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Things to do with toddlers in Manchester

Creative Tourist

Toddlers. The most adorable little tyrants the world ever saw! And as we know, days out with those terrible twos (did we say terrible, we meant tremendous…) require a plan.

We’ve pulled together a super-duper list of fun stuff to do with your little ones in Manchester and the North. There are heaps of exciting adventures and days out just for toddlers, but also days out that can be fun for older kids, and toddlers too. Manchester is a wonderful city for young children to explore, never too far from somewhere to stop for a play.

If you want more things to do with the kids, check out our regularly updated families guide which picks out the best cultural adventures for families in Manchester and the North.

Our top picks

Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You at the Science and Industry Museum

Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You at Science and Industry Museum, Manchester, Until 4 January 2026, From £10.00 - Book now

Get ready for a sense-sational adventure packed with super-sized science and brilliant biology!

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Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You at the Science and Industry Museum
Promotional Stills for Operation Ouch: Brains, Bogies, & You at the Science & Industry Museum - 13th February Image courtesy of the Board of Trustees of the Science Museum.

2025 Banner Bingo at PHM

2025 Banner Bingo, Until 29 December 2025, Free entry - Visit now

Explore the People’s History Museum with your banner bingo card in hand as you navigate their galleries through the lens of craftivism. 

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Two young visitors looking up at a banner in a case, holding pencils and an activity sheet.
People's History Museum

Outdoor Art Club at The Whitworth

Outdoor Art Club at The Whitworth, Manchester, Until 19 July 2025, 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.

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Toddler standing on grass with a paintbrush in hand turning to the right to look at the camera. He is wearing a navy blue rainsuit with a burgundy and navy blue long sleeved tiop underneath. He is standing in front of large cream coloured sheets that have been strung up on a washing line. The sheets have mud marks making on.
Fiona Jenkins

LEGOLAND Discovery Centre

LEGOLAND Discovery Centre, Manchester Barton Square, The Trafford Centre, Manchester, M17 8AS - Visit now

Great for kids big and little, LEGOLAND is a great day out for families. Children under five can enjoy the DUPLO Farm, and then have a tumble and play in the soft play area, no big kids allowed!

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LEGOLAND Discovery Centre

Science and Industry Museum

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

With it’s great (and free) hands-on Experiment! Gallery, MSI is top for toddlers, and it has two cafes and an indoor picnic area where you can eat a packed lunch. If they still have some energy left, the kids might enjoy playing on the grass in nearby St. John’s Gardens, or you could take a picnic to the canal and watch the narrowboats.

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The East Lancashire Railway

The East Lancashire Railway, Bury Bolton Street Station,, Bury,, Lancashire, BL9 0EY - Visit now

Toddlers love nothing more than watching the steam trains come in and shouting ‘Choo Choo’, just before they hop on board and wave out of the windows. A great day out for the whole family.

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Heaton Park

Heaton Park, Middleton Road, Higher Blackley, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M25 2SW - Visit now

Heaton Park and Farm is a great option for toddlers. Head to the Animal Centre where your little one can cuddle the cute animals and hopefully learn a few new words and sounds along the way! Lots of picnic spaces and green grass guaranteed. Perfect for toddlers to roam around safely.

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Image courtesy GMCC

RHS Garden Bridgewater

RHS Garden Bridgewater, Occupation Road (Off Leigh Road), Worsley, Salford, Greater Manchester, M28 2GU - Visit now

Are you looking for a family day out in Manchester where your little one can run around safely and freely? Head to the spectacular 154-acre RHS Bridgewater Garden in Salford and enjoy some outdoor fun!

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RHS GARDEN BRIDGEWATER

People’s History Museum

People’s History Museum, Left Bank, Spinningfields, Manchester, M3 3ER - Visit now

People’s History Museum has a great kid-friendly cafe and plenty of regular children’s activities and hands-on exhibits to keep curious minds (and hands) busy.

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People's History Museum Manchester
People's History Museum Manchester

Manchester Art Gallery

Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M2 3JL - Visit now

Manchester Art Gallery has the children’s Clore Interactive Gallery to explore and they frequently run workshops throughout half term and the summer holidays. The cafe has a pay-as-you-feel deal for children too.

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Manchester Art Gallery. Photo by Andrew Brooks
Manchester Art Gallery. Photo by Andrew Brooks

Manchester Craft & Design Centre

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

In the Northern Quarter, Manchester Craft & Design Centre offers a little respite from the city (and baby-changing).

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Manchester Craft and Design Centre by Joel C Fildes.
Manchester Craft and Design Centre by Joel C Fildes.

