Every place in Edinburgh

Game of Throwing

Edinburgh · ages 10+

Instructor-led axe throwing lanes for teens and adults, not a kids' activity in the usual sense.

Booking required

Games Hub

Edinburgh

A board game and trading card café where you pay £5 to play from a big library of games and join in weekly tournaments.

CaféFood on site

Gilded Balloon at the Museum

Edinburgh

A performance venue with a changing line-up of shows, free to walk into even if you're not booked in.

Accessible toiletCaféToiletsWheelchair accessible

Glenogle Swim Centre

Edinburgh

A proper Victorian swimming pool with a sauna and steam room to warm up in afterwards.

Accessible toiletBike parkingCaféCard only+4 more

Go Ape Dalkeith Edinburgh

Dalkeith · ages 4+

Zip lines, rope bridges and platforms strung through the trees above the River Esk, with a course for kids from age four.

ParkingToiletsAccessible toiletBaby change+8 more

Go Ape Peebles, Glentress Forest

Peebles · ages 1-99

A 325-metre zip wire 160ft up and bouncy nets in the treetops, in a forest an hour south of Edinburgh.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBirthday partiesCafé+7 more

Graystone Gallery

Edinburgh

Free contemporary Scottish art to wander round, with talks and private views if you catch the right date.

Dog friendlyToilets

Gutterball Edinburgh

Edinburgh · adults only (18+)

Bowling, a roller rink and karaoke under one roof, but family visits have to be wrapped up by 8pm.

Birthday partiesFree parkingGroup bookingsFood on site+3 more

Haggis Adventures

Edinburgh · adults only (18+)

Multi-day Highland coach tours from Edinburgh taking in Loch Ness, Glen Coe and the Jacobite steam train, but strictly over-18s only.

Dog friendlyGroup bookingsWheelchair accessible

Hailes Castle

East Linton

A free ruined riverside castle where kids can duck into old cellars and wander the east range above the Tyne.

Haven Seton Sands Holiday Village

Prestonpans

A caravan holiday village near Prestonpans with an indoor pool, go-karts, archery and ranger sessions to fill a few days.

Allergy awareBlue badge parkingDog friendlyIndoor play+4 more

Heart of Scotland Tours

Edinburgh · ages 5+

Small-group bus tours out to Highland castles, distilleries and standing stones, departing from Edinburgh.

Hermitage of Braid and Blackford Hill

Edinburgh

Free woodland walks, an orienteering course and a pond full of swans and geese below Blackford Hill.

Accessible toiletOutdoor playParkingToilets

Highland Experience Tours

Edinburgh · ages 3-15

A day coach tour out of the city taking kids round Loch Lomond, Stirling Castle and The Kelpies with a driver-guide doing the talking.

Highland Explorer Tours

Edinburgh · ages 5+

A multi-day Highland tour that swings past Glenfinnan so the kids can ride the steam train from the Harry Potter films.

Holyrood Park

Edinburgh

Big volcanic hills and crags to scramble over right in the city, free to wander any time of day or night.

ToiletsPicnic areaDog friendly

House of Fun Soft Play

Dalkeith · ages 0+

Sock-only soft play in Dalkeith with a hot food restaurant, a café, and two free adult entries with every child booking.

Birthday partiesCaféFree parkingIndoor play+4 more

Humming Tree Yoga

Edinburgh

Baby-and-parent and family yoga classes, plus pregnancy sessions, with an on-demand option for £9.99 a month.

Innoflate Livingston

Livingston · ages 0+

A giant inflatable park with obstacle courses, slides and Nerf battles, plus quieter sessions for the under-fives.

Baby changeBirthday partiesCaféFree parking+5 more

Inverkeithing Skatepark & Playpark

Inverkeithing

A free outdoor skatepark with a mini ramp, a bowled-out end, banked pump track and a quarter pipe to session.

Inverleith House

Edinburgh

Free, no-ticket wander round an art gallery inside the Botanic Garden, an easy add-on rather than a full day out.

Jabberwocky Soft Play

Haddington

A soft play frame and messy play sessions, priced by age band, with a café serving proper lunches while you watch.

Bike parkingBirthday partiesBlue badge parkingCafé+7 more

John Knox House

Edinburgh · ages 7+

A wonky old High Street house turned trail of Scottish tales, from Greyfriars Bobby to the Gruffalo, with free art on the side.

ToiletsGift shop

Jungle Tumble Play Cafe

Musselburgh · ages 0-7

Soft play sessions for under-7s with a toddler-only corner, a sensory area, and a café doing proper food, not just beige snacks.

Birthday partiesCaféFree parkingIndoor play+4 more