1 / 6Norfolk is a dream county for a family day out, packed with big skies, sandy beaches and attractions that keep every age happy. Whether you want indoor fun for a rainy afternoon or acres of outdoor space to burn off energy, here are our favourite kid-friendly days out across the county — all real, family-tested places worth the trip.
🎟️See things to do in Norfolk on GetYourGuide →SEA LIFE Hunstanton
A seafront aquarium and seal sanctuary in Hunstanton, with an underwater walk-through shark and sea-turtle tunnel, penguins, otters and a working seal-rescue hospital. Younger children love getting close to the sea creatures, penguins and rescued seal pups, and because it is all indoors it makes a perfect any-weather day on the North Norfolk coast.
BeWILDerwood Norfolk
A 170-acre outdoor treehouse adventure park at Hoveton, near Wroxham, with wobbly zip wires, sky-high walkways, slides, marsh boat rides, mazes and free storytelling shows. It is brilliant screen-free adventure where kids climb, zip and explore for hours, with storytelling and crafts included — easily a whole active family day out.
ROARR! Dinosaur Adventure
Set across 85 acres at Lenwade near Norwich, ROARR! bills itself as the UK's largest dinosaur-themed adventure park, with life-size dinosaurs, huge indoor soft play, go-karts, a splash zone, high ropes and dino crazy golf. Dinosaur-obsessed kids get life-sized dinos plus dozens of rides and play areas on one ticket, and the big indoor soft play saves the day when the weather turns.
Banham Zoo
An award-winning zoo at Banham, near Attleborough, home to over 2,000 animals including big cats, giraffes, lemurs and birds of prey, with daily keeper talks and animal encounters. Giraffe feeding, big-cat viewing and the daily talks make it an easy classic family zoo day, and the land-train ride helps little legs go the distance.
Pensthorpe Natural Park
A 700-acre wildlife reserve near Fakenham and former home of BBC Springwatch, with flamingos, hand-feeding ducks, gardens, nature trails and large indoor and outdoor adventure play. It pairs feeding tame ducks and spotting flamingos with one of the region's biggest outdoor play areas, plus the indoor Hootz House soft play for wet-weather days.
Sandringham Estate
The King's country estate near King's Lynn, with a house and formal gardens, 600 acres of parkland, way-marked woodland trails, an adventure play area and a cafe. The woodland adventure playground and buggy-friendly trails let kids roam free while grown-ups enjoy the royal gardens, and there is plenty of space to spread out a picnic.
Redwings Horse Sanctuary Caldecott
A free-entry rescue-horse visitor centre at Caldecott, near Great Yarmouth, where families can meet over 100 rescued horses, ponies and donkeys nose-to-nose, with a cafe and play area. Animal-loving kids get to meet and stroke friendly rescued ponies and donkeys up close, and because it is completely free it pairs perfectly with a nearby beach trip.
Tips for a family day out
- Check opening times and pre-book tickets online where you can — busy attractions like SEA LIFE Hunstanton and the adventure parks can sell out in school holidays.
- Pack for all weathers: Norfolk's coast and outdoor parks can be breezy, so bring layers, sun cream and a spare change of clothes for splash zones.
- Mix indoor and outdoor picks so you always have a rainy-day backup like soft play at ROARR! or Pensthorpe.
- Bring a picnic to save money at big-space sites such as Sandringham, and combine free attractions like Redwings with a beach visit to make a full day.
FAQs
What are the best family days out in Norfolk for rainy days?
SEA LIFE Hunstanton is fully indoors, and both ROARR! Dinosaur Adventure and Pensthorpe Natural Park have large indoor soft play areas, making them reliable wet-weather choices.
Are there any free family days out in Norfolk?
Yes — Redwings Horse Sanctuary Caldecott is free to enter and lets families meet over 100 rescued horses, ponies and donkeys, and the parkland and woodland trails at Sandringham Estate are lovely for a free roam and picnic.
Which Norfolk attraction is best for young children?
SEA LIFE Hunstanton suits little ones with its close-up sea creatures and penguins, while BeWILDerwood offers gentle climbing and boat rides, and Banham Zoo's land train keeps small legs happy.
🎟️ Top things to do in Norfolk
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