Rainy day activities in Northwood

AIRE Ancient Baths London

London · adults only (18+)

An adults-only thermal baths experience in London, so this one is for date night, not the kids.

Booking requiredLockers

Apollo Theatre

London

A West End stage with tickets from £20, a proper night out for kids who love a big show.

Accessible toiletDog friendlyToiletsWheelchair accessible

Apollo Victoria Theatre

London

A big West End stage best known for Wicked, with drinks and food you can order straight to your seat.

Appletown London- Indoor Kids Soft Play & Family Venue

Edgware · ages 2-12

Two hours in a multi-level soft play maze, and yes, you'll be paying to get in too - £10 for adults at the Halloween party.

Birthday partiesBlue badge parkingBooking requiredCafé+10 more

Art Hub LDN

London · ages 9+

Exclusive-use art parties for 15 kids from £495, with spray paint, tie dye and resin sessions aimed at ages 9 and up.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredGroup bookingsIndoor play+1 more

Arts for Life Project

Northwood · ages 8-24

Art, pottery, music and a sea-themed sensory room for ages 8 to 24, with parent and carer sessions too.

CaféGroup bookingsSensory room

artsdepot

London

A free soft play corner and a café to sit in while the little one potters about.

CaféIndoor play

Avora London: A New-World Cocktail Experience

London · adults only (18+)

A three-course cocktail story where actors send you on a fake research mission to another planet, no kids allowed.

Booking requiredGroup bookingsToilets

Aylesbury Waterside Theatre

Aylesbury

Panto and family shows in Aylesbury, a five minute walk from the train station and a short stroll from two car parks.

Barbican Centre

London

A vast City arts building you can wander into free, with a café and restaurant to fall back on between whatever's on.

Accessible toiletCaféHearing loopRestaurant+2 more

Beck Theatre

Hayes

A proper theatre in Hayes with a family panto each December, dementia-friendly film screenings, and a bar you can sit in before the show.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingCafé+9 more

Bike Shed Moto Co.

London

A big motorbike hangout in London with galleries of bikes and art, a shop to browse and a 160-seat restaurant to sit down in.

Bike parkingGift shopFood on siteRestaurant

Bocketts Farm Park

Leatherhead · ages 1-17

Pig racing twice a day, a woodland pony ride and two play barns to fall back on if the sky turns.

Accessible toiletAllergy awareBaby changeBirthday parties+16 more

Boom Battle Bar Watford

Watford

Shuffleboard from £3 a person, games from £5, and a £10 tenders-and-fries deal if you're staying a while.

Birthday partiesCard onlyGroup bookingsMembership scheme+4 more

Bubble Planet London

Wembley · ages 0-17

Eleven bubble-themed rooms, a ball pit you wade through and a VR room for over-eights, in about 90 minutes.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredCard onlyGift shop+10 more

Carpenders Park Garden Centre

Watford

Free to wander in, with a pumpkin patch that goes after-dark in October and kids' gardening tools to try in the shop.

Dog friendlyFree parkingFood on siteParking+1 more

Cedars Children's Centre

Harrow · ages 0+

Free SEN and sensory room sessions plus preschool play, running 8am to 6pm on weekdays.

Sensory room

Ceramics Café - West Ealing

London · up to age 16

Pick a ceramic shape off the shelf, paint it, and leave it for firing. Two-hour sessions for 7s and up, 90 minutes for the little ones.

Birthday partiesGroup bookingsParty rooms

Chislehurst Caves

Chislehurst · ages 3-15

A lamp-lit guided walk through man-made tunnels, with a guide spinning spooky stories along the way.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBirthday partiesCafé+6 more

Chorleywood Community Library

Rickmansworth

Free rhyme times, story sessions and LEGO clubs for 5 to 11s, plus Hublet tablets and computers to book. Shut Tuesdays and Sundays.

Toilets

Colindale Clip 'n Climb

London · ages 4+

33 climbing walls with auto belays, an 85-minute session that's mostly climbing, and a four-tier soft play bit for the under-nines.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredCaféFree parking+9 more

Coral Reef Waterworld

Bracknell

Five water slides, an erupting volcano and a pirate ship in the pool, plus a spa for the grown-ups if you can prise yourself away.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesBlue badge parkingBooking required+5 more

Creekside Discovery Centre

London

Wellies on, down the sloped bank into Deptford Creek to dip for animals and read the mud like a history book.

