Keeping it local – Places to go with kids in and around Birmingham

Hi, my name is Zoe and I blog over at Mama Geek. I’m a Birmingham based family blogger and we have reviewed a fair few of the local attractions since beginning our blog, and so I’m here to share our favourite spots for a fun family day out with you.

Think Tank – the Birmingham Science Museum is based at Millennium Point just outside the main city centre. It’s great for kids of all ages; young children will have great fun in the Kids City area, where they can experiment with water and role play as dentists or doctors. There is loads to discover for older children too, and the science garden has loads to explore & do.

Cadbury World – if you’re a Dairy Milk fan and want to know more about the history of the Cadbury family and the Bournville area then this is the place for you. Visitors to Cadbury World take a journey through the history of chocolate and the Cadbury brand, get to taste some liquid chocolate, and can enjoy the 4D cinema and outdoor play areas. Younger children will enjoy the Cadabra ride too.

Birmingham Botanical Gardens – if the weather is kind to you then a trip to the Botanical Gardens is a must. The gardens are beautiful, they have fantastic adventure play areas, an aviary, and a lovely cafe. During school holidays they often run events and in the summer they have an outdoor theatre in the evenings.

Birmingham Sea Life Centre – we have been ambassadors for the Sea Life Centre for several years, and there is always something new to see every time we visit. They have some of the most interesting and beautiful sea creatures; the girls’ favourites are the penguins, sharks, and the giant sea turtle. This year they have added a Piranha tunnel and they will be opening a new Jellyfish area this Easter too.

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery – the BMAG is free to enter, and one of the best places in the city centre to sit and enjoy a traditional afternoon tea in beautiful surroundings – their Edwardian tearooms are stunning. The museum has a kids area including a cart full of books to sit & enjoy, and the whole museum is filled with interesting exhibits and art.

Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park – formerly known as the Nature Centre, this zoo is only a few minutes drive away from the city centre, and features some amazing animals including super cute red pandas, lemurs, and several species of monkey. It has a cafe with a small soft play for young children, indoor and outdoor seating, and a fab outdoor play area. The Conservation Park is also right next to Cannon Hill Park, which has several play areas, a small funfair, and the mac theatre.

Legoland Discovery Centre – opening Summer 2018, this new attraction is sure to be a hit with Lego fans of all ages. Plans for the new centre include a 4D cinema, a couple of rides, a Miniland showcasing Birmingham landmarks in Lego, and a Duplo area for the little ones.

If you willing to travel a little way outside the city, here are a few great places to explore for a great day out.

West Midland Safari Park – we have visited WMSP a number of times and always enjoy driving around the safari trail, watching the different animals roam around. Once you have driven around the trail, you can explore the rest of the safari park on foot, where there are more animals to see and some funfair rides to enjoy too.

Twycross Zoo – a reasonable drive out of Birmingham takes you to Twycross Zoo, near Atherstone. We’ve not been there ourselves (yet!) but it is a well known & award w-winning zoo with over 500 animals, from over 100 different species.

Hatton Adventure Farm – about half an hour south of the city you can find Hatton Shopping Village & Adventure Farm, which is home to a number of independent shops as well as the farm. The adventure farm has a variety of animals, a large soft play area, lots of outdoor play areas and so on, as well as a new falconry centre. It’s a wellies & jeans type of day out, and the girls usually come home happy, tired out and a more than a bit grubby!

Drayton Manor – home to Thomas Land, Drayton Manor is a great family theme park which is particularly good for young children thanks to the number of rides they are actually able to go on. There are some roller coasters and adult rides for the bigger kids, but Thomas Land has been expanded a number of times and has a huge variety of rides featuring all of the major characters from the Thomas and Friends series. It also has a pretty good zoo and a 4D cinema.

Also, if it is a rainy day and you’re in the area, we have a ridiculous number of cinemas here in Britain’s second city… apparently, we like watching films a lot around here!