40 ideas for FREE family fun this winter

Gaia is a touring artwork by UK artist Luke Jerram. Measuring 7 metres in diameter and created from 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the Earth's surface, the artwork will give you and your kids the opportunity to see our planet, floating in three dimensions. Stand 211m away from the piece, and you'll see the Earth as it appears from the moon. Taking your family to see this free, fascinating piece of art is highly recommended; we loved it!
Where: International Centre for Life, Newcastle; Dynamic Earth, Scotland; Norton Priory, 8-28 Jan 24

Take a wintry walk with the Snowdogs in Birmingham and enjoy a festive sculpture trail inspired by the animated sequel to Raymond Briggs' timeless picture book The Snowman. In the heart-warming story, a young boy builds a snowman and creates a Snowdog with the remaining snow. At midnight both of his creations magically come to life. The collection of 10 uniquely decorated Snowdogs will be decorating Birmingham from early November and all over Christmas until 5 January.
When: 8 Nov 23-5 Jan 24
Where: In and around Birmingham

Take a wintry walk and relive the magic of Raymond Briggs’ heart-warming picture book, The Snowman. Discover 12 giant Snowman sculptures waiting to be found, each based on the song The Twelve Days of Christmas. With themes of friendship, imagination and adventure, The Snowman is the ultimate festive story to explore with family and friends. So grab your snow boots, wrap up warm, and get ready to go on a magical adventure. Walking with The Snowman is presented by Wild in Art in collaboration with Penguin Ventures (part of Penguin Random House UK). 
When & Where: 18 Nov 23-7 Jan 24, Hillsborough Castle and Gardens; 15 Nov 23-7 Jan 24, Knole, Sevenoaks; 20 Nov 23-Jan 24, Fleet Street Quarter, London

London is packed full of free places to visit: most of the kid-friendly museums and galleries within the city are FREE. One of our favourite free attractions remains Tate Modern, a huge gallery dedicated to the wonderful world of modern art. Kids can enjoy exploring the incredible building, playing on digital sketch pads, or following the trail of the most kid-friendly artworks as recommended by curators.
Where: Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG

• Love visiting London museums? Here are the best London museums for kids

Head to Heartlands and explore a vast FREE adventure playground with a shipwreck, funnel slides, play huts, a mini in-land beach, complete with diggers, tunnels and a sand transportation system. Do you dare climb The Giant's Trap – a unique wooden play sculpture? Look out, too, for the free, family-friendly museum as well as the gorgeous botanical gardens that tell the history of the Cornish people through plants. Heartlands is a UNESCO World Heritage Site based in an old Cornish mining village which also offers a brilliant cafe, plus other kid-friendly special events and activities.
Where: Heartlands, Robinson's Shaft, Dudnance Lane, Pool, Redruth TR15 3QY

There's so much to love about the FREE Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth in Devon. Home to hundreds of donkeys, this glorious slice of Devonshire countryside makes for a brilliant free day out for families. It's dog-friendly too. You cannot fail to fall in love with the beautiful animals enjoying retirement in the lovely open spaces with stunning vistas of the open Devon country and out to sea.
Where: The Donkey Sanctuary, Slade House Farm, Sidmouth EX10 0NU

M Shed is a FREE museum all about Bristol; its places, its people and their stories. As well as being accessible, autism-friendly and highly interactive, there are many things making M Shed a brilliant place to spend time with your family. Check out the ABC Trail, or the free Family Explorer kits; and don't miss all the outdoor exhibits that make M Shed such an exciting place to be. There are cranes, boats, trains and more waiting to be explored outside the museum itself.
Where: M Shed, Princes Wharf, Wapping Road, Bristol BS1 4RN

