Manchester city centre tomorrow

[MouldyPeach]

Going to be in Manchester for around 6 hours tomorrow with DC aged 12, 7 & 3months. I haven't been to Manc since I was a child free drunk so have no idea what's good to do with kids. Any great suggestions for cheap/free things to do with easy going, easily pleased kids to kill a few hours? Thanks!

Ds loves the National Football Museum.

Your best options are the National Football Museum or the Museum of Science and Industry for the City Centre. We love both. Both have free entry (although obviously ask for donations). The Football Museum has a little park outside and is nice for a picnic. It's right next to the Arndale Centre. MOSI is across town and you can easily pass a day in there. It's huge.

Museum of science and industry is brilliant, I don't find it as good as it used to be but it's still a great day out, and that may be because I've been so many times..

Museum of science and industry is brilliant, I don't find it as good as it used to be but it's still a great day out, and that may be because I've been so many times..

There's the Museum of Science and Industry at the top end of Deansgate. There are hands-on science exhibits and a bit for very young children. There are sometimes steam train rides too.

There's also the Manchester Museum in Oxford Road, but I've not been there for years. They have Egyptian mummies and things like that. They used to do craft sessions for children. I think both are free but ask for a donation.

Closer to the centre itself, between Piccadilly and St Peters Square is the Central Art Gallery on Moseley Street that has packs for children. Also free I think.

Finally, the People's History Museum, near Spinningfields. Possibly a bit old for your younger DC.

There are free buses that do a circuit of the city centre so that you shouldn't have to walk too far.

Manchester Museum on Oxford Road has a dinosaur skeleton, a vivarium with alive reptiles and frogs plus stuffed animals etc. They will also likely have half term activities this week.

Thank you all! Science museum sounds right up our street :)

Art gallery right near Piccadilly gardens also free and while there is not loads of kids stuff in the gallery they do do fantastic half term stuff for all ages usually.

Just asked DD who has masses of experience at all and said for kids your children's age definitely the science museum. They will also have loads of half term hands on stuff and you can see all the trains and planes too. They used to have a little steam train ride but not sure if it still is running

If budget is tight there's a small Sainsburys on Deansgate. You could get some picnic stuff there. There are tables etc for picnics at the MOSI.

Thanks everyone for the science museum recs, kids loved it and it wasn't busy at all. Wish I'd asked for family friendly places to eat in the evening, we ended up in tgi Fridays which was bland and expensive. Our usual fallback is wetherspoons but the ones in the city centre were... lively!