Rainy day activities in Leicester

360 Play Leicester

Leicester · ages 1-12

Indoor soft play at Meridian Leisure Park with a main frame for 4-12s, toddler zone, role play street, dodgems and carousel - designed for ages 1-12.

Indoor playOutdoor playCaféFree parking+5 more

Abbey Pumping Station

Leicester

Industrial museum with beam engines and vintage vehicles - free entry, but only open on holiday Mondays and special event days.

ToiletsWheelchair accessibleOutdoor playPicnic area+3 more

Armourgeddon Military Museum

Lutterworth · ages 8-80

A field full of tanks and military vehicles, some you can climb into, with real tank rides and driving experiences on selected days.

Accessible toiletCaféFree parkingGroup bookings+6 more

Artsters

Leicester · ages 1-11

Birthday parties built around free-flow art and craft, with a signature 3D cardboard cake to paint as the centrepiece.

Booking required

BACKLIT

Nottingham

A free contemporary art gallery in Nottingham with step-free access, open Thursday to Sunday afternoons.

Step-free access

Beaumanor Hall Climbing & Abseiling

Woodhouse

Group-booked indoor and outdoor climbing and abseiling at Beaumanor Hall, with a mobile climbing wall over 7 metres.

Booking required

Belgrave Library

Leicester

Free book borrowing and a homework club for school-age kids, with wifi and no overdue fines for under-16s.

Wi-Fi

Break Escape Loughborough

Loughborough

Crack a private escape-room game with the kids in Loughborough: 60 minutes of puzzles off Baxter Gate.

Card onlyLockersFood on siteToilets+1 more

Break Free Escape Room Leicester

Leicester · ages 10+

Solve a 60-minute themed escape with the kids: puzzles, clues and a locked room - not soft play.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredGroup bookings

Century Theatre

Coalville

A proper theatre stage for pantomimes and family shows, set in Snibston Colliery Park with free parking outside the door.

Blue badge parkingCard onlyEV chargingFree parking

Chapel Street Arts Centre

Derby

A sales and information point at Chapel Street Arts Centre, useful for sorting out details or bookings rather than a visit in itself.

City of Caves

Nottingham

Sandstone tunnels under Nottingham with WW2 shelters and a medieval tannery, walked with an audio guide.

Booking requiredCard onlyGift shopGroup bookings

Claw Kingdom Leicester

Leicester

Load tokens for claw machines stacked with plushies, then try the Human Claw harness grab over giant prizes.

Birthday parties

Climb Leicester - The Tower

Leicester · ages 4+

Indoor roped and bouldering walls at Leicester Leys, with junior-friendly instruction and casual climbing sessions.

Co-operative Play and Learn

Leicester

A term-time preschool day of playdough, yoga and balancing beams, with outdoor training fields to explore too.

Free parkingIndoor playFood on siteOutdoor play

Conkers Discovery Centre

Moira · ages 3+

A big woodland day out with rope trails, a splash park, a barefoot walk and an indoor play house for the rainy bits.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBirthday partiesBooking required+15 more

Coventry Music Museum

Coventry · up to age 15

A small, music-mad museum where kids can compose in the studio and sit in a Ghost Town car, not just look at cases of guitars.

Accessible toiletCaféCard onlyCash only+2 more

Delish & Designs

Syston · ages 0+

Kids paint pottery in the Syston cafe (garden too when dry) - walk-ins welcome; cake and coffee on site.

CaféFood on siteBirthday partiesGroup bookings+2 more

Derby Cathedral

Derby

Free to walk round, with a tower tour worth booking and monuments that'll keep older kids busy for a bit.

ToiletsCaféGift shop

Derby Computer Museum

Derby · ages 4+

Kids get their hands on actual 1970s to 90s computers, from a BBC Micro they can code to a Sinclair loading games off tape.

Birthday partiesBooking required

Derby Museum and Art Gallery

Derby · ages 0+

Free city museum on The Strand - Joseph Wright gallery, Royal Lancers displays and a Coffee House.

Bike parkingCaféGift shopFood on site+3 more

Derby Theatre

Derby · ages 0+

A city centre theatre with family shows for under 5s upwards, plus youth theatre groups and proper access support.

