Free things to do in Nottingham with kids

Abbey Fields

Kenilworth

A free park with a play area, a lake and easy flat paths from the car park, good for a no-cost couple of hours outdoors.

Accessible toiletBaby changeCaféPushchair friendly+2 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

Alvaston Park

Derby · ages 0-99

Free 85-acre riverside park with a PlayZone, BMX track, science garden and a lake to walk round, with a café for when everyone flags.

Accessible toiletCaféFree parkingOutdoor play+2 more

Arnot Hill Park

Arnold, Nottingham

Free park with a play area, skate park and an arts trail of over twenty carvings and mosaics to hunt down.

CaféFree parkingFood on siteOutdoor play+5 more

Attenborough Nature Reserve

Attenborough

Free wetland reserve for pond-dipping, bird feeders and muddy paths, with a café for when small legs give up.

CaféDog friendlyGift shopGroup bookings+6 more

BACKLIT

Nottingham

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

Step-free access

Beeston Library

Beeston

Free weekly sessions for babies and toddlers, plus Lego and Chess clubs for the school-age crowd.

ToiletsWheelchair accessibleWi-FiParking+3 more

Bendigo Lounge

Beeston

A relaxed café bar in Nottingham with a kids menu, same menu all day and room to just walk in.

CaféFood on siteIndoor seatingDog friendly+1 more

Bennerley Viaduct

Awsworth

A free, buggy- and wheelchair-friendly skywalk 18m above the Erewash Valley, with a café (Thu-Sun) and wildlife-rich nature reserve below.

Accessible toiletCaféFree parkingFood on site+6 more

Bestwood Country Park

Nottingham

Walk the hilly park trails, poke round the winding engine house and picnic - free entry and parking.

Accessible toiletBaby changeCaféFree parking+7 more

Bestwood Country Park - Mill Lakes

Nottingham

A free walk around a quiet lake with birdwatching, a Saturday morning café and no fishing or swimming to worry about.

CaféDog friendly

Bingham Library

Nottingham · ages 0-99

Free drop-in sessions for babies, toddlers and school-age kids, from rhyme time to Lego Club, in a library with a café for afterwards.

CaféWi-Fi

Chaddesden Park

Derby · ages 0-99

Free park with a BMX track, water play and football pitches, plus a café that shuts mid-afternoon.

CaféFree parkingOutdoor playPicnics allowed+2 more

Colwick Country Park

Nottingham

Let them loose on the lakeside playground, then walk or cycle the flat waterside paths - free park entry.

Bike parkingCash onlyDog friendlyFree parking+6 more

Cotgrave Country Park

Nottingham

Free pond dipping, nature trails and a summer Teddy Bears' Picnic in a park built on old colliery land near Nottingham.

Dog friendlyFree parkingOutdoor playParking+1 more

Cromford Mills

Cromford, Derbyshire

A free mill yard, shops and exhibition, with paid tours telling the story of the world's first water powered cotton mill.

CaféGift shopPicnic area

Daventry Country Park

Daventry

Free to get into, with an adventure playground, a reservoir to walk round and a café for when everyone's flagging.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingCaféDog friendly+4 more

Delilah Fine Foods

Nottingham

A deli, café and wine bar with cheese and charcuterie counters, no table bookings so it's grab a seat if you find one.

CaféFood on siteIndoor seating

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 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

Dice Cup Cafe

Nottingham

A board game library of over 1,000 titles to play through, with under 13s getting in free.

CaféDog friendlyGift shopIndoor play+1 more

Dukes Wood Nature Reserve

Eakring

A free woodland trail past old oil pumps left over from Britain's first onshore oilfield, best for bluebells in spring.

Dog friendlyFree parkingOutdoor playParking+1 more

Felley Priory Garden

Underwood · ages 0-16

Underwood - Felley Priory gardens near the M1, under-16s free, free parking, tea room (no dogs or picnics).

Accessible toiletBooking requiredCaféFree parking+7 more

Flamsteed Observatory

Brailsford

Peer through the society telescopes on a public observing night - check the date before you set off.

Parking

Floralands Garden Centre

Lambley

Free-to-browse garden centre near Nottingham for a quick look at plants and a nose round the gift shop.

Gift shopCafé

Funstation Nottingham

Nottingham

Funcard arcade games, Prize Station, Highway 66 mini bowling and VR at the Cornerhouse - free entry, pay for play.

Birthday parties

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

Greenhead Park

Huddersfield

A free park with a double zip wire and a miniature steam railway that only runs on Saturday afternoons.

Changing PlacesOutdoor playToiletsWheelchair accessible

Hartshill Hayes Country Park

Nuneaton

Free woodland park with a play area and walking trails, plus a hill worth the climb if you fancy the view.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesCaféDog friendly+6 more

Hucknall Library

Nottingham · ages 0+

Free rhyme time for babies, craft sessions for kids up to 11, and a crime fiction book club, all under one roof and free to join.

Bike parkingFree parkingPublic transport nearbyToilets+1 more

Hyson Green Youth Club

Nottingham · ages 5-19

Free drop-in youth club with after-school sessions for 5 to 11s and open access for teenagers, no booking needed.

Lambley Dumbles

Lambley

Pull on wellies for muddy stream-ravine walks through the dumbles and field paths - free countryside wander.

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

Manor Fields Park

Sheffield

Free park with two playgrounds, a sandpit and a boardwalk, plus Tudor ruins you can touch but not climb.

