Ideas for things to do in Manchester with children

[BeautifulDragon]

Hello.

We are visiting Manchester for a few days over Easter with two primary school aged DC.

Never been before and would be very grateful for any ideas on the best location, things to do and restaurants to visit.

Open to any suggestions! Thank you

Lego discovery centre? DS would have happily ridden on the trams most of the day (we live rurally so don’t have them).

We visited in the summer with dc who were 8 and 11.

We did the football museum which was great, and junkyard golf. We also went out to RHS Bridgewater which we all enjoyed. We did a Treasure Trail around castlefield area which was brilliant and it started and ended at the museum of science and industry.

We stayed at the Lowry and the bar food there was good. Also had a meal at Tiffin on which dc loved.

Tiffin Room

MoSI and Manchester Museum are always a favourite with my two. Legoland discovery and sea life at the Trafford centre also a big hit when they were younger. They loved doing the ifly indoor skydiving, the Chill Factor-e and the Play Factor-e near the Trafford centre too.

All sounds brilliant! Loads of ideas here, thank you all very much 😊

Check what's open at MoSI - it's usually excellent but they've been doing massive renovations and reorganisation, quite a lot was closed for a time and I don't know when it was due to be finished.

Quarry Bank Mill, a bit out of town, is good though expensive unless you're national trust members.

Are you staying in the city centre? The new park (Mayfield Park), near Piccadilly Station has some brilliant play equipment.

Manchester Museum (near the university) is reopening next month after the world's longest refurbishment. Worth a visit.

My two like Mackie Mayor for food. It's a big food hall with different vendors, so something for everyone.

The Trafford centre and the area around has lots for kids : off the top of my head there’s the chill factore (they can do all snow sports and there’s also a climbing wall, a Nando’s and a great ice cream shop in there) then next door to that there’s playfactore a huge soft play centre which has an indoor zip line if I remember correctly. There is also skydiving (in a big tube thing) inside the chill factore. Next to that is a great outdoor mini golf centre with dinosaurs and a mini-volcano. At the Trafford centre itself there’s all sorts - lazerquest, climbing wall, cinema, mini golf, an arcade with dodgems and bowling inside and loads of different eateries the dcs will enjoy. There is usually stuff going on outside the Trafford centre as well and sometimes a funfair.

Manchester itself has loads of art galleries and museums but if you’re going to go to one I’d choose the science & industry museum as it’s great for kids with lots of interactive things. The natural history museum would be my no1 recommendation but it’s currently closed for refurbishment and I’m not sure when it reopens (check up on this though as it really is fantastic)

Personally I’d avoid the Salford quays area unless your dcs are particularly into Ww1/2 type stuff as the war museum is rather grim as I’d the quays area itself and the Lowry shopping centre is absolutely dire. I would definitely stay in central Manchester or the Trafford area if only there for a few days.

Have a great time!

Mini golf! Dino Falls in Trafford or Treetop Adventure at the Printworks are both great.

www.dinofalls.co.uk

adventuregolf.com/manchester

Treetop golf in The Printworks definitely