15 Great Family Days Out Ideas in the UK (2023 update)

  • By: The DIG for Kids
  • Time to read: 10 min.

There is nothing more precious than seeing your children’s sheer delight and hearing their screeching cries of joy on a great family day out. With so much conflicting information concerning family day-out ideas, I have decided to compile this carefully curated, well-researched list of the 15 best UK family day-out ideas that includes age restrictions and ticket prices to fill your family album with several cherished photos.

The National Space Centre in Leicester

If you have budding resident astronauts who have created their DIY rockets at home, it is time to show them the real deal. 

Based in Belgrave, Leicester, the National Space Center houses an impressive collection of standing rockets displayed in a bespoke tower, including significant collections of space suits, meteorites, and moon rocks.

The center also houses the UK’s biggest Planetarium with family shows that are narrated by celebrities. 

Children also love interacting with the great exhibits to learn about various topics ranging from aliens to the ins and outs of satellite technologies.

Price Range:  £12.50 – £15.50 (preferably book online ahead of time)

Children under the age of five may enter for free

Age restrictions:  The centre is ideally suited to children who range between 8 and 14 years old. Although they do have programs and content that cater to 5-year-old children

For Additional Information Visit: The National Space Centre

Bounce Below at Zip World in Snowdonia

It is the perfect outing for overactive children aged seven and up who love nothing more than bouncing around all day, including families who love adventurous explorations.

Bounce Below is a one-of-a-kind deep underground cavern close to Blaenau Ffestiniog in Snowdonia. 

Zip World was originally used as a Victorian Slate mine 176 years ago and has since been converted to a vast underground playground. 

It features six bounce-worthy trampoline nets, heart-racing slides that are similar in size to London’s double-decker busses, and brightly lit tunnel play areas.

There are also numerous other great family activities at the Zip World, Slate Caverns to choose from, like their Titan 2 zip line  (the most extended zip area in Europe), or you can explore the cavern via ropes enjoy a mine guided tour.  

Price Range: £20.00 – £25.00 per person (preferably book online ahead of time)

                        £75.00 – Family of Four

Age restrictions: Only suited to children aged seven and upwards

For Additional Information Visit: Bounce Below

Warwick Castle in Warwick

The stately 1,100-year-old Warwick Castle, with its magnificent 65-acre gardens and elegant stone architecture, offers fun activities that cater to the entire family.

Little children will thoroughly enjoy participating in Zog’s guest for the Golden Star adventure trail to learn how to become a true Dragon. They will learn essential Dragon skills like flying, practicing fierce roars, fire breathings skills, and catching a Princess. 

Older children will love the Horrible Histories Maze with its dramatic special effects and challenging obstacles. While there is no age restriction for this activity, children should ideally be accompanied by their parents as they might find the experience distressing.

The entire family will be captivated by The Falconer’s Quest, the UK’s leading show about birds of prey accompanied by a dramatic narration and great special effects.

On top of all these delightful activities, families may explore the various ancient towers and ramparts, surrounded by incredibly landscaped areas like the Peacock Garden.

If you want to extend your magical day, surprise your children with a night’s stay in the Knight’s Village.  You can choose either a glamping Warwick tent to accommodate a family of four or a luxurious King’s Tents with a four-poster bed.

Price range:  £20.00 per person (preferably book online ahead of time)

Children under the age of 3 years old may enter for free

Age restrictions: the activities cater to all ages

For additional information visit: Warwick Castle

Harry Potter Movie Tours in London

If your child is in awe of a bespectacled wizard called Harry, they will love The Making of Harry Potter, Warner Bros Studio Tours! We’re Potter geeks in this household and this place is like our Mecca, it’s brilliant! The above picture is from the Great Hall.

It showcases all the iconic Harry Potter movie sets, including the cobblestoned Diagon Alley, Forbidden Forrest, and the magnificent Hogwarts Great Hall, which will instantly transport your child to a magical world. There’s the bridge from Hogwarts outside, the Knightbus and Butterbeer (not great but fun to say you’ve had)

Moreover, the tour reveals all the special effects secrets and displays incredibly detailed movie props, e.g., handwritten books and motorized props. 

Price range:  £47.00 – £225 per person (preferably book online ahead of time)

Free for children under the age of 4 years old

Age restrictions: the activities cater to all ages

For additional information, visit: The Making of Harry Potter

Legoland In Windsor

Let’s face it – children love playing with Lego blocks, while parents hate stepping on them!

