When searching for UK family friendly attractions places to visit with my boys I find tourist board websites great sources of information however, I don’t think you can beat recommendations from other parents. Before taking a trip I always look for advice from my fellow travel bloggers who have scoped out their local beaches and attractions with their hard to please teenagers, energetic kids, or stroppy toddlers and fully loaded push chairs! I have searched the websites of some of my favourite family travel bloggers for articles which share their handpicked family friendly attractions in their local areas from Cornwall all the way up to Scotland and across to Northern Ireland.
There are some absolute gems in the articles listed below including the top 60 family friendly attractions in East Anglia, 55 days out in Devon and 20 free family days out in Northumberland.
I hope you find this guide useful for planning your future family travels. I will keep adding to it as I come across more useful insider tips from mums in the know. Please save for future use and share with any of your friends with kids who may find this useful!
I am going to start with articles to inspire your family travels in Cornwall and make my way up north to Scotland and then across to Northern Ireland so keep scrolling down if you are looking for inspiration to entertain your family in the north.
Table of Contents
UK family friendly attractions
Cornwall
Stevie from A Cornish Mum has tried out all the best places for staying dry and having fun with her two sons when its raining. She has lived in Cornwall all of her life and shares her favourite museums, aquariums, local National Trust properties and more here – what to do when its raining in Cornwall.
Cathy from Mummy Travels actually lives in London however loves to escape to Cornwall when she can with her young daughter Minnie. She has put together a great list of 15 free things to do in Cornwall including child friendly country parks, walking and cycle trails that will not cost you a penny!
Devon
Claire from Tin Box Traveller has recently moved to Devon and has been busy exploring the best of what the county has to offer with her two young daughters. If you are heading to Devon you will find her extensive guide 55 great Devon days out featuring links to reviews of many popular attractions such as the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth and South Devon Railway an invaluable source of information!
London
Gretta from Mums Do Travel lives in rural South East England. She frequently visits London with her two teenage children and shares her personal recommendations in a monthly round-up of some of the best things to do with kids in the capital.
Jen from Jenography shares her top tips from living in the capital with her two teenage children in this useful post – what to do in London with kids. I particularly love the idea of eating my way around the food stalls at Camden Market and the annual Jingle Bell Ball also sounds like a fun family Christmas treat!
Ting from My Travel Monkey is based in London and loves to get out and about exploring the capital with her young son known on her blog as Monkey. She has some unique ideas for entertaining kids in the city including her guide to the top places to splash around in London.
And finally, (because I could go on and on with tips for London as there are so many family friendly attractions in the capital!) Lou from Birds and Lillies suggests these 11 fun things to do in London with kids.
East Anglia (Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire)
Stacey over at Strollering the Globe is a busy mum to three kids aged 6 and under with another baby on the way. She loves to share her knowledge of East Anglia and has put together an extensive guide of over 60 top family attractions to visit in and around East Anglia. Her guide covers amusement parks, beaches, castles, historical sites, farms, forests, adventure playgrounds, zoo and safari parks! It is also available on a useful printable PDF format, go check it out!
Somerset
Tracey over at Williams World has recently visited Bath with her family and has shared ten fabulous ideas to entertain kids in the historical city including visiting the Roman Baths, hopping on an open top sightseeing bus and exploring one of the many museums.
Bristol
Mum of two Hilary shares her tips for living and raising children in Bristol over on Bristol Mum. This is a particularly useful post if you are planning on visiting the vibrant city with your family – 20 fantastic and free places to visit in Bristol with kids. I had no idea that it was free to walk across the Clifton Suspension Bridge until I read Hilary’s post and certainly intend to take a scenic stroll with my family the next time I am in Bristol!
Gloucestershire
As regular Travel Loving Family readers already know, Gloucestershire is our home county. We are proud to live in Gloucestershire and consider ourselves very fortunate. Not only is it a stunningly beautiful part of the UK, it is also a great place to raise a family with lots of attractions including farms, castles and adventure parks.
At the beginning of the summer I published this post – 50 ideas for summer holiday fun in Gloucestershire with my personal recommendations for entertaining kids on a budget in Gloucestershire, rainy day ideas and the county’s most popular family attractions.
We have also recently stayed in the Forest of Dean and share our review and top tips in this post tried and tested family attractions in the Forest of Dean.
Warwickshire
Our recent fun weekend in nearby Stratford-upon-Avon has made me question why we haven’t visited more often. The riverside town has many all weather family attractions and we found them to be very reasonably priced too. Check out our 11 of the BEST things to do in Stratford-upon-Avon with kids and Three of the best places for afternoon tea in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Worcestershire
Natalie from Plutonium Sox lives in rural Worcestershire and loves to explore her local area with her two young children. She has shared an epic guide to the region here – 58 Family Friendly Days Out in the West Midlands.
