I grew up an hour from Birmingham. However whereas I couldn’t wait to discover the world, it wasn’t till I had my very own daughter that I correctly paid consideration to what was on my doorstep and began exploring all of the issues to do in Birmingham with children.
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An amazing spot for a metropolis break, there are a string of family-friendly points of interest to tempt year-round, together with the Birmingham Christmas market in winter. So should you’re contemplating a simple brief break, that is all of the motivation you’ll want to ebook a visit – from museums and penguins to chocolate and Lego!
Since you don’t want a long-haul flight to find someplace utterly new, with a lot journey inspiration nearer to residence too… beginning with my decide of one of the best issues to do in Birmingham with children.
Nationwide SeaLife Centre Birmingham
Rising up within the Midlands, you’re just about as removed from the ocean as you might be on our island – however a go to to this incredible aquarium is not any sorry second greatest and one in all my favorite issues to do in Birmingham with children.
Frankly, the Birmingham SeaLife centre at Brindleyplace beats various windswept seashores, particularly in winter, as you may contact starfish in an interactive rockpool, see sharks and rays, an enormous turtle in a 360 diploma ocean tunnel and spy seahorses.
Discover Peppa Pig at Sea Life Birmingham till June 2, with a enjoyable path, crafts and an opportunity to satisfy Peppa herself, together with recognizing the wonderful creatures which dwell on the aquarium, from penguins to sharks and the UK’s solely sea otters – prebook tickets right here
Try my assessment of our go to to the Nationwide Sea Life Centre Birmingham – the revamped penguin space has additionally now reopened.
The revitalised outdated canals are simply on the doorstep too, with a string of family-friendly eating places round Brindleyplace and in direction of The Dice and the Mailbox together with among the many family-friendly motels in Birmingham.
For one more fashionable place to remain in Birmingham that’s additionally good for households, try my assessment of the Birmingham Radisson Blu resort
Legoland Discovery Centre, Birmingham
Lego plus Lego-inspired enjoyable makes this the most effective locations within the UK should you love getting arms on with the bricks. There are three rides as properly, plus a 4D cinema, however the massive spotlight for most children (of all ages) is attending to create within the 10 Lego construct and play zones.
Be part of the LEGO Metropolis Minifigure crew at LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Birmingham, with some epic LEGO Metropolis Missions to finish as a part of Metropolis of Champions – plus workshops and particular constructing actions. Runs to July 9, included in entry – prebook tickets right here
Aimed toward kids aged three to 12, the Legoland Discovery Centre additionally has particular actions for under-fives (and people aged beneath three are free) plus a Duplo Farm.
Or benefit from the Miniland metropolis, created from 1.5 million bricks, in addition to grasp builder workshops. There’s even the Lego Metropolis smooth play space for little ones.
You should purchase mixture tickets for the Legoland Discovery Centre and Sealife Centre reverse, saving as much as 40% on the on-the-door value – click on right here to ebook
Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum
Science museums have modified dramatically since I used to be younger – award-winning Thinktank has greater than 200 hands-on shows, a 4k Planetarium, out of doors Science Backyard, transport within the Transfer It gallery and Our Altering Planet for older children.
For youthful children, there’s additionally MiniBrum, an interactive gallery that’s a miniature model of the on a regular basis world, aimed on the beneath eights. This mini metropolis places children in cost (just like kids’s museum Eureka) with totally different play zones together with a development web site, retailers and park, in addition to sensory areas for infants.
Contained in the museum on the Millennium Level constructing, it’s also possible to uncover speaking robots, a chocolate wrapping machine and loads of different shows centered round science, know-how and the pure world.
Birmingham Museum and Artwork Gallery
Superb should you’re on the lookout for free issues to do in Birmingham with children, the Birmingham Museum and Artwork Gallery (aka BMAG) is properly price a go to, even when there had been an entrance price!
EDIT: The museum is closed for renovations and anticipated to reopen in 2024 – date tbc
The spotlight with children is the Staffordshire Hoard – among the Saxon items found in a area in Staffordshire and cut up between the museum right here and one other in Stoke-on-Trent.