If your child can spend hours creating imaginary structures, then Legoland is the perfect day outing. The above photo is of a lego Buckingham Palace from our trip to the Legoland in 2021

Legoland has a wide variety of displays and rides that will enthrall your child. The Lego Mythica area contains mythological creatures, giant models, including a flying theatre ride.

Other attractions include Lego Ninjago rides where your child can master the art of Spinjitzu, including Miniland, which is constructed from millions of blocks to recreate our world.

In addition, they have numerous themed children’s rides, splash parks for summer days, and an incredibly detailed collection of legendary buildings from across the globe. 

Alternatively, brave children can accept Lord Vampyre’s scary invitation to the Haunted House Monster Party. 

It’s also fun to visit at Christmas!

Price range:  £29.00 – £44 per person (preferably book online ahead of time)

Children under the age of 4 years old may go in for free

Age restrictions: the activities cater to all ages

For additional information, visit: Legoland

The Science Museum in London

If it’s a rainy day and you need a free outing for your children, visit the incredible Science Museum.

It is one of London’s most intriguing family-orientated museums and caters to children of various ages with exhibits ranging from robots and spaceships to antique airplanes. 

Children enjoy the interactive science exhibits and watching incredibly educational 3-Dimensional Imax films.  

If you have more time, visit the Natural History Museum, especially their secret wildlife garden, around the corner from the Science Museum. 

Either way, you will have a fun educational day with your children.

Price range:  free of charge (3D Imax film tickets cost approximately £10.00 per person) 

Age restrictions: the activities cater to all agesFor additional information, visit: The Science Museum

Clip’ n Climb in Ilkley, Yorkshire

Our son love it here, it is a perfect outlet for children with tons of energy who are literally climbing the four walls of your home (with the accompanying tiny footprints…)

Clip ‘n Climb has centers across the globe and several in the UK; they claim to have made climbing a fun activity for children.

All their climbing centers are brightly coloured child-orientated places where children are clipped into an automated cabling system to climb onto wacky structures and walls with odd, shaped structures and obstacles.

Price range:  £10.00 – £10.00 per person (preferably book online ahead of time)

Age restrictions: the activities cater for all aged children (including Tots)For additional information, visit: Clip ‘n Climb

Madame Tussauds In London

If your child is obsessed with Spider-Man like ours, or any of the other Marvel comic heroes, posing with their eerily realistic alter-egos will be the stuff of dreams!

Madame Tussauds showcases 150 well-known pop stars, actors, and sport’s waxwork celebrities that are so convincing you might need to take their pulse! They are displayed in Instagram – primed sets that will have your teenager take a ton of selfies.

If you genuinely want to make a day of it, you can book combined London attraction tickets that will also grant you entry to the London Eye, a Marvel Universe 4 D movie, or the Sea Life London Aquarium.

Price range:  £30.50 – £60.00 per person (book online for discounts)

Age restrictions: the activities cater for all aged children For additional information, visit: Madame Tussauds

Drayton Manor Theme Park in Tamworth

Drayton Manor is a perfect family outing if you have a child that loves cuddly little animals, including Thomas the Tank Engine, or the teenagers who can not find a ride that is high or fast enough.  

Drayton Manor theme park features a zoo with an incredible collection of over 100 animals with several colorful parrots, amusing monkeys, and slithering snakes. Unlike many other zoos, they are focused on their conservation efforts, making a visit even more worth it.

With over 100 rides and attractions, they can cater to your entire family, ranging from the Thomas the Tank Engine fanatic to your thrill-seeking teenager.

Price range:  £11.50 – £31.00 per person (book online for discounts)

Age restrictions: the activities cater for all aged children 

For additional information, visit: Drayton Manor Theme Park 

Diggerland in Durham

It’s a well-known fact that children go through a Digger-obsessed phase. Therefore, being able to drive one will be a dream come true. I hope Dad can wait his turn!

There are four Diggerland branches in Yorkshire (our local site), Kent, Durham, and Devon. Children can control JCB Diggers, complete stacking exercises with loaders, or spin around in a gigantic excavator bucket ride.

The theme parks have similar attractions like mucky fun or dodgems in the mud, including similar play areas. It truly is a load of dirty fun! We loved the spinning chair ride using a jcb as the motor.