• Love museums? These are the UK's top museums for kids, many are free

Let the kids run wild at the beautiful Durlston Country Park, a clifftop nature reserve with an amazing, free visitor centre in a newly renovated Victorian castle on the Jurassic Coast. Kids will love the colourful interactive displays and the fossil room indoors, as well as the wild play trail, the hammocks and the woodland explorer rucksacks for exploring outside. The family-friendly trails around the park are all suitable for buggies: don't miss the road down to Anvil Point Lighthouse which is perfect for buggies with smaller wheels.
Where: Durlston Country Park, Lighthouse Road, Swanage BH19 2JL

Follow the dinosaur footprints from the Southwater Country Park Lake up to Dinosaur Island, a brilliant, accessible playground designed to accommodate the needs of all kids. Discover dinosaur bones in the sand, test your head for heights on aerial walkways, swoop on jungle swings and climb all the way to the top of a bubbling volcano. Plus, there are musical instruments, dinosaur sculptures, a wheelchair-accessible roundabout and accessible ramps making Dinosaur Island fun for children with a wide range of ages and abilities.
Where: Dinosaur Island, Southwater Country Park, Cripplegate Lane, Southwater, Horsham RH13 9UN

Visit the FREE Discovery Centre at the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve to see displays describing the history and natural history of the area. Then head out into the spectacular nature reserve itself; one of the largest and most important wildlife sites in England, set in an exceptional coastal and wetland landscape and home to more than 4,355 species of plants and animals.
Where: Rye Harbour Discovery Centre and Nature Reserve, Rye Harbour Road, Rye Harbour, Rye TN31 7FW

Do you believe in fairies? Then take a trip to Jeskyns Woodland in Kent where you can tiptoe through their fairy dell, peeping into tiny windows set in miniature fairy houses and see if you can spot one! Look for the secret gate hidden near Jeskyn's Sand Pit Play Area to discover wonderful tiny residences such as Acorn Apartments, Mushroom Manor, The Old Boot Inn and Tree Top Village. Happily, this fairy forest is just 500m from the cafe on a well-surfaced trail, meaning even the littlest of legs should be able to find it! 
Where: Jeskyns Community Woodland, Henhurst Road, Gravesend DA12 3AN

• Do you love fairies? Here's our guide to the best fairy trails in the UK

Little ones will love the music, colourful uniforms and pagentry of the Changing the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace. Best of all, it's FREE to watch! During the ceremony, one detachment of troops takes over from another. The King’s Guard is made up of the St James’s Palace and Buckingham Palace detachments. The New Guard, who during the course of the ceremony become The King’s Guard, march to Buckingham Palace from Wellington Barracks with musical accompaniment. Expect plenty of marching and playing soldiers from your little ones after watching this inspiring display!
When: 11am on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday and daily in the summer
Where: Buckingham Palace, London SW1A 1AA

• We've got ideas for more brilliant royal days out for kids of all ages

This magical, FREE Narnia-themed trail starts and finishes at the Holly Lane Car Park, and is perfect for fans of CS Lewis' popular books. Enter through a wooden wardrobe, complete with wooden hanging clothes, into Banstead Woods, and see carvings of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe's most iconic figures, including the White Witch and Aslan. The 5km trail is mainly buggy-friendly, although it can get muddy in bad weather. It's beautiful all year round, but for a special treat, visit in bluebell season in April or May.
Where: Narnia Trail, Banstead Woods & Chipstead Downs Nature Reserve, Holly Lane, Banstead, Surrey CR5 3NR

There are so many FREE, family-friendly trails to follow at the Ashmolean Museum, you'll want to visit again and again to complete them all! Choose between the Ancient Egyptian Survival Guide, the Top 10 Treasure Trail, Sam Snail's Art Trail, or try the interactive Ashmolean Adventure multimedia guide. Look out, too for the free, family weekend tours, with activities and crafts to take home.
Where: Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont Street, Oxford OX1 2PH

Explore some art beneath the majestic oaks and towering Scots pine trees on the Forest of Dean sculpture trail in Beechenhurst. The sculptures on this trail are inspired by the forest - its trees, wildlife and industrial past and are mostly constructed from natural material from the Dean - wood, stone and iron. Don't let the 4.5-mile (7km) distance of the full trail put you off if you're visiting with kids: there are two shorter routes signposted, so you can just see the first 6 sculptures and walk 2.2 miles, or see the first 12 sculptures by walking 3 miles.
Where: Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail, Beechenhurst, Speech House Road, Coleford, GL16 7EL

