Free things to do in Belfast with kids

Ardoyne Library

Belfast · ages 0-11

A free Belfast library with a Saturday morning of Lego and board games, plus homework help and a rhyme time for babies and toddlers.

Accessible toiletBaby changeHearing loopToilets+2 more

Ballyholme Beach

Bangor

A long sandy beach with a play area alongside it, plus dog walking room and free entry.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingDog friendlyOutdoor play+2 more

Banana Block

Belfast

Free-to-enter arcade and gaming spot in Belfast where you pay per game rather than for the door.

CaféDog friendlyWi-Fi

Belfast Free Walking Tour

Belfast

A pay-what-you-feel walking tour around the city centre, led on foot by a local guide.

Bog Meadows Nature Reserve

Belfast

Free wetland trails in the city where kids can spot birds, butterflies and insects from proper hides.

Dog friendlyParkingPicnic areaPushchair friendly+1 more

Carnmoney Hill Local Nature Reserve

Newtownabbey

Free trails up a proper hill, from an easy loop to a steep climb, plus an orienteering course to try.

Accessible toiletFree parkingToilets

Carryduff Library

Belfast

Rhymes, storytime and craft sessions for young kids, plus free books, computers and wifi for everyone else.

Accessible toiletBaby changeParkingToilets+2 more

Castle Lug

Carrickfergus

A free-to-see fragment of a late medieval tower house looking out over Belfast Lough.

Clements Wood, Larne

Larne

A free woodland walk through hazel copses, marshland and grassland, with spring flowers to spot and no entry charge.

Outdoor playParking

Clough Castle

Downpatrick

Free earthwork castle with a stone keep you can still climb up to, perched on a mound outside the town.

Colin Glen Library

Belfast · ages 0-12

Free rhymes, Lego and homework help for kids, with regular sessions running right through the week.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingParking+3 more

Crawfordsburn Beach

Bangor

A sandy stretch by the country park where you can dig, paddle and let the day drift, with free parking on hand.

CaféFree parkingToiletsWheelchair accessible

Drumena Cashel

Newry

Free to visit, an underground stone passage you can duck into and explore beneath an old rath.

Dundonald Library

Belfast

Free rhymes, Lego and Duplo clubs and storytime sessions across the week, with no booking needed.

Accessible toiletParkingToiletsWheelchair accessible+1 more

Dundrum Castle

Newcastle

A free ruined castle on a wooded hill, built in 1177, with steep rocky ground to scramble up to reach it.

Falls Road Library

Belfast

Free rhymes, storytime and coding sessions for kids, plus quiet corners to browse, all at no cost.

Baby changeToiletsWheelchair accessibleWi-Fi

Finaghy Library

Belfast · ages 0-12

Free rhymes, story sessions and Saturday Lego building for kids, plus books to borrow, all at no cost.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingHearing loop+4 more

Glasswater Wood

Downpatrick

Broadleaved woodland trails for a free wander, though it's closed until winter 2026.

Outdoor playParking

Glen Park

Newtownabbey · ages 3-12

A free, open-all-hours park with a small play area and a walk through to Threemile Water park.

Outdoor play

Glengormley Library

Newtownabbey

Free rhymes, Lego and wand-making sessions for kids, tucked into the weekly timetable of a local library.

Wi-Fi

Grove Library

Belfast

Free weekly sessions for different ages, from Rhythm and Rhyme for babies to a Lego Club for primary schoolers.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingHearing loopParking+3 more

Holywood Arches Library

Belfast · ages 0-11

Free storytimes, rhyme sessions and a Lego club for kids aged 0 to 11 in a quiet library setting.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingParkingToilets+2 more

Holywood Library

Holywood

Free rhymes, songs and a Lego Club that turn a library visit into a proper morning out.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingToilets+2 more

Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum

Lisburn

Free museum inside a 17th-century market house where kids can walk under old stone arches and see how Irish linen was made.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingGift shopHearing loop+2 more

Island Hill

Newtownards

A free circular walk out to Rough Island across a causeway that only appears at low tide, with views over Strangford Lough.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingParkingPicnic area+2 more

Lagan Valley Regional Park

Belfast

Free towpath walks along the Lagan, with a heritage cottage and an old lighter barge to poke around if the volunteers have opened up.

