Planning guides for family days out
Practical tips, fresh ideas and simple ways to make your next family day out easier to plan.
Useful ideas to get you going.
Best London Days Out for Teenagers
London should be one of the easiest places in Britain to entertain teenagers.
Read guideBest Aquariums for Families in the UK
Aquariums are one of those rare family attractions that can work almost regardless of the weather, the children's ages or the time of year.
Read guide100 Free Things to Do with Kids in the UK
Some of the UK's best museums remain free to enter, while beaches, forests, parks, libraries, nature reserves and walking trails can provide entire days of entertainment without an admission ticket. England's national museums continue to offer free general admission in 2026, while many major museums and galleries elsewhere in the UK are also free.
Read guideBest Safari Parks for Families in the UK
Safari parks turn a family wildlife day out into an adventure. Instead of walking from one enclosure to another, children can watch rhinos, giraffes, deer, camels and other animals from the car as they travel through large reserves.
Read guideBest Medieval Experiences for Families in the UK
A medieval family day out can involve considerably more than walking around a castle reading information boards.
Read guideBest Dinosaur Experiences for Families in the UK
If your child can tell a Triceratops from a Styracosaurus, knows exactly how many fingers a Tyrannosaurus rex had and regularly corrects your dinosaur pronunciation, a dinosaur-themed family day out is probably going to be a success.
Read guideHow to Survive Flight Delays with Children
Flight delays are frustrating when you're travelling alone.
Read guideWhat to Pack for a Family Day Out
You can choose a fantastic attraction, check the weather and plan the journey perfectly, but forgetting one important item can still create unnecessary stress. A missing water bottle, no spare clothes after an unexpected soaking or a phone battery reaching 2% just when you need the tickets can quickly become the thing everyone remembers.
Read guideWhat to Do When Your Child Doesn't Want to Walk
Children refusing to walk can be frustrating on family days out, particularly when you're still a long way from the car, hotel or next attraction. Carrying a tired toddler for a few minutes might be manageable. Carrying a four- or five-year-old for the final two miles of a day out is considerably less appealing.
Read guideHow to Survive an Airport with Young Children
Travelling through an airport with young children can sometimes feel harder than the flight itself.
Read guideHow to Survive a Long Train Journey with Kids
Travelling by train with children can be one of the easiest ways to get around Britain.
Read guideHow to Survive a Long Plane Journey with Kids
A long-haul flight with children can sound intimidating before you've even booked the tickets.
Read guideHow to Survive a Long Car Journey with Kids
You haven't even reached the destination and you've already heard "Are we nearly there?", someone needs the toilet despite refusing to go before leaving home, another child is hungry 20 minutes after breakfast, and an argument has started because somebody apparently looked out of the wrong window.
Read guideHow to Keep Kids Busy During the Christmas Holidays
School finishes, Christmas decorations are everywhere and there is the excitement of presents, family gatherings and festive food.
Read guideHow to Help Children Sleep on a Plane
Children who normally fall asleep easily at home can suddenly become completely awake on an aircraft. There are lights, announcements, food trolleys, unfamiliar noises and hundreds of interesting things happening around them.
Read guideHow to Help Children Sleep in the Car
One minute you're answering the fifteenth question about how long is left. The next minute the back of the car is completely silent and your child is peacefully asleep.
Read guideHistory Days Out Kids Will Actually Enjoy in the UK
Mention a historical day out to children and you might receive a mixed reaction. While some kids are fascinated by Romans, Vikings, castles and kings, others immediately imagine hours spent walking quietly around old buildings while adults read information boards.
Read guideBest Theme Parks for Families in the UK
A trip to a theme park is one of the classic family days out in the UK. Rollercoasters, water rides, children's characters, live entertainment and enormous play areas can easily fill an entire day, while many of Britain's larger theme parks now offer hotels and other accommodation for families wanting to turn their visit into a short break.
Read guideBest Technology Museums for Kids in the UK
Technology is part of almost everything children do today. Smartphones, gaming consoles, computers, robots, aircraft and even the family car rely on technology that would have seemed extraordinary only a few generations ago.
Read guideBest Snacks to Take on a Family Day Out
Snacks may not be the most exciting part of planning a family day out, but experienced parents know how important they can become.
Read guideBest Science Museums for Kids in the UK
Science museums have changed enormously from the days when a family visit meant walking quietly past glass cabinets while children tried not to touch anything. Many of the UK's best science museums are now highly interactive attractions where children are actively encouraged to experiment, build, play, press buttons and discover how things work for themselves.
Read guideBest Interactive Museums for Families in the UK
Taking children to a museum can go one of two ways. Find the right museum and they will spend hours experimenting, exploring and asking questions. Choose somewhere dominated by glass cabinets and lengthy information panels, and you may hear the words "Can we go now?" within half an hour.
Read guideBest Indoor Water Parks in the UK
Finding a family day out that isn't dependent on the British weather can sometimes feel like a challenge. You might plan a day at the beach or an outdoor attraction weeks in advance, only to wake up to heavy rain.
Read guideBest Indoor Adventure Parks in the UK
When the weather turns wet, cold or windy, finding somewhere children can properly burn off energy can be difficult. Indoor adventure parks provide an excellent solution.
Read guideBest Days Out for Kids Who Love Cars in the UK
For some children, cars aren't simply a way of getting from one place to another.
Read guideBest Castles to Visit with Children in the UK
Castles have almost everything needed for a brilliant family day out. There are towers to climb, walls to explore, battles to discover, enormous rooms to investigate and plenty of opportunities for children to imagine themselves as knights, kings, queens or castle defenders.
Read guideBest Car Games for Children
Long car journeys can be challenging for children, particularly when the excitement of the destination makes the journey feel even slower. Tablets, films and games can certainly help, but screens don't need to provide all the entertainment.
Read guide50 Things to Do When the Kids Are Bored
Sometimes it arrives five minutes into the school holidays. Sometimes you've just returned from an expensive family day out. Occasionally it happens while your child is standing in a bedroom containing enough toys to open a small shop.
Read guide25 Indoor Activities for Rainy Weekends
Rainy weekends are something every UK family eventually has to deal with. You might have planned a trip to the park, a family walk or an entire day outdoors, only to open the curtains and discover relentless rain.
Read guide20 Things to Do with the Kids This Weekend in the UK
The weekend arrives, the children are full of energy, and suddenly someone asks the inevitable question: "What are we doing today?"
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