The best family days out in London and beyond rated by kids and teens
KidRated believes ALL kids are entitled to have great days out, so we’ve made a list of attractions and experiences (mainly in London, but also beyond) that cater really well for kids with special needs.
Clicking on the pictures will take you to the individual pages where you can read more about each attraction or event.
This list is a work in progress so please tell us if you have great places and experiences to suggest – write in the comment box below, send an email, tweet, or just heckle us in the street, and we’ll add it!
Cutty Sark, an official K-Rated attraction © National Maritime Museum
Ahoy there! The Cutty Sark tea clipper/ museum in Greenwich is great fun for kids.
  Braille and tactile models
  Free parking for blue badge carriers
  Carers go free – concession price for disabled visitors
  Parts of the ship are hard to access by wheelchair, but there are virtual tours of those areas
  Can only accommodate 3 wheelchair users at a time
Shark Weeks at Sea Life London Aquarium, an official K-Rated attraction © Sea Life London
The Sea Life London Aquarium is a great place to explore some exotic sea life.Â
  Fully accessible for wheelchair users
  Wheelchairs can be borrowed but there’s a ÂŁ200 deposit
  Can get crowded at peak times
The wonderful RAF Museum in Colindale is a fun way to discover more about the Royal Air Force.
  Wheelchair access, and wide aisles for easy movement
  Free autism friendly trail
  Plenty of parking – fees applyÂ
The London Transport Museum is  a great place to learn about the history of London Transport.
  Wheelchair access, lifts to all floors, plus ramps in some areas
  Audio-visual exhibits are subtitled, or fitted with induction loops
  Guide dogs are welcome and water bowls available on request
  Described tours are available for blind and partially sighted visitors – booking is essential
  Carers go free
  Located in the cobbled (wheelchair unfriendly) Covent Garden piazza
© EDF Energy London Eye – an official K-Rated attraction
The London Eye provides the best views of London.
  Carers go free
  London Eye and the London Eye River Cruise are fully accessible with wheelchair access and disabled toilets
  Assistance and wheelchairs are available
  Guide dogs welcome
  The staff are very helpful to disabled visitors, including those with autism
  Only 2 wheelchairs are allowed per capsule and a maximum of 8 in total at any one time. It’s a good idea to book your wheelchair space in advance
*Some indoor areas are currently closed due to Covid restrictions, visit The Tower of London to find out more.
Oscars gives the Tower of London a K-Rating of 10
The Tower of London is where all Henry VIII’s wives were executed. It also holds the Crown Jewels.Â
  Disabled visitors get a concessionary rate and carers go free
  There are toilets with easy ramped access and wheelchairs available to hire free of charge
  Guides available for blind, partially sighted and autistic people and induction loops are provided for those who are deaf
  Access is limited
Discover Children’s Story Centre, London’s only children’s museum is a great place for families to enjoy playing, learning and making up stories together.
 Guide dogs are welcome
 Wheelchair accessible with step free access to all entrances and lifts
  Induction loops are available for those with hearing impairments
  Play equipment and events at Discover are multi-sensory
  All story telling sessions are led by skilled Story Builders who are trained to support children with SEN, EAL and disabilities
  Parking spaces for blue badge holders in surrounding streets
Monkey Bizness is a children’s soft play centre for 0-12 year olds in Gosport, Hampshire.
 Makaton friendly centre
 Staff trained in basic Autism awareness
 Wheelchair accessible
 Guide dogs welcome
 Sensory play areas and equipment
6 year old Francis gave the Tate Britain a K-Rating of 8!
The Tate Britain is one of London’s most famous art galleries.
  Concessionary admission and carers go free for special exhibitions
  Guide dogs are welcome
  Large print gallery plans with braille text available from the Information desks
  Touch tours are available but advanced booking is required
  Hearing loops are available
  There are a range of free talks and workshops for those who have learning disabilities
  There are wheelchairs available at the gallery
  Limited parking spaces for blue badge holders on Atterbury Street and Millbank. Also parking spaces on site but must be booked in advance
The Fashion and Textiles Museum puts on a range of fun and stylish exhibitions that change every few months.
  Large print booklets available
  The museum is split level with a lift
  Carers go free
  One disabled parking space but with a blue badge you can park on a single yellow line
The Geffrye Museum is a great place to bring the kids. It shows the history of how home furnishings have changed in England over four centuries.
  Hoxton Station has step-free access
  Wheelchairs are available to borrow and there’s lift access to the art rooms
  Guide dogs are welcome
  Induction loops available
 Free highlights tour of the period rooms specifically for blind and partially sighted visitors
  Limited number of disabled parking bays in front of the museum
The Roundhouse is a renowned arts venue that sets out, above all, to reach out to young people by hosting a range of fantastic workshops, courses and other projects.
  Accessible toilets, dedicated wheelchair spaces and balcony handrails that have been lowered to offer a better view
  Infrared-assisted hearing system in both theatre spaces and an induction loop
  Braille/tactile signs
  Assistance dogs are welcome and captions and audio-described events often take place
  There are seven blue badge spaces (book in advance)
© Museum of Childhood, an official K-Rated attraction
There is so much to see at this museum and all for free. The museum is packed with childhood-related objects and artefacts from the 1600s onwards, interactive exhibits and family events.
