11 of the BEST things to do in Stratford Upon Avon with kids 2019

Planning a family day out or holiday in Stratford upon Avon?  This guide – 11 of the BEST things to do in Stratford upon Avon with kids 2019 – aims to make sure you and your kids have a memorable time when visiting the medieval town!

Most famous as the birthplace of England’s greatest playwright and poet, William Shakespeare, this Warwickshire market town is renowned for its cultural and historical attractions.  Perhaps not as widely known is how family friendly the riverside town is.  As we found out during our recent visit, rain or shine, the town offers plenty to keep kids of all ages entertained!

Things to do in Stratford upon Avon with kids
Stratford upon Avon riverside at sunset

Our 11 favourite things to do in Stratford upon Avon with kids (including free things to do in Stratford upon Avon)…

1. Ditch your car and go on foot!

Where to park in Stratford upon Avon?  Many of the family attractions in Stratford upon Avon are conveniently located in the town centre.  Parking is widely available however, we recommend that you park your car at the Stratford Marina (Bridge Foot, CV37 6YR) which is a bargain at only £4 for the full day.

From the marina, take a walk along the river side, feed the ducks and watch the boats cruising by!  Guided walks around the town are available or if you would prefer you can download a FREE walking guide here.

Things to do in Stratford-upon-Avon with kids
Take a walk along the River Avon

2.  Discover 250 species of tropical butterfly & come face to face with creepy crawlies 

Did you know the UK’s largest tropical butterfly paradise is in Stratford upon Avon?  Well you do now!Things to do in Stratford upon Avon with kids

You need to allow at least 90 minutes to explore the Stratford upon Avon Butterfly Farm.  My boys were giddy with excitement watching the different species of butterflies fluttering around the tropical flight area and nibbling on fresh fruit.  They also loved feeding the fish, learning about the butterfly life cycle and meeting the resident Iguanas – Stumpy and Princess!

Things-to-do-with-kids-in-Stratford-upon-Avon
Butterfly Farm - Things to do in Stratford upon Avon with kids
Things-to-do-with-kids-in-Stratford-upon-Avon
Things-to-do-with-kids-in-Stratford-upon-Avon

Butterfly Farm top tip – Don’t miss the leaf cutter ants hard at work on a rope course, located above visitors heads in the Mini Beast Metropolis.   (It took me a while to work out why the rope was ‘moving’.  I screamed and grabbed hold of a complete stranger next to me when the penny finally dropped!)

2019 admission price – £7.25 adults, £6.25 children (3-16), under 3’s free, family ticket £22.50. Website – www.butterflyfarm.co.uk.  Address – Stratford upon Avon Butterfly Farm, Swan’s Nest Lane, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 7LS.


3. Encourage your kids to get hands on and creative

Treat your wannabe inventor, scientist, engineer with a visit to the UK”s only mechanical art museum.  The MAD Museum prides itself on ‘encouraging kids to put down their remote controls and be more hands-on’ and it certainly does what it aims to.Mad Museum - Things to do in Stratford upon Avon with kids

My young sons, ages 2 & 5 absolutely loved checking out the eccentric artworks, contraptions and machines, made out of seemingly random objects such as kitchen pots, pans and gizmos. For two hours they ran around excitedly pressing buttons (to be fair so did my husband!), watching flashing lights and working out how things operated.  They had to be bribed to leave the giant marble wall with the promise of buying them a marble run kit to build at home from the gift shop.

Mad Museum - Things to do in Stratford upon Avon with kids
Mad Museum - Things to do in Stratford upon Avon with kids

MAD Museum top tip – Try not to blink as you walk down Henley Street as you may just miss this unique museum.   Don’t be fooled though… although it is located in one small room on the second floor of the building it is jam-packed full of interactive mechanical fun for kids, (and big kids!)

2019 admission prices – £7.80 adults, £5.20 (6-15), under 5’s free, family ticket £22.00.  Website – http://themadmuseum.co.uk/. Address –  The Mad Museum, 4-5 Henley Street, Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6PT


4.  Hit the shops

Yes you read that right!  I wouldn’t normally recommend shopping as a family friendly past time.  Let’s be honest… most kids don’t enjoy shopping but I assure you they will in Stratford upon Avon.  Head towards Henley Street, (same street as the MAD Museum) and you will be spoilt for choice with the amount of shops that are catered towards children such as the Nutcracker Christmas shop, (open 12 months of the year), traditional sweet shops, a teddy bear shop and even a magic store – Magic Alley.

