Children (and parents!) learn a huge amount without pencils and paper, workbooks or a computer screen in sight! From world-class, hands-on learning experiences to seasonal excursions close to home, we suggest some of the UK's best educational days out, including our pick of the most child-friendly museums, all tested by parents and kids!
And who says the fun has to stop at museum closing time? We've rounded up the best UK museum sleepovers for children. Fancy sleeping next to a dinosaur skeleton or a blue whale? Now you can...
Articles
Holiday learning in theme parks, museums and on the move
Holidays are anything but an education-free-zone says Phoebe Doyle, teacher and mum. Make the most of your children's experiences outside the classroom by turning them into literacy and numeracy learning adventures.
Best children's literary festivals in the UK
Bring books to life for book lovers of all ages, from pre-school to teenagers, at one of the world's best literary festivals. Meet authors, learn writing and illustrating skills at a workshop or take part in a debate – there are a wealth of bookish activities on offer for families throughout the year, and many of them are accessible online from anywhere in the world.
The best science days out for families
Looking for a great day out that's educational, too? Inspire your budding scientist with a trip to one of these brilliant, hands-on UK science centres.
Worksheets
Observing the seasons: winter
As the seasons change, take the opportunity to go on an observation walk to see what’s happening! Here are some great ideas for hands-on winter fun!
Understanding magnets: Make your own magnetic compass
The Earth has a weak magnetic field caused by the movement of molten iron in its core. The Earth’s magnetic field acts on a magnetised needle, pulling one end towards the north and the other towards the south magnetic pole. Understand more about magnets by making your very own magnetic compass from a polystyrene pizza base, a needle, a pin and a strong magnet.
Experiments and science fun for KS1 and KS2
Beans, gingerbread men, ice, washing-up bottles and cocoa powder – that's all you need to demonstrate key KS1 and KS2 science concepts to your child at the kitchen table. Packed with simple experiments, fun games (Muffled Chinese Whispers, anyone?) and parent-friendly science explanations, our Experiments and science fun for KS1 and KS2 learning pack is all you need to make primary science come to life for your child.
Also see:
Brilliant child-friendly museums, recommended by parents
Bring history, science and every other school subject to life with a visit to one of the UK's best museums. Packed with opportunities to get hands-on with the exhibits, dress up, try some experiments and more, these venues come highly recommended by the most rigorous of critics: parents and children.
- Mary Rose, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
- The Foundling Museum
- York Castle Museum
- The Geffrye Museum of the Home
- Eureka!
- Manchester Museum
- Museum of Liverpool
- Look Out Discovery Centre
- DIG, York
- World Museum, Liverpool
- York's Chocolate Story
- Discover Children's Story Centre
- Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre
- The Cartoon Museum, London
- SEA LIFE, Brighton
- W5, Belfast
- Titanic Belfast
- Warwick Castle
- Thackray Medical Museum, Leeds
- Arundel Castle, West Sussex
- The Cutty Sark, Greenwich
- National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
- Florence Nightingale Museum
- Dover Castle
- Old Operating Theatre
- Globe Theatre
- Churchill War Rooms
- Down House
- Cambridge Museum of Technology
- KidZania London
- Centre of the Cell, London
- Dickens Museum
- National Space Centre, Leicester
- Howletts Wild Animal Park, Kent
- Science Museum, London
- Winchester Science Centre
- National Museum Cardiff
- National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
- The Canterbury Tales
- Avebury Manor and stone circles
- Kensington Palace
- London Wetland Centre
- Windsor Castle
- Longleat Safari Park
- River & Rowing Museum
- Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh
- Big Pit National Coal Museum
- Glasgow Science Centre
- Edinburgh’s Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
- Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester
- Kew Gardens, London
- Edinburgh Zoo
- The Eden Project
- The Postal Museum, London
- Paradise Wildlife Park
- HMS Belfast, London
- We the Curious, Bristol
- Museum of Cardiff
- Techniquest, Cardiff
- Seven Stories, Newcastle
- Life Science Centre
- The Great North Museum
Museum testers wanted!
TheSchoolRun is looking for families to visit museums and other educational venues around the country and 'review' them. Get in touch to have your say about the best family days out (with a learning twist!).
Summer brain-boosting challenges
Juggle fruit. Work on the technology of the future. Plot and design a lost city, create a zoo of invented animals, learn to talk sdrawkcab and bake a pizza clock and a pastry map. How many of our wonderful brain-boosting challenges can you fit into your summer? All you need are some art materials, imagination and an enquiring mind to have a go at a whole host of practical and reflective activities, suitable for primary-school children (and parents, of course). Have fun!
Seasonal learning fun
Whatever the weather, make the most of the great outdoors with some no-walls, no-screens educational fun. Make a mini-pond for frogs, experiment with time-lapse photography, feed birds with a home-made fat ball, try laurel leaf writing, sculpt an ice mobile, build a sun dial and prepare a scorch picture... brilliant fun whatever your age!
London learning excursions for primary-school children
Discover the secrets of the Roman London, Londinium, find out more about the Great Fire of London and step back in time to Victorian London... our guides to the capital for primary-school children are packed with ideas for free activities and hands-on learning about the past.