  Wheelchair accessÂ
  Wheelchairs available
  Talks and arts activities can be adapted, with warning, to suit a range of needs
  Touch toursÂ
  Induction loopÂ
  Assistance dogs welcome
  Pre-bookable parking spaces available for blue badge holders
The Science Museum is a vibrant, energetic place where children can discover so much more about science in a fun and interactive way.
  Lifts, ramps and accessible toilets
  Induction loops available
  Wheelchairs available to borrow
  Braille information books
  Cinema has four wheelchair spaces and an infrared system – headsets available on request
  Special days where families with ASC children can enjoy the museum free from the hustle and bustle of the public. These are free events for children under 14. Booking is necessary
  Six blue badge parking bays on a first-come first-served basis
Houses of Parliament is where all the country’s important decisions are discussed and a great way to learn about what goes on in Parliament.
 Audio tour commentary specifically for 7 to 12 year olds in the style of a ‘live’ news broadcast with time travelling reporters
 Screen-based version of the adult audio tour available in British Sign Language
 Tactile tours for blind and partially sighted visitors offered on request
 Accessible for wheelchair users, lifts in some areas
 Carers go free on all tours
 Most children go free on audio tours
 Visitor Assistants on hand throughout the tour route to answer questions
 Detailed 15 minute access videos so adults can plan their visit
 No parking available
photo credit: Dean and Chapter of Westminster
Westminster Abbey is one of London’s top attractions. The abbey has been the venue for all coronations since William the Conqueror.
  Portable audio guides available in a range of languages
  Transcripts available for deaf visitors
  Touch tours can be arrangedÂ
  Disabled visitors and carers go free
  No parking spaces availableÂ
 London Zoo is an exciting and informative day out that all the family will enjoy.The Zoo is located within Regent’s Park and there are plenty other attractions to see.Â
  Wheelchair accessible
  Disabled toilets and wheelchairs are available but deposit is required
  Guide dogs are not permitted
  There are six disabled parking bays near the Zoo entrance
The Natural History Museum is one of London’s most popular destinations. They are host to a vast collection of fossils, animals, dinosaurs and much, much more.
  Wheelchairs available to hire for free and lifts to most floors
 Audio descriptive guides and free, guided audio description tours as well as braille and large-print guides
  Guide dogs are welcome
  Free touchscreen BSL multimedia guide to all the galleries
  No step-free access to the Earth Lab
  Small number of parking spaces on site for blue badge holders – must be booked in advance
*This exhibit is temporarily closed due to COVID-19 regulations.
This playground was especially created so that it was accessible for able bodies and less able bodied children. Situated in the north west corner of Kensington Gardens, it was opened in 2000 and has a Peter Pan, you really get the sense that Princess Diana would love to have such a delightful area named in her memory. The pirate ship is not to be missed.
There are numerous theatres around London that put on ‘relaxed performances‘ for those with learning disabilities, Autism Spectrum Condition, Â and sensory and communication disorders. These performances usually tone down the voice and movement and small changes are made to lighting so that everyone feels more comfortable in an unfamiliar environment.
Click here to read Simon London’s (KidRated co-founder) experience of attending a relaxed performance of War Horse with his goddaughter Elvi.
*This production has now ended
The Royal Shakespeare Company will present their second relaxed performance of Matilda this month, following the success of the first one last summer. This will be the fifth relaxed performance that the RSC has staged, once again working with the National Autistic Society and Mousetrap Theatre Projects. Book your tickets before they sell out! All wheelchair spaces have already been sold. Call 0844 800 1110 for the RSC ticket hotline. Click here for more ticket info.Â
*This production has now ended
The smash hit adaptation of Mark Haddon’s novel has seven Olivier Awards and (5 Tony Awards) is now on a nationwide tour of the UK. The play tells the journey of Christopher, (a 15 year-old “mathematician with some behavioural difficulties”) in solving the mystery of who killed his neighbour’s dog.  Stay has a special Q&A with the cast after the show!
  Provides a visual story to help prepare for your visit
  Trained, welcoming staff, relaxed attitude and chill out spaces for use at any time
All tickets are ÂŁ15 and the performance is on Thursday July 2nd, 2pm at the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton.Â
This year’s relaxed performance of the Lion King was held on 30th August and was a great success. Watch Issy’s review here.Â
The Lyric, Hammersmith, accommodate disabled people in their newly renovated theatre. Â
  Audio described performances with additional commentary during performance
  Touch tours before some performances – limited availability
  Guide dogs are welcome also
  Open Captioned Performances and BSL interpreted performancesÂ
The Polka Theatre in Wimbledon are host to many specialist events for disabled people and people with learning difficulties.
  Sign language performances for all their main house productions.
