The UK’s most popular days out for grandchildren

07 October 2021

With Covid-19 restrictions easing, families across the UK are looking to make up for lost time. In fact, research shows that since the start of the pandemic grandparents have missed out on 49 hugs, 47 kisses, 40 conversations and 25 family meals with their grandkids. And this quality time has been sorely missed; the same study revealed that over three quarters of grandparents (76%) are ready to take up their much-missed duties.

To help grandparents reunite with the ones they love, Legal & General analysed over 13,000 child-friendly TripAdvisor attractions to bring you the ultimate list of grandkid friendly days out in the UK. Spanning museums, parks and immersive experiences, we’ve ranked activities with the highest number of 5* ratings and the highest number of reviews to bring you the definitive list of grandkid days out. 

The most popular kid friendly days out in the UK

Below, we’ve put together some of the best days out for grandparents and their grandchildren, with something for everyone.

Perched on top of Scotland’s beautiful capital, Edinburgh Castle has inspired generations of visitors. Check out the online itinerary of family-friendly events and performances. While you’re in town, take the grandkids for a stroll through Edinburgh Old Town’s historic artery – the Royal Mile – which connects Edinburgh Castle with Holyrood Palace. Watch those cobbles if you’re pushing a buggy!

Or if you’d rather save the history lesson for another day, Alton Towers is a tried-and-tested classic for thrill-seeking grandparents and their grandkids.

Edinburgh Castle in Scotland

Here is our list in full:

  1. Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh
  2. The Royal Mile, Edinburgh
  3. Titanic Belfast, Belfast
  4. National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
  5. Alton Towers Theme Park, Staffordshire
  6. Edinburgh Old Town, Edinburgh
  7. Chester Zoo, Cheshire
  8. The Shambles, York
  9. Warwick Castle, Warwick
  10. Stonehenge, Amesbury, Wiltshire

The UK’s top hidden gem kid friendly activities

While we all learn to navigate the ‘new normal’, visiting busy places can still be a bit overwhelming for many people. To find the top hidden gems where you won’t get lost in a crowd, we ranked destinations with the lowest number of reviews, but the highest concentration of 5-star ratings. From adrenaline-fuelled skateboarding to gentle horseback hacks, we found loads of crowd-free destinations for grandparents and grandchildren to enjoy.

Family horseback riding in the woods

Here is our list in full:

  1. Log Heights, Outdoor Adventure, Harrogate
  2. The Source Park, Skateboard Park, Hastings
  3. The Escape Challenge, Immersive Gaming, Redditch
  4. Dr Neils Garden, Horticulture, Edinburgh
  5. Hounds Escape Game Experiences, Immersive Gaming, Crawley
  6. Cute Farm Experience, Farming & Animals Chepstow
  7. Wilder Ways, Horseback Riding Tours, Campbeltown
  8. Chads Theatre Company, Theatre, Cheadle Hulme
  9. Hitcham Diary Ice Cream, Speciality Farm Shop, Burnham
  10. The Hawking Centre, Bird of Prey Experience Centre, Ashford

Which is the most kid-friendly region to visit?

In compiling our list, we discovered that Yorkshire is the UK region with the most TripAdvisor 5-star rated kid-friendly attractions with plenty of urban and rural delights for visiting grandparents and their grandchildren to enjoy.  

By ranking UK regions by the highest number of 5-star rated kid-friendly attractions, we can reveal the top ten counties for grandparents and grandchildren to enjoy.

  1. Yorkshire
  2. Edinburgh
  3. Cornwall
  4. Devon
  5. Hampshire
  6. East Anglia
  7. Kent
  8. Dorset
  9. North Wales
  10. South Wales

And that concludes our ranking of the top kid-friendly attractions in the UK. We hope we’ve inspired you to get out there and enjoy some quality time with your family.

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Methodology

  • We gathered TripAdvisor listings that fall into the subcategory ‘good for kids’ sitting under the ‘things to do in the United Kingdom’ page.
  • We recorded the live number of reviews for each listing and the proportion of those that were given 5* ratings.
  • To qualify as a Hidden Gem, a Tripadvisor listing must have at least 100 reviews. We have listed those with the highest number of 5* ratings and the lowest number of reviews.
  • The research was conducted between 22nd and 24th September 2021.

Fair Use

  • Think your readers might like to hear about this research? Feel free to share the information on your website and please credit with a link back to this page to they can see the research in its entirety.

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