Glasgow with Children- Tots2Travel’s Top Places

I love Glasgow.  I studied there and had a total ball,  but I’ve never set foot in the city with children.  As we approached with the kids in the back of the car I sensed this trip would be very different to my student days.  So where do you take kids in this buzzing city?

1 BUBBLES, BARRAS & BOTANICS – In Glasgow Green there are epic play parks – I completed one with Mr Toddler that I’m pretty certain was designed for marines (it’s so full on).  There’s also picturesque water fountains and it’s all in close proximity to the old street market known as the Barras.  We picked up a tube of bubbles and enjoyed the Green in the sun.

Then we ducked into the free Winter Gardens, a beautiful glass house, and surrounded our kids with exotic plants and palms.  The People’s Palace, also set in the Glasgow Green, tells the story of Glasgow’s people from 1750 to the end of the 20th century.

2 ART & MONSTERS – The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum – As well as beautiful pieces by the Glasgow Boys and Scotland’s favourite painting (Dali’s Christ of Saint John on the Cross) the free Kelvingrove Museum is also home to floating heads, an aeroplane, gigantic stuffed animals and DINOSAURS.  Tot heaven.

The museum is in Kelvingrove Park which is an attraction for any age or demographic.  With a great play park for little ones, it’s scenic and central – great to push a buggy around or chase a toddler.

3 SOMETHING OUT OF THIS WORLD – The Science Centre – A great rainy day option the Science Centre covers four floors of exploration and allows every competitive parent to nurture their own child genius.  We messed with DNA, experimented with the numerous hands-on interactive displays, steered our own ship and hit the soft play zone in the Big Explorer Zone.  For an additional £3 we attended the planetarium’s Space Explorers, a show  designed for ages seven and under.  The movement of the  360°  film, screened across a 15-metre hemispherical dome, was mesmerising and confusing for our tots who tilted and leaned in accordance with the spaceship.  The shows are led by astronomer-presenters, who I’m sure appreciated Mr Toddler shrieking ‘MOON’ at every planet we approached, regardless of which one it actually was.

4 GO BACK TO NATURE & OUT OF TOWN – Scotland has four national museums* and its National Museum of Rural Life is situated roughly thirty minutes outside Glasgow in East Kilbride.  The museum tells the story of the people, the machines, the land and the crops that are the backbone of Scottish food production.  Then it’s time to jump on the ‘Farm Explorer’, a tractor and trailer, to visit the actual farm where tots can get up close with gorgeous piglets, horses, cows and hens.  The farm’s guides takes you from stable to sty to yard and talks you through the lives of the animals before letting guests tour the original old farmhouse.  You can either walk back to the museum from the farm, through signposted fields and lanes, or jump back on the tractor and trailer.  Amazing day out for kids.

5 GRUB – If you want informal dining with an area for tots to explore then the Merchant Square in the Merchant City offers a range of quite casual restaurants  with a central area for kids to ‘discover’.  Mr Toddler met another toddler and remarkably they both liked running in circles – who knew?!  We chose a casual Italian called Fratelli’s and the staff were great with our kids.  A similar lay out is on the ground floor of the Buchanan Galleries.

We also enjoyed the children’s menu at Bill’s.  We dined early, about 6pm, and were eating alongside girls’ nights out sampling the colourful cocktail list, romantic couples and pals having a catch up but it’s the kind of place where everyone fits in.

Glasgow also runs a load of kids events so check out what’s happening when you’re visiting.  We were tempted by a 5km Bubble Run, yip that’s jogging through bubbles with your buggy, bringing back my Ibiza days, so there’s lots of quirky festivals and activities to choose from.  Glasgow’s still smiles better.

THE LOWDOWN – We stayed at the new Travelodge on Queen Street in the very centre of the city.  We drove from Aberdeen to Glasgow.  The city has a good public transport system, from the buses to ample taxis to the famous Clockwork Orange (metro) which is loved by locals and visitors alike.   There’s very easy parking at all the attractions I highlighted. We were guests at the Science Centre and the National Museum of Rural Life courtesy of Visit Scotland and ASVA.

*The four national museums are the National Museum of Scotland, The National Museum of Flight, The National War Museum and the National Museum of Rural Life.

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