15 ideas for family days out in Brighton with kids
You can find loads of fun attractions in Brighton for families, including plenty of all-weather options. For a bit of culture, you can check out kid-friendly museums or tour the seaside Royal Pavilion. Head over to the aquarium for wild marine life and creature exhibits or stroll along Brighton beach and promenade. You can visit the pier for carnival rides, games and sweets, then let the kids run off all that sugar at one of Brighton’s play parks. Learn about some of the best spots for fun days out with the kids in Brighton, including options on the cheap.
Fun attractions in Brighton for families
1. Take a glass-bottom boat ride at Sea Life Brighton
Sea Life Brighton is a great spot for family days out, offering a mix of sea creatures, unique marine-life exhibits and interactive experiences for kids of all ages. Themed zones range from tropical rainforest to colourful coral reef, a day-to-night ocean experience and even a seahorse nursery. You can learn about ocean conservation and diverse sea life in a creature talk, check out an animal feeding and ride in a glass-bottom boat above sharks and sea turtles. Sea Life Brighton also offers periodic special events for autistic guests and those with sensory sensitivities.
2. Check out sky-high views above Brighton at British Airways i360
British Airways i360, a popular attraction in Brighton for families, is a sleek observation tower on the south coast seafront. Inside a futuristic-looking glass pod, you’ll glide smoothly up to a height of 137 metres to enjoy beautiful panoramic views above the city and the waterfront. The glass viewing pod is spacious, fully enclosed and temperature controlled for comfort, so it’s a great spot for your family day out in Brighton even on rainy or cold days. You can also pop over to the sky bar on board for juice and other beverages during your pod flight.
3. Enjoy games and rides at Brighton Palace Pier
You could spend hours on the Brighton Palace Pier that’s filled with colourful rides and games, attractions and shows and tons of dining options. Fun activities for smaller kids range from spinning on the cup and saucers ride to climbing play structures and riding down mega slides. Older kids will find plenty of coasters and thrill rides, bumper cars and even a creepy horror hotel. Many of the pier’s rides and attractions are covered, so even the rain won’t hold you back from fun. Dining options range from full-service restaurants and bars to classic fair-food vendors and savoury snack shops.
4. Explore a historic palace at The Royal Pavilion
The historic Royal Pavilion is a seaside palace that was built for King George IV in an eccentric mix of flamboyant architectural styles. Guided tours through the opulently decorated rooms are surprisingly child friendly, often including points of special interests for little ones. Kids’ activities also include free downloadable trails to go dragon-spotting through the palace and gardens, as well as an inexpensive children’s tour audio guide. The Royal Pavilion Tearoom is a good spot for an afternoon snack or ice cream break.
5. Play and solve challenges at Phileas Fogg’s World of Adventures
Phileas Fogg’s World of Adventures is an all-weather attraction in Brighton for families and a unique experience that mixes escape room-style challenges into an interactive theatrical production. You’ll go on an hour-long, themed indoor adventure in which your group will work together with an actor guide to solve puzzles and complete challenges to unlock the next zone before time runs out. Phileas Fogg’s World of Adventure recommends participation from children ages 7 and up due to the problem-solving aspects of the games, but younger children are welcome to participate with the family.
6. Play eye-spy for artifacts in the Brighton Museum
The Brighton Museum’s cheap ticket prices and central location make it easy to incorporate into a day out with the kids in Brighton. There are loads of family-friendly exhibits and interactive activities, including favourites like the Egyptology and Archaeology Galleries, housing fascinating artefacts and unique cultural items. Brighton Museum also offers kids guides and eye-spy trails throughout and hosts children’s art classes and special events.
7. Play mini-golf at Brighton Marina
There are loads of things to do with kids in Brighton Marina, from shops and family-friendly restaurants to activities and entertainment. There’s a multiplex cinema where you can catch a movie, a great indoor activity for rainy days or cold weather. You can perfect your strike on the lanes at the bowling alley or play through an ultraviolet mini-golf course full of neon dinosaurs. The outdoor marina also offers a boardwalk, great for a stroll along the sea wall and watching boats on the harbour.