ToiletsWheelchair accessibleBooking requiredCafé

East Street Lanes

Leicester

Boutique ten-pin with arcade, UV mini golf and axe throwing - juniors from £9 a game before 7pm.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesBooking requiredCard only+4 more

Escape Coalville

Coalville

Take the kids into a timed escape-room game in Coalville: puzzles, themes and teamwork - not soft play.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredGroup bookingsLockers+2 more

Escape Leicester Horsefair House

Leicester · ages 9+

Race the clock in themed escape rooms with the kids: cabin, wizardry and sci-fi puzzles - not soft play.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredGroup bookings

Escape Leicester Market Street

Leicester · ages 9+

Crack timed puzzle rooms with the kids: private games, locks and teamwork on Market Street - not soft play.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredGroup bookingsSchool visits

Field Sport Ranges

Ashby-de-la-Zouch · ages 0+

Air rifle, pistol and archery ranges near Ashby-de-la-Zouch, with no minimum age on the airgun lanes.

Booking requiredCash onlyFree parkingPicnics allowed+1 more

Forget Me Not Creativity and Wellbeing

Lutterworth

Drop in for craft sessions with drawing, painting, clay and sticking, or book the room out for a birthday party of games and making.

Indoor playParty rooms

Fun Valley Leicester

Leicester · ages 0+

A soft play with a ninja course and climbing wall for the bigger ones, plus a toddler frame and role play village for the small ones.

Indoor playCaféFree parkingParking+6 more

Glenfield Tunnel

Leicester

Seasonal guided walks into a historic 1829 railway tunnel near Leicester - free with donation, book via LIHS.

Booking required

Great Central Railway (Nottingham)

Nottingham

Free site entry, £3 parking and a flat, buggy-friendly 25-acre site with steam trains, old buses, mini railway rides and a dog-friendly café.

Baby changeBike parkingBlue badge parkingCafé+13 more

Green's Windmill & Science Centre

Nottingham · ages 0+

Free-entry restored windmill, science centre and garden in Nottingham, climb the mill (when not under repair), try science experiments, and let the kids run round the community garden.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredGift shopGroup bookings+6 more

Gunbarrel Creek

Ashby-de-la-Zouch · ages 6+

An outdoor woodland Nerf Wars and laser tag party site near Ashby-de-la-Zouch, with fixed-site package hire.

Booking requiredBirthday partiesGroup bookingsFood on site+12 more

Hamilton Library and Learning Centre

Leicester

Free book borrowing, computers and wifi, plus events for all ages, no charge to get in.

ToiletsWi-Fi

Hollywood Bowl Leicester

Braunstone · ages 4+

Bowl on family lanes with diner food, arcade games and VIP options - kids eat, drink and bowl from £9.

Birthday partiesBlue badge parkingBooking requiredFree parking+3 more

Jewry Wall Museum

Leicester

Roman bathhouse ruins and interactive museum on St Nicholas Circle - adults from £12.50, kids free through Oct 2026.

ToiletsWheelchair accessibleGift shopBooking required+3 more

Jump Giants Loughborough

Loughborough · ages 1+

Interconnected trampolines, dodgeball and a foam zone, with a separate under-fives area so toddlers aren't dodging flying twelve-year-olds.

Birthday partiesGroup bookingsIndoor playLockers+4 more

Jungle Bugs

Melton Mowbray · ages 0-8

Family-run two-storey soft play in Melton Mowbray with baby/toddler zones and timed sessions for ages up to 8.

Indoor playCaféFree parkingParking+2 more

Kathryn Saunby Art Studio

Melton Mowbray · ages 0+

Kids paint a ceramic piece in open sessions at this Melton studio - £4 studio fee plus piece from £8.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredGroup bookingsParty rooms

King Richard III Visitor Centre

Leicester

Museum on the Greyfriars dig site telling Richard III's story - adults from £12.50, under-4s free.

CaféGift shopWheelchair accessibleToilets+1 more

Lakeside Arts

Nottingham

Family theatre shows with puppetry, live music and storytelling at the University of Nottingham's arts centre by the lake.

Birthday partiesCaféFree parkingGift shop+11 more

Lane7 Leicester

Leicester · ages 0+

Bowling-first games bar with indoor mini golf at Grand Central Leicester - packages from £13pp.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredGroup bookingsFood on site+1 more

Lapworth Museum of Geology

Birmingham

Free museum of fossils, rocks and prehistoric creatures on the University of Birmingham campus, no booking needed.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingGift shop+4 more

Laser Quest Leicester

Leicester · ages 6+

An indoor laser arena and arcade near Abbey Park, with 15-minute games, parties and VR experiences.

