Looking for ways to keep the kids entertained during the summer holidays? From outdoor adventures to immersive experiences, there’s plenty happening across Manchester to fill your days with fun. Whether you’ve got little explorers or older kids to impress, we’ve rounded up plenty of things to do with kids in and around Manchester that are great for making the most of the lengthy summer break.
Printworks Summer Safari
Printworks turns its Pumpyard into a wildlife-themed play zone for the school holidays. The space features a sandpit, an interactive, wheelchair-accessible safari jeep with a working horn and engine sounds, and a digital Safari Animal Trail running across the venue’s massive ceiling screen, where kids track animal footprints and answer wildlife quizzes. The launch day steps things up with a visit from CBeebies presenter Andy Day, who leads three interactive workshops covering animal calls, wildlife dances, and storytime. A giant life-size elephant puppet also roams the venue for three walkabouts, and young explorers get a complimentary safari hat to take home.
East Lancashire Railway
See the nearby countryside in style by hopping on board on a East Lancashire Railway steam train, which runs from Bury to Rawtenstall. Over the holidays the railway will be hosting a number of fun events and experiences to keep all of the family entertained. For the little ones who are taking a break from school there are visits from famous characters to look forward to, including Peppa Pig. East Lancashire Railway will also be hosting The Dino Adventure, a day out with some wacky wizards and a traditional luncheon.
Step inside the cosmos in this free-roam virtual reality journey, created in collaboration with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. The experience transforms raw astronomical data from NASA, the ESA, and the Smithsonian into immersive 3D worlds, allowing you to walk through the birth of stars and the surfaces of alien planets. Guided by “Astro,” you begin on the summit of Mount Hopkins in Arizona before embarking on a tour of the galaxy. Highlights include witnessing solar flares from the Sun, exploring the lava-covered landscape of the “diamond planet” Janssen, observing the death of the red supergiant Betelgeuse, and standing at the edge of the supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way.
Flight Academy
Kids can try their hand at becoming a pilot this summer, as the popular Flight Academy returns to Manchester Airport’s Runway Visitor Park. From sitting in the cockpit to dressing the part and “taking control” of the flight deck, it’s the perfect activity for aspiring pilots. Kids can also head outside to have a look at Manchester Airport’s runways and watch the planes take off and land as well as take a tour of the park’s retired airliners, including the iconic Concorde.
Trafford Centre is bringing back its Summer Fair for the school holidays, setting up a beach, splash pool, and fairground rides outside the venue. Inside, the new Cosmic Carnival Show takes over the Orient Main Stage twice a week throughout August. The circus-themed performances feature aerialists, a ‘Zero-Gravity Disco’, and post-show interactive workshops where kids can learn dance routines and circus skills directly from the performers. Children can pick up a free Summer Passport from Guest Services to collect stamps across attractions like Paradise Island Adventure Golf, Laser Quest, the Fair, and the carnival shows. Completed passports go into a draw for gift cards up to £1,000. Additionally, the annual Emergency Services Day parks response vehicles at the centre for kids to explore, and a school uniform donation drive runs until 16 August at the Guest Services Lounge on Lower Regent Crescent to support local families.
The UK’s largest touring soapbox derby takes over Stockport with a 350m downhill track packed with chicanes, water splashes, and obstacles. Local businesses, schools, and community groups launch their outrageous hand-crafted karts down the course, competing for speed alongside titles like Best Dressed and Best Showmanship. You can check out the racers up close in the Pit Area and grab a bite from the local street food traders. The Italian Auto Moto Club also joins the event with an extensive classic car display throughout the Marketplace, while a historic aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight provides a special flypast over the town.
This immersive bubble experience landed in the city earlier this year, and is open throughout the summer holidays. Held at Depot Mayfield, the Bubble Planet Experience features 10 rooms, with each space offering a new sensory experience. From enormous bubbles and balloons to an oversized ball pit, it’s an endless delight for the senses! Plus, you can experience Bubble Planet at your own pace during their special Sensory-Friendly Sessions on July 30th and August 21st (9am-10am).
Black Cat Club Summer Family Offer
Black Cat Club is opening up its gaming lanes to families for free this summer. You can introduce the kids to interactive darts, which feature fast-paced, beginner-friendly games on digital boards, or face off over the venue’s shuffleboard tables. The venues also serve a full food and drink menu to fuel the competition. Dishes range from sharing plates and nachos to burgers and wraps, making it easy to grab lunch or a snack between rounds.
Summer in the City Picnic
Symphony Park will transform into an open-air dining and entertainment space centered around long communal picnic tables. You can grab food from Circle Square’s independent restaurants, including Gooey, Onda, Hello Oriental, and Half Dozen Other, to eat outdoors. The event features live DJs, roaming steel drum bands, and a silent disco. Activities include sip and paint sessions, pop-up mini golf, foot pool, and basketball shoot-outs. You can also pick up flowers at a seasonal bouquet bar, and there is a dedicated picnic area for dogs offering bespoke pup portraits.
Europe’s largest vertical ramp lands on the rooftop of Depot Mayfield for a four-day skate festival. Pros from the X Games, including Jimmy Wilkins, fly in to compete for a £20,000 prize pot across multiple divisions. Off the main ramp, the Skate Zone Experience hosts beginner learn-to-skate sessions, open ramps, and balance board areas for sharpening board control. Live music, street food, and interactive spaces will run throughout the weekend.
