Rainy day activities in Reading

Absolutely Laser

Maidenhead · ages 4-13

Laser tag birthday parties for ages 4 to 13, with pizza and a party room included in the price.

Birthday partiesBooking required

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

Alto Lounge

Reading

An all-day café with a proper kids menu, gluten-free and vegan options, and free wifi if you need to stretch a coffee into an hour.

Allergy awareDog friendlyVegetarian optionsWheelchair accessible+1 more

Artology Studio

Reading · ages 5-14

Pick a piece of pottery or a blank canvas and paint it yourself, from £10, with everything kiln-fired or finished on site.

Food on site

Big on Bouncing

Slough · ages 0-8

Bouncy castles, soft play climbing frames and a role-play creative area for under-8s, with everything booked online in advance.

Allergy awareBaby changeBirthday partiesBooking required+8 more

Bloom Baby Classes Reading North and Henley

Reading · ages 0-4

Baby classes for newborns to walkers, mixing sensory play, music and massage in small age-banded sessions.

Baby changeSensory room

Blue Beetle Ceramics

Thatcham · ages 12+

Pick a piece of bisque pottery, paint it your way, then collect it glazed and fired a week later.

Boom Battle Bar Reading

Reading · ages 0-18

Augmented reality axe throwing, darts and shuffleboard with a bar attached, open to under 18s with an adult until 9pm.

Birthday partiesCard onlyGroup bookingsIndoor play+3 more

Bowl Central Reading

Reading

Ten pin bowling, arcade and redemption games, and a few frames of darts, with free parking on site all day.

Birthday partiesIndoor playFood on siteParty rooms

Clara's Corner

High Wycombe · ages 0-7

Timed 90-minute soft play sessions for under-sevens, with a crawler zone, Arthur the Tractor and a cashless café.

Baby changeBirthday partiesBooking requiredCafé+11 more

Clarence Pier

Southsea

A seafront fairground of rides, arcades and adventure golf, paid for by the token or the wristband, whichever way you fancy losing money.

Baby changeIndoor playKids menuFood on site+3 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

DreamVault Escape Adventures

Reading

Themed puzzle rooms with codes and clues to crack against the clock, booked in advance, open every day from half nine to half nine.

Booking required

Escape Reading

Reading · ages 12+

A locked room, a 60 minute countdown and a mission your team has to puzzle its way out of together.

Booking required

Escape3600 Maidenhead

Maidenhead

Real-life escape rooms plus a VR and retro arcade zone with Pac-Man, pool and air hockey for group days out.

Birthday partiesGroup bookingsIndoor playParty rooms

ExCLUEsive Games Escape Rooms

Newbury · ages 10+

You get 60 minutes locked into a puzzle room together, working through clues as a team to escape before time runs out.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesBooking requiredFree parking+2 more

Fidget & Bob

Reading

A café by The Piazza doing hot and cold food plus Pipp & Co Doughnuts, with no table bookings so you take your chances on a seat.

Indoor seatingParking

Flight Club Reading

Reading · ages 12+

Tech-tracked social darts with pizza and cocktails, family-friendly by day but strictly 18+ by evening and all day Saturday.

Allergy awareBirthday partiesBooking requiredGroup bookings+5 more

Flight of the Pterosaur

Romsey · ages 4+

A suspended coaster with your feet dangling over Lost Kingdom, plus over 70 rides across themed worlds including Peppa Pig World.

Allergy awareBaby changeBooking requiredFree parking+7 more

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

Hands-on Art Adventures

Old Windsor

Paint pottery, spin the wheel or take home a baby print keepsake at this small studio, with parties for six-year-olds and up.

Birthday partiesGroup bookings

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

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

iFLY Basingstoke Indoor Skydiving

Basingstoke · ages 3+

Free-fall in a vertical wind tunnel for about a minute a flight, no plane or parachute required, from age 3 up.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredFree parkingGift shop+3 more

Imagination Children's Role Play

Camberley · ages 0-7

Small-scale role play rooms, from a pirate ship to a pretend vets and supermarket, built for under-sevens.

Accessible toiletAllergy awareBaby changeBirthday parties+6 more

Jelly

Reading

An arts space running after-school activities, family and teen workshops, and life drawing sessions.

Booking requiredWheelchair accessible

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

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

Laser Quest

Wokingham · ages 6+

A darkened multi-level arena where you and your kid can shoot it out with laser packs, games running every 20 minutes.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesBlue badge parkingWheelchair accessible

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

Luna Lights Sensory With April

Yateley · ages 0-3

Baby and toddler sensory classes with lights, scarves and maracas, split by age from six weeks to three years.

Baby changeBooking requiredFree parking

MADEbyTamalia @ Creativ.Spaces

Reading

Craft birthday parties in Caversham where kids get a 90-minute themed art session, with add-on party tea and catering options.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredCaféFree parking+3 more

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

Market House

Reading

Electronic mini golf, shuffleboard and karaoke under one roof, with pizza and cocktails to go alongside the games.

Allergy awareBirthday partiesGroup bookingsFood on site+3 more

Marwell Zoo

Winchester

Zoo near Winchester - big animals for Southampton day-trips. Soft Play N.

Allergy awareBike parkingBirthday partiesBooking required+18 more

Medicine Festival Gate B

Reading

A multi-day summer gathering with a swimming lake, ceremonies and a curated family area, all alcohol-free.

Accessible toiletAllergy awareVegetarian optionsWheelchair accessible

Milestones Museum

Basingstoke

Wander a rebuilt Victorian and 1940s high street, buy penny sweets and pull a pint in a vintage pub, all under one roof.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingCafé+7 more

Monkey Lounge

Reading

A café and bar with big screens for live sport, gourmet burgers and a kids menu on the same table.