In addition to the duplicate golden helmet, there’s fascinating background on how archaeologists restored the traditional items (utilizing thorns to get the caked on mud off, for instance) and probabilities to get arms on, dressing up, feeling the load of various swords and taking part in 9 males’s morris, in addition to marvelling on the intricate golden ornament and cloisonne jewelry.
You’ll additionally discover galleries on the Historic Egyptians, Greek and Romans – together with a newbie’s information to Egyptian gods – in addition to totally different religions and beliefs, plus actions and crafts throughout faculty holidays.
The littlest guests will love the Mini Museum, with shows on animals, extra dressing up and even some smooth play.
Plus there’s artwork each fashionable and basic, a wonderful assortment of Pre-Raphaelite artwork, and different galleries on Birmingham itself. Throw within the spectacular Edwardian tea room and a few moderately useful lockers for luggage (carry a pound coin) and it’s straightforward to remain for much longer than you supposed.
GoBoat boat rental
Uncover town from a unique viewpoint and get behind the wheel of a ship with GoBoat – Birmingham is at the moment the one UK metropolis outdoors London the place you may rent the electrical boats.
With house for as much as eight in every electrical boat, it’s child-friendly – there’s even room for a buggy on board! – and canine pleasant as properly.
You don’t must have expertise earlier than you set off, with coaching given on arrival, together with a route map, plus you’ll get life jackets for infants and buoyancy aids for kids too. The captain should be over 18.
Convey a picnic – you may rent the boats for as much as three hours and there’s a desk to sit down round – though should you’re having just a few drinks on board, the captain has to avoid any alcohol.
The boats depart from the canalside not removed from the Nationwide SeaLife Centre Birmingham, and alongside the best way you may spot The Mailbox and The Dice, in addition to Edgbaston Tunnel, Birmingham College, The Roundhouse and Fuel Road Basin as you sail alongside.
Should you’re planning to mix your jaunt alongside the canals with a go to to BBC Birmingham at The Mailbox, sadly all public excursions have been cancelled, together with the possibility to pose with the TARDIS or step behind the Strictly Come Dancing desk, in addition to the behind-the-scenes excursions.
The Bear Grylls Journey
Enterprise over in direction of the NEC and The Bear Grylls Journey is without doubt one of the latest and coolest journey actions in Birmingham for youths and adults alike. So long as you’re an adrenaline-junkie!
Opened by the adventurer himself, the distinctive exercise centre has many daring actions to select from, together with capturing, archery, escape rooms, excessive ropes, climbing partitions, indoor skydiving, shark diving, and a Royal Marines-inspired assault course.
You possibly can ebook particular person actions individually from round £20, or splash out for a multi-pass and spend the entire day participating in a number of totally different challenges. The minimal age for many actions is 8+, whereas capturing and diving are each 10+.
Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park
Simply south of town centre, you will discover pink pandas, lemurs and monkeys, to not point out iguanas, snakes and lynx, on the Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park (beforehand referred to as the Nature Centre).
With data on their conservation work, it’s nice for older children to be taught a bit extra concerning the world in addition to some animal recognizing plus there’s additionally a play space on the location.
A number of buses run from town centre and prebooking tickets is beneficial.
Scroll down for extra concepts of issues to do close by at Cannon Hill Park
Cadbury World
Is it potential to say a metropolis break to Birmingham with children and never recommend a go to to Cadbury World? Simply one of many prime issues children want to do should you’re in Birmingham, it’s in all probability on various grownup wishlists too.
Only a bit additional south of town than the Wildlife Conservation Park, you may watch chocolatiers at work, chase an enormous Crème egg, trip a Crunchie rollercoaster on a 4D expertise, design your personal packaging, and be taught a bit extra as you hint chocolate’s historical past and arrival to Europe.
Plus there’s the world’s largest Cadbury’s store to complete, in addition to different chocolate experiences to attempt.
Selly Manor Museum
Step again in time and expertise what Tudor life in Birmingham was as soon as like on the Selly Manor Museum. The museum is situated in Bournville, close to Cadbury World, and has shut hyperlinks to the Bournville Household themselves.
