Kids tend to associate learning and history with school. This means that, outside of the hours in the classroom, it can be difficult to get them to engage with educational activities. In reality though, so much learning happens beyond the school gates and filling your family time with activities that engage your brain can be really fun. When done right, museums aren’t just informative – they’re great entertainment too. When you’re next planning a little family break away, why not organise it around a great, child-friendly museum? Here are some of the UK’s best museums for kids:
Museum of English Rural Life, Reading
If your children like to play with tractors and animals or to run around and get their knees dirty, the Museum of English Rural Life will be fascinating for them. This museum draws a really interesting comparison between our current way of life and the ways of the past. With lots of odd farming objects on display, interactive exhibits, and dressing up opportunities, it’s the perfect destination for any child with an imagination. Stay in our Reading Central hotel to combine your visit with an exploration of a city that is very much all about the modern way.
Techniquest, Cardiff
Little scientists will be in heaven at this hands-on technology-based museum. Activities include sinking an oil rig, launching a rocket, studying a colony of ants, and moving half a ton of granite. There is also a planetarium for any kids with dreams of becoming astronauts. Book a room in our Cardiff Central hotel to get stuck into science.
Natural History Museum, London
Every child should visit The Natural History Museum at least once. This vast institution has been enthralling visitors for over 130 years, but that doesn’t mean it’s stuck in the past. In fact, the Darwin Centre, which houses the museum’s phenomenal collection of preserved specimens, has only been completed in the last few years. With all sorts of clever, interactive exhibits, a visit will be lots of fun for children, though what will impress them most will undoubtedly be the stunning contents. One of our London hotels makes a great base to explore this attraction and others the city has to offer.
Museum of Transport, Manchester
Vehicles have a special way of capturing the imagination of children, and there’s a vast number of them at this Manchester museum. With one of the largest collections of historic buses, trams and coaches, the museum has so much to see and explore, you’ll definitely need to make use of the tearoom to recover your energy while you’re there. Why not book to stay in one of our Manchester hotels to build a weekend around your trip?
At-Bristol, Bristol
At-Bristol is as hands-on as museums come. It’s not just interactive exhibits that kids can explore – it’s real, live experiments in the Live Lab too. There’s a planetarium, a cloud chamber, an animation studio, a “no more waste” world and much, much more. Stay in our Bristol Central hotel to take your kids to this great activity centre.
Amberley Museum, Sussex
Amberley Museum is perfect for a family day out with the kids. Showcasing exhibitions of heritage, transport, engineering and crafts, this museum will be sure to get your brains flowing! They also have lots of attractions perfect for entertaining the little ones, including the Industrial Narrow-Gauge Railway which makes many stops around the site. Stay in one of our Sussex hotels and discover the county’s best-kept secret!
