Autumn has arrived and even though the weather is getting colder and the nights are getting shorter, there are plenty of amazing days out for babies and toddlers in the UK.
Grab your little one's scarf and coat and whisk them away for an adventure. It won't be long until the leaves have fallen and its time for Christmas activities, so let's make the most of this wonderful colourful season before it is over.
We have handpicked the top days out in the UK this autumn which include treetop walkways, theme parks, PYO pumpkins and museums. Even if the weather is down in the dumps, your kids are sure to be entertained all day long.
Scroll on down to find out more ideas for days out that won't break the bank, too.
Best Autumn days out for babies and toddlers
1 of 131) Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire
Adults: from £12; children over 5: £4; children under 5: free. Prices are higher at weekends.
Autumn is THE best time to visit the National Arboretum at Westonbirt. Toddlers can tire themselves out looking for the Gruffalo and his friends in the Deep Dark Wood, while babies and adults alike will be enchanted by the reds, golds, and greens that this season brings to the forest’s 18,000 trees. There's an Autumn family trail running from September 1st to November 30th.
2 of 132) Horniman Museum, London
Museum free to visit; extra costs for additional exhibitions - check website for details.
The Horniman could be five museums if it wanted. There’s an aquarium (great for rainy days), butterfly house (great for babies), small farm (great for everybody), natural history hall (great if you want to see its famous walrus), and indoor and outdoor musical instruments area (great for creating a melody). For 2024 there's a dinosaur exhibition (at extra cost). Do check the website before you visit; when we wrote this, the Nature Trail was currently inaccessible due to local council works, and the Natural History Gallery was closed until 2026 for refurbishment.
3 of 133) Cotswold Wildlife Park, Oxfordshire
Adult ticket: from £17.50; children over 3: from £12.50; children under 3: free. Prices higher if you buy on the door.
Got a budding David Attenborough at home? At the Cotswold Wildlife Park, they can come face-to-face with a rhino, watch the Asiatic lion have its lunch, and stand up tall next to a giraffe, all in the park’s beautiful 160 acres. And when their little feet get tired, there’s a narrow-gauge railway to chug around on.
4 of 134) Cbeebies Land, Alton Towers, Stoke-on-Trent
Tickets for adults and children over the age of 3: from £29; children under 3: free. Lowest prices found online but subject to change.
Located in Alton Towers’ theme park, Cbeebies Land brings your children’s favourite TV characters to life. Zoom off on an adventure with the Go Jetters (guaranteed to be ‘geographic’), meet Bing, help out at Justin’s pie factory (very messy), and sing the radishes to sleep in Mr Bloom’s allotment. This is the stuff that children’s dreams are made of. Prices can vary by date so always check online before you go; it's often significantly cheaper to buy online beforehand than on the door.
5 of 135) Peppa Pig World, Paultons Park, Hampshire
Tickets for adults and children of 1 metre tall and above: from £43.50 each; children under 1 metre: free.
Whether it’s going on the (very tame) rollercoaster, getting splashed on the water ride, or climbing up the slides and tubes of George’s Spaceship Playzone, kids will love stepping into Peppa’s world, even if it is only for one day. Your ticket also gives you entry to the larger Poulton's Park, which has 70 rides and attractions, set within 140 acres of beautiful parkland on the edge of the New Forest National Park - lots for bigger kids and adults if you want to leave Peppa Pig behind.
6 of 136) LC Waterpark, Swansea
Adult tickets: from £9; children over 4 from £7.30; children aged 1-3: from £2.90; children under 1: free.
Babies can make a splash at Wales’ biggest indoor waterpark. This interactive pool has a mini slide, tipping buckets and fountains, and the explosive Volcano Bay. Those a little bigger can take on the Masterblaster, a white-knuckle waterslide, or mosey on down the Lazy River.
7 of 137) The Deep Aquarium, Hull
Adult tickets: from £21; children over 3: from £16.25; children under 3: Free. All tickets are valid as annual passes for a full year.
Home to more than 3,500 fish, sharks, stingrays, and penguins, The Deep in Hull is one of the most spectacular aquariums in the world. As well as getting up close and personal in the UK’s only underwater lift and 10-metre-deep viewing tunnel, little ones can watch the sharks being fed during one of the regular dive shows and stroke a starfish at a touchpool session.
8 of 138) PYO Pumpkins at Craigies Farm, Queensferry - Edinburgh
Adult tickets for the farm: £5; children from walking to 15 years: £2.50; babies not yet walking: free. Entry cost redeemable against fruit and veg. Tickets for the adventure playground: Adult tickets: from £5; children from 1 to 15 years: from £7; children under 1: free.
