Rainy day activities in Stoke-on-Trent

Adventure Mini Village

Stoke-on-Trent

A shoes-off mini village of role play rooms, from a vet clinic to a pottery kiln, booked in two-hour sessions.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBirthday partiesBooking required+17 more

Apple Tree Town

Newcastle · ages 0-10

A mini town where kids shop, get a haircut and play vet, built for children up to about 10.

Baby changeBirthday partiesBlue badge parkingCafé+11 more

Apple Tree Town - Bridgemere

Nantwich · ages 0-10

A pretend village of shops, a café, a theatre and a vet for small kids to play house in, with a separate baby corner.

Baby changeBirthday partiesBlue badge parkingCafé+8 more

Balance & Beam Gymnastics

Stoke-on-Trent · ages 0-12

Weekly gymnastics classes from baby massage right up to obstacle courses for pre-teens, plus Saturday holiday camps you can just drop and go.

Free parkingIndoor playFood on siteParty rooms+1 more

Barewall Art Gallery

Stoke-on-Trent

Free gallery visit with colouring books inspired by local artist Arthur Berry to keep kids busy while you look round.

Gift shop

Blakemere Village

Northwich

Free entry village with a mini railway, Segway forest rides, falconry and archery, plus a playground for the ones too small for any of it.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesBlue badge parkingCafé+9 more

Cheadle Community Library

Stoke-on-Trent

A small local library with regular craft and story sessions, plus a book festival every August.

Baby changeHearing loopToilets

Cheddleton Flint Mill

Leek

Two watermill wheels still turning to grind flint for the pottery industry, with free entry and grounds you can wander all week.

Booking requiredFree parkingFood on siteParking

Clay College Stoke

Stoke-on-Trent

A small gallery space showing work from Stoke's clay makers, an easy browse rather than a big day out.

ClayWays

Nantwich

Sit down at a real pottery wheel and learn to throw a pot from scratch, or try handbuilding if the wheel looks too messy.

Clip 'n Climb Stoke

Stone · ages 2-84

Twenty-three climbing lines and a vertical drop slide indoors, with harnesses fitted for you and sessions running about 75 minutes.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesBooking requiredCafé+9 more

Cris Cohen - HIDDEN

Stoke-on-Trent

Seasonal tasting menus in a studio kitchen setting, with a changing series of themed dining experiences to book into.

Booking requiredCafé

Crown Wharf Theatre

Stone

A pub theatre putting on pantomime, junior musicals like Matilda Jnr, and family film screenings.

Food on siteParking

Daneside Theatre

Congleton

A proper local theatre stage with pantomimes, plays, musicals, films and dance shows through the year, tickets from £5 for members.

Accessible toiletParkingToiletsWheelchair accessible

Diggerland Yorkshire

Castleford · ages 4-14

Kids get behind the controls of real diggers and dumpers, plus over 20 rides included in one ticket.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredGift shopGroup bookings+5 more

Doddy's Soft Play Cafe

Stafford · ages 0-5

Bubbles, a ball pit and soft play zones built for under-fives, with free parking and a café that won't let you sneak in your own snacks.

Baby changeBirthday partiesCaféCard only+4 more

Dudson Museum

Stoke-on-Trent

Free ceramics museum in Stoke-on-Trent with two centuries of pottery history and a café, open weekday mornings and early afternoons.

Accessible toiletCaféWheelchair accessible

Emma Bridgewater Factory

Stoke-on-Trent

Tour a working Victorian pottery factory, then paint your own piece in the decorating studio.

CaféGift shopOutdoor play

Etruria Industrial Museum

Stoke-on-Trent · ages 0-16

A working Victorian steam mill you can walk round most Fridays, with the engine actually turning on special weekends.

Accessible toiletCaféParkingPicnics allowed+1 more

Evers So Creative

Newport

Paint a mug, plate or figurine on bisque pottery, then come back a few weeks later once it's glazed and fired.

Birthday partiesGift shopIndoor seatingParty rooms+1 more

First Light Pavilion

Macclesfield

A planetarium film about Jodrell Bank, a working orrery and a whispering dish outside to shout across the lawn at.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingBottle warming+13 more

Flamsteed Observatory

Brailsford

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

Parking

Foxlowe Arts Centre

Leek

An arts centre café and events space in Leek with a gallery box office, room hire and a back entrance for wheelchair access.

CaféParkingVegetarian optionsWheelchair accessible

Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker

Lane

A genuine Cold War nuclear bunker 40ft underground, packed with authentic equipment and a spy mouse trail for the kids to follow.

CaféGift shopGroup bookingsSchool visits

Heights of Abraham

Matlock Bath · ages 4-15

A cable car ride over the valley, two cavern tours underground, then a hilltop park of play areas and views.

ToiletsCaféRestaurantGift shop+12 more

Hockerhill Adventure Playbarn

Stafford · ages 1-12

A big outdoor and indoor play barn built around a climbing tree, with go-karts, a zipline and a toddler corner too.

