16 Fun Things To Do in Bristol with Toddlers 2024
There are lots of fun and exciting activities for toddlers in and around Bristol. Here's a selection of the best ones:
Bristol Aquarium
If your toddler is fascinated by animals that live under the sea they'll love Bristol Aquarium.
There is a daily schedule of great talks and feeds, such as Breakfast for the Rays and Sharks in the coral reef at 11:30am, the Amazon Fish Feeding Frenzy at 2:30pm, and Octavia the common octopus's training session at 3pm.There are lots of underwater displays such as Coral Seas, Amazing Amazon, Sunken Shipwreck and Ocean Floor and more. They each have their own different sea creatures for your toddlers to discover.
The Aquarium is open every day including Bank Holidays (closed Christmas Day), and there's a special toddler admission ticket which is free for children aged 0-2!The C-Shed Cafe serves light meals and snacks, and a range of hot and cold drinks that you can drink in the cafe or take with you whilst you are visiting the aquarium.
https://www.bristolaquarium.co.uk/
SS Great Britain
Your toddler's imagination will be fired as you board this historic sailing ship, experiencing the sights and sounds of life on the ocean waves.
You'll meet costumed guides who will tell you all about the ship and what life was like for those first ocean-going passengers, including the galley and bakery, the weather deck and the first class and steerage areas.
Toddlers aged 3 and under can visit the SS Great Britain for free!
https://www.ssgreatbritain.org/things-to-do/the-ship/
Windmill Hill City Farm
Toddlers will love the open green spaces of the four-and-a-half-acre Windmill Hill City Farm located in Bedminster in South Bristol.
There are lots of farm animals to visit such as pigs, geese, goats, sheep and poultry; picnic areas; a cafe; community gardens and play area.You'll have great fun showing your kids the various trails on the farm, including the Stick Man Trail based on the Stick Man book by Julia Donaldson/ Axel Scheffler, where you're guided around the farm by colourful illustrated information boards and an activity sheet.
Admission to the Farm is free, donations are encouraged!https://www.windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk/visit-us/
Bristol Museum & Art Gallery
Bristol Museum and Art Gallery is a firm favourite with many visitors to Bristol, and it has some great things for toddlers to see.
There is a special under-fives activity area called Curiosity, where your toddlers can play with puppets, act on the stage (with dressing up costumes), and solve puzzles. There is a soft play area for the really little babes too.
The other areas of the museum your toddlers might enjoy include the Dinosaur Gallery, Egyptian Gallery (including Egyptian Mummies) and British Wildlife Gallery.
https://www.bristolmuseums.org.uk/bristol-museum-and-art-gallery/plan-your-visit/families/
AirHop Bristol
The Airhop Trampoline Park holds special Toddler Takeover sessions in the mornings Friday to Monday which are perfect for bouncy kids aged 1-6. They are open every day during the school holidays.
For only £11 for an adult and a child (£6 for extra adults or children), Toddler Takeover allows you to take your toddler on all the best activities at Airhop, without the risk of being squashed by an older kid!
Your toddlers can try out the Main Trampoline Area, the Dodgeball Court, the AR Trampolines, the Wipeout Bouncy Castle, the Huge Bouncy Airbags and more - all reserved exclusively for little ones and their adults for the whole session.
At the end of each session, there's bubble time and a visit from a surprise guest!
https://www.airhop.co.uk/bristol-adventure-trampoline-park/sessions/toddler-takeover/
Canford Park Playground
Canford Park is a wonderful green open space with football pitches, tennis courts, a rose garden and lilly pond, and a bowling green.
For toddlers the best part of the park is the adventure playground - with a special under 8's section to keep them safe.There's a kiosk serving hot drinks, and there are toilet facilities in the park. It's only a 15-minute drive from Bristol City Centre, or a 30-minute bus ride, so it's easy to get there.
The Park is open at all times and free to enter.https://visitbristol.co.uk/things-to-do/canford-park-playground-p1879933
Avon Valley Railway
Most toddlers adore the sight and sound of steam trains, and the Avon Valley Railway is the ideal place to take your train-mad toddlers!
There are three miles of restored track at the Avon Valley Railway, and the restored Victorian railway station at Bitton has a station buffet and small museum area. You can also walk alongside the track on the Bristol and Bath Railway Path.
It's best to take your toddler to the Railway on the "operating days" when the trains are running, as that is when the place really comes to life, and you can ride on the trains.
There's a timetable on the Railway website showing which days trains will be running, so you can book in advance.
https://www.avonvalleyrailway.org/visit-us/timetable/
Ocean Adventurers
Ocean Adventurers is a play centre with a difference. It has sections designed to give the different age ranges of children (up to age 12) a fantastic day out.
The baby sensory area is for kids aged 0-2 and is designed to stimulate your baby's senses and encourage exploration of the world. There are bubble tubes, infinity tunnels, ball pits, sound walls, sensory lights and more!
The area for children aged 2-4 is a super toddler soft play with an under-the-sea theme. The tubes and tunnels will make your toddlers feel like they are in a submarine, and the interactive learning screens, slides, ball pits and treasure chests all add to the fun.
For the older kids, (aged 5-12), there's a bigger soft play, with a 4-lane astro slide, a tunnel slide, zip wires and even an aquarium tunnel!
There's also a role-playing section at Ocean Adventurers, where your toddler can visit the mini-village which includes a vets, doctor's surgery, cafe, supermarket and more.
Avon Valley Adventure & Wildlife Park
The Avon Valley Adventure & Wildlife Park is a toddler's dream day out - lots of space to run around, animals to pet, a miniature railway to ride and a valley of animatronic dinosaurs to explore!
