3 days in London with the kids

Three days, three very different moods — that's the shape of this family trip. It opens outdoors, with a wide-open morning at Frensham Common, then drifts into the afternoon at The Flashes, Churt Common: a day for boots, snacks and letting everyone set their own pace rather than chasing a timetable.

Day two swaps open ground for something with walls and stories at Bruce Castle, before softening into the smaller-scale charm of the Animal Enclosure — reliably the bit younger ones talk about on the way home. Day three keeps the same unhurried rhythm, beginning at Shalford Mill, where old workings give little imaginations plenty to chew on, then tipping into pure holiday at Guildford Lido. It's a shape that suits mixed ages: mornings with a bit of interest in them, afternoons that ask very little of anyone. Pack towels near the top of the bag.