Although it only opened in May 2021, the Museum of Making is part of the Derby Silk Mill, which was built on the foundations of the 300-year-old Lombe’s Mill. That means there's a whole lot of history for you and the family to discover, and some 30,000 objects here tell the story of manufacturing in the city. Kids will love gazing up at a giant Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine suspended in the air, or poring over model locomotives. There are regular themed sessions geared towards toddlers and young children too.
Fresh from an £18-million ($21.7m) refurbishment, London's relatively new Museum of the Home reopened to the public in 2021. The concept of 'home' is explored through elaborately decorated rooms and displays of domestic objects (there's a 40,000-strong collection), and a series of special trails have been designed for families. Get nostalgic with the Rooms Through Time Family Trail or learn fun animal trivia with the outdoor Mini Gardeners Family Trail.
Giant dinosaurs, a maze, a sandpit and a boating lake: there’s a lot to love about Crystal Palace Park in south London. Follow the lakeside trail to spot the extinct beasts – there are more than 30 heritage-listed statues here, which were created by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins when the park opened in the 1850s. Then head to the playpark for more dino-themed fun, with bones and hatching eggs to discover in its sandpit.
Harry Potter is big business in tourism, but amazingly Edinburgh's Potter Trail is a free walking tour around the Old Town. So grab your wand and don your wizard robe to set off on a magical journey around some of the haunts that inspired JK Rowling as she wrote her books. The writer spent large portions of time writing in The Elephant House café (pictured).
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Be the king of the castle on a wander around the walls of Conwy Castle, an enormous structure with 21 towers on the Conwy estuary. From this commanding position you will have fabulous views across to Snowdonia as you go on an adventure around the ramparts, which enclose the town. You have to pay to enter the towers but the wall walk is free.
Wind in the Willows fans will know that Ratty was actually a water vole. These loveable little creatures were a familiar sight in Kielder Water until the predatory mink wiped them out, but mink numbers are now very low in the park, and more than 320 voles were reintroduced here in the summer of 2017. The best place to spot this protected native species is the wildlife hide on the Forest Drive. There are many other animals to see, plus opportunities for hiking, biking and high ropes courses in Kielder, which covers 250 square miles (647sq km). (Note that there's a charge to park your car.)
The thrill of seeing a wild pony will stick in your child's memory forever, especially with the majestic surroundings of Dartmoor as a backdrop. There are numerous trails to follow around the tors, moorlands, valleys and forests of this remarkable part of Devon, which is steeped in spooky tales sure to spark kids' imaginations.
Calling all engineers and train spotters: you can see hundreds of rail vehicles (including a Japanese bullet train), climb aboard a miniature railway and pore over an array of railway-inspired art at York's wonderful National Railway Museum. There’s always a range of interactive activities for little learners here and at sister museum Locomotion in County Durham, which is also free.
You may have to convince the kids to give galleries a go but once they discover the Sunday Spot sessions at this lovely gallery in Peckham, south London, they won’t want to leave. These free, drop-in immersive art activities for families take place on the last Sunday of the month from 2–4pm, with changing themes relating to the latest exhibitions. The sessions are best for children aged five to 12 years old.
For a fun and free day out with kids big and little, community farms are great, and the people of Bath are lucky to have Bath City Farm on their doorstep. With wonderful views over the picturesque city, the farm has lots of livestock for children to meet and learn about, and a lovely play area too. It's free, but donations are welcome.
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Dare to enter the Giant’s Lair and you'll encounter an assortment of mythical wood-carved creatures on this delightful story trail within Slieve Gullion Forest Park. Spot little fairy houses, dodge dragons and creep past giants on the mile-long (1.6km) woodland trail. There’s an adventure playground too.
There's a whole range of activities for kids to get involved with at the wonderful Ashmolean. The Ashmolean Adventure (best for those aged seven to 11) is full of fun – the digital guide offers interactive games and quizzes connected with various objects around the museum.
Little knights and warrior queens will love exploring the array of arms and armour, and learning about the various combat techniques of Saxons, Vikings and medieval knights at this free museum. Sometimes there are jousting and falconry displays as well as daily talks by staff dressed as characters from the past.
From a dedicated space for kids to play in to activity packs and art trails to follow, this modern art gallery on Liverpool's Royal Albert Docks is a superb space to get them excited about art. It’s not about quiet contemplation here either – noise is allowed and families are encouraged to talk about what they see. The gallery runs fun hands-on workshops during the holidays as well, suitable for all ages. Tate Liverpool is free to all and children under 12 also have free entry to special exhibitions.
The remarkable collection of archaeological and ethnographic objects (over half a million) housed within this absorbing museum will undoubtedly stoke the kids’ imaginations, especially the shrunken heads, ancient amulets and Samurai armour. On Saturdays, an assortment of artefacts are available to handle with fascinating tales attached, while free family trails add another element of fun. You can find it at the rear of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.
With stunning views back across the city, the gorgeous hilly gardens of this south London gem are fabulous for kids. There are musical instruments to play, plus there's an animal walk, a dinosaur garden and a butterfly house (though that's not free). But don't miss a mooch around the curio-packed museum. Opened by Victorian tea trader and philanthropist Frederick John Horniman in 1890, it’s home to an extraordinary collection of objects, specimens and artefacts.
