Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham with 12yr old DD

[KitKatChunki]

Wondering what you would all recommend to see and do with a 12/13 yr old DD over the school holidays this year - mid April - in Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham? I have never properly visited these cities and am not sure where to start! We would have about 5 or 6 days.

DD likes food and Japanese/Korean culture, science, coding and day crafting activities (she keeps on sending me Instagram posts to tufting which looks fun but expensive!). Any science museums, craft days and food hall type areas would be great to hear about or anything we've not considered?

We also have a dog so if there are any dog friendly activities (we saw a bounce park near Manchester?) or good daycare options for them while we do museums, we would be really grateful for recommendations!

In Birmingham - Hockley Social Club is a street food market and dog friendly. Craft or art wise - ikon gallery, Birmingham museum and art gallery and the Midlands Art Centre, which is right in Canon Hill Park. Red Brick Market in Digbeth is great for a mooch about and lots of dog friendly pubs, cafes and restaurants about in Digbeth as well. Tiger Bites Pig is great for Korean food and the area of Stirchley (also not far from the Midlands Art Centre) has restaurants called Eat Vietnam and SOI 1268 for Vietnamese and Thai food respectively. Thinktank is our big science museum and that’s always worth a wander around.

@Mumandthemermaids Thank you so much! I might look at dog friendly places near Digbeth to start with then. Everything you've mentioned sounds brilliant.

Digbeth is a great area of the city. The Custard Factory is nice for a wander round and loads of street art and graffiti artists as well.

Shopping in Manchester would be right up her street. There are lots of K-Pop/Anime/kawaii shops, mostly in the Northern Quarter, particularly lots of stalls in Affleck's - dogs allowed in there. Bubble Tea places everywhere. Lots of cafes are dog friendly here.

Bring the dog to Heaton Park - it's a short tram ride from town, and there's a boating lake, a teeny farm centre, treetop trek and treetop nets. There's a great cafe bar right at the tram stop called The Goods In.

Science and Industry museum ( MOSI) in Manchester is always worth a visit, as is the People's History museum.

Fred Aldous in Manchester’s Northern Quarter has an amazing selection of craft materials, individually and in kits - a great place for a browse. Also seconding MOSI and the People’s History Museum.

Take her around Bold Street/Renshaw Street/Chinatown in Liverpool, lots of nice places to eat and quirky independent shops.

Albert Dock on a sunny day is a nice trip out.

Albert dock in Liverpool is lovely for a walk around and is dog friendly, few dog friendly restaurants/cafes there too.
You can walk along the waterfront for quite a long way with the dog.
Liverpool world museum is good (science/nature/dinosaurs type stuff). It's free apart from special exhibitions.
Sefton park or Otterspool for the dog.
For Chinese food definitely Chinatown (Nelson St area), they have the largest Chinese arch outside china!

Birmingham has sea life centre and Legoland discovery centre (not sure if she’s into Lego/too old for it - I’m not and I’m 40 😂)

There is also a science museum there but I’ve not been in years and can’t remember what ages it’s aimed it.

@StrangewaysHereWeCome I love your user name!!! Made me chuckle. I would have written your post! Aflecks Palace and around northern Quarter and science and industry museum in Manchester definitely! Heaton Park is great for a walk out with the dog, we used to take ours often.