Birthday partiesGroup bookingsParty rooms

Laser Quest Loughborough

Loughborough · ages 7+

Laser tag in Loughborough - arena games from age 7 at Sital House on the Cattle Market.

Birthday partiesParty roomsGroup bookingsSchool visits+1 more

Leicester Cathedral

Leicester

A free-to-enter cathedral with a Richard III history gallery, guided tours and quiet corners worth a wander with kids.

ToiletsCaféGift shop

Leicester Guildhall

Leicester

Free 600-year-old timber Guildhall with medieval galleries and a family quest - open daily near the Cathedral.

ToiletsWheelchair accessibleGift shop

Leicester Museum & Art Gallery

Leicester

Free museum on New Walk with dinosaurs, Ancient Egypt and Leicester Stories - some galleries shut for redevelopment.

Blue badge parkingGroup bookingsLockersPicnic area+4 more

Leicester Outdoor Pursuits Centre (Climbing)

Leicester · ages 5+

Bookable climbing at Leicester Outdoor Pursuits Centre, with four outdoor walls, an indoor tower wall and junior courses.

Booking required

Leicester Underwater Exploration Club (LUEC)

Leicester · ages 8-70

Pool-based scuba and snorkelling training for eight-year-olds upwards, run by volunteer instructors at Aylestone Leisure Centre.

Free parkingParkingWheelchair accessible

Little Cobblers

Billesdon · ages 0-7

Modern children's play barn in Billesdon for ages ~6 months to 7 - timed soft-play sessions from £8.50 with cafe upstairs.

Indoor playCaféBirthday partiesParty rooms+2 more

Lollipops Pottery Painting Studio

Oadby, Leicester · ages 0+

Kids pick a blank pot, paint it at the studio tables, then leave it to be glazed and fired - cafe on site at Stoughton Grange.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredCaféGroup bookings+2 more

Loughborough Town Hall

Loughborough

A proper theatre panto with relaxed and signed performances, plus Christmas parties if you fancy a sit-down do.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingBooking requiredEV charging+1 more

Manor Farm Park & Woodlands

East Leake · ages 0-16

East Leake - Manor Farm Park and Woodlands animals and playbarn. Off-peak online from £8.95; book ahead for busy days.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredCaféFree parking+14 more

Megazone Leicester

Leicester · ages 6+

A city-centre UV laser tag arena with ramps, fog, bases and party packages near Belgrave Gate.

Booking requiredFood on siteHalal optionsVegetarian options+2 more

Melbourne Animal Farm

Derby

Handling rabbits, guinea pigs and ducklings, feeding the farm animals, and a bouncy castle if you want to pay extra for it.

Birthday partiesIndoor playFood on siteOutdoor play+2 more

Midland Air Museum

Coventry · ages 5-15

Wander among historic aircraft outdoors and climb into cockpits like the Vulcan bomber's.

Blue badge parkingCaféDog friendlyFree parking+1 more

Midlands Roller Arena

Lutterworth

Roller skating sessions, a Roller Disco with lights and games, and lessons for anyone who's never worn skates before.

Birthday partiesCaféFree parkingIndoor seating+3 more

Mini Mischiefs

Market Harborough · ages 0-10

Dedicated indoor soft play in Market Harborough with a 5.5 m three-tier frame and baby/toddler zones for ages 0-10.

Indoor playCaféFree parkingParking+4 more

Motorpoint Arena Nottingham

Nottingham · ages 0+

A big Nottingham arena that hosts touring family shows, ice hockey and concerts, right by the Lace Market tram stop.

Accessible toiletBooking requiredCaféGroup bookings+3 more

Museum of Making

Derby · ages 0+

Free entry to a museum built on Derby's 300 years of making, with workshops and maker spaces to poke around in.

Bike parkingBlue badge parkingCaféGift shop+3 more

National Fairground Museum Statfold

Tamworth

Vintage fairground rides, a heritage railway and a soft play barn on one site near Tamworth, plus mini golf outdoors.

Accessible toiletAllergy awareBaby changeBirthday parties+12 more

National Gas Museum

Leicester

Free gas-history museum with 500+ exhibits - temporarily closed until 13 October 2026 for maintenance works.

ToiletsFree parkingBike parking

National Justice Museum

Nottingham

A Georgian gaol and Victorian courtroom where actors re-enact real trials and executions, daily.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesBooking requiredCafé+6 more

National Space Centre

Leicester · ages 0+

A planetarium show, rockets to climb through and hands-on galleries about space, all under one roof in Leicester.

