Indoor Things to Do with Kids in Birmingham: Soft Play & More

Birmingham has enough indoor options to cover a wet Saturday, a cold half-term week or a winter afternoon when the park is out of the question. Soft play centres, climbing walls, an aquarium, a science museum and several bowling alleys are spread across the city, so you can usually find something close to where you are. Below are some of the better-reviewed places, grouped by type.

Soft play and indoor playgrounds

For younger children, LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Birmingham combines brick-building with rides, creative workshops and miniature landmarks. It is rated 4.1 from 4,482 Google reviews.

Monster Mayhem has a two-storey climbing frame, mini quad bikes and a football pitch, plus an onsite café. It is rated 4.1 from 1,461 Google reviews.

In Kings Heath, Hickory Dickory's Playhouse Birmingham has an onsite restaurant and parking.

Wibbly Wobbly spreads its climbing over several floors and adds a sports area and a ride-on zone, with refreshments available.

Treasure Island Play Centre on the Northfield Trading Estate is a fully accessible venue that welcomes families with babies and wheelchair users, and it serves refreshments onsite.

Scallywags Birmingham at The Fort has separate zones for different ages, including sensory areas, and is aimed at children up to 10.

Active and sporty

Climbing suits children who need to burn off energy but would rather do something other than bounce. Rock Up Birmingham offers over 70 routes for all abilities and is rated 4.7 from 1,148 Google reviews. Creation Indoor Climbing Centre has a 6,000 square foot bouldering zone and more than 100 top-rope routes.

If bouncing is what you need, AirHop Adventure & Trampoline Park Birmingham in Kings Norton has bounce activities for all ages, onsite refreshments and wheelchair access.

For something more competitive, Laser Quest Birmingham in Acocks Green offers laser tag, with an onsite restaurant for refuelling between games.

Two indoor mini golf venues are worth knowing about. Adventure Island Mini Golf at Star City has two themed 18-hole courses, onsite parking and snacks. Treetop Golf Birmingham at the Bullring has 36 jungle-themed holes across twin courses, with full wheelchair and pushchair access. Each is rated 4.6 from 1,089 Google reviews.

Puzzles, virtual reality and creative play

Exciting Game - Escape Room Birmingham sets themed challenges where the family has to work together against the clock. It is rated 4.9 from 4,492 Google reviews.

MeetspaceVR Birmingham, near Utilita Arena, lets the family explore virtual worlds together in a space that is accessible to wheelchairs and pushchairs. Tutankhamun: The Immersive Exhibition uses virtual reality and detailed reconstructions to take visitors through the pharaoh's tomb, and is also fully accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs.

Museums and aquariums

SEA LIFE Birmingham is a canal-side aquarium with dozens of themed zones and fully accessible facilities for pushchairs and wheelchairs. It is rated 4.2 from 15,835 Google reviews, the most of any venue here.

Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum at Millennium Point has hands-on science displays, a planetarium and an outdoor garden. It is rated 4.4 from 5,509 Google reviews.

The Birmingham Museum and Gallery in Chamberlain Square covers Egyptian artefacts and Anglo-Saxon gold alongside galleries on the city's heritage. For older children interested in dinosaurs and the distant past, the Lapworth Museum of Geology shows fossils, minerals and geological specimens, and is rated 4.7 from 1,450 Google reviews.

The Pen Museum tells the story of Birmingham's steel pen trade through interactive displays and demonstrations, in a pushchair-friendly venue.

Rainy-day classics: bowling, cinema and theatre

Bowling is an easy choice for a mixed-age group. Hollywood Bowl Birmingham Rubery at Birmingham Great Park has baby changing facilities and pushchair-friendly lanes. Hollywood Bowl Birmingham Broadway Plaza has neon lighting and upbeat music, with full wheelchair and pushchair access. In Acocks Green, Acocks Green Bowl has accessible lanes and onsite dining, and is rated 4.5 from 1,706 Google reviews.

For a film, Vue Birmingham at Star City has 25 screens, onsite parking and snacks. It is rated 4.0 from 6,919 Google reviews.

For live entertainment, the Birmingham Hippodrome stages musicals, dance and other shows, with full wheelchair access throughout. It is rated 4.7 from 11,055 Google reviews.

Tips for an indoor day out

• Book weekend and school-holiday slots ahead where booking is offered, as popular places can fill up.
• Check the venue's own page for opening times and any session details before you set off.
• Soft play centres often ask for socks, so pack a spare pair for everyone.
• Pair one active venue with one calmer one, such as climbing in the morning and a museum in the afternoon.
• Take snacks and a drink for the journey, and keep a dry change of clothes in the car.