Has the weather failed you? Whether it’s pouring with rain, too chilly to subject your family to another bracing walk or you want to escape a heatwave, I’ve got a list of indoor activities to do in Birmingham that will save the day.
*Tin Box Traveller collaborating with Enroute Taxis*
If you want to dodge the weather altogether why not book a taxi to get you to the fun.
Enroute Taxis is a West Midlands company that gets great customer reviews. And if you reserve your ride using their Birmingham online booking form you can get 10% off.
With just a quick call to 0121 000 2222, you’ll be able to also take advantage of their 10% off offer via their 24 hour Birmingham bookings telephone number.
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Things to do in Birmingham when it’s raining
From sweet treats to museums and full on indoor adventures, Birmingham comes up trumps for indoor activities for the whole family.
Here’s some of the best things to do with kids:
Design a treat at LA pop
Arguably Birmingham’s top hang out for delicious and innovative desserts, LA pop is the place to head for something to put a smile on your kids’ faces.
It’s a multi-award winning gelato cafe in Edgbaston where you can pick from one of the artfully hand-crafted pops or customise your own. Choose your favourite flavour organic milk lolly and select the coating, toppings and that all important drizzle of sauce.
How positively decadent and perfect for hot and rainy days in Birmingham.
Find out more about what’s on the menu at LA pop.
Pitch and putt at Treetop Adventure Golf
This indoor mini golf course takes the game to the next level with greens set in tropical and ancient landscapes. All undercover of course!
Even if the weather outside is howling you’ll be transported to a totally different world as you play one or both of the 18 hole courses.
Treetop Adventure Golf is located in the Bullring shopping centre so there’s plenty of options for grabbing lunch or dinner too.
Find out more about adventure golf at Treetop in Birmingham city centre.
Explore Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
Even if the sun isn’t shining outside you’re sure to be dazzled by the Staffordshire Hoard – the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver ever found – which is on show at Birmingham Museum and Gallery.
Among the gallery’s 3,000 works of art there is the world’s largest collection of Pre-Raphaelite art. And if your kids are into history there’s exhibitions about Birmingham’s past as well as ancient civilisations in Europe and beyond.
The Egyptian Gallery even features the world’s largest mummified crocodile. We got to meet some of its friends at Kom Ombo during our family tour of Egypt.
Visit the museum during the school holidays for special family activities.
Please note: the museum is closed for maintenance until 2024.
Find out more about visiting Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
Go deep at National Sealife Centre Birmingham
Fed up of the wet outside? The National Sealife Centre is the perfect indoor activity in Birmingham with turtles, sharks and rays to spot.
But there are lots of aquariums around the country. What make’s Birmingham’s Sealife Centre special?
Well, this aquarium is home to the UK’s only 360° walk-through ocean tunnel. That means you get to experience sea creatures swimming over and under you as if you were in the water with them.
It’s also home to penguins and sea otters.
During the summer holidays you’ll find extra activities laid on, like treasure hunts.
Find out more and book tickets to the National Sealife Centre Birmingham*.
Soft play without compromise
If you’re looking for indoor activities to do in Birmingham with toddlers then soft play is the obvious choice. But make it worth your while too.
The Neverland Fun House in Erdington is renowned for its lovely Peter Pan-themed play facilities AND its food! Order a frappe, homemade cake and even a gourmet burger while your little ones run off excess energy.
Book a session on the Neverland Fun House website.
Conquer Rock Up Birmingham
Clip on climbing centres are such a fun place to spend an hour or two pushing your boundaries and letting off steam.
Rock Up Birmingham has climbing walls, a leap of faith and a soft play for little ones. Kids can climb from the age of four.
Find out more and book a session on the Rock Up website.
See a family show
From concerts to pantomimes, there loads of family-friendly events to see at Birmingham’s theatres and exhibition venues.
See international music stars and UK tours of major productions like Disney on Ice at Resorts World Arena while the Civic and Town Halls host live performance of popular TV shows.
Find out what’s on and buy tickets*.
Pour yourselves into Cadbury World
Ideal for wet days, this indoor activity in Birmingham is a dream for chocolate fans.