Things-to-do-with-kids-in-Stratford-upon-Avon
Things-to-do-with-kids-in-Stratford-upon-Avon
Things-to-do-with-kids-in-Stratford-upon-Avon
Things-to-do-with-kids-in-Stratford-upon-Avon

5.  Treat yourself to afternoon tea in Stratford upon Avon

As a quintessentially English town, it’s not surprising Stratford upon Avon has lots of places to indulge in miniature sandwiches, tasty fruit scones and beautifully presented cakes.

We enjoyed not one, not two, but THREE afternoon teas during our recent weekend exploring the town.  Check out our article featuring the best places for afternoon tea in Stratford upon Avon.

restaurants in Stratford upon Avon - afternoon tea
Very posh afternoon tea at the Arden Hotel, located opposite the Royal Shakespeare Company.

6. Take a scenic cruise down the River Avon

In my opinion, there is simply no better way to soak up the character and beauty of Stratford upon Avon than a cruise down the River Avon.

Things to do in Stratford upon Avon with kids

My husband and I lived onboard a narrow boat for two years before having children and so our sightseeing cruise brought back many happy memories.  It was our boys first river cruise and they thoroughly enjoyed the 45 minute experience.  Our boat ride took us from the canal basin, under two bridges, past the Royal Shakespeare Theatre’s and Holy Trinity church before returning upstream.  They both loved chatting with the entertaining tour guide, pointing out all the boats and ducks that passed us by and pretending to drive the boat!

Things to do in Stratford upon Avon - river cruise

Bancroft Cruises top tip – The company run their lovely heated river boat, Rita Ellen, year round (weather permitting), and so it is not an attraction you have to wait until the summer to enjoy.   The family owned business prides itself on always having the kettle on and cream teas available for all cruises.  (The scones and clotted cream are amazing!)

2019 cruise prices – £6.00 adults, £4.50 children plus refreshments if required.  Website – http://www.bancroftcruisers.co.uk/.  Address – Bancroft Cruisers, The Crowne Plaza Hotel Stratford, Bridgefoot, Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6YR.


7. Enjoy birds-eye views over the town and river

For pretty awesome views overlooking Stratford upon Avon and the River Avon pop along to the Royal Shakespeare Company and book a trip up the tower.

Things to do in Stratford upon Avon

Things to do in Stratford-upon-Avon with kids
RSC - Things to do in Stratford-upon-Avon with kids
RSC - Things to do in Stratford-upon-Avon with kids

RSC Tower top tip – You can ride up the Tower by lift, or if you are feeling energetic (or want to burn off your afternoon tea) take the stairs!  Push chairs are permitted, although we left ours on the ground floor near the gift shop.

2019 tower prices – £3.00 adults, £1.50 under 18’s. Website – www.rsc.org.uk.  Address – Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Waterside, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 6BB. 


8. Introduce your kids to the worlds most famous playwright, William Shakespeare

Of course if you are visiting Stratford upon Avon it would be a shame not to introduce your kids to the towns most famous past resident.  There are many historical buildings and Shakespeare themed events/activities to choose from depending on the ages of your children.  If you fancy saving a few pennies you can let them dress up as Shakespeare’s famous characters or take part in some arts and crafts which are both free activities at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).

Things to do in Stratford upon Avon with kids - RSC

They frequently change the exhibits at the RSC.  Some exhibits are family friendly, others less so.  Most celebrate the incredible 100 years of theatre making in Stratford-upon-Avon.  To check out what’s on during your visit check out the RSC What’s On Guide.

Alternatively, check out the gardens and artwork at Shakespeare’s New Place or visit Shakespeare’s Schoolroom to see for yourself where Shakespeare went to school and was inspired to become the world’s greatest poet and playwright.