Price range:  £11.40 – £22.80 per person (book online a day in advance)

Children under 90cm can enter for free

Age restrictions: the activities cater for all aged children 

For additional information, visit: Digger Land

The Centre for Computing History in Cambridge

This centre is a perfect outing for children interested in IT and how it evolved from bulky retro monitors to the ultra-modern tech gadgets we have today.

The Centre for Computing History offers insightful learning opportunities to broaden your child’s knowledge concerning the advancements of digital technologies.

Moreover, their vintage gaming consoles and calculator displays make one realize just how far technology has advanced in a relatively short space of time.

Price range:  £6 – £9 per person (children aged under five are free)

Age restrictions: the activities cater for all aged children 

For additional information, visit: The Centre for Computing History

The Slide at the ArcelorMittal Orbit in London

This slide will make your eight-year-old adrenaline seeker enjoy the thrill of a lifetime on the world’s tallest and longest tunnel slide.

It is based at the London Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and is famous for being the UK’s highest sculpture. 

This hair-razing adrenaline rush will whizz your child around for a 178meters, accompanied by 12 heart-stopping twists and a final corkscrew move. 

Explore the various play areas, bike trails, and fun climbing structures if you have more time to spare.

Price range:  £10.75 – £17.75 per person (preferably book online ahead of time)

Age restrictions: Only children aged 8, with a height of at least 1.3m, may ride the slides

For additional information, visit: ArcelorMittal Orbit

Titanic Belfast in Belfast

Your children will be captivated by the tragic tale of the RMS Titanic’s history, mainly because the story is resurrected in the same area where the Titanic was built.

The museum features nine interactive self-guiding walkways with numerous eye-catching digital displays and spectacular special effects, including a lively Shipyard ride those kids love.

Audio headsets provide immersive sensory experiences which will lead you to explore the sights, smells, and sounds of that long-gone era, including the people who built the Titanic at the time.

Price range:  £19.50 – £48.00 (preferably book online ahead of time)

Free of charge for children under the age of 5

Age restrictions: the activities cater for all aged children

For additional information visit: Titanic Belfast

Alton Towers in Stoke-on-Trent

Alton Towers is a great family day-out option if your children have different interests and ages.

The park’s central theme is based on the children’s book titles of David Williams, like the “Gangsta Granny,” and is accompanied by other much-loved elements of his book like Raj’s shop.

They cater for all aged children ranging from tots with CBeebies to “Gangsta Granny” rides that combine adrenaline rushes with disorientating rotating carriages, incredible screen displays, and special effects. 

To top it all, they have a great outdoor and indoor water park where you can splash around to your heart’s content.

Price range:  £34.00 – £58.00 (Book online in advance for discounted prices)

Free of charge for children under the age of 3 

Age restrictions: the activities cater for all aged children

For additional information, visit: Alton Towers

We loved going to the Rollercoaster Restaurant too.

Alnwick Castle in Northumberland

Alnwick Castle is a great family destination which might even induce grandparents to join in the fun!  

This stately home has been featured in several Harry Potter films, including the Downton Abbey series.

You can explore the majestic castle staterooms, perfect your broomstick flying and archery skills or even enjoy a culturally enriching Shakespeare production in the fresh air.

The Alnwick Garden, designed by the Duchess of Northumberland, is an enchanted garden that features several water fountains, bamboo labyrinth areas, a poisonous garden, and an area where your family can play mini-golf.

Alternatively, let your children fly with the Miss Rabbit’s Helicopter ride, or enjoy a waterway ride with “Grampy Rabbit’s Sailing Club.”

After all that fun – enjoy a sumptuous lunch in the charming Treehouse, which is hidden away in majestic lime trees. 

Whatever you decide to do, it will certainly be fun!

Price range:  £9.70 – £18.50 (Preferably book online ahead of time)

Free of charge for children under age off 4

Please note – the castle is closed at certain times of the year

Age restrictions: the activities cater for all aged children

For additional information visit:  Alnwick Castle

Conclusion

We are truly spoilt for choice regarding excellent family day outing options in the UK. There is truly something for everyone, especially if you have children at different stages of their development, interests, and abilities.

Most importantly, book all my suggested family outings ahead of time and use their online booking discount incentives for budget-friendly outings. Have a great time!

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