Looking for fun things to do with kids in Bristol that won’t cost a penny? My last round-up of free family activities in Bristol was my most popular post ever, and now here’s an updated list which is even bigger and better!

From museums and city farms to parks, playgrounds, art trails, and outdoor adventures, Bristol is full of brilliant free places for kids of all ages. Here are more than 35 free and fun places to take kids in Bristol, perfect for weekends, holidays, and last-minute plans.

Free Museums & Cultural Spots

1. M Shed – Interactive museum about Bristol’s history, with a hands-on play area for young children with dressing-up clothes, a pretend shop, books and a transport table, plus family trails and activity sheets. On selected weekends there are steam train rides, heritage boat trips, and crane rides to enjoy too for a small fee.
2. Bristol Museum & Art Gallery – Natural history, dinosaurs and fossils, hands-on activity zone, and an activity space for younger children where they can dress up, play with puppets and games, and perform on a little stage.
3. Blaise Museum – Small historic house museum with fun exhibits, toys and costume displays, and outdoor fun around the estate (see below!).
4. Red Lodge Museum – Walk through historic rooms, discover the garden, and find out how life changed through the late 1500s, through Georgian times, and through to Victorian times.
5. The Georgian House Museum – Explore 11 rooms from the 1700s set out as they would have been lived in, learn about Pero Jones, an enslaved teen who lived and worked in the house, and walk “above” and “below” stairs to see the contrast between how the family and the servants lived and worked.
6. George Muller Museum – Tells the story of George Muller and the thousands of children who lived in the orphanage, including interactive displays, activity stations, and toy trolley and craft station.
7. Charles Wesley’s House – Kids can walk through the rooms of this 18th century house and find out how people lived hundreds of years ago, learn about hymn-writing and music, enjoy guided yours with stories.

Parks and Outdoor Spaces

8) Brandon Hill – Big green space to explore nature (bring some nuts to feed the squirrels!), and there’s a play area with sandpit, swings, and climbing equipment, and more. Brandon Hill also boasts Cabot Tower which older kids will enjoy climbing to the top and enjoying the amazing views across Bristol.
9) Ashton Court Estate – Around 850 acres of meadow, grassland, and woodland to roam. Great for nature walks, wildlife and nature trails, and picnics. There is also a miniature railway for very reasonably-priced steam and electric train rides which is open on selected days of the year (keep an eye on the Bristol Mum What’s On page for these).
10) Blaise Castle Estate – Huge estate with woodland and great play parks, woodland trails to explore (spot the castle!), and acres of grass to roam.
11) St. George Park – Classic park with big green spaces to enjoy picnics and explore nature, plus play areas perfect for toddlers including a sandpit, a pond with ducks and swans, and a skatepark/wheels park for scooters and BMXing which is great for older children.
12) St Andrew’s Park – Victorian park with a large fenced and dog-free play park for different ages and stages, and open grassy areas to roam and enjoy a picnic.
13) Victoria Park – Multiple play areas, a skate and wheels park, multi-use games area, plus green space and paths ideal for running around.
14) Greville Smyth Park – Riverside park with a large fenced play area for a range of ages and stages, plus football pitches, ping pong table and outdoor exercise stations,.
15) Hengrove Play Park – A large adventure play area with distinct play zones for different ages and stages, which also includes a 12 metre high jungle play dome, plus a wheels park.
16) Castle Park – Central city park with open space to run around or picnic, a Tree Trail to download or pick up as you walk around the park, and there are the remains of Bristol Castle, plus St Peter’s Church to discover.
17) Oldbury Court Estate & Snuff Mills – Nature trails, woodland and riverside walks, and large children’s dog-free play area which boasts a water and sand play zone.
18) Queen Square – A large, circular park great for kids to play or families to picnic, which is also surrounded by Georgian buildings, perfect to introduce kids to a bit of local history.
19) Millennium Square – A modern, open paved plaza in Canon’s Marsh where kids can run around and splash in fountains on hot days.
20) Abbots Leigh – Just across the suspension bridge, this is a beautiful, peaceful place to visit with walks into the surrounding green fields, plus a quiet play park.
21) Durdham Downs – Big green open space to run, play, fly kites and explore. There’s a playground off Stoke Bishop/Sion Hill and there are also goats – yes, goats – to find (please see this post on my other website, for details!).
22) Stoke Park Estate – Rolling green hills, three different walks to choose, famous Bristol landmarks – the Dower House and the Purdown BT Tower – and there also a sculpture trail including a snake, mouse, and fox!

Community Farms

23) Hartcliffe City Farm – Walk around the farm and meet the goats, pigs, chickens and guinea pigs! There’s also a safe, indoor play space for children, market gardens and flower farm, and benches to picnic.
24) St Werburgh’s City Farm – Farm animals, walks around the farm, plus playground and green spaces to explore nearby.
25) Grimsbury Community Farm – Lots of lovely green space, a variety of farm animals including sheep, cows, goats and poultry, a children’s play space, and picnic spots.
26) Lawrence Weston Community Farm – Loads if green space to explore and nature to discover, with some farm animals too.
27) Windmill Hill City Farm – A community farm in south Bristol with sheep, pigs, goats, rabbits, poultry and more, plus signs with animal facts so kids can learn as they wander around. There’s also an outdoor play are and picnic spots.

More Walks & Interesting Places to Visit

28) Bristol Harbourside – Stroll around the waterfront to spy the boats and tall ships and see the floating harbour. This walk is easy to include M Shed, Arnolfini, and Brandon Hill.
29) Bristol Cathedral – A different place to visit which my own children loved when they were little, with the tall ceilings, stained glass, little trails, and echoey spaces!
30) Spike Island – A modern art space with regularly changing exhibitions and a great space for kids who enjoy colourful art and interactive exhibits.
31) Arnolfini – Modern art space with regular display changes to spark interest and imagination. There are also regular free family creative activities (keep an eye on the Bristol Mum What’s On page for these!).
32) Banksy Street Art Trail – Many of Banksy’s original works are visible around the city, including “Well Hung Lover” (city centre), “Mild, Mild West” (Stokes Croft, “The Girl with the Pierced Eardrum” (Harbourside), “Cat and Dog” (Easton), and “Take the Money and Run” (Montpelier).
33) Clifton Suspension Bridge – Free to walk along either way and offers amazing views. At the Abbots Leigh end there’s also a visitors’ centre to pop into.
34) Wartime Gun Battery and Goats in Purdown – This is something different to do, and an interesting place to visit with the historic wartime gun battery and friendly goats to meet, too. You could include this with a walk across Stoke Park Estate, too.
35) Bristol Central Library – The Children’s Library is large and colourful with books for all ages and stages, plus comics and puzzles. There’s also a pirate ship for younger kids to sit in and sail away in while listening to a story.
36) Visit your local library – please click on this link to find your own local library. Libraries are free and a great place to introduce kids to books. There are also free activities for babies, toddlers, and older children taking place in libraries across Bristol, including regular activities such as Rhyme Time, plus special events, too.

I hope you found this post useful and that you are filled with ideas and inspiration for things to do and places to go in Bristol with your kids!

I also keep the Bristol Mum What’s On page regularly updated with free/cheap events and activities suitable for kids throughout the year, so do check it out. You can also follow Bristol Mum on Facebook to keep updated on what’s on.