Wales
Jo at Kiddie Holidays is mum to two young boys four and under. Her blog focuses on sharing advice for happy holidays with babies and toddlers. Although based in Yorkshire she has put together a great guide to Pembrokeshire for families with babies and toddlers after her recent holiday to the area. (Did you know there were 243 beaches in the county of Pembrokeshire? No I didn’t either until I read Jo’s guide!)
Cathryn at Cardiff Mummy Says is a mum of three children under the age of six. She shares her local knowledge of the very best family attractions in South Wales in her comprehensive guide – 67 free family friendly days out in South Wales
Cathryn’s recommendations cover Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan, the Valleys, Llanelli and Swansea and her article is split into four sections – parks, woods and the great outdoors; beside the seaside; historical and cultural. Also on her website you will find many reviews of local Cardiff attractions so if you wish to know about a particular attraction in more detail check her website out!
Merseyside
Karen from Mini Travellers is based in the Wirral and mum to three young girls. She loves to give advice on exploring her local area with kids. She recently shared her tips for a day out on a budget at Albert Dock in Liverpool.
Lancashire
Sally from Who’s the Mummy shares her local knowledge gained from living on the Fylde Coast with her adventurous daughter Flea in this post – things to do on the Fylde Coast when you are seven. If your kids have a thirst for adrenaline Lytham and St Annes are certainly the places to head to with trampolines, an indoor high-wired climbing centre, water zorbing, kite surfing and kayaking facilities.
Jane from Northern Mum is mum to three school aged children. She was recently asked to review some of the most popular attractions in Blackpool including the Sealife Centre, Madame Tussards and Blackpool Pleasure Beach. She shares her honest opinions here – Blackpool has it all.
I grew up just along the coast from Blackpool and have some lovely childhood memories of playing on the beach, visiting Blackpool Tower and walking through the illuminations. My number one tip is to take a ride on the big wheel on Central Pier… your kids will love you for it and the views are incredible!
Yorkshire
Jo from Kiddie Holidays loves sharing her insider tips to help other families visiting Yorkshire. I love this guide – 5 toddler friendly days out at the seaside in Yorkshire. Jo explains what facilities you can expect to find on each on her favourite beaches and describes the family friendly attractions worth visiting nearby.
Nikki from Yorkshire Wonders shares over 30 ideas for family days out in Yorkshire in this useful post.
Lake District
I’ll be honest I struggled to find a local blogger in the Lake District however Jo from Kiddie Holidays came to the rescue again. I love her guide for entertaining kids in one of my favourite parts of the UK, the Lake District – 11 of the best things to do in the Lake District with toddlers.
I certainly agree with Jo’s suggestions to visit Wray Castle, explore Brockhole and take a boat cruise all of which we enjoyed as a family last summer whilst staying at Low Wray campsite. Low Wray is located next to Wray Castle and on the shores of Lake Windermere. If you are looking for a base to explore the Lakes I can definitely recommend this family friendly campsite operated by the National Trust.
Northumberland
Samantha from North East Family Fun is mum to three children. She has a whole section on her blog titled ‘Days Out in the North East’ which is an invaluable source of information for families visiting the area. I particularly love her top 20 free family days out in Northumberland which includes everything from the best beach in the area for crabbing, the best scenic walks and free to enter family friendly castles. (Did you know there are over 70 castles in Northumberland, which is more than any other region in the UK?! Well you do now!)
Scotland
Nichola from Global Mouse is mum to three young children. As a family they tend to avoid the usual tourist attractions and instead search out the unusual. Nicholas guide – top 10 things to do in Fife Scotland with children therefore includes some absolute gems including checking out a secret bunker that would have controlled the UK in the event of nuclear war during the Cold War years. She also recommends a fruit farm, deer centre and horse riding through the Fife countryside!
Jenny from Monkey and Mouse is mummy to two small energetic boys. She has put together an epic guide – 70+ places to visit with kids in central Scotland which she has helpfully separated into regions.
Penny, mum of two is one of the writers of Space in Your Case. Although based in Nottingham I thought her three-day Edinburgh family city break itinerary was too good not to share. In addition to recommending a visit to Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Yacht Britannia and the hop on/off bus service she has also scoped out the best family friendly places to shop and eat!
Nicola based in Fife, Scotland shares her extensive knowledge of a country she loves over at FunkyEllas Travel. Her guide to Dundee discover Dundee with the family recommends ten quirky things to check out during a visit including standing on top of a 400 million year old extinct volcano, attending an ice hockey game and exploring some of Dundee’s famous ships.
Northern Ireland
Dublin based mum of two, Marta has published many family guides to Ireland on her blog Learning Escapes. Check out her Family Guide to Wicklow which recommends the best farms to visit, historical sites and child friendly hikes. Her fabulous day trips from Dublin for the whole family is another must read if you are heading that way for a family holiday!
