Be it ice skating, ten pin bowling, a day at the zoo, a few hours at an interactive discovery centre or a journey into the sky, Belfast is well equipped to keep the most active kids busy. Find out how to entertain your little darlings with our guide to kids attractions in Belfast.
W5 - Whowhatwherewhenwhy
Located at Belfast’s Odyssey Arena, W5 is home to over 160 interactive features and exhibitions that are designed to educate and entertain simultaneously. You can delve into a world of science and imagination as you build a house, explore a castle, get your heart to beat faster, take part in a tug of war, journey into space, take a lie detector test, touch the sound wall, bring some robots to life and even create your very own film animation.
And from 10th May until 31st October you can experience the spectacular Dino Jaws exhibition, which charts the topic of dinosaurs and the food they ate!
For more details on opening times, admission prices and how to get there visit the official W5 website.
Belfast Zoo
With a variety of endangered species making their home in Belfast Zoo you won’t be bored during a visit to one of Northern Ireland’s top attractions. Check out the rare Barbary lions where the cubs Lily, Boris and Charlie are quite the crowd attractors. Or journey into the Rainforest House and meet Jasmine the two-toed sloth as she spends her time hanging around. Then there’s Snickers the sea lion who just loves to make a splash while you won’t fail to be impressed at the sheer variety of monkeys that swing their way around the enclosures.
Other attractions include a white tiger, gorillas, elephants, zebras, penguins and giraffes to name but a few. And various events are held in the zoo throughout the year with family fun days, special species displays, environmental days, seasonal events and even some musical performances.
Get more information on the official Belfast Zoo website or take a look at our Belfast Zoo article.
Dundonald International Ice Bowl
This is a great indoor attraction that’s perfect for a day out even if it’s not raining! You can hit the ice at the Olympic sized ice skating rink and if you time your visit right you can skate by day and in the evening watch the action as the Belfast Giants Ice Hockey Team compete for honours.
The Ice Bowl is also home to Xtreme Ten Pin Bowling. And believe us when we say that Xtreme Bowling takes this activity to a new level with ultra violet lights, glow pins and balls and a live DJ spinning the tunes.
Indiana Land is a jungle themed play complex with a variety of play equipment and there’s even an extended interactive toddler area for the kids less than 3 years.
The Belfast Wheel (Please Note This Attraction is now closed)
Touted as Belfast’s answer to the London Eye, the Belfast Wheel is a spectacular addition to the city centre. As with its more famous counterpart, visitors are transported to the skies in a climate controlled capsule and are elevated to 60 metres in height. There are some superb views of Belfast from up here and during your 12 minute trip, a running commentary will help you identify some of the local landmarks.
Belfast Wheel is situated at the equally impressive Belfast City Hall so it’s right at the heart of the city and really easy to get to.
Need somewhere to stay for the night? Have a look at our Belfast hotel page.