Enjoy a FREE day out at Stockwood Discovery Centre in Bedfordshire, a gorgeous combination of beautiful gardens, interactive exhibitions and the biggest collection of antique carriages in Europe. The discovery centre displays collections of local social history, archaeology, geology and rural crafts, so there's sure to be something to fire your kids imaginations.
Where: Stockwood Discovery Centre, Stockwood Park Golf Club, London Road, Luton LU1 4LX

Head to the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge where you'll see paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs and more. The museum holds special storytelling sessions in school holidays; plus free creative workshops in the Art Studio; or take your own pens and paper along to sketch or respond to the artefacts in your own way.
Where: The Fitzwilliam Museum, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1RB

Stand tall against an emperor penguin and come face-to-face with a polar bear at the free-to-visit Natural History Museum at Tring. The galleries at Tring are packed with fascinating specimens – there are more than 4,900 to see. Kids will love the self-guided tours, the dressed fleas and seeing the incredible lower jaw of a sperm whale. The private collection of Lionel Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild (1868-1937), became the basis of the collections housed at the Museum at Tring, which is now located on the grounds of his family home.
Where: Natural History Museum at Tring, The Walter Rothschild Building, Akeman Street, Tring HP23 6AP

• There are family-friendly museums all over the UK. Here's our guide to the best UK museums for kids

Burn off some energy at the brilliant Baddow Hall Park in Chelmsford. Baddow Hall Park's highlight is a BMX Pump Track, ideal for dare-devils of all ages. There's a circular run and varying grades of slope and slalom, making it an ideal spot for both beginners and BMX enthusiasts to practice their stunts. Elsewhere there are both basketball and football facilities and an awesome play area with an aerial runway. You can also enjoy a peaceful break in Baddow Hall Park's woodland and colourful wildflower meadows.
Where: Baddow Hall Park, Great Baddow, Chelmsford, Essex CM2 7QT

Locomotion, the National Railway Museum in County Durham is a really interactive museum with the chance to play with train tables, build towers, listen to stories and sounds, and watch model trains. Look out for the train-themed cafe, or take a picnic which you can enjoy inside or outside. And don't miss the locomotive-themed play area outside if the weather's good!
Where: Locomotion, Dale Road Industrial Estate, Shildon DL4 2RE

• Love trains? Here are our top tips for family days out for railway fans

The Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds is the home of the UK's national collection of arms and armour and is free to visit. There are more than 4,500 objects on display in this stunning, purpose-built museum. Look out for Henry VIII's foot combat armour made in 1520 for the grand tournament known as the Field of the Cloth of Gold, which is on display in this fascinating museum.
When: Tuesdays to Sundays during term time; open daily during school holidays and bank holidays
Where: Royal Armouries, Armouries Drive, Leeds LS10 1LT

Do you have an aeroplane fan in your family? Then they'll love a day out at Manchester's Runway Visitor Park where you can watch planes taking off from the busy Manchester airport runways from just a few metres away! The park is also home to a variety of retired planes, including the spectacular supersonic airliner, Concorde G-BOAC; and former RAF military spy plane, Nimrod. Add in an adventure playground, picnic area and coffee shop, and you've got the makings of an excellent budget day out.
Where: Runway Visitor Park, Sunbank Lane, Altrincham WA15 8XQ

Head to Derby's Museum of Making, a free museum housing the world's smallest engine (run using a human hair!) as well as a 7-tonne Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine suspended in the atrium, and 30,000 other objects to enjoy. The Museum of Making's treasures are displayed according to the materials from which they are made. There are regular craft workshops and activities inviting visitors to create their own journey through 300 years of making.
Where: The Museum of Making at Derby Silk Mill, Silk Mill Lane, Derby DE1 3AF

