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As a parent of a ten year old I now find that he is becoming more and more interested in activities that give him an adrenalin buzz! While these are not always my own favourite ways to spend time, it's got me thinking about those of us with older children who crave something a bit more thrilling.

Check out our ideas...

• High Ropes - there are lots of options in the area including Skyrun at Fairlop Waters, Harlow High Adventure, Great Notley Sky Ropes and Go Ape in Hylands Park Chelmsford
• Karting - if speed is the order of the day then there are several Go Kart tracts nearby. Closest is Brentwood Karting and then Lakeside Karting which is just 20-25 minutes away. We have also found Team Sport Karting at Basildon
• Tubing - we haven't tried this yet but it's definitely on our list! Brentwood Ski Centre offer tubing which is basically coming down a steep hill in a rubber ring which looks a bit like a donut
• Zip Lines - we have Nuclear High Ropes locally where a new Zip Line Trail has recently launched or for the real dare devils there is Hangloose at Bluewater
• Inflatable Obstacle Courses - there are several of these to choose from. Aqua Action at Fairlop Water, Lakeside Aqua Park and Festival Wakeboard & Aqua Park in Basildon
• Rollercoasters - visit Adventure Island in Southend who have something to suit everyone
• White Water Rafting - this is another activity we haven't tried as yet but the Lee Valley White Water Centre is about 45 minutes away and they have lots to offer
• Kayaking - Stubbers Adventure Centre just outside Upminster is the perfect spot for this
• Paintballing - Mayhem Paintball in Abridge and Delta Force in Upminster are the closest options for paintballing
• Slide - climb to the top of the tallest, longest tunnel slide in the world and make the speedy 40 second journey through the twists and turns to the bottom at ArcelorMittal Orbit at the Queen Elizabeth Park. You can also tackle the world's largest air slide at Airhop in Chelmsford which will launch you off the end and onto a giant air filled pillow
• BMX - there are lots of small skate and BMX areas around the borough within our parks but did you know that there are both indoor and outdoor options for BMXing at the Lee Valley Velo Park? You don't even need a bike as everything you need can be hired on site! There are bumps and hills - the thrill scale depends on your speed! Locally if you want to practice your off road cycling skills there are 3km of tracks at Ingrebourne Hill which offer lots of challenge

If you know of other thrilling activities locally and would like us to add them to the list, drop us a message and let us know!