Booking requiredCaféGift shopParking+8 more

Naturescape Wildflower Farm

Langar, Nottingham

A free-to-visit wildflower garden with two ponds, a play area and a tearoom for cake afterwards.

CaféDog friendlyGift shopIndoor play+6 more

New Art Exchange

Nottingham

Free gallery visits and a Saturday art club with hands-on making, right opposite the Forest tram stop.

Allergy awareBlue badge parkingCaféGroup bookings+4 more

Newarke Houses Museum

Leicester

Free social-history museum with toys, a 1950s street and gardens - limited Saturday and holiday opening, so check dates.

School visitsGroup bookingsPicnic areaLockers

Nottingham Industrial Museum

Nottingham

Volunteer-run heritage museum in Wollaton Hall's stables, free entry for accompanied kids, five hands-on galleries, and monthly Steaming Days when the engines actually run.

CaféGift shopGroup bookingsFood on site+2 more

Nottingham Playhouse

Nottingham

Sit in on children's theatre and big seasonal shows in Nottingham - pick a title on what's on (show-led prices).

Gift shopBooking required

Nottingham Society Of Artists

Nottingham · adults only (18+)

A free city centre gallery showing work from Nottingham's artists, open to over-18s only.

Nottingham Winter Wonderland

Nottingham

Free entry to Old Market Square festive site - skate, Sky Skate, Observation Wheel and market stalls once you book the paid bits.

Food on sitePublic transport nearbyCard only

Peepul Centre/office

Leicester

A community theatre putting on shows like the Enchanted Diwali Tree, with local kids in the cast and free parking for 120 cars.

Free parkingRestaurantWheelchair accessible

Pickford's House

Derby · ages 0+

Free Georgian townhouse museum on Friar Gate - rooms, toys and a garden shop, Tue-Sat 10-5.

Bike parkingFree parkingGift shopParking+2 more

PoleKat Fitness Aerial Arts Academy

Nottingham · ages 4+

Pole fitness, aerial hoop and bungee fit classes for kids from 4 and adults, in a studio near Nottingham city centre.

Free parkingIndoor play

Pooley Country Park

Tamworth

Free woodland park with a balance trail, a clue-hunt walk and soft play upstairs in the café, for the cost of parking.

Birthday partiesCaféDog friendlyIndoor play+5 more

Putt Club @ TeamSport Leicester

Leicester · ages 5+

Indoor 9-hole motorsport-themed mini golf at TeamSport Leicester - kids putt from 5+, from £7.

Food on siteBirthday partiesBooking required

ReRoll Board Game Cafe

Leicester · ages 0-17

Hundreds of board games to hire by the hour, with staff who'll teach you the rules and TCG nights for older kids.

Allergy awareBooking requiredGroup bookingsHigh chairs+2 more

Retro Computer Museum

Leicester

A hands-on trip through gaming history where the kids actually play the old Spectrums, Commodores and arcade machines rather than just look at them.

Booking requiredFree parkingGift shopFood on site+2 more

Roxy Ball Room Leicester (Humberstone Gate)

Leicester

Five ten-pin lanes plus pool, karaoke and batting cage in a city-centre games bar - bowling from £10.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesBooking requiredCard only+3 more

Rugby Theatre Society

Rugby

Live theatre and film in Rugby, with a Summer Youth Project for 10 to 20 year olds and children's dance woven into some productions.

Indoor seating

Rugby Visitor Centre

Rugby

Free maps, heritage trails and guided town walks that turn Rugby's rugby history into an easy afternoon out.

Accessible toiletDog friendlyWheelchair accessible

SEA LIFE Birmingham

Birmingham · ages 0+

Sharks, otters and a walk-through ocean tunnel in the middle of Birmingham, all under one roof.

ToiletsAccessible toiletBaby changeWheelchair accessible+5 more

Seasons Mini Golf

Leicester

Indoor 12-hole seasonal-theme mini golf in Haymarket Leicester - opening offer from £8.

Slick City Action Park Nottingham

Nottingham · ages 4+

Nottingham - Slick City indoor slide action park in Lenton, dry slides and Air Courts from £14.95.

CaféBirthday partiesBooking required

Snibston Colliery

Coalville

Former-miner surface tours plus the Into the Dark coalface simulation - no real underground, but a proper Leicestershire pit day out.

