Children must be accompanied by an adult, so why not take the whole family along to build your own forest lair.Other activities for kids run by the Forestry Commission are events such as Wild Camping. Joining one of the Forestry Commission Rangers for a night in the heart of the forest, all you need is a tent, some food and a good pair of walking boots. Or if you fancy something a little more relaxing that doesn’t require sleeping with the wildlife, then join the Family Sensory Walk – exploring the smells, sights and sounds of the woodland. Or take them pond dipping to learn all about the slippery residents. The Forestry Commission runs activities for all ages all over the country.For den building and all other activities run by the Forestry Commission: 01223 314546, www.forestry.gov.uk/whatson, prices varySea World Exploring wildlife doesn’t stop on dry land – take your children out to sea and go looking for dolphins and seals. In Scotland, Cromarty-based Ecoventures runs two-hour boat trips for families with children under five out into the waters of Moray Firth, where you’re likely to see seals, bottlenose dolphins and even the occasional minke whale.Sea Trust runs four-hour evening cruises from Neyland Marina to the Pembrokeshire Islands, with chances of seeing dolphins, seals, porpoises and maybe even whales.Children of all ages will enjoy the feeling of almost being able to touch a group of playful seals. Beans Boats runs four purpose-built boats from Morston Quay and Blakeney Quay in North Norfolk.National Whale and Dolphin Watch Week runs from 12-20 August and there will be opportunities to get the whole family involved in sea-based watches.Remember, the best things in life are free.

So, if you don’t fancy taking your kids out to sea to spot dolphins, here are a few locations where you have a good chance of seeing them from land. Durlston Head, Dorset; Prawle Point, Devon; Porthgwarra, Cornwall; Cardigan Bay, Cardigan; Moray Firth, Inverness; and Loch Gairloch, Wester Ross. Just remember to take a good pair of binoculars.Ecoventures: 01381 600 323, www.ecoventures.co.uk £20/£15; Sea Trust: 01348 875639, www.seatrust .uk; Beans Boat Trips: 01263 740 505, www.beansboattrips.co.uk, £7/£4; National Whale and Dolphin week: www.seawatchfoundation .uk/eventsAdditional research by Jenny White. Having explored a long, gloomy tunnel since their return to Europe, Godolphin finally seem to have perceived a glimmer of light. Electrocutionist, who bears the royal blue standard into one of the defining battles of a troubled campaign, yesterday nourished the stable’s esprit de corps with his final earnest gallop before the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot on Saturday week.
And the possibility emerged that a similar air of purpose in the meantime could qualify Echo Of Light for another Group One prize just four days later. As the Dubai World Cup winner, Electrocutionist is already a five-star general. In contrast, Echo Of Light has only just emerged from the massed ranks of cavalry.But there has never been much doubt about his calibre, and the fact that he was not even the choice of Frankie Dettori from the stable’s two runners in a Group Three race at Lingfield last Saturday does not lessen his eligibility for the Cantor Spreadfair Sussex Stakes.Ridden by Kerrin McEvoy – performing the most valued role of any understudy by keeping Dettori constantly on his toes – Echo Of Light routed perhaps the most competitive field ever assembled on dirt in this country He had the race sewn up on the home turn.

Simon Crisford emphasised yesterday that no firm plans had been made for the Dubai Millennium colt, but supplementing him to the Sussex Stakes was certainly among the options.”A lot will hinge on the ground, and how the horse is,” the Godolphin manager said. “Then there is the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville, and the possibility of stepping him up in trip Nothing has been ruled out. After all, if we go to Goodwood, we don’t need to make any commitment until the five-day stage. But it’s something we will be considering.”The stable’s desolate season is typified by the problems experienced by Proclamation since Royal Ascot, which mean that he will not be able to defend the Sussex Stakes. After Soviet Song’s defeat at Newmarket last week, moreover, James Fanshawe may yet favour a race against her own sex in Deauville, leaving Araafa as short as 2-1 favourite for a race lacking depth.

All in all, it may prove difficult to resist releasing this particular cat among the pigeons.A very small field seems likely for the King George. Aidan O’Brien has said that he will not take on Hurricane Run, his candidates being in the same ownership as the French champion, and the race certainly gives Electrocutionist the chance to build on his typically generous resumption in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.”He worked this morning in the same solid way he usually does,” Crisford said. “Ideally we wouldn’t want rock-hard ground in the King George, because he is a horse that would prefer to make a print, but he’s fit, a lot sharper than when he ran at Royal Ascot.”We were happy with that run, and resisted the temptation to wheel him out again in the Eclipse, because the King George was the race on which we wanted to focus his energies. He does take his races pretty well, but we know that we might still be needing him in December. He was prepared for the World Cup early on, and it’s a tough ask to keep a horse on the go for the whole year.”It is pretty hard on people, too, though that is precisely what is being demanded of workers in the racing industry in 2007. The continuing saturation of the fixture list reached grotesque new levels in the programme published yesterday.The record 1,415 meetings now embrace every Sunday except the one immediately before Christmas. There will be 287 evening fixtures taking place on 178 separate nights with 68 under floodlights during the autumn and winter.

Positive innovations include a more focused start to the turf Flat season, the main races at the Lincoln meeting being compressed into one card (this time, Doncaster still being closed for redevelopment, at Newcastle) on 31 March. It falls during an unprecedented 27-day interval between the Cheltenham Festival and Aintree.Chris McGrathNap: King’s Crest(Cartmel 4.40)NB: Enticing(Wolverhampton 7.05). In one of the biggest upsets in the Tour’s recent history, the Spaniard Oscar Pereiro has retaken the yellow jersey after the race leader Floyd Landis suffered a spectacular collapse on the stage’s final climb yesterday. Ten kilometres from the summit finish at La Toussuire, the stage win was all but guaranteed for the Dane Michael Rasmussen, whose long lone break also regained him the lead in the King of the Mountains competition he won last year.
But it was the fight for the yellow jersey and the utterly unexpected twist when Landis slid out of a group of a dozen pursuers, and ultimately out of the battle for victory in Paris, that raised tension to electric levels.His head sagging from side to side, sweat pouring from his forehead, Landis’ demise was as dramatic as it was utterly unexpected.Not since Jan Ullrich in 1998, when the German suddenly lost the plot on the Col du Galibier in the face of Marco Pantani’s searing attacks and lost 10 minutes, has the maillot jaune been in such trouble on a mountain stage.Ahead, T-Mobile quickly took control but they were unable to help their leader, Andreas Kl?, to shake off Pereiro. Even when the 2004 Tour runner-up accelerated in person, the Caisse D’Epargne rider stuck to his back wheel like glue, with Australian Cadel Evans also in close contact.The trio crossed the line together, allowing Pereiro to return – against all expectations – to yellow, with fellow Spaniard Carlos Sastre moving up to second overall, 1min 50sec back.”I felt very good today, but I knew that my only chance of returning to yellow was if Floyd cracked.” Pereiro admitted.