The aquarium in Bolton is Greater Manchester's only public aquarium; it's based in the Central Library and Museum building. Inside, you can see more than 70 varieties of fish originating from across the globe. The collection contains a range of wide range of fresh water fish: those that reside in lakes and rivers, rather than the sea. Look out for the Mother-of-snails catfish, from Brazil, the largest in the collection at 1 metre long. Among this aquarium's most popular fish are the fascinating Henle's River Rays, also from Brazil. 
Where: Bolton Aquarium, Bolton Library and Museum Services, Le Mans Crescent, Bolton BL1 1SE

• Love aquariums? These are the best aquariums for kids in the UK

The Science Garden offers an adventurous and entertaining day out, bringing themes of engineering, mechanics and transportation to life through over 30 hands-on exhibits. Visitors of all ages can get ‘bodies on’ with exciting and inventive exhibits including an 8m high clanging ‘Terminus’ machine and a giant human-sized hamster wheel that has a top speed of 30 revolutions per minute. The Science Garden is included in the Thinktank admission price, or you can visit just the garden for free, every day from 3pm, with varying closing times in the autumn and winter due to light levels.
Where: Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum, Millennium Point, Birmingham B4 7XG

What happens when you flush the loo? Find out at the brilliant, free 'poo museum' in Leicester, or to give it its proper name, the 'Abbey Pumping Station'. This museum of science and technology celebrates all things sewage – inside the grand building with a 150ft chimney where four Woolf steam-powered beam engines pumped waste from the city to a treatment works in Beaumont Leys.
When: Feb-Oct
Where: Abbey Pumping Station, Corporation Road, Leicester LE4 5PX

Liverpool's World Museum is a wonderful, free attraction in the heart of the city. The museum really does give kids a great choice when it comes to things to see and do: choose between the planetarium, dinosaurs, Ancient Egypt gallery, a bug house and an aquarium. And don't miss Little Liverpool, a daily, hands-on fantasy world especially for children under the age of six to play and learn.
Where: World Museum, William Brown Street, Liverpool L3 8EN

The Discovery Museum in Tyneside is a massive space showcasing the best of Tyneside's heritage over 3 floors and extensive galleries crammed with inventions, world-firsts, model ships and interactive activities perfect for curious kids. Free to visit, the Discovery Museum tells the story of Newcastle and its people from Roman times through to the present day. Look out for the special events taking place throughout the year.
Where: Discovery Museum, Blandford Square, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4JA

See the Natural History Museum’s iconic Diplodocus cast, known affectionately as 'Dippy', on display in Coventry. The Jurassic giant will be on display at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum for three years from February 2023 for the free-to-visit installation Dippy in Coventry: The Nation's Favourite Dinosaur.
Where: Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Jordan Well, Coventry CV1 5QP

• Kids into dinosaurs? Here are our top days out for dino fans in the UK

The Hadrian's Wall footpath is open to the public and free to walk along. Hadrian’s Wall is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and spans over 70 miles, and everyone interested in early British history will enjoy a walk along sections of the wall. We recommend the Housesteads Roman Trail. Bear in mind, if you want to visit any of the forts or museums around Hadrian's Wall, then there is a charge for those. Hadrian's Wall and its associated museums and archaeological sites are managed by English Heritage, and sites are free for English Heritage and National Trust members.
Where: Housesteads Roman Trail, Hadrian's Wall, Haydon Bridge, Hexham, Northumberland, NE47 6NN

From Dolly the Sheep to a giant T rex skeleton to the massive skull of Moby the Whale to the ancient Lewis Chessmen you might recognise from Harry Potter; and modern-day fashions by Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood and Zandra Rhodes, there really is something for everyone at the free-to-visit National Museum of Scotland. We particularly like the Family Puzzle Trail – a great way to explore the museum's galleries.
Where: National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF

