Child friendly Glasgow

[Gumps]

I'm taking my two ds (5&7) to Glasgow for the rugby 7s at the Commonwealth Games which is at Ibrox. We are staying in Grifnok (sp?) and travelling by train.
We have a spare day on the Friday for sightseeing so I'm looking for child friendly ideas for that and also things to do/places to eat near Ibrox to break up the day.

The transport museum is fab and free!

Kelvingrovecmuseum good.

Travel around city by underground, v easy.

Science centre is great for kids and easy to reach, short walk from underground.

If you want something a bit different, go for a cruise on the Waverley from Glasgow centre, near science centre. It's the oldest, I think, ocean sailing paddle steamer and my DC love it. There's a cafe on board or get off and eat at one of the stops. It isn't cheap but a real Clyde experience.

Another vote for Kelvingrove museum and park if it's nice, the Botanical Gardens aren't too far from there either.

Riverside museum (transport) is also good and I think has an artificial beach outside over the summer, it's opposite side of the river to the Science Centre (which is brilliant but not free)

Lots of parks around too.

Transport around the city by train/subway/bus is great. If it rains there's junior screenings every morning at Cineworld in the city or at The Odeon at Braehead.

I second the transport museum! It's also close to the science centre and really easy to get to.

The merchant city festival in the centre of town is on round about that time too I think.
If the weather is good, get them down there for some lunch and see everything going on there!

Brilliant thank you for all the suggestions. I'm seriously excited and can't wait to see what Glasgow has to offer.
Does anyone know the area around the Ibrox?

i agree with all the above but Glasgow Green in the city centre might be worth checking out as it is where lots of entertainment etc is happening as part of the commonwealth celebrations??

I am not familiar with ibrox area.

Hope you have a fab time.

There's a wee ferry running across the Clyde from Govan (which is just up from Ibrox) to the Riverside museum. It's free and might be a fun way to make the trip over to the West End if it's a dry day.

Belahouston Park is also near Ibrox and has a good play park and lots of space to run around beside the House for an Art Lover which is a Charles Rennie Mackintosh building. There's also a dry ski slope there and a swimming pool.

A park near Ibrox - perfect! Thank you all so much.

Ibrox not, ahem, the nicest part of glasgow. Best sticking with city centre,merchant city or west end for places to eat. If it is Giffnock you are staying in you could take few stops on train to Pollok country park which has the Burrell collection and an National trust property in it, then back onto train into city centre for a wander, then you could get underground to west end then maybe do botanic gardens, Kelvingrove museum or transport museum. In the west end there is also the Hunterian museum in Glasgow uni.It's quite small but got some interactive stuff and fossils, body parts in it etc. All those are free. the Science centre is expensive but my boys love it.

Definitely the science centre and the transport museum !

Don't wander around ibrox. You'll leave thinking glasgow is a shit hole. Most of the really bad bit around there have been knocked down recently but it certainly isn't on the tourist trail.

Kids tend to live the open top tourist bus. It's expensive but takes you to the free museums.

The science centre is close to ibrox but it's very expensive too.

The best swing park is the one at glasgow green next to the peoples palace museum. You can walk there from town.

Glasgow tour bus and transport museum.

Weatherall that made me laugh.
The Saturday has 3 games for England at the Ibrox but with about 3 hours between games. I will stay between the first two but prob go back and forth between 2 and 3. How far is it from the city centre to Ibrox?
If any of you live in Glasgow are you excited for the games? In my head it's going to be like the Olympics but the build up has been poor. I'm blaming the football for that. We have personal interest so obviously our excitement is huge but I'm hoping for a great vibe in the city.

Ibrox is very close to the city centre. A short train/subway ride away.

I live near Glasgow and the build up here has been ok. Although I get the impression most people here are worried about how all the extra traffic will affect them. I have lots of friends and family who commute into Glasgow and it's going to be so busy!

It's quite exciting and fairly positive (don't mention the games Lanes or the Scotland uniform)
We've got the baton relay due to come past us on the 22nd and got tickets for the baton party at Queens Park so DD and gopher friends are excited about that.
However re the games themselves, we're heading off to my parents for just over a week so will miss most of the chaos. sheer coincidence! it's when the train tickets were cheaper.

We're looking forward to it. We've just got a parking permit from the council as we're close to a venue so there are restrictions on all the surrounding streets which has eased my mind a bit. Luckily both dh & I can walk to work so I think the plan is just to ditch the car for a fortnight and go everywhere on foot if possible (hope it stays dry!)

I think it'll be exciting with so many people about and although we've not got tickets for any events I'm hoping we'll still be able to catch the atmosphere and maybe see some of the marathon or road cycling.

Tickets have arrived and so has DH kit (hideous)! I'm getting really excited now.

As others have said Ibrox is not the best part of the city - please don't judge the whole city based on it! However Glasgow in general is a great place. I'd recommend the Riverside Museum and the Tall Ship which is moored right outside, The Tenement House in Buccleuch St (perfectly preserved traditional Glasgow tenement house), Kelvingrove Art Gallery, Pollock House/Park, Princes Square in Buchanan St (nice shops and loads of family friendly restaurants), Rouken Glen Park. Enjoy!

Thank you so much.
Promise not to judge. My family are from Belfast do expecting it to be similar for some reason!

Giffnock is a lovely suburb in East Renfrewshire, if you get good weather it might be nice to spend a day at Roukenglen park which is local. Very relaxing. (Duck pond, large kids play park, woodland trails etc). Might be a good relaxation day after the to-ink and fro-ing of the games.

You may or may not be aware that you have 2 train stations locally. There is the giffnock stop on the East Kilbride line and also Williamwood on the Neilston line.

If you'd like any local info or directions feel free to send me a message. There's some great restaurants in Giffnock and surrounding which means that you aren't confined to the crush/queues that will be in the city centre.

And take packed lunches:pre packed stuff to intoxicating as a) there's not much there and b) it'll be mobbed

Best just to escape when you can.

Intoxicating??! Ibrox*

mrscumberbatch that is brilliant info thank you. Tomorrow night when the kids are in bed I'm going to sit down and make some plans so I will probably pm you with some questions.
The park sounds ace and just what I need.

mrscumberbatch that is brilliant info thank you. Tomorrow night when the kids are in bed I'm going to sit down and make some plans so I will probably pm you with some questions.
The park sounds ace and just what I need.