Booking requiredPublic transport nearbyToiletsWheelchair accessible

Croxley Green Library

Croxley Green · ages 0-12

Free to walk into, with Baby Rhyme Time, LEGO clubs for five to elevens and a Thursday you can only get in by PIN.

Blue badge parkingParty roomsWheelchair accessibleWi-Fi

Dana Research Centre and Library

London

Free hands-on science galleries with experiments, retro video games and a space section, though you'll need to book tickets in advance.

Accessible toiletAllergy awareBaby changeBooking required+12 more

David Lloyd Northwood

Northwood · ages 10+

A membership health club rather than a pay-as-you-go soft play: pools, kids' classes and crèche, but you join or tour before you visit.

Bike parkingFree parkingIndoor seatingMembership scheme+4 more

Denham Country Park

Uxbridge · up to age 12

Free country park with an Adventure Zone playground for under-12s, sand to dig, and a flat 1.3 mile walk that takes a pushchair.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingBlue badge parking+6 more

Discover Children's Story Centre

London · ages 0-11

Two floors of play worlds to climb through and act out stories in, plus a garden, all built around books rather than screens.

Baby changeBike parkingBlue badge parkingBooking required+7 more

Dominion Theatre

London · ages 5+

A West End stage for musicals and big theatrical shows, but under 5s aren't let in at all.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingBooking requiredToilets+1 more

Duchess Theatre

London · ages 14+

A West End stage for teenagers, with a farcical comedy and an unscripted one-off show that leans hard into dark themes.

Emerald Frames and Gallery

Gerrards Cross · ages 0+

Free to walk round a working frame workshop and gallery above Gerrards Cross, open Tuesday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm.

Escape Hunt Watford

Watford · ages 8+

A locked room, a 60-minute clock, and a team of clue-hunters aged 8 and up trying not to panic.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredCard onlyDog friendly+3 more

Escape London - Shepherds Bush Escape Room

London · ages 9+

Sixty minutes locked in a themed room together, cracking codes and clues as a private team with no strangers thrown in.

Booking requiredGroup bookingsFood on siteParty rooms+1 more

Freemasons Hall, London

London

A 55-minute guided tour round an Art Deco Masonic hall and its museum of odd ritual objects.

Accessible toiletToiletsWheelchair accessible

Freud Museum London

London

Step into the room where Freud actually worked, couch and all, with an audio guide included in the ticket.

Card onlyGift shopWheelchair accessibleWi-Fi

Funland Amusement Parks

Hayling Island

A seafront fairground with 18-plus rides, a log flume and a coaster, plus soft play if the little ones can't do the big stuff yet.

CaféGift shopIndoor playFood on site

Garrick Theatre

London

A West End stage with acrobatics, comedy and musical shows, with under-15 tickets from £17.50.

Accessible toiletDog friendlyToiletsWheelchair accessible

Gielgud Theatre

London · ages 7+

Oliver! at full West End length, with a proper interval, for kids old enough to sit through nearly three hours of it.

Booking required

Greenford Library

Greenford · up to age 5

A small community library where Thursday's free Story Time for under-fives is the main event, plus books to borrow.

Group bookingsMembership schemeParty roomsToilets

Hard Rock Cafe

London

A burger and memorabilia stop where kids wander a free rock and roll museum before the food even arrives.

Allergy awareGift shopFood on siteRestaurant+1 more

Harrow Leisure Centre

Harrow · ages 0-6

Soft play for babies and under-sixes, plus two pools, a nine-metre climbing wall and a sports hall, all under one roof.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesCaféChanging Places+7 more

HarroWall Climbing Centre

Harrow · ages 0-17

Indoor bouldering for kids and teens, with an auto belay wall and no minimum age for supervised climbers.

Accessible toiletBaby changeCaféCard only+6 more

Hart Galleries

Edgware

Browse original and limited edition artwork at a relaxed Edgware gallery, with a framing desk if you've got a print at home waiting for a mount.

ParkingPublic transport nearby

Heath Robinson Museum

Pinner · ages 5-15

Original Heath Robinson artwork, contraptions and film for ages 5 to 15, with a playground and an aviary in the park right outside.

Bike parkingBirthday partiesBlue badge parkingCafé+7 more

Henry Street Garden Centre

Reading

A free-to-wander garden centre in Reading with a Christmas trail for kids and a proper restaurant for the grown-ups.

CaféRestaurant

Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex

Uxbridge · up to age 8

An indoor 50m pool, a soft play hall on Thursdays and Sundays, and junior swimming from £2.90 on the edge of Uxbridge.

