Plymouth handles families well. There is enough coastline to burn off energy, enough indoor space for a wet Tuesday, and a lot of it is cheap or free.
The UK's largest aquarium sits at the edge of Sutton Harbour and is the obvious first stop with children. The Atlantic Ocean tank is the deepest in the country, and the daily dive shows and feeding talks give the visit structure. Tickets are usually valid for repeat visits within a year, which makes the price more reasonable than it first appears.
Free, indoors, and better with children than most people expect. The Mammoth skeleton, the figureheads and the hands-on displays hold attention, and the museum runs regular family sessions during school holidays — messy making, storytelling for toddlers, and trails around the galleries.
Firestone Bay has calm, sheltered water and is a short walk from Royal William Yard's cafés. Mount Batten has a small beach, a breakwater to walk out along, and a ferry back to the Barbican, which for most under-tens is the highlight of the day. Bovisand and Wembury, both a short drive out, have rockpools worth an afternoon.
The Immersive Dome at Market Hall in Devonport screens 360-degree films aimed at families, and the programme changes regularly. Plymouth Life Centre has pools, a diving area and a climbing wall. The city's soft play centres are clustered around the outskirts and the retail parks.
Central Park's playground is the largest in the city. Devonport Park, Victoria Park and Ford Park all have well-maintained equipment, and Saltram's parkland offers space to run with a café at the end of it.
The Mount Batten ferry and the Cremyll ferry to Mount Edgcumbe both turn transport into an activity. Buses are straightforward across the city, and much of the waterfront is walkable with a pushchair, though the Barbican's cobbles are hard work.
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