The idea of visiting a museum or gallery with a toddler or baby can be stressful! Have you ever been concerned about your child making noise, worried about what they can or can’t touch, or unsure if there are necessary facilities for you?

There’s no need to fear at these museums, which have been specially designed with their littlest visitors in mind! From soft play to creative activities, these great museums for toddlers and babies go the extra mile to make under 5s – and their grown ups – feel comfortable and welcome.

Each museum has been shortlisted for our Family Friendly Museum Award, meaning they have already been tested out by families.

Scroll on to see why these museums made our list…

Museum of London Docklands

West India Quay, London

Shortlisted: Family Friendly Museum Award 2022

A colourful soft play area with a model ship and illustrations of the docks on the back wall.

Mudlarks Gallery at Museum of London Docklands © Museum of London

Discover how the docks created the London we know today at this free family museum. Park up the buggy and borrow a baby carrier to explore hands free. Children can learn through play in the Mudlarks children’s gallery packed with soft play and games for children aged up to 8 years old. Download an activity sheet or trail for under 5s or join a monthly Tots at the Docks play session inspired by the history of the Docklands.

Find out more.

Great North Museum: Hancock

Newcastle upon Tyne

Winner – Best Medium Museum: Family Friendly Museum Award 2019

A small toddler with curly blonde hair and wearing a checked hoodie presses his hands against a glass museum case and looks inside it.

A visitor to the Baby Gallery Takeover Day at Great North Museum: Hancock. © Colin Davison

This museum of natural history, archaeology, geology and world cultures really values its smallest visitors. There are opportunities for children to get hands on throughout the museum, as well as the Mouse House, a dedicated play space for under 5s. Enjoy regular specialised events for different ages, from pre-crawling babies in Nurture Nest to pre-school children in Museum Mice. There have even been Toddler Takeover Days, where toddlers get to try out museum jobs for the day.

Find out more.

Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum

Birmingham

Shortlisted: Family Friendly Museum Award 2021

The Mini Brum play area at Thinktank museum, with toy clock tower, street and museum.

MiniBrum at Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum. Image: Birmingham Museums Trust.

MiniBrum is Thinktank’s very own mini city, where children are in charge! Aimed at under 8s, this child-sized world features Birmingham landmarks and different play zones for children to enjoy, including a special sensory area for babies. It also features a coffee corner selling refreshments, which includes a buggy park, lockers and baby change facilities. Visit on a Toddler Thursday to join a family friendly relaxed Planetarium experience.

Find out more.

National Maritime Museum

Greenwich, London

Winner – Best Large Museum: Family Friendly Museum Award 2022

A toddler reaches up to an adult's sailor hat at the National Maritime Museum Ahoy children's gallery.

Photo: National Maritime Museum.

Set sail on a fun family day out for all ages at the National Maritime Museum. Take your little ones on a maritime adventure in weekly Play Tuesdays or follow a Mini Mariners museum trail. The AHOY! Children’s Gallery is designed specifically for under 7s. Kids can captain a ship, stoke the boiler of a steamship, buy and sell fish in the marketplace, and make new friends in the interactive boatyard.

Find out more.

Museum of Liverpool

Liverpool

Winner – Best Large Museum: Family Friendly Museum Award 2019

A close up of the Museum of Liverpool building, showing the reflection of old buildings on the glass windows.

The Museum of Liverpool © Gareth Jones

The Little Liverpool gallery is the perfect place to introduce little ones to the Museum of Liverpool. The hands-on mini city is crammed with fun activities for children under the age of six to play and learn. As you explore the rest of the museum, look out for Winnie the spider for things to do with young visitors. There are regular events for under 5s, including storytelling and Liver Tots toddler-friendly craft sessions.

Find out more.

Manchester Art Gallery

Manchester

Shortlisted: Family Friendly Museum Award 2016

A group of women chatting and smiling with their toddlers as they play with various sensory objects at Manchester Art Gallery.

Image: Manchester Art Gallery.

The Lion’s Den family gallery was designed with 2 and 3 year olds from local nurseries, after staff noticed the children were drawn to images of animals. Build a den with the colourful cushions, play table tennis, see children’s artwork on display, or join in a monthly sensory play session for babies and parents. The gallery has worked with local NHS teams to support Manchester families, including distributing sensory baby boxes to families during lockdown.

Find out more.

The Lightbox

Woking, Surrey

Shortlisted: Family Friendly Museum Award 2014

The modern wooden clad Lightbox building against a blue cloudy sky. Banners hang from the side of the building reading The Lightbox.

Image: The Lightbox.

If you’re looking for arts and crafts activities for under 5s, look no further than The Lightbox. This gallery and museum in Woking aims to improve the wellbeing of its community. Get messy in Mini Painters workshops or become a Mini Gallery Explorer with interactive stories, rhymes and creative crafts.

Find out more.

The Herbert

Coventry

Shortlisted: Family Friendly Museum Award 2017

A woman smiling wearing a long green dress and a headscarf kneels and hands an object to a young baby who smiles up at her floor from the floor.

Photo: The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum.

This art gallery and museum in Coventry has a great programme of activities for under 5s, including sensory play days and sensory stories and rhymes. Mini Makers messy play sessions aim to expose little ones to mark making, build concentration, develop muscle control and encourage their imagination! The gallery is breastfeeding friendly and has baby change facilities on the ground floor.

Find out more.

London Transport Museum

Covent Garden, London

Winner – Best Medium Museum: Family Friendly Museum Award 2021

An image looking down from a glass balcony to the lower level of the London Transport Museum with vintage buses, car and a tube train.

© The London Transport Museum

Discover the world of London’s transport through regular singing, dancing, making, play and story sessions for under 5s. Take a trip to the All Aboard play zone for age 0-7 and play on a fleet of mini vehicles, dress up in uniform and even explore a Lost Property office. The Baby DLR is great for the youngest visitors with an interactive wall and building blocks to play with.

Find out more.

The Whitworth

Manchester

Shortlisted: Family Friendly Museum Award 2018

A toddler in a blue long sleeved outfit leans on a large green tube during a play session at The Whitworth. Families can be seen playing with other play equipment in the background.

Art Baby at The Whitworth. Photo: Ray Chan.

This Manchester art gallery runs hugely popular PLAY Live sessions, both online and in person. With adaptable activities for all ages, these award-winning workshops are led by an artist who will guide you through playful activities using materials you already have to hand at home. You can also join the Outdoor Art Club come rain and shine, complete with Mud Painting Studio! There are Art Baby sensory play sessions for non-walking babies and their grown-ups. The gallery has also launched a programme using art to support parents who have experienced baby loss called Still Parents.

Find out more.

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