Accessible toiletBike parkingBirthday partiesBlue badge parking+8 more

Hobbledown Adventure Farm Park and Zoo

Epsom · ages 0+

Forts, dragons and tunnels to climb, a proper zoo to wander round, and jumping pillows to finish the day off.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesCaféGroup bookings+9 more

Hobbledown Heath

Hounslow

Over a hundred animals, four themed villages to climb through and a treetop net park, all on card-only parking.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredCard onlyGroup bookings+7 more

Horniman Museum and Gardens

London

Forest Hill museum with aquarium and free gardens - Soft Play N never.

CaféGift shopPicnic areaToilets

Hungry Horse

Iver

A pub with a soft play area, a kids' menu and deals like kids eat for £1, but the play bit and the party bit vary from pub to pub.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredBreastfeeding friendlyDog friendly+4 more

Hunterian Museum

London · ages 5+

Free anatomy museum with real specimens from John Hunter's collection, better suited to older kids than toddlers.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingDog friendly+3 more

Jack The Ripper Museum

London

A walk through the murder rooms, victim histories and suspect theories of Whitechapel's most notorious cold case.

Jolly Rocker

Windsor · ages 1+

A LEGO-built theme park with over 55 rides, from a swinging pirate galleon to a 30mph coaster and a splash park in summer.

Birthday partiesCaféGift shopGroup bookings+6 more

Jump In by AirHop Adventure & Trampoline Park Esher

Esher · ages 1+

Trampoline arena, a toddler zone and a 25-activity climbing centre under one roof, with grip socks bought at the door.

Birthday partiesCaféFree parkingGroup bookings+2 more

Junior and Tiny Tots

Pinner · up to age 11

Ofsted-registered care for up to 11s, with a soft play room, a baby sleep room and a big enclosed garden.

Indoor playOutdoor play

Knockout Escape Rooms

Reading · ages 10+

Three themed puzzle rooms in Reading, an hour on the clock to crack codes and get evidence, a scientist or a sci-fi machine sorted before time runs out.

Booking requiredGroup bookings

Krave Cafe

Northwood

Waffles, crepes, gelato and milkshakes, with late opening that suits a dessert run more than a quick afternoon trip.

Birthday partiesCaféFood on site

Lee Valley Animal Adventure Park

Waltham Abbey · ages 0-12

Farm animals to feed, swan and teacup rides, a giant bouncy pillow and adventure play, all outdoors near Waltham Abbey.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBirthday partiesCafé+8 more

Leighton House

London

A Victorian artist's house with a jaw-dropping tiled Arab Hall, a new family trail, and a café you can visit without a ticket.

CaféToiletsWheelchair accessible

Lightroom

London · ages 0+

Big projected shows on 11-metre walls that you wander round rather than sit and watch, near King's Cross.

Accessible toiletBooking requiredCaféCard only+2 more

London Bus Museum

Weybridge · ages 4-17

Climb aboard rows of historic double-deckers and, at weekends and holidays, actually ride one on the road.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingCard only+3 more

London Museum Docklands

London

Free museum with a soft-play family gallery for building tunnels, role-play and trails, right by Canary Wharf.

Baby changeBirthday partiesBottle warmingBreastfeeding friendly+11 more

Lyric Hammersmith Theatre

London

A Hammersmith theatre with panto and family shows, wheelchair access sorted and a £2 levy tucked onto every ticket.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBreastfeeding friendlyToilets+1 more

Lyric Theatre

London

A West End stage for Room on the Broom and other family shows, with the ticket price hinging on which production is on.

Accessible toiletToilets

Mad Science London

London

A science party that comes to you, with slime, bouncy balls and a big final experiment to send everyone home buzzing.

Maiwand Lion

Reading

Free galleries of Roman finds, a Bayeux Tapestry copy and biscuit tins to hunt through, right by Reading station.

Accessible toiletCaféGift shopGroup bookings+4 more

MERKUR Slots - Watford High Street

Watford · adults only (18+)

An 18+ slot lounge on Watford High Street: around 40 machines, electronic bingo and free drinks while you play.

CaféDog friendly

Mill End Community Centre

Rickmansworth · ages 0+

A £2.50 drop-in play session on weekday mornings, plus toy borrowing for £7 a year and free tea and coffee on Wednesdays.

Birthday partiesCaféOutdoor playParking+2 more

Mindful Art & Craft

Harrow

Clay, paint and mehndi sessions where kids get properly messy making pottery and seasonal craft pieces.