Decorated by local artists, 30 giant scottie sculptures and 15 'wee dugs' are on show across St Andrews and The Northeast Fife Coast, forming a free 10-week art trail of discovery for locals and visitors of all ages to explore and enjoy. Scotties by the Sea is designed to celebrate the communities, culture, and creativity of Northeast Fife, while promoting local business and raising money for Maggie’s Everyone’s Home of Cancer Care.
When: Until 12 Nov 23
Where: St Andrews and the Northeast Fife Coast

There's lots to explore for free at The Helix eco-park in Falkirk, Scotland. There's acres of open spaces to play in, those incredible Kelpie statues to photograph, and waterways to explore. The brilliant Adventure Zone playpark is fully accessible to kids of all abilities, and the Splash Play area provides kids with endless hours of fun, guaranteed.
Where: The Helix Park, Grangemouth, Falkirk FK2 7ZT

Visit the wonderful WDC Scottish Dolphin Centre in Moray for the chance to see the amazing bottlenose dolphins that live in the Moray Firth. Enjoy beautiful walks along the tumultuous River Spey, spot a seal or osprey, and discover Spey Bay’s fishing heritage during a tour of the historic Tugnet Icehouse. It's a brilliant place for animal lovers of all ages, and best of all, it's FREE!
Where: WDC Scottish Dolphin Centre, Spey Bay, Moray IV32 7PJ

More than just a museum, St Fagans National Museum of History includes a park, farm, traditional cottages and a school, making it a place to enjoy nature as well as explore history. Look out for monthly food and makers' markets, as well as other special events celebrating the seasons throughout the year.
Where: St Fagans National Museum of History, Cardiff CF5 6XB

Visit Big Pit National Coal Museum, a real coal mine with underground tours and miner guides. Learn about children in the mines, health, home life and the mining communities. See how the life and work of a miner has changed from 1850 to 2000 and find out about the geology and uses of coal; mining disasters, and get a closer look at some mining memorabilia.
Where: Big Pit National Coal Museum, Blaenafon, Torfaen, NP4 9XP

Fans of Roman History will love the National Roman Legion Museum near Newport. Step back in time at this brilliant, free museum and explore life in a far-flung outpost of the mighty Roman Empire. In AD 75, the Romans built a fortress at Caerleon that would guard the region for over 200 years. Learn what made the Romans a formidable force and how life wouldn't be the same without them. You'll be able to see exhibitions that show us how they lived, fought, worshipped and died. At weekends and school holidays, children can step back in time in a full-sized barrack room, try on replica armour and experience the life of a Roman soldier.
Where: National Roman Legion Museum, High Street, Caerleon, Newport NP18 1AE

If you're looking for free fun in Northern Ireland, look no further than the Slieve Gullion Forest Park. Choose between the Giant’s Lair trail, an amazing Adventure Playpark or take the Red Squirrel Safari, where you can watch out for red squirrels from one of two hides while they explore monitored feeding stations.
Where: Slieve Gullion Forest Park, 89 Drumintee Road, Meigh, Newry BT35 8SW

Ulster Museum is the home of Northern Ireland’s treasures – past and present. The free museum contains a rich collection of art, history and natural sciences taking you on a journey across the globe and to the far reaches of space. Choose between the Blue (Art), Yellow (History) or Red (Nature) route and find treasures like fossils, zirconium, and a silk satin wedding dress 1896 as well as modern-day art by Patrick Goddard.
Where: Ulster Museum, Botanic Gardens, Belfast BT9 5AB

Belfast's Botanic Gardens is a 28-acre public park near Queens University, housing the Ulster Museum, the Palm House and many varieties of trees and plants. Look out for gorgeous tropical plants, hanging baskets, seasonal displays and birds of paradise in the Palm House; the Tropical Ravine contains some of the oldest seed plants around today, as well as banana, cinnamon, bromeliad and orchid plants. It's a great place to take kids for a free dose of outdoor fun.
Where: Botanic Gardens, College Park Avenue, Botanic Ave, Belfast BT7 1LP