Things to do with babies in Manchester

Fairy Tales at Z-arts, Manchester, Until 26 February 2023, from £3.00 - Book now

Fairy Tales at Z-Arts is an innovative and enchanting exhibition that takes children aged 0-8 and their grownups to an interactive wonderland, jam-packed with storytelling and immersive play.

Outdoor Art Club at The Whitworth, Manchester, Until 18 March 2023, free entry - Visit now

Visit the Outdoor Art Club at the Whitworth Art Gallery, jam-packed with fun and creative activities designed to encourage your little ones to play freely while exploring nature and the outdoors with family and friends.

Teacup Kitchen, 55 Thomas Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M4 1NA - Visit now

If you’re out and about with a baby in the not-traditionally-baby-friendly Northern Quarter, Teacup on Thomas Street is a spacious cafe with plenty of room for prams round the table, highchairs, and a changing table in the bathroom. They serve kid-friendly fare as well as stuff that mums and dads will appreciate. Be aware that it gets busy at lunchtime, so it’s always good to have a backup plan.

Home Sweet Home, Manchester, 49-51 Edge Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M4 1HW - Visit now

Just around the corner, Home Sweet Home has a cracking kids menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We’ve always found the customers and staff extremely tolerant of our occasionally intolerable screaming bundles of joy!

Dough Pizza Kitchen, 75 - 77 High St, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M4 1FS - Visit now

If in doubt, Pizza and pasta at Dough is another excellent Northern Quarter choice.

Manchester Craft & Design Centre, 17 Oak St, Northern Quarter, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M4 5JD - Visit now

Completing your hop around NQ, Manchester Craft & Design Centre offers a little respite from the hustle and bustle of city (and precious baby-changing).

Manchester Arndale, Market Street , Manchester, Greater Manchester, M4 3AQ - Visit now

The Ardndale is a bit of a godsend for families. While it is a mega shopping centre (and can thus be a little soulless), it also has mega up-to-date facilities for parents: separate baby changing and feeding rooms, parent and child stalls in the women’s rooms, and parent and child toilets. If you’re on your own with a pram, attendants will open an accessible toilet for you. On site cafes such as Starbucks, Costa Coffee (in Waterstone’s) and Cafe Nero, are handy places for a feed and all come with highchairs as standard. Watch out for (very) long lift queues at busy times, though.

National Football Museum, Urbis Building, Cathedral Gardens, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M4 3BG - Visit now

The Football Museum has been designed for families of all ages but its Discovery Zone and Baby Moves sessions are aimed specifically at the under-5s. The entire building is pram friendly and there’s changing facilities too.

Science and Industry Museum, Liverpool Road, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M3 4FP - Visit now

It’s worth having a look around all the museums in Manchester, but along with the National Football Museum, MSI feels especially family-friendly. There’s monthly activity sessions, soft play and quiet zone.

The Whitworth, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M15 6ER - Visit now

Home to Art Baby, Music Baby and Welly Walks, it’s safe to say that the Whitworth wear their family-friendly heart of their sleeve. The Whitworth is an especially peaceful escape from the city but most art galleries in Manchester are perfect for running the buggy around.