10 fun Edinburgh activities for families and kids during the school holidays

By Gary Flockhart

Lifestyle Editor

Published 13th Feb 2025, 11:04 BST

As any parent or guardian knows, keeping the kids entertained during the school holidays can be tricky. But fear not, because we’ve got you covered with some great ideas for family activities.

The Feburary school holidays means parents will be racking their brains for ways to keep the kids from driving them up the wall. But there are plenty of fun things to do in the Capital, even when the weather is cold and wet.

Have a look through our picture gallery to see Edinburgh’s Top 10 activities for families, according to TripAdvisor reviews.

Scroll through our gallery to see Edinburgh’s Top 10 activities for families, according to TripAdvisor reviews.

1. Edinburgh’s Top 10 activities for families

Scroll through our gallery to see Edinburgh’s Top 10 activities for families, according to TripAdvisor reviews. Photo: Pixabay

Where: Address: 42 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1TG. Visit the world’s first ever museum dedicated to the history of childhood. Amongst the displays you will find toys, games, clothes, books and dolls, dating from the 1800s to the present day. Explore a child’s life at home, at school and at play. See blasts from the past like Muffin the Mule, the first star of children's television and Radio Rex – a 1920s voice activated toy. Favourite toys which last the test of time are also on display including a Buzz Lightyear, the action figure from 2000 and a Fisher-Price Chatter Telephone from 1979. And don't miss the dressing-up area and tee-pee in the imaginary play area which offers families the chance to play together.

2. Museum of Childhood

Where: Address: 42 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1TG. Visit the world’s first ever museum dedicated to the history of childhood. Amongst the displays you will find toys, games, clothes, books and dolls, dating from the 1800s to the present day. Explore a child’s life at home, at school and at play. See blasts from the past like Muffin the Mule, the first star of children's television and Radio Rex – a 1920s voice activated toy. Favourite toys which last the test of time are also on display including a Buzz Lightyear, the action figure from 2000 and a Fisher-Price Chatter Telephone from 1979. And don't miss the dressing-up area and tee-pee in the imaginary play area which offers families the chance to play together. Photo: Third Party

Where: Lady Stair's House, Lawnmarket, Royal Mile, Edinburgh. The Writers’ Museum celebrates the lives of three giants of Scottish Literature – Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. Home to portraits, rare books and personal objects including Burns’ writing desk, the printing press on which Scott’s Waverley Novels were first produced, and the rocking horse he used as a child. We have Robert Louis Stevenson’s riding boots and the ring given to him by a Samoan chief, engraved with the name ‘Tusitala’, meaning ‘teller of tales’. There is also a plaster cast of Robert Burns' skull, one of only three ever made. This free museum is easy to locate just off the Lawnmarket, the top part of Edinburgh’s historic Royal Mile, in Lady Stair’s Close.

3. The Writers' Museum

Where: Lady Stair's House, Lawnmarket, Royal Mile, Edinburgh. The Writers’ Museum celebrates the lives of three giants of Scottish Literature – Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. Home to portraits, rare books and personal objects including Burns’ writing desk, the printing press on which Scott’s Waverley Novels were first produced, and the rocking horse he used as a child. We have Robert Louis Stevenson’s riding boots and the ring given to him by a Samoan chief, engraved with the name ‘Tusitala’, meaning ‘teller of tales’. There is also a plaster cast of Robert Burns' skull, one of only three ever made. This free museum is easy to locate just off the Lawnmarket, the top part of Edinburgh’s historic Royal Mile, in Lady Stair’s Close. Photo: Third Party

Where: 3-5 Cranston St, Edinburgh EH8 8BE. What: Experience the wonderful world of chocolate with The Chocolatarium's award-winning tours. Just off the Royal Mile in Edinburgh's Old Town.

4. The Chocolatarium

Where: 3-5 Cranston St, Edinburgh EH8 8BE. What: Experience the wonderful world of chocolate with The Chocolatarium's award-winning tours. Just off the Royal Mile in Edinburgh's Old Town. Photo: Third Party

Edinburgh TripAdvisor

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