2019 prices – Various passes available for visiting the historical houses in the town centre.  The annual combined ticket to Shakespeare Birthplace, Shakespeare’s New Place, Hall’s Croft, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage & Mary Arden’s Farm costs £20.25 adults, £13.05 children (3-17), under 3’s go free, £53.54 family pass.  Website – https://www.shakespeare.org.uk


9. Indulge your kids in a little Pokémon Go fun 

A church is not the obvious place to take part in the popular reality game, Pokemon Go.  Especially one as famous as the Holy Trinity Church, which is the home of Shakespeare’s grave.  Incredibly, though the Holy Trinity has embraced the Pokemon game and welcomes fans with open arms.  The church was recently designated as a Pokemon Gym, which means players of the smart phone game can train and battle against each other in the Holy Trinity grounds.

If you remain unsure whether you and your kids will be welcome playing Pokemon Go in the church check out the posters on the church gate which state – “Whether you are looking for Pokémon, Shakespeare or Jesus, all are found at Holy Trinity.”

Address – Holy Trinity Church Parish office, Old Town, Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6BG

Things to do in Stratford upon Avon
Holy Trinity Church, a designated Pokemon Go gym!

10.  Dine in a kid friendly restaurant

Looking for child friendly restaurants in Stratford upon Avon? After a day of sightseeing you will be ready to sit down and enjoy some good food.  One of the things we absolutely love about Stratford upon Avon is that it has a variety of family friendly pubs, restaurants, bistros and cafe’s.  Whether you fancy saving some pennies by grabbing a sandwich to eat overlooking the river or pub grub from the towns oldest public house or splashing out on a posh dinner in one of the many luxury hotel restaurants, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

11. Stay in a family friendly 400-year old stone cottage with lots of original features

places to stay in Stratford upon Avon

Looking for a place to stay in Stratford upon Avon?  We stayed at Brassknocker Cottage a cosy and characterful 17th-century stone cottage, located in Binton, just four miles from the riverside market town.  If this sounds appealing you can read our full review here.

For more Stratford upon Avon hotels for families check out the Crowne Plaza, Hotel Du Vin Stratford upon Avon and Ettington Park Hotel which all receive good reviews on Trip Advisor.


Check out our Stratford upon Avon summer guide for more inspiration – 15 fun family days out in Stratford-upon-Avon this summer! and for more ideas of things to do in Stratford upon Avon please visit shakespeares-england.co.uk

Disclaimer – This post has been written in collaboration with Shakespeare’s England, the official destination management organisation for Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick, Kenilworth, Royal Leamington Spa and the surrounding towns and villages. All opinions are, as always, my own.  

Copyright – All images copyright Travel Loving Family.

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11 things to do in Stratford upon Avon with kids including restaurants in Stratford upon Avon

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9 Comments

  1. Emma Hill
    14th March 2017 / 2:32 pm

    I love the sound of the MAD museum, my kids would love it

  2. 28th February 2017 / 4:07 pm

    This is a great list. We’ve done a few of those things but there’s clearly more to do. I am impressed at your afternoon tea efforts. That’s good going! #CulturedKids

  3. 14th February 2017 / 11:01 am

    I’m going to bookmark this for the summer when we are at a wedding in Warwickshire – looks like it will be really useful x #CulturedKids

  4. 8th February 2017 / 8:43 am

    Looks like you had a fab time in Stratford and there’s loads to do with children. I would have thought it was all Shakespeare and ye olde touristy shops but it looks like a fresh and modern place…interspersed with the old. #CulturedKids

  5. 7th February 2017 / 10:15 pm

    That butterfly farm looks great! I’m not a big fan of the “creepy-crawly” portion, but that’s okay, I do like the butterflies!

  6. 6th February 2017 / 12:32 pm

    I never knew the church had volunteered to be a Pokemon gym! What a novel idea. I don’t know Stratford that well, but it sounds as though there are tons of things to do, not just the regular Shakepeare-related attractions. Thanks ever so much for linking this fantastic post up with #CulturedKids – I’m sharing it through all my channels x

    • Lisa
      Author
      6th February 2017 / 12:36 pm

      I know quite unique eh Nell!

  7. 3rd February 2017 / 4:51 pm

    I honestly had no idea there was so much to do – I thought it was all Shakespeare and that’s all. I visited here as part of my hen weekend (over 10 years ago) and would love to return with the kids x

    • Lisa
      Author
      6th February 2017 / 12:35 pm

      You should definitely return Sam, there are so many reasonably priced attractions to visit with kids and lots of free things to do too;) Gorgeous place

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