Get your little ones ready for Halloween by taking them to pick their very own pumpkin. Craigies Farm, just outside Edinburgh, has plenty to choose from, plus there’s a play area, tractor rides, chickens, and pygmy goats to add to the post-picking entertainment.
9 of 139) Hobbledown Farm, Epsom
Adults and children over the age of 2: from £15; children under 2: free.
Farm-meets-adventure-park, Hobbledown is a place like no other. Babies will love tumbling around in The Hobbling Play Barn, aka a giant indoor soft play area, while bigger kids can explore the adventure playground at Hobbledown Village, see otters, parrots, and meerkats at the farm, hide away in teepees, and watch falconry displays. It really is a magical place.
10 of 1310) London Transport Museum, Covent Garden, London
Adult: £24.50; children under 18: free.
Got an energetic toddler to entertain on a rainy day? Head to the London Transport Museum. They can tire themselves out clambering up, down and into Edwardian trams, Victorian trains, and even a Thames clipper. Plus, they can have a go at driving a black cab, double decker bus and underground train without hurting anyone. Tickets are annual passes so you can visit as many times as you'd like in a year; concessions are available if you live in various parts of London. Once you've visited the museum, you're right in the heart of Covent Garden so you can discover the market and many cafes and shops, too.
11 of 1311) Glenariff Forest Park, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Tickets: per car: £5.
Teach your little ones how to appreciate the great outdoors with a kid-friendly walk around some of the most beautiful woodland that Northern Ireland has to offer. The Waterfall Walk Trail is just 3km and takes you past two stunningly beautiful waterfalls and over a river via boardwalks on stilts which certainly ups the excitement factor.
12 of 1312) Diggerland, Kent, Devon, County Durham, & Yorkshire
Adults and children over 90cm; from £25.95; children under 1m: free.
A haven for budding petrolheads, Diggerland gives little ones the chance to try operating a real digger (it’s not as easy as it looks), drive a mini Land Rover, race go-karts, and ride on the Diggerland train. Just don’t expect them to have clean clothes after a day shovelling mud. The parks are aimed at ages from 4 and above, although there is still plenty for little ones to do.
13 of 1313) Slimbridge Wetland Centre, Gloucestershire
Adult: from £14.50; children 4-16 from £12.27; children under 4: free
Slimbridge Wetland Centre is the perfect place for budding bird enthusiasts. Enjoy one of the many wildlife talks, take a canoe trip downstream, jump in a Jeep for the wildlife safari, or simply walk around and enjoy the many species of birds that live there. Autumn is also the time when the Bewick's swans will return to the centre before migrating in March - so keep a close eye out.
More ideas for Autumn days out with children without breaking the bank
We know that money is tight for a lot of families at the moment, so we've compiled a list of our favourite Autumn days out that won't have large ticket prices.
Marshmallow toasting
Whether you do this in your own garden with a BBQ or small fire basket, or find a local woodland that has a ready-built fire pit, toasting marshmallows is a wonderful way to spend an Autumn evening. Wrap up warm with gloves for the little ones, and be careful letting them near the fire. There's nothing quite like the taste of a toasted marshmallow, and you could even go for an American experience and make 'Smores (you just need some plain biscuits, like a Digestive, and some squares of chocolate).
Walk in a deer park
Find a local parkland that has herds of deer and go for an Autumnal walk. Your children will love seeing the deer, especially spotting their big antlers, and while you're walking you could collect leaves, pinecones, and twigs to take home and use for some Autumn crafts for kids.
Watch an Autumn sunset
Go for a walk with the family to a good viewpoint and watch the sun go down; the colours of an Autumn sunset are beautiful. You could perhaps drive to the coast for the day and watch the sun go down over the sea. Remember coats and scarves though, as it can get chilly in Autumn once the sun goes down.
Star gazing
Now the nights are drawing in, you could let your little ones stay up late one weekend and lay in the garden to watch the stars. Set out lots of blankets and cushions to stay comfy and warm, and see if you can spot any constellations or even a shooting star. Have hot chocolate and marshmallows to stay warm and toasty.
Scarecrow festivals
Lots of villages host scarecrow festivals in Autumn, and they're normally free or with a very small charge for a map, perhaps. Search on Facebook to find one local to you. Your children will love seeing all the creative characters that people make with scarecrows.
Catriona Watsonoriginally joined the Mother&Baby as an Editorial Assistant to work on the 2019 M&B Awards. As a Digital Writer, she has written and updated hundreds of articles on the site from medical explainers to celebs news and shopping galleries. Catch her running along the Thames or eating her way around London's restaurants.