CaféIndoor seatingKids menuRestaurant

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

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

Next Generation Gaming Ltd

Wokingham

A gaming van turns up at your party with VR, driving simulators and side-by-side video games set up ready to go.

Birthday partiesGroup bookings

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

Ox Shed Cafe

Wallingford

A café with a play kitchen, a baby mat and board games on tap, plus doughnuts and coffee for the grown-ups.

CaféGift shopIndoor playIndoor seating+2 more

Oxford Ice Rink

Oxford

Public skating sessions all week, plus penguin-assisted wobbles for the very new, on a proper indoor rink.

CaféToilets

Palmer Park Library

Reading

A free, quiet spot in Reading to browse books, use the loos and get online, though the opening hours are a bit of a puzzle.

ToiletsWi-Fi

Pirates Landing Wokingham

Wokingham

Pirate-themed indoor play in Wokingham, run in timed sessions that you book ahead rather than turning up and hoping.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredCaféIndoor play

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

Pots 2 Paint

Basingstoke · ages 0+

Pick a mug, plate or ornament and paint it in a quiet studio session, with everything fired and ready a week later.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredGroup bookingsWi-Fi

Pottery Pals

Wokingham · ages 5-80

Two hours at a table painting your own mug, plate or novelty piece, with parties in a Sealife-themed room.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredGroup bookingsParty rooms

Princes Hall

Aldershot · ages 5-14

A theatre where kids can join a Saturday acting class or watch pantomimes and shows, with grown-up comedy nights on the same stage.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingBooking requiredDog friendly+4 more

Reading Museum

Reading

Ten free galleries covering a Victorian copy of the Bayeux Tapestry, biscuit history and Roman Silchester, right by Reading station.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingCaféGift shop+5 more

Ruby & Red's Softplay

High Wycombe · ages 1-10

Slides, ball pits and climbing look-outs for the under-tens, with a trampoline park next door under separate access.

Accessible toiletBooking requiredCaféFree parking+3 more

Rush by AirHop Adventure & Trampoline Park High Wycombe

High Wycombe · ages 1-10

Trampolines, tumble lanes and dodgeball courts for bigger kids, with a separate softplay side for the under-fives.

Birthday partiesBlue badge parkingCaféFree parking+8 more

Science Oxford Centre

Oxford · ages 2-11

Fifteen acres of woodland to explore with a water lab, an air table and a multi-sensory cloud show thrown in.

Bike parkingBooking requiredCaféIndoor seating+6 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

Sip & Conquer

Maidenhead · ages 0+

A board game café with over 350 games to pick from, plus cocktails and coffee for the grown-ups at the table.

Allergy awareBirthday partiesBooking requiredCafé+4 more

Southcote Library

Reading

A free local library with books to borrow, no fines, and computers or laptops you can use on the spot or take home.

Wi-Fi

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

Thames Valley Adventure Playground

Maidenhead

A sensory room, an aerial runway and outdoor accessible play equipment at a playground built around inclusive, disability-friendly play.

Booking requiredIndoor playOutdoor playSensory room

The Bounce Park Didcot

Didcot · ages 1+

Big inflatable bounces, giant slides and obstacle runs under one roof, booked in hour-long slots.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredIndoor playFood on site+2 more

The Concert Hall

Reading

A working concert hall in the Reading Abbey Quarter hosting touring performances and events, with a café for before or after.

Accessible toiletCaféDog friendlyParking+4 more

The Foxes' Den, Binfield

Bracknell

A free, low-key coffee shop and field with Rhyme Time, toddler craft and a teddy bear clinic for the smaller ones.

CaféGift shopOutdoor playWi-Fi

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 Little Play Lounge

Reading · ages 0-11

A café and garden built around indoor play for babies and toddlers, with a climbing frame outside for older siblings.

Baby changeBirthday partiesCaféFree parking+6 more

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 Mad Duck Cafe

Purley on Thames

A café with a play area and a lending library for kids, open for hot food, coffee and browsing most of the week.

CaféIndoor playFood on sitePicnic area+1 more

The Nature Discovery Centre

Thatcham

Free lakeside reserve for feeding ducks, exploring an adventure playground and walking signposted trails around the water.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingCafé+7 more

The Ugly Duckling Pottery Painting

Newbury

Pick a plain piece of pottery, paint it your own way, and collect it a week later once it's been fired.

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

Tilehurst Library

Reading

Free rhymetime sessions for babies and toddlers, plus a quiet spot with wifi if you just need somewhere to sit and browse.

Wi-Fi

Urban Fun Reading

Reading · ages 0+

A neon arcade with VR adventures, bowling, drone racing and an interactive pixel floor to chase across.

Birthday partiesCard onlyGroup bookingsFood on site

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

Watts Gallery

Guildford

Gardens, art trails and a Victorian gallery to wander round, with under 16s getting in free.

Wellington Country Park

Reading · ages 0-8

A country park where the day runs from farm animals and a mini railway to a giant zip wire and a dinosaur trail.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesCaféFirst aid+8 more

Wellington Farm Shop

Hook

A farm shop café with a children's menu, all-day breakfast and a proper afternoon tea if you plan ahead.

CaféGift shopHigh chairsIndoor seating+4 more

West Berkshire Museum

Newbury

Free local history galleries with special exhibitions, a sensory bag on loan and a café for cake afterwards.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingCaféDog friendly+7 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 Superbowl

Wokingham

Tenpin bowling and a 38-player Laser Quest arena under one roof, with games priced by the round rather than the hour.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesBlue badge parkingFood on site+4 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

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

Guildford · ages 0+

Family shows, panto and a riverside café, with baby music classes for the under-fives too.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesBooking requiredCafé+6 more