Set in the grounds of 16th-century St Fagans Castle on the edge of Cardiff, this open-air museum offers a fun and intriguing insight into Welsh culture. Walk around more than 40 original buildings from different historical periods which have been re-erected in around 100 acres of parkland to bring the region’s past to life. There's a farm, a Victorian school, a medieval chapel, a row of ironworkers’ cottages and a workmen's institute. The native livestock will be a big hit too.
Inspire the kids to get sporty by following in the footsteps of the world’s greatest athletes on the 2012 trail around east London's amazing sporting venue. Pick up (or download beforehand) the Art in the Park trail brochure too – another lovely trail that's perfect for little ones with plenty of bold and eye-catching sculptures in this green urban space.
With its history of Vikings and medieval kings, this compact walled city is a brilliant place to spend a weekend. It has an array of activities, top-notch museums and historic monuments to visit, although many aren't free. A walk around the city walls is, however. The longest and best-preserved medieval walls in England, the circuit will take you around two hours (little legs willing) and rewards walkers with fantastic views over the city and across the surrounding countryside.
No best-places-for-families list would be complete without this perennially popular site in South Kensington, central London. From its iconic exterior and interior to its remarkable collections of dinosaur and animal bones, kids love the Natural History Museum. But even if you’ve visited countless times, the innovative institute is constantly updating its exhibits so you (and the kids) are bound to find something new and unexpected.
Likewise, London’s Science Museum is just next door. There are space rockets, steam engines, super computers, flight simulators and super-fast cars in this seven-floor temple of technology, while a regular roster of temporary exhibitions keeps things fresh (though they typically involve a fee). Word to the wise, though: you might want to swerve the gift shop if you’re after a cheap day out. It’s a kids’ (and grown-ups’) dream emporium with all manner of gizmos and gadgets.
Iron Age hillforts, prehistoric stone circles, burial chambers, Roman camps, castles and old industrial mines are just a few of the fascinating places that can be found among these ancient hills in Monmouthshire, south Wales. And that’s not to mention the forest trails and wildlife-watching walks. Plus there are plenty of lovely pubs and places to eat.
Set the kids searching for ancient mummies, medieval knights, treasure hordes and ornamental dragons as part of the gallery trails devised to entertain little culture vultures. Fitz Kits with games, puzzles and drawing materials are also available to help kids unlock the amazing stories, history and art housed in this splendid Cambridge museum. There are also Family First Saturday events which take place on the first Saturday of every month and are free, though tickets are required.
Set aside a day at least to make a dent in this enormous treasure trove of art, history and natural sciences in Belfast. Part of National Museums NI, there’s nothing stuffy about this place where kids can handle real bones, fossils, shells and gemstones, see dinosaur skin and eggs, rebuild pots and skulls, dress like a Victorian and write like an ancient Egyptian.
This fantastic free museum, part of the Science Museum Group, has seven floors dedicated to interactive galleries centred on photography, cinema and television, so there’s plenty to interest kids of all ages. Look out for special family events every weekend and during school holidays too.
Step back in time at this 19th-century mansion and into a Victorian schoolroom, kitchen, laundry and toilet. After realising quite how good people have it today, kids can seek out various Victorian toys – model trains, tin soldiers and dolls’ houses – and try on costumes. A race around the extensive surrounding parklands and forests, which includes an adventure play area, completes a very satisfying and free day out. Having been closed for winter and spring, the estate reopens in June 2023 for the summer season.
Delve into the absorbing history of Liverpool’s famous port and discover a plethora of stories about the people who lived, worked and travelled through here. The museum on Albert Dock has exhibitions covering life on the seas, plus in-depth displays on the Battle of the Atlantic during the Second World War. Pre-book a tour of Liverpool's Old Dock, or in summer book a free tour of Edmund Gardner, a former pilot cutter that’s now in dry dock opposite the museum.
Calling all wannabe explorers, sailors and pirates: adventures aplenty await you at Greenwich’s National Maritime Museum. The brilliant interactive AHOY! gallery (it's free but ticketed) allows kids to dress up as a sea captain, stoke the boiler of a steamship and go crabbing. Or set sail across the Great Map in an interactive game to explore distant lands and discover treasures around the world. There’s a host of free family events at the weekends too.
Set on an old mining site that’s now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this cultural park in Cornwall includes a vast adventure playground with tunnels, a pretend shipwreck, a mini beach and a giant wooden climbing structure as well as the usual swings and roundabouts. It's a lovely space to wander around, and comes with botanical gardens that tell the history of the Cornish people through plants, alongside a range of events and exhibitions.
Ice cream is an essential part of the agenda for most kids’ perfect day out, but do they know how it’s made and where it comes from? Take them to visit Roskilly’s organic dairy farm in St Keverne to find out. Stroll around the pretty meadows and meet some of the animals – you might even get the chance to see some milking. It’s free, although of course the delicious Roskilly's ice cream on sale isn’t.