When grey skies roll in across Herts and Bucks, there’s still plenty to do with the kids. Here’s a practical guide to indoor activities near Berkhamsted that’ll keep everyone entertained without getting soaked.
Free Museums
Tring Natural History Museum – one of those places that punches well above its weight. As part of the Natural History Museum collection, it’s packed with preserved animals from around the world. The Victorian galleries have a certain charm, and school holidays usually bring extra activities. Best of all? Free entry.
RAF Museum in Hendon – another solid free option. The aircraft collection is impressive, and the interactive displays and flight simulators keep children engaged. Worth the drive, there s a playground when the weather is good too.
Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre – located in Great Missenden where Dahl actually lived and wrote. You can see a recreation of his writing hut, and tand there are loads of interactive displays for children. There are often craft activities and storytelling sessions, and entry is free for kids with a blue peter card.
Discover Bucks Museum in Aylesbury – this has a rotating exhibit, as well as the Roald Dahl Children’s Gallery. Children can crawl through Mr Fox’s tunnel and explore the Twits’ upside-down room. The two Roald Dahl museums are different to each other, both are well worth a visit (even if your kids don’t know the books that well).
Soft Play and Active Indoor Spaces
DJ’s Play Park – with several locations across the area – Berkhamsted, Hemel and St Albans. With everything you’d expect to find in a soft play centre, parents can grab a coffee while children wear themselves out.
Jump – an inflatable park in hemel Hempstead. It’s essentially a warehouse full of inflatables and obstacles. Good for burning energy on a rainy afternoon.
Orbital Trampoline Park – ideal for burning off a lot of energy, this indoor trampoline park is has a range of trampolines, climbing walls, ninja type activities and more trampolines! There’s a cafe upstairs.
Ninja Warrior – obstacle courses with climbing walls, balance beams, hanging challenges and foam pits as well as large inflatable areas. They’re designed around the TV show concept and work well for children who want something more challenging than standard soft play.
Indoor Climbing
Chiltern Lifestyle Centre has fun climbing walls suitable for children. Sessions are bookable, and the climbing is in the same room as the soft play, there’s also swimming in the same building.
Rock Up Watford – A similar climbing set up, with a new high level ropes course around the shopping centre as well.
Swimming
Swimming – most local leisure centres run family swim sessions. I’d heard that Everyone Active in Berkhamsted run a session for older kids with inflatables, but I’ve not been able to find any details of this. If anyone knows please share!
Aquavale – this is my boys choice for a fun swim. With two flumes and lots of other fun bits, it’s a great place on a rainy day. Sessions are limited though – we’ve found it much quieter at the beginning and end of a day.
Other Activities
Bowling – we tend to go to Hollywood Bowl in North Watford, although there are also bowling places in Dunstable and Aylesbury.
Mulligans Crazy Golf, Hemel, & Puttshack, Watford – both fun places to play on a rainy afternoon.
Topgolf in Watford – a two level driving range, with microchipped balls that track accuracy as you play a range of games. Better suited to older children and teens.
Skiing, Snowboarding and Snow Play
The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead brings winter sports indoors. Lessons available for complete beginners, open sessions for those with experience, and a dedicated snow play area for younger children. Not an everyday activity, but makes a memorable rainy day trip.
Drop-In Sessions for Under 6s
Sapphire Gymnastics runs stay and play sessions in both Hemel Hempstead and Pitstone. Children up to 6 years old can explore soft play equipment, climbing frames and gymnastics apparatus. Unstructured play in a safe environment.
Track City caters specifically to train enthusiasts. Drop-in sessions with extensive train layouts and small world toys. If you have a child in the train phase, this will be a favourite.
Craft and Creative Options
Pottery painting – The nearest pottery painting is now St Albans, and pre-booking is almost always necessary. Choose a piece, paint it, and collect it once it’s been fired.
Cinema
The Rex in Berkhamsted offers an art deco experience with comfortable seating and cheese delivered to your table. Releases tend to be a little behind the mainstream cinemas, but the experience is a different level.
Planning Rainy Days
I hope you find this list helpful. Some of these activities need to be booked ahead, others you can just turn up to. Some are free, others cost a bit more – I’ve tried to think of a range of activities to suit different people. If I’ve missed anywhere good, let me know – always happy to add more options.
I photograph families around Berkhamsted and across Hertfordshire – natural, relaxed sessions that capture real life. If you’d like to chat about family photography, get in touch.