Over 1,200 drones will light up the sky near Manchester this summer for a massive open-air tribute to the Harry Potter™ films. The illuminated fleet shifts into shapes of iconic characters, magical creatures, and symbols like the golden snitch, all moving in sync with the franchise’s original soundtrack. Spectators get an exclusive LED wristband that flashes and changes colour in time with key moments overhead, pulling you directly into the sky-high display. Food and drink stalls are available on-site, alongside themed merchandise so you can grab a souvenir before the stargazing kicks off.
Switching to a Sunday for the first time, Manchester Day is returning with a distinct Catalan influence following the city’s stint as a guest at Barcelona’s La Mercè festival. Performers will travel from Spain to join local artists, filling the streets with live music, acrobatics, and giant puppets. The mini Manchester Day Parade anchors the afternoon, taking on a literary theme this year to tie into the national celebration of books and reading. Arts organisation Walk the Plank will lead the route, working with local community groups to coordinate the day’s dance and walkabout performances.
Oxygen at MediaCity has launched a summer pass scheme, offering unlimited access to play sessions throughout the school holidays. The pass gives families access to as many 60-minute Open Play sessions as they please, with full usage meaning bouncing sessions can cost as little as 13p each. The indoor park features trampolines, a mega-airbag, a giant inflatable zone, a strike arena, a high ropes course, and an aerial ride. There’s also a new SEN pass that grants access to dedicated sessions with reduced capacity and quieter environments.
Museum of Illusions
The Museum of Illusions packs over 60 interactive exhibits into its fully indoor Market Street space. You can navigate optical illusions, gravity-defying rooms, holograms, and puzzles, alongside photo-focused setups like upside-down rooms, shrinking chairs, and reality-bending mirrors. To make visits even more affordable this summer, the museum is offering 20% off family tickets plus a £20 voucher (valid 18th July-1st September), which can be used towards an additional ticket or in the gift shop. Visitors can also enjoy an additional 15% off tickets as part of the Great British Summer Savings initiative from June 25.
The Together Again Festival will return to Cheshire this summer, delivering a three-day camping event focused on live music, comedy, and cabaret. Organisers will set up multiple dedicated stages across the grounds, including the Agora tent for dance music, The Ranch for country artists, and the Wonky Lizard stage for karaoke and comedy acts. Families attending the festival will find the Tic Tac Toe area, a dedicated zone containing over 50 free activities like climbing walls, circus skills workshops, and science experiments.
Just under an hour from Manchester, this Cheshire estate balances Victorian history with plenty of outdoor space. You can wander through the award-winning formal gardens and woodland trails, or have a nosey around the meticulously restored Walton Hall. The main draw is the free-to-enter Children’s Zoo, where you’ll find roaming peacocks, donkeys, pigs, and even alpaca-walking sessions. To burn off extra energy, the grounds also feature a fully accessible playground, an adventure golf course, and an on-site high ropes course.
The 30-foot Skybolt 2 rocket touches down at the Science and Industry Museum every Wednesday this summer. Capable of speeds up to 3,200 mph, the spacecraft first flew in 2017 and still bears the marks of its landing. You can get a close-up look at the hardware and chat directly with the team behind the launch. Alongside the rocket, the museum is hosting a rotating lineup of space-themed events each week such as interactive performances from puppet-toting artist Solar Sister, astronaut draw-along workshops with author Kate Pankhurst, space-inspired LEGO building sessions, and high-energy junk percussion sets built around the concept of space waste.
Dear Zoo Live at The Lowry
Rod Campbell’s classic lift-the-flap book Dear Zoo will take to the stage this August at The Lowry. The 55-minute live show adapts the story with puppets, original music, and plenty of audience interaction as each surprise animal arrives from the zoo. Running without an interval, the production is set up as an easy first theatre trip for toddlers and young children. You can expect all the familiar deliveries straight from the page, from the monkey and the jumpy frog to the perfect puppy to round things out. A relaxed performance will take place on August 13 at 11am and 1.30pm, plus a BSL show will take place on August 14 at 1.30pm.
Raver Tots is bringing its high-energy family dance party to Manchester for a festival-style event suitable for all ages. Expect a full-scale club production featuring professional dancers, laser light shows, and club decor, all soundtracked by the best in house, garage, drum and bass, and old skool classics. It’s an ideal spot to get the kids active and burning off energy while parents enjoy the atmosphere. The event includes plenty of themed fun, such as face painting and glow sticks, making it a proper day out for the whole family.
Dunham Massey’s sunflower fields open for the summer, offering winding trails through ten different varieties of the classic bloom. The walk now includes a sprawling wildflower meadow, and kids can keep busy with a dedicated floral scavenger hunt. You can also pick up freshly cut stems straight from the field to take home. Because the trails sit on the grounds of Dunham Massey Farm Ice Cream, you can pair the walk with scoops made onsite using milk from their own grazing cows—look out for flavours like Caramac, Custard Cream, or White Chocolate & Oreo.
King Pins
King Pins is offering something a little different from the usual summer day out: a fun, all-under-one-roof experience that works whatever the weather, with enough to entertain the whole family – a win-win! Alongside Ten Pin Bowling, Duck Pin Bowling, Ice Free Curling, Shuffleboard, American Pool, Mini Golf, Karaoke and a fully fitted Arcade, guests can also enjoy Batting Cages and Shooting Pods at the Arndale, making it the perfect spot for families, groups, or anyone looking to keep kids entertained.
Chester Zoo’s evening festival, Afterglow, returns this summer with a major update: for the first time, you don’t need a separate ticket to stay late. Guests can explore the zoo during the day and flow straight into the evening program, getting a rare look at the indoor habitats, walkthrough aviaries, and 30,000 animals after hours. You can hit a UV silent disco inside one of the historic buildings, grab cocktails overlooking the giraffe enclosure, or catch life-sized dinosaurs roaming the site.