Booking requiredParkingToilets

Lisburn City Library

Lisburn

Free storytimes, rhyme sessions and craft groups in a Lisburn library with an actual Harry Potter day thrown in.

Sensory friendlyWheelchair accessibleWi-Fi

Lisburn Road Library

Belfast

Free Rhythm and Rhyme sessions, storytime and Lego building sessions for kids, plus book borrowing, in a library with disabled parking and a hearing loop.

Accessible toiletBaby changeHearing loopParking+3 more

Malone House

Belfast

Free grounds to wander round a Georgian house, with a playground and cycling paths next door at Barnett Demesne.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingBreastfeeding friendly+6 more

McArt's Fort

Belfast

A free walk up Cavehill to an ancient hilltop fort with archaeological remains and views over Belfast.

Picnic areaPublic transport nearby

Mo Mowlam Play Park

Belfast

A free outdoor play park with a castle-themed climbing trail, cableways and a nine-metre wavy slide, open every day of the year.

Baby changeCaféChanging PlacesDog friendly+4 more

Newtownbreda Library

Belfast

Free storytime, rhyme sessions and craft afternoons for under-11s at a Belfast library with regular children's programming.

Blue badge parkingParkingToiletsWheelchair accessible+1 more

North Down Museum

Bangor

Free museum tracing the local area's story from the Bronze Age to today, with an art gallery in the café.

Oh Yeah Music Centre

Belfast

A music charity's Belfast base with live gigs, open mic nights, arts and crafts days and the odd record fair.

Toilets

Olderfleet Castle (State Care Monument)

Larne

A free-to-visit ruined tower house with gun loops to spot, right on the harbour at Larne.

Ormeau Road Library

Belfast

Free storytimes, rhyme sessions and a Lego club fill the week at this Belfast library, no ticket needed.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingIndoor seating+4 more

R-space Gallery

Lisburn

Free contemporary art and craft exhibitions in the centre of town, with talks and workshops thrown in.

RSPB Belfast's Window on Wildlife

Belfast

Free wildlife watching over a Belfast Lough reserve, with hides looking out on Lapwings, terns and Konik Ponies.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingBirthday parties+9 more

Sentry Hill Historic House & Visitor Centre

Newtownabbey

A farmhouse and grounds you can wander for free, with a guided house tour and family workshops laid on at weekends.

Toilets

Shankill Road Library

Belfast

Free story sessions, rhyme time and a proper book habit to build, all without spending a penny.

Accessible toiletBaby changeHearing loopToilets+2 more

The Dock Cafe

Belfast

A donation-based canalside café where you can bring your own food, grab a scone, and there's no bill at the end.

CaféPicnics allowed

The Great Light, Maritime Mile

Belfast

Free to see, outdoors and open all hours: a 130 year old lighthouse optic sitting right on the Titanic Walkway.

Blue badge parkingPublic transport nearbyWheelchair accessible

The John Luke Gallery

Belfast

Free art exhibitions and workshops in a gallery you can drop into on a weekday morning without booking.

Free parkingWheelchair accessible

Throne Wood

Newtownabbey

Free woodland walk with ponds to peer into and, if you're lucky at dusk, seven kinds of bat overhead.

Baby changeOutdoor playToilets

Ulster Aviation Society

Lisburn · ages 0+

Guided tours through Second World War hangars packed with historic aircraft, free for families of up to ten.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBooking requiredParking

University of Atypical

Belfast

A free gallery of soft-sculpture installation art in Belfast city centre, with a sensory pack for anyone who needs it.

Accessible toiletCard onlyStep-free accessToilets+1 more

Whiterock Library

Belfast

Free rhyme time, storytime and a chess club run out of a local library with a lot more going on than shelves.

ToiletsWi-Fi