ParkingBlue badge parkingEV chargingCafé+7 more

Social Climbing Leicester

Leicester · ages 5+

A city-centre indoor bouldering gym with family sessions from age 5, coached kids activities and 175+ problems.

Lockers

Spin Pin Leicester

Leicester · ages 5+

Indoor roller rink in Leicester city centre - 90-minute skate from £9.95, ages 5+, then bowl or arcade if you want.

CaféFood on siteParkingLockers+4 more

St. Barnabas Library

Leicester

Free book borrowing and computer access, plus a Digital and Performance Suite to try out.

Wi-Fi

Surface Gallery Limited

Nottingham

Free contemporary art shows in a small Nottingham gallery, open only when there's an exhibition on.

Tamworth Assembly Rooms

Tamworth · ages 0-16

A proper old theatre in the middle of Tamworth doing pantos, films, comedy and music for kids from babes in arms up to teens.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingCaféDog friendly+4 more

TeamSport Go Karting Leicester

Leicester · ages 8+

Indoor go-karting on a 500m multi-level track, plus mini golf and a Mini Racer session for younger kids.

Free parkingFood on siteWi-FiBirthday parties+2 more

The Climbing Station (Loughborough)

Loughborough

A large Loughborough indoor climbing centre with bouldering, top-rope lines, child-friendly circuits, training and a cafe.

Café

The Hub

Syston · ages 0-5

Boutique soft-play cafe in Syston for ages 5 and under - capped at 25 kids, cafe coffee, sessions from £3.

Indoor playCaféFree parkingParking+6 more

The Paint Pottle

Market Harborough · ages 0+

Kids paint a ceramic piece at the studio tables in Market Harborough - Village Café next door, pottery from £10.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredCaféToilets

The Pottery Shed

Hinckley · ages 0+

Kids paint their own pottery at the Hinckley studio tables - book ahead on Reservio; parties available.

Birthday partiesBooking required

The Victory Show

Leicester

A weekend of WW2 aircraft, tanks and living history on grass farmland, with an airshow from 9am and hundreds of vehicles to gawp at.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingDog friendlyFree parking+4 more

Treetop Golf Leicester

Leicester

Two indoor 18-hole jungle mini golf courses at Highcross Leicester - under-fives from £6, walk-ins welcome.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBirthday partiesGroup bookings+6 more

Triumph Factory Visitor Experience

Hinckley

A free 90-minute tour round a working motorcycle factory, plus an exhibition on Triumph's history.

Booking requiredCafé

Two Queens Leicester

Leicester

Free gallery exhibitions, drop-in art workshops and oil painting courses in a step-free space near Leicester train station.

School visits

Vikings Play Centre

Hathern · ages 0-11

Dedicated soft play in Hathern with baby, toddler and junior zones on a multi-storey frame - up to age 11, height cap 148 cm.

Indoor playCaféBirthday partiesParty rooms+2 more

VRXtra Leicester

Leicester · ages 7+

Free-roam VR zombie combat, competitive shooter battles and escape rooms, strapped in with your own headset for the session.

Birthday partiesIndoor seatingParty roomsToilets+1 more

Watermead Country Park

Leicester

Free country park with a Jurassic play trail, a lake full of birds and meadows thick with dragonflies.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingDog friendlyOutdoor play+3 more

Westcotes Library

Leicester

Free book borrowing, public computers and wifi, plus events for children as well as adults.

ToiletsWi-Fi

Wicksteed Park

Kettering · ages 0-8

Over 25 rides, a duck-feeding lake and a miniature train, with a wristband that lets small legs go round again and again.

Birthday partiesBlue badge parkingCaféDog friendly+8 more

Windmill Farm Park

Kibworth Harcourt · ages 1-10

Kibworth Harcourt farm park - rare breeds, tractor rides and outdoor play plus indoor play barn amenity. From £8.95.

ParkingFree parkingCaféRestaurant+8 more

Wollaton Hall & Deer Park

Nottingham · ages 0-15

A dinosaur gallery inside a Grade I mansion, plus 500 acres of deer park to walk off the museum legs.

Baby changeBlue badge parkingBottle warmingBreastfeeding friendly+13 more

Woolsthorpe Manor

Grantham · ages 5-17

The actual house where Newton watched an apple fall and split light with a prism, plus a hands-on science centre in the grounds.

ToiletsCaféGift shopParking