with Kids website.