Indoor play

Moss End Garden Village

Bracknell

A garden village with reef aquariums, reptiles, birds of prey and a pottery studio all under one roof, plus free parking all day.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingCafé+5 more

Museum of Brands

London

A walk through 200 years of adverts, packaging and toys, from Victorian shop shelves to today's digital brands.

Accessible toiletCaféGift shopPublic transport nearby+5 more

Museum of the Home

London

Free period rooms, a playhouse and a sensory den to explore, with no booking needed and no minimum time limit on your visit.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingDog friendly+7 more

Myllet Arms Wacky Corner

Greenford

Soft play tucked inside a pub, with an outdoor play area, a TotSpot for the smallest, and free craft templates to download before you go.

Dog friendlyFree parkingIndoor playFood on site+4 more

Nathan's Farm

Chalfont St. Giles

Feed the animals, hold a baby chick and go egg collecting at a small petting farm with its own café.

Birthday partiesCaféGift shopIndoor play+1 more

National Army Museum

London · ages 0-8

Free galleries about army history plus a soft-play zone, Play Base, built for the under-8s.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBirthday partiesCafé+7 more

National Maritime Museum

London

Free galleries where kids land a Mars rover, climb through a sea-themed playground and walk into a galaxy box.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBirthday partiesCafé+8 more

Natural History Museum

London

Dinosaurs, a blue whale and rainy-day halls in South Kensington - free entry, book timed tickets.

Booking requiredGift shopFood on siteWheelchair accessible+3 more

Ninja Warrior UK Adventure (Watford)

Watford · ages 5+

Warped Wall climbs, swinging obstacles and an inflatable course for kids five and up who fancy themselves as ninjas.

Accessible toiletBike parkingBirthday partiesBooking required+6 more

North Watford Library

Watford · ages 0-12

Free rhyme times, Storytime and LEGO clubs for babies through to twelve-year-olds, plus quiet Saturdays if your lot need the calm.

Blue badge parkingGroup bookingsHearing loopMembership scheme+4 more

Northwood Recreation Ground

Northwood

Free park with a playground, ball court, tennis courts and cricket pitch, open from 9am and closing as late as 8pm in summer.

Outdoor playParking

Oak Farm Library

Uxbridge

Free to walk into, with books for every age and a bookable magic table that's worth ringing ahead about.

Birthday partiesGroup bookingsParty roomsWi-Fi

Oakwood Climbing Centre

Wokingham · ages 4-15

Roped climbing on 9m walls, bouldering, a high ropes course and zipline, plus a kids' area with a slide for the younger ones.

Indoor playOutdoor playUnder-5s area

Paradox Museum London

London · ages 0+

A walkthrough of 50-plus optical illusions in South Kensington, including a Zero Gravity room made for photos.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredGift shopGroup bookings+5 more

Park Theatre

London

Two stages near Finsbury Park with comedy nights, drag storytelling and relaxed shows built for families, not just West End transfers.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBreastfeeding friendlyCafé+5 more

Pit Stop Promotions

Northwood · ages 6+

Two hours of slot car racing for £10 on Monday nights, with a crash 'n' burn finale the kids will talk about all week.

Booking required

Pope's Grotto

Twickenham

A quirky underground grotto you explore yourself with a printed plan, open just a handful of days a year.

Booking required

Prime Meridian

London · ages 4+

Stand with a foot in each hemisphere on the actual Prime Meridian line, then try landing a Mars rover in the gallery next door.

Bike parkingBlue badge parkingCaféPublic transport nearby+3 more

Prince Edward Theatre

London · ages 12+

Beetlejuice on stage in the West End, aimed at teens and adults rather than young kids, with a strict 12+ recommendation.

Booking requiredFood on site

Puttshack Watford

Watford · ages 7+

Tech-tracked mini golf with glowing balls, a giant beer pong hole and a leaderboard the kids will want to top.

Allergy awareBirthday partiesBooking requiredGroup bookings+7 more

Raphael Park

Romford

A free 44-acre park with a big fenced play area, twelve tennis courts and a lake to walk round until dusk.

CaféFood on siteParkingRestaurant+1 more

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

London

Watching a show under the sky in Regent's Park, with the plot only as gripping as the weather holds out.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingDog friendlyGroup bookings+6 more

Royal Air Force Museum London

London · ages 4+

Free entry to over 100 real aircraft, plus a Spitfire cockpit to sit in and an outdoor playground shaped like mini planes.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingCafé+15 more

Royal Observatory Greenwich

London

Prime Meridian, planetarium and telescopes above Greenwich Park - book ahead for school holidays.

