Glasgow rains 170 days a year, so the city has perfected the rainy-day family day. Free museums with brilliant interactive halls, dedicated indoor play centres, swimming pools, science centres, soft play, paint-your-own pottery, indoor climbing — Glasgow offers more rainy-day options than almost any UK city.
This is the local pick of rainy day activities for kids in Glasgow — 25+ tested ideas organised by age group and budget, with the practical details (cost, location, age range, how long to plan) that matter when the forecast turns wet.
Free rainy day activities for kids in Glasgow
1. Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
The headline free family museum in Scotland — 22 galleries including a suspended Spitfire, a giant elephant skeleton, the natural-history hall, and rotating live music demonstrations on the central pipe organ at 1pm daily. Free trail booklets at the welcome desk turn it into a treasure hunt. Free entry; allow 2-3 hours. Read our Kelvingrove guide.
2. The Riverside Museum and Tall Ship
The transport museum — recreated Glasgow streets, working trams, vintage cars and a real Stormtrooper costume — plus the 1896 Tall Ship Glenlee moored alongside (climb the deck, descend below deck). Both free. Allow 2-3 hours. Read our Riverside Museum guide.
3. The Burrell Collection
UK Museum of the Year 2023, set inside Pollok Country Park. Brilliant digital interactives, Egyptian mummies, medieval tapestries and a free family trail. Free; allow 2 hours. Read our Burrell Collection guide.
4. The Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA)
Royal Exchange Square — 4 floors of contemporary art with a strong family-creative programme (free Saturday-morning workshops, kids’ art trails). Free. Allow 90 minutes.
5. The Hunterian Museum & Hunterian Art Gallery
Inside Glasgow University — the city’s oldest public museum. Anatomy specimens, dinosaur bones, a Mackintosh House recreation, the Whistler collection. Free; allow 90 minutes.
6. The People’s Palace and Winter Gardens (when reopened)
The city’s social-history museum and Winter Gardens conservatory on Glasgow Green. Currently undergoing major refurbishment — check current opening status. Free.
7. The St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art
Britain’s only Zen garden, the Dalai Lama’s medal, and child-friendly displays on six world religions. Next to Glasgow Cathedral. Free; allow 45 minutes.
8. The Mitchell Library
Scotland’s largest reference library has a brilliant children’s section with story-time sessions on most weekends. Free. The green-domed building itself is one of Glasgow’s most photogenic interiors.
Paid rainy day activities for kids in Glasgow
9. Glasgow Science Centre
Three floors of hands-on science exhibits, plus the Planetarium and IMAX. £15.50–£17.05 adult / £12 child. Plan a half-day. Read our Glasgow Science Centre with kids guide.
10. Soft play: Fun Street (Silverburn)
Scotland’s only fully climate-controlled soft play. Vast space, slides, climbing frames. £8–£12 child. Best for ages 1–10.
11. Wonder World (Glasgow Fort)
Adventure soft-play with separate zones for toddlers and older kids. Cafe on site. £8 child; under-1s free.
12. Inflatanation (Kinning Park)
Giant inflatable indoor adventure park — bouncy castles, slides, obstacle courses. £14 per session; ages 5+.
13. Lollipop Land (multiple)
Three Glasgow soft-play centres aimed at the under-7 crowd. £6–£8.
14. Time Capsule (Coatbridge)
30 minutes east — indoor swimming with rapids, slides, mini-golf, ice skating. £15 adult, £12 child.
15. Glasgow Climbing Centre
Indoor bouldering and rope climbing — kids’ sessions with instructors from age 6+. £10–£15 per session.
16. Trampoline parks (Ryze, Flip Out, Air Space)
Three trampoline parks in Glasgow — 60-minute sessions £10–£14. Best for ages 6+.
Swimming on a rainy day in Glasgow
17. Tollcross International Swimming Centre
Olympic-standard pool with a brilliant children’s leisure pool, slides and lazy river. £4 adult, £2.50 child. Best big-pool day in Glasgow.
18. Whitehill Pool (Dennistoun)
50m pool plus learner pool, near the East End. £4 adult / £2.50 child.
19. Bellahouston Sports Centre pool
South-side family pool with leisure waters and slides.
For the full list of public pools see Glasgow Life’s “Get into Swimming” page — most charge £4 adult / £2.50 child.
Creative rainy day activities for kids in Glasgow
20. Paint-your-own pottery (Pickled Pottery, Strathbungo)
Drop-in studio where kids paint pre-fired ceramics and the studio fires them for collection a week later. £5 studio fee + £8–£20 per item.
21. The Empire Skating Rink (Coatbridge)
30 minutes east — public skating sessions on weekend afternoons. £8 admission.
