Family Friendly Things to Do

Weston-super-Mare makes a great family destination for days out and holidays. We've got indoor and outdoor attractions so whatever the weather and whatever your family are into you will always be able to find something to do.

Family Fun in Weston-super-Mare

We've got our famous and awesome Grand Pier, pictured below, which is a one-stop exciting indoor entertainment centre, we've got our massive sandy beach complete with donkeys in the summer and a safe swimming area where the tide is always in.

We've got an indoor climbing centre with the highest vertical drop slide in the UK, Europe's largest helicopter museum, Banksy's pinwheel and some amazing street art. There is also a children's Water Adventure Play Park which is as cheap as chips, indoor and outdoor crazy golf, a bowling alley and a brand new laser quest centre

If you want it, we've got it by the beach bucketload...so, let's delve a little deeper.

Top Indoor Activities

You can plan your itinerary and research your trip with military precision but the one thing you can't guarantee is the British weather. Luckily Weston-super-Mare has you covered, literally with lots of indoor activities.

Grand Pier

Watch your childrens' faces light up as they enter this magnificent world of entertainment sticking out into the sea.

It is a one-stop destination for family fun and a must-visit on any itinerary. All its attractions - such as Go-karts, F1 simulators, arcade games, fairground rides, a laser maze, House of Horrors, crystal maze, a crazy circus and disco bikes - are all under one roof, so rain won't stop the fun. 

To see all the rides and attractions click here.

It cost £1 to enter, unless you have a free resident cards. It also has fantastic views, as well as places to eat and drink. 

Clip 'n Climb

We've got the highest vertical drop slide in the UK at the amazing indoor Clip 'n Climb climbing centre which also has the thrilling Leap of Faith experience to really get the adrenaline pumping if you dare. 

It’s a fantasic place to challenge yourself and is perfect for kids of all ages with walls and challenges to suit everyone from four-year-olds to adults. There is also a cafe for those who prefer to watch.

Laser Quest

Laser Quest on North Street is one of Weston's newest attractions and if you haven't discovered it yet, what are you waiting for? It's full-on family entertainment where you put on your pack and step into the future. You'll battle for supremacy in a laser shoot-out taking you through a journey of sound, lights and smoke. There can only be one winner in this real life video game where you try to zap your opponents and avoid being zapped in a labyrinth of catwalks, mazes, swirling fog, special effects, music and lights. It's futuristic but it is for all ages.

The Activity Dome

The Activity Dome at 17 North Street offers indoor Axe Throwing, pottery, Smart Darts and pool. For events such as axe throwing, participants must be over 15 and accompanied by an adult until they turn 18.

Indoor Crazy Golf

Don't let the rain stop you from competing in the good old seaside favourite game of crazy golf, because we've moved it inside. You can play a jazzed-up glow-in-the-dark neon version at Revo or you can try and get your hole-in-one undercover amidst the arcades and games on the Grand Pier.

Little Town Adventures

Parents of little children don't need to worry if it starts raining in Weston-super-Mare because our favourite seaside town has been recreated indoors in miniature for them to play in! Little Town Adventures is an immersive model town for youngsters aged from one to ten to play in. It even has its own Grand Pier, fire station, supermarket, town hall and supermarket for them to play in. Actors add to the two-hour play experience.

Helicopter Museum

Weston has the largest dedicated helicopter collection in the world with over 80 exhibits on display in an all-weather hangar. The collection covers civilian and military machines. Exhibits include the Queen's Flight helicopter and the Westland Lynx that still holds the helicopter world speed record of 249mph. The museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Ten-pin bowling

Here's another great family leveller and indoor attraction. The Allstars complex on Central Walk, Dolphin Square, also has darts, pool, shuffle boards and a karaoke booth as well as food and drink.

X-Treme Air

Hutton Moor Leisure Centre has an indoor inflatable obstacle course. It includes obstacles and fun activities, including a bash and parkour area, wipeout balls, an obstacle challenge course, a freefall and slide, and a corner slide with built-in interactive area. Those brave enough can even attempt to scale the Jelly Mountain. 

The Stables Games Room

This town centre venue, opposite The Playhouse, is fabulous whatever the weather with hundreds of free-to-play board games. 

Wookey Hole

If you're looking to escape wet weather what better way of doing it than to escape deep underground at Wookey Hole caves. Wookey Hole is a fantastic must-visit family day out. It's best known for its spectacular caves - the largest show caves in England - which you can visit in the traditional fashion or, for those braver explorers, by booking the Wild Wookey experience. In addition to the caves, there's a Dinosaur Grove, a vintage arcade, magic mirrors a museum and the Wookey Circus at weekends.

Banksy's Pinwheel 

Banksy's pinwheel is on display in Weston's museum. The pinwheel had been part of the famous artist's 2015 Dismaland exhibition in the town.

Outdoor Activities 

Lots of people make a beeline for our famous beach but there are plenty of other outdoor activities for families to enjoy in Weston-super-Mare and the surrounding areas.