Pin for later – UK family friendly attractions
I hope you have enjoyed reading our guide to UK family friendly attractions handpicked by local mums! Please do save or pin this article for future family travel inspiration.
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What a great post. Some fantastic ideas, will definitely have to try some of these when we travel through the UK. Thanks
Author
Glad you have found it useful Leanne:)
Great list and very helpful resource! Loads of places I’d love to visit here #MondayEscapes
Such a great resource for families. Thanks for including my 55 Devon days post :) #MondayEscapes
Author
Glad you found it useful Claire. Thanks for sharing your local tips for other families visiting Devon!
Great round-up post with some fab suggestions! We love visiting Bristol, Yorkshire and Devon. Can’t beat the coast and countryside combined #MondayEscapes
Author
Thanks, really pleased you found it useful! We are big fans of Devon, Yorkshire and Bristol too:)
Ah, good old Clifton Suspension Bridge! I’m glad to see it making an appearance here. Phenomenal post – what a great round-up.
Author
Ah thanks Nell! I am glad you have found it useful. I still need to go and take my boys to walk across the Clifton suspension bridge!
You made me wish I lived in UK. So much to explore and so many things I believe my boys would love – but that train in Devon would probably be top of their list. #MondayEscapes
Author
We are very lucky in the UK, so much to do with kids!
There are so many options in here and I have problems deciding were to go! I like Cornwall and Lancashire. The forest of Dean looks intriguing. First time i hear about the place.
Author
We are big fans of Cornwall and Lancashire too Ruth. The Forest of Dean offers some really unique attractions for kids, we visit quite frequently as my boys love being outdoors
What a great compilation of so many different places – so when I next come overseas your way, this is going to be my bible! #mondayescapes
Author
Ah glad it is going to come in handy Corey!
Great compilation Lisa! Lots of reading material to get through and info to tackle when we visit a certain area of the U.K. Plus, a couple of bloggers there I’m not familiar with so good to find them #mondayescapes
Author
Thanks Elizabeth! It took a while to put together but it was great fun because I got to find lots of new travel bloggers to follow too:)
Great links – lots to look at and places to add in to our holiday plans – there’s too much to do in this country to go abroad! #MondayEscapes
Author
Completely agree Clare we are so lucky living in the UK. So much to do for families
What a fantastic guide! This is one of the best round ups I’ve read about family friendly places to go. I’ve got loads of new ideas about days out now! #Mondayescapes
Author
Ah thanks Joanne, thats a really lovely thing to say. Thanks for your tips from your local area:)
This is a really comprehensive post and a genuinely good resource for people. Full credit to you! #mondayescapes
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Thanks Karen! It took a while to put together but I think it was worth the time involved
Great post! This is an invaluable source of information for parents :) #monday escapes
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Thanks Tanya! Glad it is useful
This post has everything you need for a family trip. I’m going to have a look at the East Anglia one in case there’s something from my own neck of the woods I’ve missed!
#mondayescapes
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Oh yes go and check it out Trish!
This is a fab post. I am always on the lookout for family friendly places to visit with my twins.
We live in Lancashire and recently went to the blackpool tower. It was great. I’d like to visit another area though and this could come in handy.
What an awesome post, I need to have a look at some of these. I am always on the look out for days out when were are travelling and this guide is perfect!
What a fantastic post – so useful and really great pictures. You know you are on to a winner when local mums are providing the info – I always trust people’s opinions more when I know they know what they are talking about!
Oh thanks for this! I’ve bookmarked the East Anglia guide as I live in Norfolk!
The Scotland ones sound good, I’m always on the look out for new things to do with my little one and the Edinburgh family city break sounds good. Such a great idea to do a round up for all these!
What a great line-up! And lovely photos too. It’s always best to get advice from the locals, isn’t it? :)
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Absolutely Dean! You cannot beat advise from other local parents who always know the very best places to visit with kids
This is a brilliant post! Thank you for sharing! I am going to checkout East Anglia in a moment as I live there, haha. This roiund up will come in handy next time we go away to a different part of the country! :)
What a fantastic post – wish I had read it before going to Cornwall but we had an amazing time.
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Aw great to hear it Joy:)
Really nice list, from your list I can say that you did plenty of research on this list and I am really happy to see Wales in your list especially Cardiff. Thanks for sharing with us.
Author
Glad you found it useful Shauna! I visited Cardiff in April, what a great city! There is so much to do for kids and big kids too!
What a helpful post! Thank you for including my post, I’m bookmarking the rest for our next family holiday.
Stevie x
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You are so very welcome Stevie. Thanks for taking part x
Such a great round up of some really great suggestions. Thank you for the mention too!
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You are very welcome Ting!