Where to go in Manchester

Symmetry Room
City Centre
Museum
Museum of Illusions

Museum of Illusions Manchester is part of the global Museum of Illusions Group, the largest and fastest-growing chain of private museums in the world.

The National Football Museum Manchester
Manchester
Museum
National Football Museum

The National Football Museum is now open to the public, ready to show off its impressive array of football-related exhibits and activities.

Manchester Museum Tours at Manchester Museum
Manchester
Museum
Manchester Museum

The Manchester Museum isn’t one of the UK’s leading university museums for nothing – it has six million objects in its stores, including a full size T-Rex skeleton, and that’s just for starters.

Pankhurst Centre
Manchester
Museum
The Pankhurst Centre

The Pankhurst Centre houses a small museum and heritage centre that remains as a legacy to the Pankhurst family and the Suffragette movement born in this city.

Manchester
Museum
Bury Art Museum and Sculpture Centre

This beautiful building holds temporary exhibitions of acclaimed international art, contemporary and historical collections, handcrafted art in the Art Shop and Tina’s tea rooms. Alongside this runs a varied events, workshop and education programme.

People's History Museum Manchester
City Centre
Museum
People’s History Museum

People’s History Museum, the home of ‘ideas worth fighting for’, is the only museum in the UK dedicated to the history of British democracy.

Salford museum and art gallery exterior
Manchester
Museum
Salford Museum and Art Gallery

Salford Museum and Art Gallery is a friendly city museum close to Peel Park with special appeal to families; the highlight is Lark Hill Place, a charming Victorian Street installation.

Gallery Oldham, in Oldham Cultural Quarter
Manchester
Museum
Gallery Oldham

Gallery Oldham provides a wide range of exhibitions and activities targeted at different audiences of all ages within Oldham and the surrounding area.

Manchester
Museum
Air Raid Shelters

Carved into the natural sandstone cliffs, the intriguing network of underground tunnels offers visitors an unparalleled insight into life in wartime Britain in the 1940’s.

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Manchester Visitor Guides

Bars in Manchester

The best new bars in Manchester, plus some old favourites for good measure.

Spas in the North West

If you find yourself in the North West of England looking for a spa day, look no further, check out our guide featuring our favourite spots.

Production Two
Brewery Tours in the North

Brewery tours across the North offer more than just a behind-the-scenes look at hops and fermenters. They’re a window into the region’s character.

20 Stories eat outside in Manchester
Places To Eat Outside in Manchester

Looking for somewhere to eat outside in Manchester in these hot summer months? Here's our guide to the restaurants in Manchester with the best areas for al fresco dining.

Photo of the Halle orchestra at Bridgewater
Music Venues in Manchester

Manchester is still a great place to watch new and innovative music – so here’s a guide to where to watch the best live music in the city.

Italian Food in Manchester

It's hard to think of a more varied and reliably delicious food than Italian cuisine. Check out our expert guide to Manchester's very best Italian restaurants.

Manchester District Guides

The front of Didsbury restaurant Volta.
Didsbury, Manchester

Didsbury has the perfect split between big brands and independent businesses, welcoming all from far and wide.
Ancoats, Manchester
Ancoats & New Islington

Ancoats, just off the Northern Quarter in Manchester, is one of the city’s most increasingly desirable neighbourhoods. Find out why.
People enjoying drinking in Altrincham
Things to Do in Altrincham

Plan a day out down Altrincham way, and you’ll soon find that one day isn’t nearly enough. Getting there is easy on the tram, or how about cycling along the…
Salford museum and art gallery exterior
Salford, Greater Manchester

Cross over the River Irwell, and you’ll find yourself in another city entirely – Salford, which is enjoying something of a regeneration.
chinatown, manchester in sun by ben williams
Chinatown, Manchester

Chinatown is a network of back streets dotted with Chinese restaurants – go to Ho’s Bakery for perfect honey buns, Hunan for spice and Middle Kingdom for a very affordable menu.
The Quays, Greater Manchester

The Quays is home to MediaCityUK (the largest media hub in Europe) and studios purpose-built for the BBC’s move up North in 2011.
Chorlton, Manchester

Chorlton is a left-leaning suburb a few miles south of Manchester’s city centre (and only 10-odd minutes away by tram). A sprawling hive of artisan coffee shops, boutique clothing stores,…
Image by Jonathan Schofield.
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Theatre in Manchester
Theatre in the North

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European Poetry Festival European Camarade
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From tongue-twisters to twisty page-turners, we have all kinds of spoken word surprises in the latest literature round-up.