Booking requiredGift shopFood on sitePublic transport nearby+2 more

Rumble Tumble Harrow Ltd

Harrow · ages 0-10

Pre-booked 90-minute play sessions for 0 to 10s, with climbing, sliding and a disco party option.

Allergy awareBirthday partiesBooking requiredCafé+4 more

Science Museum

South Kensington, London

South Kensington free science galleries plus ticketed Wonderlab - Soft Play N never.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredGift shopGroup bookings+1 more

SEA LIFE London Aquarium

London

South Bank aquarium by the London Eye - sharks, penguins, turtles and an ocean tunnel indoors.

ToiletsAccessible toiletBaby changeGift shop+6 more

Shakespeare's Globe

London · ages 0+

Open-air Tudor theatre where kids can try on costumes, get their faces painted and watch a proper Shakespeare production.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBooking requiredCafé+8 more

Shrek's Adventure London

London · ages 6-15

A 70-minute walk-through with a 4D flying bus ride, DreamWorks characters and nine live shows along the way.

Accessible toiletBaby changeCard onlyGift shop+2 more

Sixes Cricket Social Cricket at Watford

Bushey

Two cricket nets, arcades and a go karting track next door, but it's over-18s only after 6pm Thursday to Saturday.

Birthday partiesGroup bookingsKids menuFood on site+5 more

Sondheim Theatre

London · ages 7+

A full West End staging of Les Misérables, nearly three hours long, best suited to kids seven and up who can sit still.

Booking required

Southwark Playhouse Borough

London

A theatre near Elephant and Castle with a bar for the grown-ups while the family show is on.

Squire's Garden Centre

Stanmore

A free-to-enter garden centre with an aquatics room of tanks and reptiles, plus pottery painting and a café that stops hot food at 3.30pm.

CaféDog friendlyFree parkingIndoor seating+4 more

St Helen’s Sports Centre

Northwood · ages 4+

A climbing wall in the sports hall, holiday fun sessions for £20 and a 25-metre pool, all right beside Northwood Tube.

Birthday partiesCaféFree parkingGroup bookings+6 more

St. Martin's Theatre

London · ages 7+

Take your seven-plus-year-old to see if they can spot the killer in the world's longest-running play, The Mousetrap.

Card onlyGift shopFood on siteWi-Fi

St. Paul's Cathedral

London

Climb 528 steps to the top of the Dome for a proper view over London, then explore the Crypt and a family history trail below.

Bike parkingBlue badge parkingPublic transport nearbyWheelchair accessible

Stanmore Library

Stanmore

A free children's library with baby books, picture books and homework help, plus a quiet grown-up section for the wait.

Baby changeToilets

Stockwood Discovery Centre

Luton

Free museum galleries, walled gardens and an old carriage collection to wander, plus outdoor play if the kids get restless indoors.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingCafé+9 more

Stratford East

London

A proper panto stage in Stratford, with Surinderella putting an Indian spin on Cinderella for kids five and up.

Booking requiredCaféWheelchair accessible

TeamSport Go Karting Watford Greater London

Bushey · ages 4-16

Real electric karts on a multi-level indoor track, with a Mini Racer option for kids as young as four.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesBlue badge parkingBooking required+12 more

The Clink Prison Museum

London · ages 0-16

A small, dimly lit prison museum where kids can handle real torture devices and hear grim tales of former inmates.

the Design Museum

London

Free permanent collection on Level 2 covering how everyday objects get designed and made, plus school-holiday design camps for the older kids.

CaféGift shopLockers

The Hellfire Caves

High Wycombe

A guided walk through real tunnels and chambers cut into the Chiltern hills, with an underground river and a banqueting hall to gawp at.

Birthday partiesCaféGift shopIndoor play+1 more

The Henderson Hub

Abbots Langley · ages 4-7

Art courses, a drama class for 4 to 7s and family films, all inside a bookable community hall in Abbots Langley.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBirthday partiesCafé+9 more

The Lincolnsfields PlayZone

Bushey · up to age 13

Soft play for under-13s with two-hour sessions, £11 for over-fives and a café on site. Pay on the door, no booking.

