These are our 10 of the best family days our near Glasgow: a list of the places that we love to go and spend the day. Our Top Ten. The places we’ve returned to again and again. Some of them are free; some of them are most definitely not. Some of them are suited to rainy days and some are better for the dry days we’ve had so many of recently. Hopefully if you visit any of them, you’ll love them as much as we do!
Category: Family
Troon Beach
Troon Beach is a beautiful place, particularly when the sun is shining. But even when it’s not, there’s an ocean to splash in and all you need is a bucket and spade (and a watering can) and a picnic. Great fun.
Go Live at Glasgow Green
If you get the chance, go to Glasgow Green and see all the brilliant and completely free stuff there is to do as part of the Glasgow European Championships 2018! Its a fantastic day out!
Park Lives Baby Ballet
Park Lives is back until the 25th of July and there are a whole host of activities on in various parks around Glasgow. We checked out a lovely little Baby Ballet class in Victoria Park and the kids had great fun. See what’s on – it’s all FREE!
Children’s Exhibition at Tramway
The kids had such good fun at the Children’s Exhibition at Tramway. It isn’t massive, but we spent about an hour there and could easily have been there longer. The exhibits are fully interactive and the plasticine in particular gives a perpetually changing landscape to play with and mould, which both my kids really enjoyed. It’s free as well, which is always a bonus during the school holidays!
Falkirk Wheel Splash Park
The Falkirk Wheel splash park is so much fun. There are a couple of different parts to the splash park, plus a playpark and lots of other (paid) activities. We spent the best part of 2 hours here and could easily have stayed longer. It’s such a great place for a cool down on a hot sunny day, and best of all, it’s free!
Flip Out Mini Flippers
We all really enjoyed the Mini Flippers session at Flip Out. I think you forget as an adult how much fun jumping actually is! The kids had an absolute blast and we were all exhausted by the end. At £4 per person for almost unlimited time it’s great value too. Flip Out is definitely our favourite trampoline place in Glasgow so far!
Loch Lomond Faerie Trail
The Loch Lomond Faerie Trail a brilliant way to have a fun day outside in the beautiful Scottish countryside. It’s full of things to see and do and there are puzzles to solve and things to find at each faerie door station. And Luss is such a beautiful place on the banks of Loch Lomond, you could easily make a whole day of it here.
Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum
We love a little trip into Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum for a few hours. It’s a huge space for the little ones to play in and a great place to meet up with a bunch of buggies. If you manage to read anything, that’s always a bonus!
Loop & Scoop
I don’t often take the kids out for ice cream in the middle of winter. But when I do, I make sure I get a churro out of it!
The Big Feed
The Big Feed is a brilliant place to eat out is a casual, family friendly setting. There’s lots going, lots of background noise, and it’s no problem if you have a roamer child like we do. The food is also casual, but really yummy.
National Museum of Rural Life
The National Museum of Rural Life is an excellent day out. It’s one of our favourite places to visit. There are lovely farm animals to see (and probably to give a wee pat to), lots to keep kids entertained in the museum, a little playpark, and a decent cafe as well. The tractor ride is fun for everyone too.
The Big Slide at Soar intu Braehead
We checked out the latest addition to Soar at intu Braehead today; The Big Slide at Climbzone! It’s the worlds biggest indoor slide and it’s so much fun.
Glasgow Botanic Gardens
The Glasgow Botanic Gardens are a lovely sanctuary in such a busy corner of the city. The playpark is fun and theres lots of space for the kids to run free. The Botanics are the perfect place to let the kids let off steam without travelling too far or spending any money. As a bonus, I get to see the gigantic cacti too!
The Kelpies
I really enjoy a trip to the Kelpies, and the kids do too. It’s outdoors, it’s free, and because the Kelpies themselves are just beautiful. The playpark is fantastic and it’s a totally wheel friendly place too.
Disney On Ice
The kids were spellbound from the moment Mickey and Minnie stepped onto the rink and started the show. They laughed at Goofy; they were wowed by Elsa’s castle appearing; they clung on tight when Ursula came on stage; and they were mesmerised by the cars. They had a wonderful time.
Linlithgow Palace
Linlithgow Palace is a really fun castle to explore. It is incredibly pretty with a really interesting history. The grounds are beautiful and the walk round the loch isn’t too long or strenuous for little legs. If you take a picnic, it’s a lovely place for a day trip.
Dollar Glen & Castle Campbell
We took a trip out to Dollar Glen & Castle Campbell in the summer. It’s a great day trip if you’re looking for something totally laid back and outdoors. There’s lots of natural things to examine on the walk up the Glen, and a beautiful castle to explore when you reach the the top!
Finlaystone Country Estate
Rustic, lovely and a tiny bit magical; Finlaystone is one of my favourite finds from last year. There’s so much to entertain kids. They can let their legs and imaginations run wild. And it’s a great place to bring the dog too.
Mini Manoeuvres Glasgow
DJ, bar, soft play, playdough, face painting, sandpit, Lego, balloons & good grub. Mini Manoeuvres is a truly excellent way to go clubbing. With your kids.