Leicester
Leicestershire
A compact East Midlands city with museums, parks, libraries, indoor play, and easy family options for mixed-weather days.
41 listed places
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Days Out Directory
Family days out and kids activities across the UK
Find indoor activities, free places to visit, soft play, museums, parks, libraries, and birthday-friendly venues by city.
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Use the Activity Matcher to combine local places, home activities, and printable backups.
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London
Greater London
A huge choice of free museums, playgrounds, parks, theatres, libraries, and family attractions across the capital.
50 listed places
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Birmingham
West Midlands
A busy family city with canalside walks, museums, libraries, parks, soft play, and rainy-day venues.
21 listed places
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Manchester
Greater Manchester
A lively city for families, with museums, libraries, parks, sports venues, indoor play, and creative activity spaces.
21 listed places
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Nottingham
Nottinghamshire
A family-friendly city with caves, parks, libraries, local museums, climbing, and soft play options.
16 listed places
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Leeds
West Yorkshire
A strong family base for parks, museums, libraries, swimming, soft play, and city-centre rainy-day activities.
16 listed places
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Bristol
Bristol
A creative, outdoorsy city with harbourside trips, parks, museums, play cafés, and family-friendly learning spaces.
16 listed places
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Liverpool
Merseyside
A welcoming family city with waterfront museums, parks, libraries, soft play, sports, and theatre options.
16 listed places
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Coventry
West Midlands
A compact cathedral city with transport museums, parks, libraries, soft play, and family-friendly indoor options for mixed-weather weekends.
10 listed places
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Reading
Berkshire
A Thames Valley town with riverside walks, museums, libraries, parks, soft play, and easy London travel for family day trips.
10 listed places
View guidePopular categories
Start with the kind of day you need
Free days out
Find parks, libraries, museums, and public spaces for lower-cost family plans.
Browse ideasIndoor activities
Useful ideas for rainy days, cold weather, and backup plans.
Browse ideasOutdoor activities
Browse parks, playgrounds, farms, zoos, and open-air family time.
Browse ideasSoft play
Find toddler-friendly and active indoor play ideas by city.
Browse ideasMuseums
Explore learning-led days out, free galleries, and rainy-day visits.
Browse ideasParks
Plan playground trips, picnics, walks, and budget-friendly fresh air.
Browse ideasLibraries
Find free story time, books, quiet corners, and indoor breaks.
Browse ideasBirthday venues
Browse places marked as suitable for party ideas and group visits.
Browse ideasFeatured places
Featured family listings
Ages 3–12FreeindoorRainy daySEN-friendly
Museum
Leicester Museum & Art Gallery
A central Leicester museum with art, local history, dinosaur displays, and calm indoor galleries for families. Free entry makes it a strong rainy-day option, though event days can be busier so check what's on before travelling.
- Age
- 3-12
- Place
- Indoor
Ages 1–12FreeoutdoorSEN-friendly
Park
Abbey Park
A large riverside park with playgrounds, boating lake paths, pets corner, and picnic lawns for low-cost Leicester family time. Free entry suits sunny weekends and school holidays, with cafés nearby for longer visits.
- Age
- 1-12
- Place
- Outdoor
Ages 3–12FreeindoorSEN-friendly
Museum
Natural History Museum
A landmark South Kensington museum for dinosaurs, wildlife, and hands-on science displays. Strong free option for curious primary children, though it can be busy in school holidays so plan a calm gallery route and breaks.
- Age
- 3-12
- Place
- Indoor
Ages 4–12FreeindoorSEN-friendly
Museum
Science Museum
A major free indoor museum for hands-on science, space, engineering, and curious children near South Kensington. Interactive galleries suit KS1 and KS2 visits, though peak times can feel crowded so arrive early if possible.
- Age
- 4-12
- Place
- Indoor
Ages 1–10FreeoutdoorSEN-friendly
Park
Diana Memorial Playground
A popular Kensington playground with imaginative Peter Pan theming, sand play, and climbing for younger children. Free entry to the playground area, though queues can build at weekends so bring snacks and plan a Hyde Park walk nearby.
- Age
- 1-10
- Place
- Outdoor
Ages 4–12FreeindoorSEN-friendly
Museum
Birmingham Museum Family Galleries
A city-centre museum with family-friendly art, history, and science galleries for calm indoor exploring in Birmingham. Free entry is a plus for budget days out, though some temporary exhibitions may charge separately.
- Age
- 4-12
- Place
- Indoor
How to use the days out directory
Choose a city, then filter by age, indoor/outdoor, budget, SEN-friendly options, and birthday-friendly venues. The directory is designed for quick planning rather than exhaustive local coverage.
How to find rainy day options
Start with indoor activities, museums, libraries, soft play, bowling, cinemas, swimming pools, and craft studios. Keep a printable or quiet activity ready for travel and waiting times.
How to find free and low-cost days out
Free listings usually include parks, libraries, public venues, and some museum-style options. Low-cost listings can be good for shorter visits when you want structure without a full premium day out.
Check before travelling
Please check the official website before visiting, as opening times, prices, and availability can change. This is especially important for school holidays, party bookings, special sessions, and accessibility needs.
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