Birthday partiesCaféParty rooms

The Look Out Discovery Centre

Crowthorne

Over 90 hands-on science activities plus an outdoor adventure play area, booked in timed three-hour sessions.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesBooking requiredCafé+5 more

The Look Out Discovery Centre Playground

Bracknell · ages 2-12

A free outdoor playground with equipment built to challenge kids from toddler age right up to the teenage bit.

The Old Vic

London · ages 0+

A proper West End style theatre near Waterloo with e-tickets, a script library and a cafe that's open to anyone, ticket or not.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBooking requiredCafé+6 more

The Paddington Bear Experience

London · ages 0-15

A 70-minute walk-through where kids meet Paddington, help Mrs Bird tidy her kitchen and dance to a Calypso band in Windsor Gardens.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesBooking requiredCafé+11 more

The Royal Institution

London · ages 4+

Free entry to a museum of 200 years of scientific history, tucked in a Mayfair townhouse with family talks laid on too.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingBlue badge parking+5 more

The Shaftesbury Theatre

London · ages 3-99

A big West End stage for a proper musical, plus daytime tours round a Grade II* listed theatre.

Accessible toiletBike parkingHearing loopStep-free access+1 more

The Theatre Club

Northwood · ages 4-18

Weekly musical theatre classes for ages 4 to 18, plus LAMDA exams and 1:1 singing lessons, with a free trial lesson first.

Membership schemePublic transport nearby

The Traitors - Mafia party events

Northolt

Hunt the hidden Mafia over a 45-minute round, at public game nights across West London or a private event at your own place.

Theatre Royal Haymarket

London

Peppa Pig's Big Family Show lands here for around 80 minutes including an interval, tickets from £10.

CaféFood on siteToilets

Theatre Royal Windsor

Windsor

Pantomimes, musicals and behind-the-scenes tours in a proper old theatre, with bars open before curtain up.

Food on site

Topgolf Watford

Watford · ages 1-16

Hit balls at giant outfield targets from a heated bay, then settle who's best over 18 holes of adventure golf.

Birthday partiesBlue badge parkingBooking requiredFree parking+9 more

Topsy Turvy World

London · ages 0-11

Slides, ball pools and laser tag under one roof, with a baby-only corner for the under-twos.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredCaféFree parking+5 more

Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

Wembley · ages 3+

A proper theatre trip for kids from age three, with a restaurant and bar on site if you want to make an evening of it.

Accessible toiletLockersRestaurantToilets+1 more

Tudor Arms

Watford · ages 0+

A pub with a kids' play area and a big beer garden, where two mains come in at £16.45 and nobody minds if you just walk in.

Dog friendlyEV chargingGroup bookingsFood on site+4 more

Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology

Reading

Free entry to a small university museum of Greek and Egyptian artefacts, open Tuesday to Thursday only.

Accessible toiletGroup bookingsStep-free accessToilets

Vaudeville Theatre

London · ages 10+

A West End matinee-or-evening trip for older kids and teens, built around shows like Six that actually suit a 10-plus crowd.

Accessible toiletDog friendlyToiletsWheelchair accessible

Victoria Palace Theatre

London · ages 10+

A big West End show, currently Hamilton, running just under three hours with a proper interval.

Booking requiredFood on siteWheelchair accessible

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London

Watford · ages 5+

Walk through Diagon Alley and the Great Hall, stand under a 30ft Basilisk, and have a go on the green screen broomstick.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingBooking required+8 more

Well & Bucket

London

A Sunday roast pub with party rooms tucked away, open late most days if lunch turns into an afternoon.

Indoor seatingParty roomsRestaurant

Wicked The Musical

London · ages 7-5

A two-and-three-quarter-hour West End musical at the Apollo Victoria, best for kids who can sit through flashing lights and a proper story.

Booking requiredCard onlyGift shopIndoor seating+1 more

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

Widmer Farm Park

Princes Risborough

Stroke the farm animals, paint some pottery and, come October, pick your own pumpkin from the stable courtyard.

Birthday partiesCaféIndoor playFood on site+2 more

Wokingham Theatre

Wokingham

A community theatre putting on eight main productions a year, plus youth theatre classes for 7 to 17 year olds.

Hearing loopToiletsWheelchair accessible

Woodside Animal Farm

Luton

A day of animal feeding, tractor rides and fairground bits, with a soft play barn and sandpit thrown in for wet or sunny days.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBirthday partiesBlue badge parking+11 more

World of Dinosaurs

Broxbourne

Over 30 animatronic dinosaurs to walk among, plus a train ride, crazy golf and soft play if the rain sets in.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingCard only+9 more