It might not have been the most glorious summer on record so far, but come on, don’t give up yet. You’ll be surprised how much you can pack into the last fortnight of the holidays in Britain - especially if you’ve watched your children devote the last month to MTV and MSN Messenger.

Mountain-biking and badgerwatching, horse-riding and hippo-spotting, kite-making and bat-detecting, duckracing and dinosaur-hunting, strawberry-picking and grass-sledging - all these and more are up for grabs over the next two weeks in a nationwide ferment of fun-drenched family days out.

Here is our hand-picked selection: 25 top ways to reboot your summer and banish those school-holiday, dogday blues.

1 HIDE WITH BADGERS

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BACKGROUND

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• Britain's 10 best dog-friendly beaches

Snuffle down to Devon for an appointment with the Barton clan at its sett near Tiverton. Farmers Kevin and Anne Atkinson have been inviting families to share their badger hide for 12 years, and feeding time is about 7.30pm, Monday to Saturday. You’ll need to be dormouse-quiet, though, so it’s not for the under7s. The price is £10, children £7 (01398 351506, www.devonbadgerwatch.co.uk ).

There is more nocturnal nature-watching on a kids-only night safari at the London Wetland Centre, in Barnes, southwest London. For ages 8 to 14, it starts at 6.30pm on Tuesday and August 26, and costs £25 (020 8409 4400, www.wwt.org.uk ).

2 SPIN DOWN A HILL

Just outside Dorchester, in the bucolic bosom of Wessex, people are strapping themselves into giant inflatable orbs and rolling down a slope. This is “zorbing”, and the 200yd run at Zorb South (01929 426595, www.zorbsouth.co.uk ) is Britain’s fastest - you’ll spin at about 25mph. For the harness ride, your child needs to be 4ft 10in or over. Not thrilling enough? Opt for the “hydro zorb” (ages 6 and over), which feels like jumping in a washing machine on cold cycle. It’s open daily; from £35 per ride.

3 TAKE THE REINS

For a first go at family equestrianism, the Forest Pines Riding Centre is the perfect place. It’s on the fringes of the New Forest, at St Leonards, on the Hampshire/Dorset border. No road riding is required, just lovely, sun-dappled woodland trails. Beginners aged 4 to 74 are welcome, and a one-hour hack costs £19, children £18 (01202 871828, www.forestpinesriding.com ).

4 HUNT FOR HIPPOS

They are wallowing somewhere in the woods of West Sussex, along with a giant seashell, a couple of naked butchers and a railway wagon piled with human feet. This is the Sculpture Estate, Britain’s most captivating collection of outdoor art - about 70 scattered works of monumental size, and good for several hours of wide-eyed exploration. It’s at Goodwood, and admission costs £10; under10s go free (01243 538449, www.sculpture.org.uk ).

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