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DISCOVER

Every place in Romford

Family days out in and around Romford, each one written up honestly with the details parents actually need.

167 places · page 5 of 7

Two people walk hand in hand along the Prime Meridian line on a paved courtyard in front of historic brick buildings.from £12

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

Historic theatre building facade illuminated at night with ornate arched windows, marquee signage and red entrance doors.from £17.50

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

Indoor mini golf course with colourful illuminated holes, neon signage, and arcade-style décor in vibrant reds, blues and greens.from £8.50

Puttshack Lakeside

Grays · ages 7+

Tech-glowing crazy golf with a beer pong hole and a ghost-themed course, best saved for kids seven and up.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredFree parkingGroup bookings+4 more

RAF Hornchurch Heritage Centrefrom £3

RAF Hornchurch Heritage Centre

Hornchurch · ages 5+

Three hangar-style galleries of planes, photographs and wartime stories, weekends only, £3 a child and under-fives free.

CaféCard onlyFree parkingGift shop+7 more

Raphael ParkFree

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

Large outdoor amphitheatre at night with hundreds of seated spectators watching a theatrical performance on an illuminated central stage surrounded by trees.from £7.50

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

Riverside Studiosfrom £8

Riverside Studios

London

A riverside arts venue near Hammersmith Broadway with cinema screens, live shows and a parent-and-baby film slot.

Accessible toiletBike parkingCaféDog friendly+7 more

Rollerbowl

Rollerbowl

Romford

Lanes, arcade machines and pool tables under one roof, with a diner serving food lane-side all day.

Birthday partiesFree parkingIndoor playIndoor seating+2 more

An adult and two children having a picnic at an outdoor table, with a yellow RAF helicopter display visible in the background.Free

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

An adult and young child play together on a cobbled courtyard in front of the Royal Observatory's distinctive brick buildings with domed towers.from £12

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

Purple flowering plants in foreground with calm water, crowded beach and tree-lined shore beyond.

Ruislip Lido Beach

Ruislip

A sandy stretch by a lake with woodland walks and craft sessions, though the splash pad and fishing are both closed for now.

ParkingPublic transport nearbyToilets

SAW - The Ridefrom £32

SAW - The Ride

Chertsey · ages 1+

A horror-film rollercoaster with a 100-degree drop, plus 25-odd other rides in the same park.

Booking required

Child watching illuminated jellyfish swimming behind glass at an aquarium tank.from £28

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

Science MuseumFree

Science Museum

South Kensington, London

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

Birthday partiesBooking requiredGift shopGroup bookings+1 more

Historic brick tower with crenellated battlements surrounded by trees and visitors gathered at its base on a sunny day.from £3.50

Severndroog Castle and Tearoom

London

A woodland climb up to an octagonal tower, with 86 spiral steps to a viewing platform that shows off London on a clear day.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBreastfeeding friendlyCafé+5 more

Shakespeare's Globefrom £14

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 Londonfrom £16

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

Classical musicians perform by candlelight on a high-rise venue with a glowing city skyline visible through floor-to-ceiling windows behind them.Free

Sky Garden

London · ages 0-16

Free glasshouse gardens 35 floors up the City, with wraparound views you get for the price of booking ahead.

Accessible toiletBooking requiredCaféDog friendly+3 more

Table setting with three plates of drizzled savoury pancakes, white wine glasses, and cutlery at a restaurant.

Somerset House

London

A grand courtyard with dancing fountains to run through, plus riverside terraces and galleries if you fancy some art after.

Baby changeCaféDog friendlyRestaurant+3 more

Sondheim Theatre

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

Three performers on a dark stage with hanging chains, two seated and one standing.

Southwark Playhouse Borough

London

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

A black and white goat eating hay in a farm enclosure with vegetation in the background.Free

Spitalfields City Farm

London · ages 0+

Free Spitalfields city farm with goats, sheep, hens and tea hut - Tue-Sun, donations welcome.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesDog friendlyGift shop+6 more

Staff member in green Squires uniform holding a slice of cake in a garden centre café.Free

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

Three people jogging through a park past white flowering plants and bare trees in spring sunshine.Free

St James's Park

London

Free park by the lake where kids can spot pelicans and watch soldiers march down The Mall.

THE WEEKENDER

Next weekend, sorted. Every Thursday, free.

The best family things happening around Romford, one hidden gem, and a rainy-day backup plan, from a dad who's been there with a bored seven-year-old.

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