Here are some of the exciting activities your toddler can enjoy at the park:
- Dinosaur Valley
- Strawberry Line Miniature Ride-on Railway
- Meet the Animals
- Toddler Village Play Shops
- Sand and Water Play Parks
There are of course all of the usual toilet facilities and a cafe serving delicious food to keep your toddlers fuelled up during their active day!
The Park only opens during school holidays and bank holidays, so check their website for their open days.
https://avonvalley.co.uk/plan-your-visit/park-opening/
Aerospace Bristol
Aerospace Bristol is a great place to visit with your toddler, especially if they love planes and flying.
Alfie and Amelia are two cartoon foxes who can guide your kids around a time-travelling adventure at Aerospace Bristol on colourful display boards, and there's a comic book to download that your older toddlers might enjoy.One of the best displays at Aerospace Bristol is the real-life Concorde, which you can walk all around (and under) and then step inside to see what it was like to be a passenger and a pilot.
There are, of course, dozens of other aircraft, both modern and historical, to discover in the two huge galleries at Aerospace Bristol.There's a fun outdoor play area called Little Pilots, where your toddlers can let off steam whilst you relax with a cup of coffee!
Jungle Mania
Jungle Mania is a handy soft play centre right in the heart of Bristol, at the Galleries Shopping Centre. It's ideal if you want your toddlers to let off steam in the middle of a shopping trip.
There is a big climbing play frame with slides, tunnels, nets etc. for the over 2-year-olds, and a smaller baby area for the youngest children (under 4s).The Treetops Cafe is available to refuel your kids, with breakfast, adults and kids menus to choose from.
If you book a session for your toddlers at Jungle Mania online (there are 3 sessions daily) you will get a 10% discount. Also, good news for pre-schoolers - it's cheaper on weekdays in term-time!
https://www.jungle-mania.co.uk/bristol.html
Bristol Zoo Project
You'll find lots of fascinating animals for your toddler to spot at the Bristol Zoo Project.
They have many large breeds such as giraffes, bears, cheetahs and more. Also, there are the smaller animals such as the meerkat family (in the walled garden), and the lemurs which have their own walkthrough attraction.
The part of the zoo your toddler is going to really enjoy is the Barefoot Trail, where they can kick off their socks and shoes and experience the sensations of walking on different textures such as pebbles, tree bark, gooey mud and more!
There are two main refreshment areas - the courtyard cafe which has soup, sandwiches and jacket potato style meals, and the pizzeria base camp which serves pizzas and burgers - they even have a reduced menu for smaller appetites.
Bristol Zoo Project, which was formerly Bristol Zoo Gardens, is in a new location close to Cribbs Causeway, north of the city. It's well worth the short drive from central Bristol, with free parking, lots of facilities and animals, and great day out for your toddlers!
https://bristolzoo.org.uk/visit/day-plans
Bristol Harbour Tour on The Matthew
Boat trips are always popular with toddlers, and they're even better if they're on a real sailing ship!
The Matthew is a reproduction of the John Cabot's boat that sailed all the way to Newfoundland in 1497.
The Matthew Harbour Tour is a great adventure - the 45-minute trip will take you from the mooring at Princes Wharf around the floating harbour from Prince St Bridge to the Junction Lock, with great views of the city and the other boats in the harbour, including SS Great Britain.
There's no food or drink for sale on the ship, so it might be worth taking a snack for your toddlers. There is a toilet available (down a steep ladder) for when the ship is sailing.
Harbour trips on The Matthew run regularly from April - October.
Check on The Matthew website for the available trips - if the date you want is not there, it may be that those tickets have not been released yet - the tickets are released a short time in advance in batches.
https://matthew.co.uk/book-tickets
Noah's Ark Zoo Farm
Noah's Ark Zoo Farm is a great family-friendly day out just a short drive from Bristol City Centre.
They have over 100 different species of animals, daily keeper talks and displays (including meet and greets!), and many indoor and outdoor play areas.
Every Monday and Wednesday morning during term-time there is a special parent and toddler activity at the Zoo called Jungle Tots.
It's from 10:30 until 12 for toddlers aged 5 and under, and includes storytime, a craft activity, play in the soft play and a chance to meet one of the Zoo's friendly animals.
https://www.noahsarkzoofarm.co.uk/
Goldfinch Create and Play
Goldfinch Create and Play is a delightful art cafe and play centre in Westbury-on-Trym (near to Canford Park) that provides a great environment for the whole family to have fun.
They take play seriously at Goldfinch - it's a screen-free space where your toddlers (and you) can make friends, be creative and enjoy healthy food in the Goldfinch Cafe.Your toddlers will especially love the create and play sessions for pre-school children, which are art sessions inspired by nature - you can even try a session for free with your baby or toddler.
https://www.goldfinchcreateandplay.co.uk/
Axis Trampoline & Gymnastics Club
This is an ideal place to take your budding gymnasts, with a fully equipped gymnastics gym and qualified instructors.
There are two sorts of toddler drop-in sessions run by the club: Adventurers and Pre-School Fun Sessions. You can join in by booking a drop-in session online, even if you're only in Bristol for a short visit.
The Adventurers Sessions are for 2 to 4-year-olds using trampolines and gymnastic equipment and are led by the instructors (with parents supporting the kids through the activities).
The Pre-School Fun Sessions for birth to 4/5 year olds, allow parents and toddlers to enjoy non-structured play time on the soft play, trampolines and gymnastic equipment.
https://www.axistrampolineclub.co.uk/pre-school-trampolining/
I hope you enjoyed our toddler activities in Bristol, and you're inspired to try one or more next time you visit the city.
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