8. See vintage toys at Brighton Toy and Model Museum
Brighton Toy and Model Museum houses collections of charming vintage toys and models from different eras. Across the more than 60 displays, you’ll see an elaborate 1930’s-model railway layout, large radio-controlled model aircraft and amusement slot machines. Other exhibits range from lead figurines and diecast vehicles to dolls and dollhouse furniture, bears and toy kitchenware items. The charity-run museum’s location can be a bit tricky to spot, as it’s tucked under Brighton’s train station cab rank on Trafalgar Street – look for the door under the bridgework tunnel outside the station.
9. Shop or catch a movie at The Brighton Lanes
The Lanes is a historic quarter of shops, cafes and attractions, offering a mix of different things to do with kids in Brighton. Older kids and teenagers will find lots of unique shops and boutiques to explore amidst the twisting alleyways, plus cool backdrops for some social media-worthy photos. You can get crafty with younger kids at the Painting Pottery Café, where you’ll paint your own unique pottery pieces. Then head over to the cinema for popcorn and a flick or catch a fun kids’ show at Komedia.
Things to do with kids in Brighton on the cheap
10. Have fun in the sun at Brighton Beach
The shoreline is a popular year-round spot for family days out in Brighton, from summer fun in the water to strolling the pebbled beach in cooler weather. Brighton Beach offers seasonal lifeguards and year-round comfort station facilities, plus attractions, shops and dining on the lively beachside promenade. Sunbathing, picnicking and playing on Brighton’s pebbled shoreline are all inexpensive family activities. For a few pounds, you can also hop on the seaside zip line and cruise across the shore, or you can head to Yellow Wave Beach Sports for sandy beach volleyball courts.
11. See bugs and bones at the Booth Museum
Historic collections at the Booth Museum range from colourful birds and delicate butterflies to ancient fossils and dinosaur bones. The museum offers exhibits on regional and world history, including geological and archaeological finds, a period-themed Victorian’s gentleman’s study and an interactive Discovery Lab and AV Trail for kids. Booth Museum hosts regular special events and activities for little ones to get their mitts on, including arts and crafts projects and storytime. You’ll also find natural history toys and trinkets in the onsite gift shop. Admission to the Booth Museum is typically cheap and sometimes free.
12. Hop on a heritage train at Volk’s Electric Railway
Volk’s Electric Railway offers seasonal train rides on a heritage narrow-gauge railway, with multiple stops along Brighton’s shoreline. Not only is this a unique ride along the waterfront, but it’s also an inexpensive way to travel between popular family attractions in Brighton, especially with little ones trundling along. Stops on Volk’s Electric Railway line include the Palace Pier, the Paston Palace and Black Rock. The railway typically operates from Easter to early November, but more operating information is available on their website.
13. Go on a behind-the-bars tour at the Old Police Cells Museum
The Old Police Cells Museum is located in the subterranean spaces beneath Town Hall, where historic cells once housed criminals and the site of a 19th-century murder. Guided tours explore exhibits such as the history of Sussex police forces, criminal groups and individuals and major historical events. Admission to the Old Police Cells Museum is free but donations are welcome, as it is a volunteer-run museum.
14. Explore the lively Brighton Open Market
The historic Brighton Open Market has been trading locally for over 50 years in a vibrant covered market located on London Road. Brightly coloured stalls house everything from crystals and handcrafted artwork to plants and floral arrangements, haberdashery, home goods and decor items. Food vendor offerings range from flavourful international dishes and crafted spices to organic chocolates and locally sourced honey, plus farm-fresh produce and eggs. Kids will love the selection of cakes and sweets, unique toys, collectables and other bits and bobs. There are also onsite dining options, cafes and frequent market events and activities.
15. Tire out the kids at Brighton’s play parks
The Level is a beautiful park for good-weather family days out in Brighton, with a ton of offerings for kids of different ages. You’ll find plenty of green lawn space to run around or picnic on, a children’s play park, a skate park, a rose walk and sensory garden and even 2 park cafes. Another family-friendly park is the King’s Road Playground, which offers seafront views and a paddling pool that’s particularly great for young kids. Children love exploring the huge rock garden at Preston Park, where you’ll also find a playground, various playing fields and a lovely manor house.