Things to Do With Kids in Glasgow 2026
Glasgow is a great city for kids. Most of the best stuff is free, there’s loads of indoor options for when the rain hits (which is often), and the outdoor spaces are genuinely brilliant. Here’s our pick of the best things to do with kids in Glasgow right now.
1. Glasgow Science Centre
This is the big one. Three floors of interactive science exhibits, a planetarium, and an IMAX cinema. Kids can build things, press buttons, mess about with experiments, and actually learn something without realising it. The Science Centre is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2026 with extra events and exhibitions.
Where: 50 Pacific Quay, south of the Clyde. Price: Adults around £13, kids around £11. Planetarium and IMAX extra. Under 3s free. Hours: Open daily from 10am (summer hours from 1st April). Tip: Buy tickets online in advance during school holidays. It gets heaving.
Easily a full day out. The planetarium shows are worth the extra money, especially for primary school age kids. If you’re visiting during the 25th anniversary celebrations, keep an eye out for special free entry events for local residents.
2. Riverside Museum
Free entry and kids go mad for it. Over 3,000 objects from old cars to fire engines to steam trains. The recreated Glasgow street is the highlight, letting kids wander through old shops and a subway station. The Tall Ship moored outside is included in the free admission.
Where: Pointhouse Place, beside the Clyde. Price: Free. Hours: Mon to Thu and Sat 10am to 5pm. Fri and Sun from 11am. Tip: Combine it with the Tall Ship and you’ve got a solid 3 hours sorted.
One of the best free family attractions in Scotland. The interactive displays are well designed and there’s enough variety to keep different ages happy. Wee ones love pressing every button they can find. Older kids get properly stuck into the engineering stuff.
3. Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
Free and brilliant. Kids love the Spitfire, the animal displays, and the Ancient Egypt section. There’s an organ recital every afternoon which is surprisingly good at holding kids’ attention. 22 themed galleries means there’s something for every interest.
Where: Argyle Street, West End. Price: Free. Hours: Mon to Thu and Sat 10am to 5pm. Fri and Sun 11am to 5pm. Tip: The dinosaur and animal sections are on the ground floor. Start there with younger kids.
4. Wonderworld Soft Play, Kinning Park
One of the best soft plays in Glasgow. The main play frame has at least three big fast slides, twisty tunnel slides, trampolines, foam ball shooters, and bridges spread over three levels. The Wonderworld Express train ride is included in the entry price at no extra charge.
Where: 99 Middlesex Street, Kinning Park. Price: From around £7 to £10 per child depending on age and day. Hours: Open daily 10am to 6pm. Tip: Go on a weekday morning for a quieter experience. Weekends and school holidays are packed.
Good cafe for the parents too. You can actually sit down with a coffee and see your kids from the tables.
5. Fun Street Soft Play, Silverburn
Scotland’s only fully air-conditioned soft play centre. Storybook-themed zones for kids under 12, and it’s noticeably cleaner and better maintained than a lot of the older soft plays around Glasgow. There’s a proper gourmet restaurant attached, not just a counter serving microwave paninis.
Where: Silverburn Shopping Centre, Barrhead Road. Price: From around £8 per child. Hours: Daily 10am to 6pm. Tip: Combine it with a trip to Silverburn for the parents. Win-win.
6. Glasgow Green Play Park
Free and one of the biggest play parks in the city. Climbing frames, swings, zip lines, and loads of space to run about. Right next to the People’s Palace if you want to add a free museum visit. The park itself is massive with plenty of flat ground for bikes and scooters.
Where: Glasgow Green, east of city centre. Price: Free. Hours: Open all day. Tip: Bring a football. There’s acres of flat grass and it costs nothing.
Glasgow Green is proper Glasgow. It’s been a public park since the 1400s and it still feels like the city’s living room. On a sunny day, you’ll see folk barbecuing, playing football, and just lying on the grass doing absolutely nothing. The kids can run wild and you won’t have to worry about them.
7. Pollok Country Park (Highland Cows)
Take the kids to see Glasgow’s Highland cows. The Pollok Fold are prize-winning cattle and they’re gorgeous. Calving season runs March to June 2026 with around 31 new calves expected, so spring visits mean you’ll likely see wee fluffy babies. Free events run from April to October.
Where: Pollokshaws Road, Southside. Price: Free. Hours: Park open daily. Tip: The Burrell Collection is in the same park and it’s also free. Two attractions for the price of none.
8. Flip Out Glasgow
63,000 square feet of trampolines, e-karting, bumper cars, laser quest, interactive football, and soft play for smaller ones. All activities are included in the entry price, which is decent value when you consider how long kids will bounce for.
Where: 89A Southcroft Road, Rutherglen. Price: From around £12 to £16 per person. Hours: Check website for current times. Tip: Grip socks required. You can buy them there or bring your own from a previous visit.
This will absolutely tire kids out, which is the whole point. Good option for birthday parties too.
9. Tollcross International Swimming Centre
A proper swimming complex with two 50-metre pools and a 25-metre teaching pool. This hosted the 2014 Commonwealth Games swimming events and will host swimming at Glasgow 2026. The facilities are excellent and it’s run by Glasgow Club so prices are reasonable.
Where: 68 Wellshot Road, Tollcross. Price: Around £3 to £5 per person for public swimming. Hours: Check the Glasgow Club app for public session times. Tip: The main pool has had refurbishment work. Check it’s reopened before visiting as spring 2026 was the target.
There’s a wee park next door too, so you can combine a swim with some outdoor time.
10. Mugdock Country Park
Ten miles north of Glasgow with castle ruins to explore, lochs to walk around, and a brilliant play park next to the visitor centre. The paths are mostly pushchair-friendly and the cafe is decent. Kids love the castle ruins and the Toadstool Trail through the woodland.
Where: Near Milngavie. Price: Free. Parking free. Hours: Open daily. Tip: Bring wellies. It can be muddy off the main paths.
Works for all ages. Toddlers in buggies, primary school kids running wild, and teenagers who’d rather be anywhere else but will grudgingly admit it’s actually quite good.
Final Thoughts
Glasgow is honestly one of the best cities in the UK for families. The free museums are genuinely world class, the parks are massive, and there’s enough indoor stuff to handle the inevitable rainy days. You don’t need to spend a fortune to keep kids entertained here. Half the best things on this list cost nothing at all. Sometimes all you need is a park, a museum, and a bag of chips on the way home. That’s a proper Glasgow day out.
