Best UK Days Out for Families This Summer

Blackpool Pleasure Beach — Lancashire

One of the UK’s most iconic theme parks and a genuine British institution. Blackpool Pleasure Beach has classic roller coasters, family rides, thrill rides and that brilliant seaside atmosphere that you simply can’t replicate anywhere else. Combine with a full Blackpool day — the beach, the tower, the illuminations — for a truly memorable family trip.

Lightwater Valley — North Yorkshire

A brilliant family theme park set in beautiful North Yorkshire countryside — with a great mix of rides and attractions for all ages. Lightwater Valley is particularly good for mixed-age families where you have younger children who aren’t ready for the big thrill rides yet but still want plenty to do. A lovely, less crowded alternative to some of the bigger parks.

M&D’s Scotland’s Theme Park — Motherwell

Scotland’s main theme park destination, with rides, indoor and outdoor attractions and family entertainment all in one place. A great day out for families in central Scotland and well located for visitors based in Glasgow or Edinburgh.

More theme parks across the UK:

Chester Zoo — Cheshire

Often ranked as one of the best zoos in the world — and it absolutely lives up to that reputation. Over 35,000 animals across 500 species, brilliant enclosures, excellent facilities and a passionate conservation mission. Allow a full day and arrive early. Chester Zoo is genuinely one of the best family days out in the entire country.

Knowsley Safari Park — Merseyside

Drive through the reserves and come face to face with lions, elephants, baboons and more — then explore the foot safari, sea lion shows and fairground rides. Knowsley is one of the North West’s most popular family days out and is brilliant for children of all ages. Combine with a Liverpool trip for a fantastic family short break.

West Midlands Safari Park — Worcestershire

Over 165 species including white lions, cheetahs, hippos and elephants — plus a theme park, dinosaur trail and sea lion shows on site. West Midlands Safari Park is an outstanding all-round family day out that offers far more than just the drive-through safari. Brilliant value for a summer family day out in the Midlands.

More zoos and safari parks across the UK:

Sandcastle Waterpark — Blackpool

The UK’s largest indoor waterpark — right on Blackpool’s famous seafront. Over 18 slides, a wave pool, lazy river, family splash zones and dedicated toddler areas. The bigger slides are genuinely thrilling for older children and teenagers while younger ones have plenty of their own areas to enjoy. Book sessions in advance — it gets very busy in summer.

Centre Parcs — Subtropical Swimming Paradise

Centre Parcs has five UK locations — Sherwood Forest, Elveden Forest, Longleat Forest, Woburn Forest and Whinfell Forest — and the subtropical swimming paradise at each one is an extraordinary family experience. The swimming is just one part of the Centre Parcs package though — with hundreds of activities, beautiful forest settings and brilliant accommodation, a Centre Parcs break is one of the most popular family holidays in the UK for very good reason.

More waterparks across the UK:

Go Ape — 35+ Locations Across the UK

If your children are aged 10 or over and up for an adventure, Go Ape is one of the best things you can do together as a family. High rope courses through the forest canopy, zip wires, Tarzan swings and rope bridges — all with the most incredible woodland views. Parents are often more nervous than the kids, and the kids absolutely love it. A genuinely brilliant shared experience that creates brilliant memories.

With over 35 locations across the UK — from Glentress Forest in Scotland to the New Forest in Hampshire — there’s almost certainly a Go Ape within easy reach.

Eureka! The National Children’s Museum — Halifax, Yorkshire & Birkenhead, Merseyside

Quite simply one of the best children’s attractions in the UK. Eureka! is designed entirely around hands-on interactive learning for children aged 0-11 — and children absolutely love every minute of it. Every exhibit is designed to be touched, played with and explored. Science, the human body, money, the environment — all explained through brilliant, engaging, child-friendly activities. If you’re in Yorkshire with young children, this is unmissable.

York Castle Museum — York

One of the most engaging and family-friendly museums in England — and completely free. York Castle Museum brings the past to life brilliantly with reconstructed Victorian streets, interactive displays and fascinating collections covering everyday life through the ages. York itself is one of the most child-friendly cities in England — the Shambles, the city walls, the Jorvik Viking Centre — a York day out is genuinely wonderful for families.

National Museum of Flight — East Lothian, Scotland

A brilliant and often overlooked attraction just outside Edinburgh. The National Museum of Flight has an extraordinary collection of aircraft — from Concorde and Spitfires to Cold War jets — displayed in historic hangars at a former RAF airfield. Children who are into planes will be absolutely in heaven. Free to enter for under 18s and a wonderful addition to an Edinburgh or East Lothian family break.

More great museums across the UK:

Britain’s Best Family Beaches

Sometimes the simplest days are the best — and a day on a great British beach with buckets and spades, fish and chips and an ice cream is one of the finest family experiences there is. The UK has some genuinely spectacular beaches that rival anything in Europe on a sunny day.

Some of the best family beaches across the UK include:

• Formby Beach, Merseyside — beautiful National Trust beach with red squirrels in the pine woods behind
• West Sands, St Andrews, Scotland — a vast, magnificent stretch of sand with the town and golf courses as a backdrop
• Woolacombe, Devon — three miles of golden sand, great surf and a brilliant family atmosphere
• Tenby South Beach, Pembrokeshire — one of Wales’ finest family beaches with clear water and beautiful scenery
• Bamburgh, Northumberland — one of England’s most dramatic beaches, with the castle rising above the dunes
• Whitby, North Yorkshire — two great beaches plus the abbey, harbour and fish and chips for a perfect day
• Polzeath, Cornwall — brilliant surf beach popular with families and beginner surfers

Formby Beach & Nature Reserve — Merseyside

One of the most special beach days out in England. Formby Beach is a beautiful National Trust beach with miles of golden sand, wildflower meadows and pine woodland — and if you’re lucky you’ll spot red squirrels in the trees behind the beach. Just 30 minutes from Liverpool and a completely different world. Free to access the beach itself though National Trust parking charges apply.

Holiday Parks — Entertainment on Your Doorstep

For families with younger children especially, a holiday park is hard to beat. Pools, entertainment, activities and restaurants all on site — and children can roam freely in a safe, self-contained environment. Away Resorts, Shorefield, Park Holidays and Pontins all have brilliant summer options across the UK.

Holiday Cottages — Space & Freedom

A holiday cottage gives your family space, privacy and the freedom to come and go as you please — perfect if you’re planning lots of day trips. Many family cottages have enclosed gardens, travel cots, highchairs, games rooms and even swimming pools. Sykes Cottages and HolidayCottages.co.uk both have excellent family-friendly properties right across the UK.