Beach East at the Park, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

The summer has arrived, which can only mean one thing: grab your bucket and spade, it's time to go to the beach.

Unfortunately for Londoners, the beach is quite a long way away. Those who want a quick, inexpensive and exciting day trip to the beach need look no further than Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, whose Beach East opens this July.

Featuring a vast area of fine sand, a huge kid's paddling pool, funfair rides, two beach bars, volleyball nets and other activities, this is the biggest and most exciting urban beach in the UK. With views over the iconic Stadium, ArcelorMittal Orbit and London Aquatics Centre. The braver among your family can even book themselves onto the nearby Carsten Höller slide that opened last month.

So if you get bored of playing in the sand, pick yourselves up, zoom to the top of the UK's tallest sculpture, the ArcelorMittal Orbit, set off on an adventure around the Park, cycle, swim, play tennis and dance around the iconic venues of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, run through the fountains and enjoy a bite to eat in EastTwenty Bar & Kitchen or the Timber Lodge Café.

And if that's not enough, here are our other suggestions for making the most of the Great Outdoors... in London.