Accessible toiletAllergy awareBaby changeBirthday parties+19 more

Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World

Telford · ages 2+

Real animals, a dinosaur land and a Land Rover safari ride, with enough ground to fill most of a day.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBirthday partiesBooking required+8 more

Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre

Macclesfield

UNESCO radio telescope day out near Macclesfield - Space Dome films, trails and cafes.

ParkingFree parkingCaféGift shop+5 more

Just Kidding Hanley

Hanley · up to age 12

Hanley soft play with junior, toddler and baby zones plus cafe.

Birthday partiesCaféFree parkingParty rooms+1 more

Kilnworx Climbing Centre

Stoke-on-Trent · ages 6-16

Roped climbing, bouldering and abseiling on real walls, with sessions and parties for climbers aged six and up.

Birthday partiesCaféParty rooms

Lakemore Farm Park

Crewe

Feed the animals, wander the nature walk and have a go on the mini golf, with no time limit on how long you stay.

CaféIndoor playOutdoor playToilets

Lancashire Mining Museum CIO

Manchester

Wander round a real colliery site with a 98ft headgear to gawp at, colliery cottages and a miner's canteen to poke round, all free to get in.

Café

Little tots play village

Newport · ages 0-8

Role-play zones like a shop, vet, bakery, salon and emergency services, plus a sensory room for SEN kit.

Baby changeBirthday partiesBooking requiredCafé+3 more

LoveClay Ceramics Centre

Stoke-on-Trent · ages 8+

Get hands on a potter's wheel to throw your own pot, or try clay sculpting and pumpkin painting workshops, all from age 8 up.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredFree parkingLockers+1 more

Lymelight Boulevard

Newcastle under Lyme

A multi-activity venue with laser tag, bowling, crazy golf, a cinema, an escape room and soft play all under one roof.

Indoor playFood on siteParkingPublic transport nearby+1 more

Magic Voices Stafford Musical Theatre Choir

Stafford · adults only (18+)

An adults-only choir in Stafford where you turn up on a Monday evening and sing West End musical theatre numbers in harmony.

Free parking

Nantwich Players Theatre

Nantwich

Amateur theatre putting on pantomimes and youth productions, with an interval bar and ice cream to keep things civilised.

CaféCard onlyHearing loopParking+4 more

New Vic Theatre

Newcastle-under-Lyme

A working theatre with plays, concerts and exhibitions on stage, plus a café and bar to make an evening of it.

Blue badge parkingCaféGift shopGroup bookings+3 more

Nixon's Farm Shop

Cheadle · up to age 10

Heald Green farm shop with animals, play barn and tea room - book play sessions at weekends.

ParkingToiletsCaféBaby change+5 more

Our Space

Newcastle-under-Lyme · ages 0-17

A booking-only play and sensory venue in Newcastle-under-Lyme for disabled children and young people, from soft play to bushcraft.

Accessible toiletBooking requiredChanging PlacesIndoor play+6 more

Paralysis Escape Rooms

Stoke-on-Trent · adults only (18+)

An over-18s locked room challenge in Stoke-on-Trent where your team has an hour to crack the clues and get out.

Peak Cavern

Castleton

Walk a guided showcave under the gorge with a rope-makers story - chilly low section, from £13.75 online for children.

Booking required

Peak District Mining Museum

Matlock · ages 4+

An underground guided tour through a real lead mine, plus a museum where kids climb mock tunnels and pan for minerals.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredGift shopGroup bookings+6 more

Peak Wildlife Park

Leek · ages 0+

Walk with lemurs and penguins, meet polar bears Nanook and Noori, then burn energy on outdoor play and indoor jungle soft play.

Free parkingParkingToiletsAccessible toilet+14 more

Pen-y-bont Ceramics

Macclesfield · ages 16+

A 16-plus pottery studio where you learn to throw on the wheel or hand build, with tasters, courses and group sessions.

Free parking

Pixel Busters

Stoke-on-Trent

Free play arcade with Street Fighter cabinets, dance machines, Pac-Man and PS5s, open Saturdays with sessions to book.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredParty rooms

Play @ Lower Drayton Farm

Penkridge · ages 0-18

A four-storey soft play frame with racing slides indoors, plus rabbits, goats and pedal tractors outside.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesCaféChanging Places+13 more

Playworld

Crewe

A themed world of dinosaurs, aliens, Wembley and Big Ben under one roof, with a separate area for babies and toddlers.

Indoor playParty roomsSensory friendly

Pretty Pots

Stafford · ages 4+

Pick a piece, paint it over two hours, and come back for a proper mug or plate once it's fired.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredCaféGroup bookings+4 more

RaceGrid VR - Virtual Reality Racing Simulators

Stoke-on-Trent · ages 10+

Strap into a motion-seat VR racing rig with wind fans and over 200 cars, for ages 10 and up.

Booking required

ROOFTOP STUDIOS

Stone · ages 3+

Drama and musical theatre classes for kids from age 3, with a Halloween workshop mixing dancing, aerial and crafts.