Go on a tour from the early days of the chocolate maker, John Cadbury, and his first shop, through to a 4D Cinema experience featuring some of the brand’s best known marketing characters and a demonstration by the chocolatiers.
You can even have a go at making chocolate yourselves.
At the end of your visit let the kids burn off any indulgent treats from the shop and cafe in the African Adventure Play Area.
Find out more about visiting Cadbury World*.
Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum
Kids will love a visit to this hands on museum where they can journey through four floors of activities about machines of the past, the human body, the environment and what life might be like in the future.
There’s a mini city where children can build their own versions of some of Birmingham’s landmark buildings, fix a car or play dress up.
And don’t miss a visit to the outer reaches of space in the 4K planetarium.
If you do venture outside there’s also a science garden with water play, a human-sized hamster wheel and musical games.
Find out more about visiting Thinktank.
Go wild at The Bear Grylls Adventure
For a serious undercover experience the Bear Grylls Adventure Centre beside the NEC has to be one of the most exciting things to do in Birmingham. It’s the perfect place to find indoor activities for kids aged eight and up.
It’s home to Europe’s highest high ropes course and a shark diving tank as well as iFly sky diving and axe throwing. This is not a day out in Birmingham for the faint hearted!
Find out more about the Bear Grylls Adventure*.
Jump at Rush Trampoline Park
Bounce, flip and fly to your heart’s content at this 35,000 square foot trampoline park in Kings Norton.
It has 100 wall-to-wall interconnected trampolines with activities for children of all ages including after dark sessions with UV lights and pumping music.
Find to more and book a session at Rush Trampoline Park.
Play at Resorts World Birmingham
There’s plenty of choice for indoor activities at Birmingham’s Resorts World where you’ll find bowling, a VR suite, an escape room and cinema.
That’s not to mention lots of family favourite eateries like Five Guys, Nandos and Pizza Express.
Plan a day out at Resorts World Birmingham.
Indoor fun at LEGOLAND Discovery Centre
If you need to escape the rain then there’s no better place to take your LEGO-loving children than the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre in Birmingham. It’s one of the most popular local attractions and the ideal thing to do on a wet day.
LEGOLAND Discovery Centre combines brick building, inspirational models and rides. There’s even a LEGO-themed play ground and soft play.
Find out more about LEGOLAND Discovery Centre*.
Indoor activities to do near Birmingham
The weather dodging fun doesn’t stop in the city. There’s plenty more indoor activities to do around Birmingham.
These ones are less than an hour from the Bullring:
Step into motoring history at Coventry Transport Museum
Auto fans will be well impressed with the collection of vehicles at Coventry Transport Museum – another great thing to do indoors near Birmingham.
Its exhibitions consist of cars, commercial vehicles, cycles and motorcycles, as well as auto memorabilia, books and photographs collected since the 1930s.
Don’t miss the two fastest cars in the world: Thrust SSC and Thrust 2.
Find out more about visiting Coventry Transport Museum.
Take off to RAF Museum Cosford
If you’re wondering where you can take the kids for free near Birmingham then this museum near Wolverhampton is a great choice.
Cosford gives families the chance to get up close with more than 70 aircraft and find out about the first 100 years of RAF history. You can even view an enormous Belfast Transporter from above in the high level viewing gallery.
Other exhibits to intrigue youngsters include a display of pilots’ lucky charms and a 1:1 scale Airfix Spitfire, as featured on the BBC 2 James May Toy Stories series.
For those desperate to get off the ground you can experience flight in the 4D Cinema. Buckle up to take part in a Red Arrows aerobatic display or join a WWI combat mission with the Red Baron.
Find out more about visiting RAF Cosford.
Have a snow day at SnowDome
Do your kids love winter sports? Well, they can snow board, ski and ice skate all year round at SnowDome in Tamworth.
There’s also a climbing centre and swimming pool, making this the perfect day out near Birmingham for active families. Don’t miss Santa’s Winter Wonderland at Christmas too.
Find out more about activities at SnowDome.
Here’s some more ideas for things to do in the Midlands with kids.
I hope you’ve found something that works for your family in this list of things to do in Birmingham with kids. What are your favourite indoor activities to do in Birmingham?
Disclosure: Tin Box Traveller collaborating with Enroute Taxis.