  Touch tours of the stage, set and the actors
  Guide dogs are welcome
  Step-free access and lift
  For every main house show, Polka Theatre offer one show in the schedule that is a relaxed performance
Check the website for more details
Mousetrap Theatre Projects is a theatre education charity. It strive to provide opportunities for young people with special needs and encourage them to engage with theatre. It also provides information about relaxed performances, and performances for those who have visual and hearing impairments.
The non-profit organisation Dimensions, teamed up with Odeon in 2011 to organise more accessible ways for people with autism and learning disabilities to go to the cinema. They now boast over 250 cinemas that facilitate these events, for which the lights are dimmed, the volume is turned down, trailers are dispensed with, you can bring your own food and drink, and the audience is allowed to move (but not run) around the cinema. Cineworld, Showcase, Odeon and Vue all host one Autism Friendly Screening each month.
If your kids recently been inspired by the Special Olympics in LA or the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games right here at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and want to get involved in sport then here are some good places to start.
Here is one of the best places in the UK to see a whole variety of Paralympic Sport. Check out the access information here. Also keep a look out for sports activities for kids.
Lycra is not required for the Inclusive Cycling sessions
In collaboration with the charity Wheels for Wellbeing, the wonderful Herne Hill Velodrome, the only still in use venue from the 1948 London Olympics, is open to people of all abilities who may not be confident to cycle on the road.
Mondays 11:00am -1:30pm
Check Wheels for Wellbeing for more venues in London.
Toby K-Rates the London Transport Museum Depot
Also check out our Special Needs section which is filled with parent approved places for kids with special needs.
Clink Prison Museum
Matilda the Musical
Great to see this section on your website some good ideas and advice which I will take on board for my autistic son.
Thanks for those kind words Rachel. Please feel free to upload some K-Ratings with your son or contact us at info@kidrated.co.uk if you’d like to submit a blog with a list of things he loves to do that could inspire other parents.
Many of you may of may not know that regardless whether you child has a definitive diagnosis or not theres still lots of help out there to makes days out easier and so more fun.
My son was only diagnosed aspergers this May. However we known for 4 years he was probably ASD just one thing and another taken four years and a lot of chasing docs and officials to get diagnosed.
Two years ago my son had a meltdown whilst queueing in Chessington, we lost sight of him for 10 minutes he was 5 i was beside myself. Due to the queue for particular ride being rigid barrier over 4 ft high i couldnt slip over or under and neither could my husband, and was taking forever to explain our way thru, whereas son had slip thru legs.
So i went to guest services and complained that there was no emergency exit from a very long queue for cases like this, explain sons issues. Staff were sympathetic and asked had i not got letter from doctor/school explain why queues were an issue. I said i was aware of ride access passes but as son not diagnosed didnt realise we were entitled. No , so long as its headed paper from teacher, doctor etc they accept it.
All visits to theme parks since them have been much more enjoyable.
Also if your in receipt of DLA / carers i think most let 1 adult in free too.
This was the case with legoland this year no problems they barely glanced at our documentation. Just make sure you check each parks website as it can vary whats acceptable.
All merlin parks apparently have a central data base for people who have claimed ride access passes. I was told last year ( where we did 3 theme parks , in 3 days) once you claimed it once , you dont need to show documentation again. Personally i wouldnt risk not taking it and im not sure if you need to show once a year to update systems. But worth noting in case you forget as no harm in asking.
With ride access passes the nitty gritty in and outs varies from park to park.
With legoland you get 10 tickets a day and you hand one in every time you queue jump. I think you can always take a few people with you so great for families.
Chessington was great too, again i think was always least 2 people allowed on but at busy times they will write a time down and you cant ride another ride until then . But thats fine as sometimes takes 20 mins to walk otherside of park etc or use to eat, drink toilet.
Thorpe park was least user friendly. Had a long queue to get pass as office was doing annual passes as well. Nearly all rides was only allowed 1 extra person so awkward if your on own with 2 young kids. ( suppose have to beg staff to be lenient). Was only the water rides i think that allowed a few riders. But my son loved out door beach there almost as much as duplo valley waterpark in legoland
Peppa pig /Paultons were great i had documents but they accepted what i said. Had to go to first aid room to fill forms. Was limited i think again to usually 2 extra but to be honest so long as your there for 10 am first hour or so we didnt use passes so we had for later as queues non existent even middle of August
I have two children who get low care dla. The dla letters have my name on them. My question is if myself and my partner of 15 the father of the children went out for the day with the kids would it only be me that gets in free or could we both get in for free. And also for a carer to get in free do you need to get carers allowance. Thank you Tracy.
For a more low-key day out, Vue cinemas do autism friendly screenings. 🙂 http://www.myvue.com/latest-movies/view/all-times/filter/autism-friendly
Also a friend in South London told me The Horniman Museum in Forest Hill has a great policy and programme for kids – http://www.horniman.ac.uk
The Lowry in Manchester (www.thelowry.com) also does relaxed performances of some of their family shows – BUT WE NEED MORE – thank you kidrated for highlighting the issue, there’s not enough information out there for kids with special needs although I’m sure it does exist.