Today, we have a little travel advice piece for you all. We have loads of fabulous and fun cities for kids within the UK. Everyone knows that there are loads of things to do in London with kids, and we’ve written on things to do in London with kids before. We thought it might be nice to take a look at another of our big cities, so today, we are chatting about things to do in Birmingham with kids.
You might be surprised at what there is in Birmingham for children. However, you get there, and travel around, there is loads to do; both educating and entertaining.
1. Get closer to nature with Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Yes, you heard right, there is a Botanical Gardens in Birmingham. Perhaps somewhere that is over-looked by those visiting the city. It is well worth taking a visit there; searching and then pre-booking that Taxi Birmingham and climbing in to get there once it arrives! It is in Edgbaston, which is more famous for its cricket, but it is a massive site. There are 15 acres of glorious gardens to explore, and the kids will love it.
2. Take a sweet tooth tour with Cadbury World
No list of kids attractions near Birmingham would be complete without include Cadbury World. Who doesn’t love chocolate? This is a fabulous experience for the kids, and we took our children when they were younger (8 and 6), and they adored it. Lots to see, do and explore, but not so much as to bore them. Check it out, and you won’t be disappointed. There is an adventure play area for the kids, but by far and away the best place to take them is the Cadbury Cafe, which is choc full (!) of amazing treats for you and them.
3. Play with the fishes at the National Sea Life Centre
We have visited Birmingham a couple of times with the kids, and this is a favourite for them, and would be for anyone. The National Sea Life Centre there is educational, but loads of fun. There is a trail for the kids to do as they walk around to keep them entertained, and some of the tanks are spectacular, particularly the jellyfishes, and manta rays which which have your children mesmerised.
The Jellyfishes are great models too… 😂
4. Get interactive with the Thinktank Birmingham Science museum
This was opened in 2001, so has been part of the city’s museum scene for over 20 years now. This is wonderful for an interactive experience for the kids, and the minicity is a fabulous addition to it. This is where the under 8s take control!
Mini-Brum is the perfect place for kids to spend many an hour having fun, particularly on a rainy day.
5. Keep the kids active with the Bear Grylls Adventure
This is a permanent attraction within the NEC, and is open all year round with loads of fun activities for the kids to try out both inside and out. Get really hands on, and tire them out with flying, diving, snorkeling, climbing, and most other activities that will knacker the kids so you get to chill for a bit!
If you are looking for places to stay in Birmingham, that are convenient for the NEC, do check out our article on where to stay in Birmingham.
6. Get inspiration outside by walking the city and the canals
Some kids LOVE walking, and some hate it, so depending on your children, you might like to get outside and explore both the city, and the canals within the city on foot. Our favourite walk is Brindley Place, but there are plenty of other Birmingham Canal walks to check out, as well as a walking tours you can book on as a family.
Some of the locations are stunning, as you can see from the above.
7. Go back in time with Backs to Backs in Birmingham
This is a really unusual, and very popular attraction within Birmingham, managed by the National Trust, and free to members.
It is imperative to book in advance though, as you MUST pre-book and it can get very busy.
Lovingly restored, and true to history, these are working people’s houses that allow you to step back in time 200 years to see how people would have lived and worked within Birmingham. It is a wonderful concept, and fabulously educational. Not necessarily to all kids liking, but definitely worth mentioning. Check it out on the National Trust website to see if this is for your kids. They WILL need to be patient as there is a guided tour. It might not work for those that can’t sit still, for example 😂.
We really hope you like these ideas for activities and things to do with kids in Birmingham; there are ways to entertain on rainy days, as well as if the sun is shining. If you are into sports, you might also like to take a tour of the Aston Villa stadium as well, as a bonus!
We do have lots of travel content on the site, so do check out some of the other UK ideas we have for travel:
Other travel ideas for the UK
Here are some other UK travel ideas on the KiddyCharts site.
There are other recommendations for places to go in Birmingham too, so why not combine our article with some of these to get the perfect itineraries of things to do in Birmingham with kids?
Things to do in Birmingham with kids - ideas from off KiddyCharts
Here are some more ideas for you to take a look out of things to do and places to go in Birmingham with the kids. Do check them out to complement what we have for you.
13 things to do in Birmingham with kids
We have 7 ideas for you, but Mummy Travels has managed 13 - go check them out now!
Birmingham with kids – our ultimate guide
Global Mouse has the ultimate guide to navigating Birmingham with the kids - this includes places to eat and stay, as well as things to do.
Days Out: LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Birmingham
We didn't include the Legoland Discovery Centre in our list - so just in case you love LEGO here are the details from Hodge Podge Days instead!
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Thanks for coming to see us as ever. We hope that you are back soon.
Take care,
Helen
This is a collaborative post.
Helen
Helen is a mum to two, social media consultant, and website editor; and this site is (we think) the only Social Enterprise parenting magazine! Since giving up being a business analyst when juggling travel, work and kids proved too complicated, she founded KiddyCharts so she could be with her kids, and use those grey cells at the same time. KiddyCharts has reach of over 1.1million across social and the site. The blog works with big family brands (including travel) to help promote their services, as well as offering free resources to parents of kids under 10. It gives 51%+ profits to Reverence for Life, who fund a number of important initiatives in Africa, including bringing running water and basic equipment to a school in Tanzania. Helen has worked as a digital marketing consultant (IDM qualified) with various organisations, including Channel Mum, Truprint, Talk to Mums, and Micro Scooters. She loves to be creative in the brand campaigns she works on. Get in touch TODAY!