22. Cinemas: Glasgow Film Theatre family programme
The GFT runs family-friendly screenings on Saturday mornings (£5 child, £6 adult). Indie films, classics, occasional foreign-language with subtitles.
23. Children’s bookshops: Word Power Books (West End)
Indie bookshop with weekend story-time sessions. Free. The city’s other strong family book stop is the Glasgow Women’s Library in the East End.
24. Workshops at the museums
Kelvingrove, the Burrell, the Riverside and GoMA all run free weekend art-making workshops for ages 4-12 in the school holidays. Check Glasgow Life’s “What’s On” listings.
25. The Hidden Lane tearoom (Argyle Street)
The “Mad Hatter’s tea party”-style afternoon tea at the Hidden Lane tearoom on Argyle Street is a rainy-day kids’ favourite. Vintage china, 70 teas, child-friendly cake.
Rainy day activities for kids in Glasgow by age group
Babies and toddlers (0-3)
Soft play (Wonder World, Lollipop Land), Glasgow Science Centre under-5 zone, Riverside Museum tram and pram routes, swimming-baby sessions at Tollcross.
Pre-school (3-5)
All of the above plus Inflatanation (5+), Pickled Pottery, the dinosaur halls at Kelvingrove, GoMA’s child workshops.
Primary (6-10)
Glasgow Science Centre, the IMAX, the Riverside Museum, the Climbing Centre, trampoline parks, the Tall Ship deck.
Older kids and tweens (10-14)
The Burrell Collection digital interactives, the Climbing Centre, GFT family-screening films, the Necropolis ghost tour (older tweens), bowling at Tenpin in Springfield Quay.
Rainy day activities for kids in Glasgow by budget
Free
Kelvingrove, Riverside Museum and Tall Ship, Burrell Collection, GoMA, the Hunterian, the Mitchell Library, all of the museum workshops in school holidays.
£5-£10 per child
Public swimming pools, soft play (most), Pickled Pottery (paint only), GFT family screenings, family-area buses.
£10-£20 per child
Glasgow Science Centre, Inflatanation, trampoline parks, climbing centre, Time Capsule.
Practical tips for a rainy Glasgow family day
- Pack waterproofs even between indoor stops — see our Glasgow weather guide.
- Use the Subway and bus to keep dry between attractions — see our Glasgow Subway guide.
- Book indoor activities ahead in school holidays — soft-play and trampoline parks fill quickly.
- Bring a change of clothes for under-7s for any swimming or soft-play session.
- Carry snacks and water — museum and play-centre cafes are pricey.
- Combine free museums with paid indoor activities for the best balance — e.g. morning at Kelvingrove, afternoon swim at Tollcross.
The perfect rainy day in Glasgow with kids
A tested itinerary that works for ages 4–10:
- 10am — Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum (free, 2 hours).
- 12pm — Lunch at the Kelvingrove café or pack a picnic.
- 1pm — Subway one stop to Cessnock.
- 1.30pm — Glasgow Science Centre (3 hours, £17 adult / £12 child).
- 4.30pm — Subway home; soak in the bath; everyone dry.
FAQs
What rainy day activities for kids in Glasgow are free?
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, the Riverside Museum and Tall Ship, the Burrell Collection, GoMA, the Hunterian, the Mitchell Library and the St Mungo Museum are all free, all-weather, family-friendly options.
What’s the best soft-play in Glasgow on a rainy day?
Fun Street at Silverburn for size and climate control; Wonder World at Glasgow Fort for ages 6-10; Lollipop Land for under-7s.
Is Glasgow Science Centre good for a rainy day?
Excellent — three floors entirely indoors, half-day attraction, suitable for ages 3-14. £17 adult, £12 child. Add the IMAX or Planetarium if the rain hasn’t stopped.
Where can kids swim in Glasgow on a rainy day?
Tollcross International Swimming Centre has the best children’s leisure pool. Whitehill, Bellahouston and the Time Capsule (Coatbridge) are strong alternatives.
Are Glasgow museums good for kids?
Yes — Kelvingrove, Riverside, Burrell and GoMA all run dedicated family trails, weekend workshops in school holidays, and most have specific under-5 zones. All free.
What’s the cheapest rainy day with kids in Glasgow?
Free museums + the Mitchell Library + a packed lunch picnic in a museum lobby. Total cost: zero. Add a £4-each public swim if you want to add water.
Plan more family days in Glasgow
This article is part of our complete Glasgow with kids family guide. Pair it with our best Glasgow playgrounds for sunny days, our Glasgow Science Centre with kids deep-dive and our free things to do in Glasgow list.