Set inside two lovely Tudor houses, children can get pleasure from dressing up in conventional costumes, attempting on actual armour, and dealing with historic objects. The family-friendly museum additionally has quite a lot of enjoyable trails you may observe, in addition to printable exercise sheets and themed phrase video games.
Plus, control their calendar for particular occasions all year long, from half-term Halloween enjoyable to Christmas crafts and extra.
Birmingham Again to Backs
Also called Courtroom 15, the Again to Backs are 4 conserved homes masking life from the 1840s by means of to the Seventies, set round at nineteenth century courtyard.
As soon as widespread throughout town, it’s now Birmingham’s final surviving court docket of again to backs – homes constructed again to again round their communal courtyard.
Designed as they’d have been after they have been inhabited, proper all the way down to fires within the grates and a few sounds and smells of the previous, it’s an enchanting take a look at what life was as soon as like for a lot of households.
You possibly can solely go to with prebooked tickets for a guided tour, so it’s higher should you’re on the lookout for uncommon days out with older children than preschoolers – excursions take round 90 minutes.
Cannon Hill Park
Should you’re on the lookout for a peaceable spot to flee the bustling metropolis centre on a sunny day, head south to sprawling Cannon Hill Park.
The 250-acre inexperienced house is the preferred park in Birmingham and has loads of issues to see and do to maintain the little ones occupied for just a few hours, fairly aside from the Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park (above) which can also be primarily based right here.
Head out onto the massive boating lake on a swan pedal boat, take a trip across the massive scenic park on the land practice, or get pleasure from a sport of mini-golf at Golden Putter. Among the many play areas, there’s even a small fairground with just a few enjoyable rides and video games for toddlers to 10-year-olds.
Birmingham Botanical Gardens
In addition to town’s parks, outdoorsy households shouldn’t miss a go to to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Not solely will you get to discover the attractive gardens and buildings, a lot of which date again to the early 1800s, however there are additionally loads of enjoyable family-friendly actions to get pleasure from.
In addition to occasions throughout faculty holidays, there are a string of enjoyable and academic trails for kids to observe. Don’t miss the Magical Vegetation path the place you may uncover the actual magical vegetation that impressed JK Rowling’s Harry Potter.
There are additionally orienteering trails and exercise sheets for extra methods to maintain children entertained (though the household exercise backpacks will not be at the moment accessible).
The Botanical Gardens additionally placed on a great deal of family-friendly occasions and exhibitions all year long – beforehand the Jurassic Encounters occasion even noticed enormous dinosaurs roaming the gardens, whereas there’s usually out of doors theatre for youths in the course of the summer time.
Birmingham Treasure Hunt Path
Should you’re seeking to discover town, swap a regular guided tour for a treasure hunt by means of Birmingham with children.
There’s an excellent self-guided sightseeing treasure hunt designed to work in your cellphone, with a pirate captain setting challenges and clues to resolve alongside the best way.
Or should you’re visiting with teenagers, the Haunted Metropolis Outside Escape Sport shares a few of Birmingham’s spookiest tales, in an exercise that’s half treasure hunt, half tour and half escape room-style sport.
Or try the themed Treasure Trails of Birmingham, with a number of totally different choices together with the possibility to discover the canals with the entire household working collectively to search out clues situated on buildings and monuments round Birmingham, in addition to studying some fascinating information concerning the metropolis.
Following a two-mile loop, the Venice of the North path is a simple one with youthful children – you go at your personal tempo, however permit a few hours.
For extra tips about enjoyable household days out, Go to Birmingham has some nice solutions, or should you’re on the lookout for the closest theme park to Birmingham, Drayton Manor theme park is round a 30-minute drive away
*First revealed 2014, final up to date 2023*
PIN FOR LATER: THINGS TO DO IN BIRMINGHAM WITH KIDS
ThinkTank picture courtesy of Advertising and marketing Birmingham, Botanical Gardens/Again to Backs courtesy Make it West Midlands, chocolate picture courtesy of Adobe Inventory, all others copyright MummyTravels