Accessible toiletCaféChanging PlacesKids menu+4 more

Market Bosworth Country Park

Nuneaton

Free-to-enter country park with a play area, an arboretum and wildflower meadows to walk through, though parking soon adds up.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingOutdoor playParking+3 more

Mayfield Park

Manchester

Free outdoor park with a play yard of six slides built around a daylighted stretch of the River Medlock.

Dog friendlyOutdoor playToilets

Meadows Library

Nottingham

Free drop-in sessions for kids, from Lego building to storytime, in a small Nottingham library with no booking needed.

Accessible toiletToiletsWheelchair accessibleWi-Fi

Mundy Play Centre

Derby · up to age 12

A free outdoor play park in Derby with a proper ropes course, mini golf, BMX bowl and a paddling pool in summer.

Blue badge parkingOutdoor playParkingToilets+1 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 Gas Museum

Leicester

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

ToiletsFree parkingBike parking

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 Arboretum

Nottingham

Free tree trail walks through 800-plus trees on flat paths, right by Nottingham's tram stops.

CaféDog friendlyFood on siteOutdoor play+5 more

Nottingham Beach

Nottingham

A free pop-up beach with sand, a pool and paid rides in the middle of the city, open all summer.

Card onlyCash onlyToilets

Nottingham Girls' High School Infant & Junior

Nottingham · ages 2-4

Join a free Friday stay-and-play for girls aged 2-4 in Nottingham - mud kitchens, themed play, free parking and refreshments.

Free parkingBooking requiredFood on site

Nottingham Heritage Railway

Ruddington

Steam and diesel trains, a miniature railway and a working bus depot to explore near Ruddington.

ParkingToiletsCaféGift shop+1 more

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 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

Nutbrook Canal Ilkeston

Ilkeston · ages 6+

Learn to fish on the Nutbrook Canal with Canal & River Trust coaches - kit, bait and day licence included from age 6.

Free parkingBooking required

Outwoods, Leicestershire

Loughborough

Ancient woodland walks, a natural play area and a bird feeding station, with bluebells in spring and free entry all year.

CaféGroup bookingsOutdoor playParking+1 more

Pasture Road Skatepark

Stapleford

Roll the new concrete plaza in Stapleford - banks, rails and a long run for skate, scooter or BMX, free entry.

Free parking

Peggy's Skylight

Nottingham · ages 0+

Live jazz and world music in a small Lace Market venue that welcomes families at the right sessions.

Accessible toiletRestaurant

Penny Lane Arcade Bar

Nottingham

Lace Market arcade bar with token skee-ball, pushers and air hockey - free entry, pay for play; family daytime window.

Wheelchair accessibleFood on site

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

Rushcliffe Country Park

West Bridgford, Nottingham · ages 1-16

A big free-to-enter park near West Bridgford with a lake, a great play area with a 14-element tower, a skatepark and 4X bike track, easily fills a whole day.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBooking requiredCafé+14 more

Sandall Park

Doncaster

Free park with a zip-wire play area, woodland adventure play and football pitches, plus a café for when everyone flags.

CaféOutdoor playParkingPicnic area+1 more

Sherwood Pines

Kings Clipstone

Race the play trails and pedal paths under the pines - free forest entry, pay for parking.

CaféParking

Silverhill Wood

Sutton-in-Ashfield

Free reclaimed colliery woodland near Mansfield with cycling trails, orienteering and a dog selfie spot, no parking charges.

Dog friendlyFree parkingOutdoor playParking+2 more

Skilled Hands Organisation CIC

Nottingham · ages 8-16

Craft workshops for 8 to 16 year olds in Nottingham, learning jewellery making, millinery, sewing, bag making or soap and body care.

Skylarks Nature Reserve

Holme Pierrepont

A flat two-mile trail round lakes and reed beds where kids can spot kingfishers and grebes from proper viewing hides.

Dog friendlyFree parkingParkingPicnic area+4 more

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

Southwell Minster

Southwell

Southwell - free-entry minster (£5 suggested donation), dog-friendly grounds and carved stone leaves for kids to spot.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesBlue badge parkingCafé+10 more

St Mary Magdalene Church Newark

Newark

Pick up a free kids history trail and hunt characters from Lady Godiva to Joan Howson inside Newark's Grade I parish church - no entrance fee.

ToiletsBaby changeWheelchair accessibleCafé+2 more

Stonebridge City Farm & Gardens

Nottingham

Nottingham - Stonebridge City Farm free community farm. Donations welcome; barn from noon; car park fills fast.

Booking requiredCaféFree parkingGift shop+9 more

Surface Gallery Limited

Nottingham

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

Swanshurst Park

Birmingham

A free park with a playground and a patch of woodland to poke about in, no rides despite the label.

The Hook Skate Park

West Bridgford

Drop in at the free skate bowl and plaza by The Hook in West Bridgford - BMX and boards share the concrete.

Free parking

The Linby Trail and Hucknall

Hucknall

A 3.5-mile woodland climb from Linby up to great views near Hucknall, steep in places, so leave the buggy behind.

Food on siteParkingPublic transport nearbyToilets

War Memorial

Coventry

Free to visit, with a visitor centre, a skate park nearby, and a bistro for whoever needs feeding.

CaféGift shopFood on siteParty rooms+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

West Bridgford Library

West Bridgford

Share songs at Rattle Rhyme and Roll, then pick picture books and holiday crafts.

ToiletsWheelchair accessibleWi-FiPublic transport nearby

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