Parking

Runway Visitor Park

Altrincham

Climb aboard a retired Concorde and a DC10 parked up outside Manchester Airport, with runway views thrown in free.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingCaféGift shop+7 more

SEA LIFE Manchester

Manchester

Indoor aquarium at Trafford Palazzo - ocean tunnel, sharks, turtles and rays next to the Trafford Centre.

Free parkingParkingToiletsGift shop+6 more

Silk Museum

Macclesfield

Free galleries on 300 years of silk history, plus a timed-entry mill tour with working Jacquard looms you have to book ahead for.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingBooking required+6 more

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

Speedwell Cavern

Castleton · ages 5-15

A boat ride into a flooded lead mine to see the Bottomless Pit, down 106 steps in Castleton.

Booking requiredParking

Splash World

Southport

Water slides and a swimming pool under one roof, open weekends all year and weekdays in the school holidays.

Birthday partiesFood on siteVegetarian options

Spode Museum

Stoke-on-Trent

Free gallery of Spode pottery history with hands-on digital models and a café tucked in a walled garden.

Baby changeCaféCard onlyGift shop+3 more

Stafford Clay Studio

Stafford

A hands-on pottery studio where you throw, hand build or slab build your own clay pieces, with courses geared at adults.

Stagecoach Performing Arts Stoke-On-Trent

Stoke-on-Trent · ages 4-18

Weekly singing, dancing and acting classes building towards an annual show, plus themed birthday parties on the side.

Birthday partiesGroup bookingsParty rooms

Stoke-on-Trent Film Theatre

Stoke-on-Trent

An evening screen showing Tuesday to Saturday with a proper bar open beforehand, not a multiplex.

Accessible toiletCaféWheelchair accessible

Swell UK Ltd - Garden, Pond and Aquatic Supplies

Hyde

A garden and aquatic supplies shop where you can wander past tanks of tropical, coldwater and marine fish, plus reptiles and amphibians.

TeamSport Go Karting Stoke

Stoke-on-Trent · ages 4-99

Indoor karting with a fast, technical track for ages 8 up, plus a Mini Racer session for kids as young as 4.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredCard onlyFree parking+5 more

Tenpin Stoke

Stoke-on-Trent · ages 4-16

Thirty lanes with bumpers for the little ones, plus laser tag and escape rooms if bowling doesn't fill the visit.

Birthday partiesFood on siteParkingPublic transport nearby

The Children's Country House at Sudbury

Sudbury · ages 0+

National Trust kids-first country house near Sudbury - Museum of Childhood, gardens and cafe from £11 child.

Accessible toiletBike parkingBirthday partiesBlue badge parking+12 more

The Clubhouse Stoke

Newcastle-under-Lyme · ages 0-90

An 18-hole indoor crazy golf course in a basement bar, with table tennis, darts and karaoke rooms alongside it.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBirthday partiesCard only+6 more

The Dudson Centre

Stoke-on-Trent

A pottery museum built around a real bottle oven, with a café doing soup and Fair Trade coffee on weekdays.

Accessible toiletCaféWheelchair accessibleWi-Fi

The Great Rutland Cavern

Matlock Bath · ages 4+

A cable car ride over the valley followed by two illuminated show caverns cut into the hillside.

CaféDog friendlyGift shopGroup bookings+7 more

The House of Lawrence (Stoke-on-Trent)

Stoke-on-Trent

Theatrical shows and special-effects illusions in the heart of Stoke, with a family pride after-party thrown in for some dates.

Blue badge parkingCard only

The Little Theatre

Telford

Pantomimes and plays staged by a local theatre group, with a way in for kids from age 10 who want to perform rather than just watch.

The Packing House Café

Stoke-on-Trent

A canalside café by the Burleigh Factory Shop doing proper afternoon tea, with a children's version on the menu too.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingBooking required+7 more

The Play Barn @ Round Meadows Farm

Stoke-on-Trent · ages 0-10

A multi-level play frame and a separate baby area on a Stoke farm site, with socks compulsory and your own food banned.

Accessible toiletAllergy awareBaby changeBirthday parties+14 more

The Play Shed

Stafford · ages 0-10

Two separate indoor play zones split by age, each with its own car track, plus a climbing frame for mobile toddlers up to ten-year-olds.

CaféIndoor playIndoor seatingLockers+3 more

The Potteries Centre

Stoke-on-Trent

A shopping centre in the middle of Stoke-on-Trent with quiet hours for anyone who finds it all a bit much.

Bike parkingCaféParkingPublic transport nearby+3 more

The Rugeley Rose - Community Hall & Theatre

Rugeley

A local theatre and hall in Rugeley doing pantomime and family shows on one accessible level.

Blue badge parkingCaféFree parkingIndoor seating+4 more

Treak Cliff Cavern

Castleton · ages 5-17

A 45-minute self-guided walk into a real cavern hung with Blue John stone, but it's steps and slopes, not a pram job.

ParkingToiletsCaféGift shop+1 more

Wren's Nest

Dudley

Fossil hunting on free geological trails where you might spot the Dudley Bug on a guided walk.

Blue badge parkingPushchair friendlyWheelchair accessible