With school soon to be breaking up for the summer, keeping the kids occupied will be a number one priority! That’s why we’ve compiled the best family-friendly activities across the city.
LEGOLAND Discovery Centre| Every Day | £16.50 Adults, £13.50 Children
It’s no secret that everyone loves playing with LEGO. There’s something about the unbridled possibility that brings out the child in us all. LEGOLAND Discovery Centre, based in the Trafford Centre, is a mecca of LEGO possibilities that will have the kids (and big kids) entertained for hours. Visit the LEGO Ninjago City Adventure play feature where kids can work on their ninja training, or take part in a LEGO race in virtual reality. Make your very own LEGO brick in the LEGO factory, or catch a film in the 4D cinema. There’s so much to keep the kids busy here that it would be difficult to do it all in one day!
Cat Trail at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House | 26th May to 5th September | Adults £5.50, Children Free
Visit the former home of the esteemed author Elizabeth Gaskell, writer of such literary classics as North and South, Wives and Daughters, and Cranford. The latter of which shared the name of
Elizabeth’s cat, which she had brought all the way from Paris. In honour of this fancy feline, staff at the house are hiding cats in various hand-picked outfits throughout the museum for children to
find and record on specially made cards. Grab the kids and explore this elegant Victorian house and garden in a brand new way!
Cat Trail at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House | 26th May to 5th September | Adults £5.50, Children Free
Dino Kingdom | 23rd July to 8th August | Adults £15, Children £13
Dinosaurs are coming to Manchester! This immersive outdoor experience comes from the creators of the Heaton Park light festival and will see life-sized animatronic dinosaurs installed in Wythenshawe Park. The event also includes 3D, augmented reality, and projection mapping technology to really bring the beasts to life. See childhood favourites such as velociraptors,
triceratopses, and the ever popular T-rex. And don’t forget to visit the star of the show, an 18m tall apatosaurus. Budding palaeontologists can unearth dinosaur eggs, fossils, volcanoes, and even a walk-through fossil tunnel at the excavation sandpit, and interact with the costumed characters placed throughout the park.
Dinokingdom.com
Story Seekers at Imperial War Museum North 24th July to 31st August | Free
Get hands-on with actual historical artefacts with this wonderful family activity at Imperial War Museum North. Your family can search for and discover real artefacts and learn the strange stories behind them. Be guided through by the story seekers themselves and put your problem-solving skills to the test as you help them uncover the past. You and your family can learn surprising stories from people who braved shark-infested waters, ingenious nurses who saved lives, and those who built machines of conflict.