Street art 

Go street art spotting. Weston has an amazing outdoor gallery of stunning street art which will fascinate and amaze all ages. Head to our street art page and use the map to freestyle your own tour of some of the murals.

Make sure you include Weston Museum in your tour though, because that houses a Banksy - not one of his murals, but his Pinwheel from his world-famous Dismaland exhibition which was held in Weston-super-Mare.

Water Adventure Park

The Water & Adventure Play Park on Knightstone Road offers amazingly good value for younger children. They can enjoy the splash pad for just £3 all day in the summer season with watching parents going free. The park also has a castle, a climbing pyramid, a sandpit, a snake swing, zip-wire and even a xylophone for children to play. When the splash-pad is off, there is no charge to use the rest of the park.

There's an independently-run cafe, toilets and changing rooms as well as a small tourist information centre.

Marine Lake

Marine Lake is a 200m wide enlosed sandy beach perfect for swimming or paddleboarding even when the tide is out. Weston-super-Mare has the second highest tidal range in the world, but the water is always in here and is kept in place by a causeway wall which also offers protection from tides and currents. The water gets refreshed and replenished by the natural high tides and is kept in place by sluices, so there is always water.

It is a dog-free zone and there are cafes and loos. for more details on swimming in Weston click here.

The Weston Sky View Wheel

Grab yourself a bird's eye view over Weston-super-Mare by taking a trip on the 40-metre high observation wheel. This is a summer-only attraction.

Crazy Golf

It doesn't matter if dad is a six-handicapper and you've never picked up a club before because crazy golf is a great fun family-leveller where the windmill hole is capable of cutting the very best golfer down to size. 

Petanque or Boules

In July 2023, an outdoor petanque and bowls court was opened at the Southern end of the Beach Lawns near Royal Sands. It is free to use and has eight lanes but people will need to bring their own boules.

Puxton Park 

The award-winning Puxton Park is a great day out especially for families with younger children. It's got an adventure area, mini-railway, animal zone and water fun area. It's so popular with locals that many buy a season ticket. It's just the other side of the M5 motorway but can be easily accessed by bus. Pictured below is their high ropes course.

Animal Encounters and Nature

We are famous for our seaside donkeys here in Weston-super-Mare. They have been on the beach here since 1886. You can usually see them throughout the school summer and Easter Holidays as well as on summer weekends.

Noah's Ark Zoo Farm

Noahs Ark Zoo Farm makes a fabulous day out for car drivers. It can also be accessed by taking two buses from Weston-super-Mare and is well worth the effort. You will come face to face with cheeky meerkats, be awed by African elephants and dazzled by the zebra herd as well as seeing lions and bears to name just a few. There are also daily birds of prey displays. 

At the zoo farm, play and adventure never stops with ten play areas across the 100-acre site. Youngsters can enjoy the huge indoor play barns including under 5’s soft play and a giant rainbow slide. You can also try to navigate your way through Britain’s longest hedge maze. The puzzle has 3.4km of paths and a wooden nest tower at the centre, pictured below.

Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm has also won the Visit England Gold Award for Accessible and Inclusive Tourism.

Court Farm

Court Farm is a real working farm which welcomes around 50,000 visitors each year. They have lots of friendly animals from ponies to pigs to cows, donkeys and sheep. There's lots going on most days from bottle-feeding baby lambs to milking show and free tractor rides.

Activity, Adventure and outdoor sports

Weston has two amazing activity centres on its doorstep offering a wide range of exciting sports and activities for families.

Mendip Activity Centre

Adventurers can try their hand at several sports at the Mendip Activity Centre including caving, snowboarding, skiing, climbing, kayaking, paddleboarding, archery and even axe-throwing. Adults and children can learn together here, often in the same class, under the tuition of brilliant instructors. The centre is around a 25-minute drive from Weston.

Wall Eden

Wall Eden offers another brilliant option for adventurous families. Paddleboarding, kayaking, archery, target shooting, axe throwing and fishing are among the activities available.  Again, it's around a 30-minute car journey away but there's also luxury lodges and pods should you wish to do it that way.

Theme Parks and Waterparks

Brean Splash and Brean Leisure Park

Just a short drive or bus ride out of Weston on the number 20  there's the Brean Splash water centre and Brean Leisure Park with all its rides and attractions. Check this out on our dedicated swimming page.

Theatres

Weston has four theatres - two large ones and two smaller fringe theatres - all serving up a variety of shows and entertainment. Click the red title to find out more.

Weston Museum

If you fancy something educational, Weston Town Museum offers just that in a fun and easily digestible way. As well as being able to try on a swimming hat, similar to the one worn by Weston's four-times Olympic gold medallist Paulo Radmilovic, you can step inside Clara's Cottage - a full Victorian re-incarnation - and also see a real Banksy with the artist's famous pinwheel on show, pictured below.  The Burlington Street museum is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Entertainment

Weston has four theatres - two large ones and two smaller fringe theatres - all serving up a variety of shows and entertainment. There are also two cinemas.