This summer holiday, if you want to entertain and educate the kids you don’t have to go too far.Children of all ages have a fascination with dinosaurs and fossils and one of the best places to go if you want to combine a family holiday with the thrills of pre-history is the Isle of Wight. A combination of geography and geology has made it the perfect place to find fossils!  In fact, the Isle of Wight is one of the richest locations for dinosaur finds in the whole of Europe as well as being a convenient and appealing family holiday destination.

Getting there couldn’t be easier as Isle of Wight ferries operates between the mainland and the island every day of the year on three routes across the Solent.Routes operate from Portsmouth to Fishbourne, Lymington to Yarmouth or Portsmouth to Ryde with crossings taking around 18 - 35 minutes.It’s a perfect way to start a vacation, and by catching the ferry the kids feel like they are getting an extra adventure along the way.

The Isle of Wight is blessed with warmer than average climate today, but 120 million years ago the the IOW was a subtropical paradise teeming with land and marine life. Situated close to the equator, sandwiched between what iwas to become Cornwall and Belgium, the IOW was home to many prehistoric creatures.The commonest of all these prehistoric Island inhabitants was Iguanodon, which stood about five metres tall.As many as three hundred fossilised skeletons of these giants have been discovered on the Island so far.

The Isle of Wight has proved to be a major source of dinosaur finds and an 11 mile stretch of sandstone and clay in the Sandown area, known to geologists as the Wealdon outcrop, is  Europe’s most prolific reservoir of dinosaur fossils.Over 15 types of dinosaur are known to have roamed the Island and a new species is discovered on average every three years. One of the most recent Isle dinosaur discoveries was unearthed by local dino hunter Gavin Leng in 1997.Called Eotyrannus lengi, it’s an early relative of Tyrannosaurus Rex and was a meat-eating dinosaur around 15 ft (4.5 m) long that lived during the middle Cretaceous period about 125 million years ago.  That pre-dates Tyrannosaurus Rex by nearly 80 million years.

One other form of dinosaur that will be viewable during the summer months on the Island will be the rock star variety Isle of Wight festival.

There are so many things to do on the island, which of course is a place of great beauty. One area that remains boundlessly popular are the seaside resorts and the beaches. If you’re going to be spending a lot of time on the beach, Sandown is among the best choices. There are many beaches on the island that are unspoilt and very picturesque, and great to enjoy a relaxing walk. The main attraction is obviously the white sands, but also there is a pier complete with amusements. The boardwalk is a fun place for both adults and children, who also enjoy the variety of unspoilt beach areas. You will find breweries and many other familiar things on the island, which is of course an English county.

There are more than one hundred and forty thousand people who call it home, but they will be happy to welcome you on your holiday adventure. The Isle of Wight has many unspoiled areas along with its beaches, and the countryside overall is amazing, so it’s something that you shouldn’t miss during your stay. The Isle of Wight ferry takes you between the mainland and the Isle of Wight, so it’s easy for you to get there with no work involved.

Once you get there, you can really relax, because IOW breaks are some of the best that the UK has to offer. Chill out at the IOW festival, or stay in one of the multitude of fine Isle of Wight hotels. Many places have nice beaches, including Sandown – famous for its white sands. People love to come there with a special partner, with children, or just family or friends. Some come with their own company, to be close to nature and to relax. If solitude with a partner is what you are looking for, the island contains lots of remote coastline and beaches. You get both options here, and the choice is yours entirely.

It is possible to find some of the best place to camp in the UK centred on the Isle of Wight, which also boasts some great family activities.

If you are looking for a camping trip that involves the whole family, has a great location and offers outdoor activities by the bundle – consider the Isle of Wight or IOW as it is often abbreviated.

Jump on [an Isle of Wight Ferry|an IOW ferry|a ferry to Isle of Wight|Isle of Wight ferries] and you will find yourself a short journey from the many campgrounds, leisure parks and festival venues on the island. If you are coming to the [Isle of Wight Festival|IOW Festival], you will have the experience of a lifetime if you bring your tent and camp with the many others who attend the three day rock extravaganza.

Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park

Located in Bembridge on the east of the island, the park is nestled amongst rural countryside very close to a private sandy beach. Buses can be caught outside of the camp, and take visitors easily to all parts of the island to experience the attractions on offer. If you like woodland or coastal walking, or cycling in well posted areas the island could be the perfect place for a vactation.

Hire a Camper

This is a great way to explore the island and see the magnificent scenery that is on offer. The idea of ‘Hire a camper’ is more appealing for many rather than pitching a tent as it gives you more flexible options. Moving to another location couldn’t be easier, as you have effectively removed the need to book in advance. The camper vans come complete with fresh linen, double bed, roof bunk cooker and grill. Deckchairs are included in the deal and can be found stored conveniently inside the van, with other extras such as a bicycle rack on the back to hold most of the family’s bikes.

Nodes Point

Nodes Points has some fantastic views of the coast, and is set in 65 acres of parkland which runs down to a private beach. The campsite is quite near to the sandy beach at Ryde with the historical Pier, and the Victorian architecture of Sandown. Sparky’s Krew is situated within the Park and provides fun and games for the kids, whilst the adults can enjoy some entertainment in the Celebrity Showbar.