Eight of the best child friendly museums in the UK

Museums are always a fun day out for all the family, especially if the summer rain is blighting any outdoor activities on offer. Here is a quick run down of some of the UK's family friendly museums where play meets education. 

Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood

Address: Cambridge Heath Road, London, E2 9PA
Telephone: 020 8983 5200
Website:
http://www.vam.ac.uk/moc/
Admission: Free (Donations gratefully recieved)
About the museum: The museum is packed full of childhood memorabilia with galleries that are accessible to adults and children.
Special events: Tent-free festival - Sunday 3 August 11:30 - 16:30pm, Free; all ages Tent-free festival in the Museum grounds with live music including 'Tragic Roundabout' and Burundian drummers Indanga. Enjoy street performers, rickshaw rides, face painting, food stalls, children's activities and games. World's Longest Plasticine Snake - Sat 9 & Sun 10 August 11am - 4pm. Could you be a Guinness World Record Holder? Take part in the attempt to build the World's Longest Plasticine Snake.
Facilities: Café, toilets, disability access
Opening times: Open from 10am until 17:45pm every day.

The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction

Address: The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction,
Bowness-on-Windermere,
Cumbria,
The Lake District,
LA23 3BX
Telephone: 015394 88444
Website: http://www.hop-skip-jump.com/index.php
Admission: Adults £6, children £3
Opening Times: Summer 10am – 5:30pm, winter 10am – 4:30pm
Why should we visit? Visit Peter Rabbit and friends in a recreation of the Lakeland countryside made famous in the stories. Featuring the 23 tales and all the characters, the world of Beatrix Potter attraction delves into the life of the novelist and how her life shaped her books.

Horniman Museum & Gardens

Address: 100 London Rd,
Forest Hill,
London,
SE23 3PQ
Telephone: 020 8699 1872
Website: http://www.horniman.ac.uk/
Opening Times: 10:30am – 5:30pm
Admission: FREE
Why should we visit? Featuring exhibitions and artefacts from all over the world, the Horniman is a great museum for children. It encompasses an aquarium where children can explore sea life, a music gallery with an instrument room so they can make their own music, beautiful gardens with goats and chickens and constant new displays to explore.

Manchester Art Gallery

Address: Mosley Street,
Manchester
M2 3JL
Telephone: 0161 235 8888
Website: http://www.manchestergalleries.org/
Admission: FREE
Opening Times: Tues – Sun 10am – 5pm
Why should we visit? The Manchester Art Gallery boasts lots of hands on activities and focuses on creating a fun and educational experience for children. With craft areas, dressing up boxes, family tours and an art club, it really will be an exciting day out for everyone.
Facilities: Baby changing facilities are in both the male and female toilets and the café will heat up baby food.

The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre

Address: 81-83 High Street
Great Missenden
Buckinghamshire
HP16 0AL
United Kingdom
Telephone:01494892192
Website: http://www.roalddahlmuseum.org/default.aspx
Admission: Adults £5.50, children 5-18 £3.95, under 5s FREE
Opening Times: Tuesday - Sunday 10am - 4.30pm
Why should we visit? Situated in Roald Dahl’s home town where he wrote most of his books, this museum houses the author’s archive and is perfect for children interested in the weird and wonderful worlds created in his stories. Authors come and give talks and children and adults are encouraged to express their own creativity in writing classes.

Science Museum

Address: Exhibition Road
South Kensington,
London,
SW7 2DD
Telephone: 0870 870 4868
Website: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/
Admission: FREE
Opening Times: 10am – 6pm
Why should we visit? With child friendly exhibits to get your child interested in science, this museum is renown for catering for the Einstein’s of tomorrow. For the under 5s there are garden galleries and lots of hands on areas so they can play whilst they learn. For the over 5s there are lots of things to discover, from watching explosions and getting involved by volunteering in experiments.

Weston Park Museum

Address: Western Bank,
Sheffield
S10 2TP
Telephone: 0114 278 2600
Website: http://www.sheffieldgalleries.org.uk/coresite/html/WPM.asp
Admission: FREE
Opening Times: Mon - Sat 10am - 5pm and Sun 11am - 5pm
Why should we visit? With Egyptian mummies and Snowy the polar bear to gape at, Weston Park is a fun filled day out for all the family. There are plenty of creative activities to entertain and regularly changing exhibitions means a re-visit is always in order.

The National Space Centre

Address: National Space Centre,
Exploration Drive,
Leicester,
LE4 5NS
Telephone: 01162610261
Website: http://www.spacecentre.co.uk
Admission: Adult £12, Child 5-16 years £10
Opening Times: 10am – 5pm
Why should we visit: Space is always an awe inspiring subject so why not open the kids mind to the vast world out there by visiting The National Space Centre. Housing six different galleries, visitors can find out when and how the universe began, when it will end and how we use space and exploration here on earth.
Facilities: There are baby changing areas, highchairs in the café and food warming facilities.

Dickens World

Address: Leviathan Way
Chatham Maritime
Kent
ME4 4LL
Telephone: 01634 890 421
Website: http://www.dickensworld.co.uk/index.php
Admission: Prices alter depending on the day and time. Visit the website for more information.
Opening Times: 10am – 6pm
Why should we visit? Set in Victorian England, Dickens World features a haunted house, a 4D cinema show and theatre to propel you back to the life of Charles Dickens. Travel through the streets on the Great Expectations Boat Ride and meet some of Dickens’ characters in the Victorian Town courtyard. Great fun for all the family and you can even stay the night in the Romada Hotel located adjacent to the Dicken’s World site.