Family-Friendly Summer Activities at Brighton & Hove Museums
Brighton & Hove Museums have packed this summer with playful, hands-on events and activities perfect for children, teens and families. Whether your young ones want to explore ancient worlds, get creative, or just have some holiday fun, there’s something for every age across our five venues.
Colourful fun at the Pavilion
At the Royal Pavilion, younger visitors can follow Cami the Chameleon through a special trail linked to our vibrant COLOUR exhibition. Alongside this, our popular dressing-up stations and ‘build a palace’ colour play tables in the Great Kitchen offer little ones a chance to step back in time in the most colourful way. On Sunday 27 July, we’re hosting Picnic Like a Prince, a free, family-friendly celebration of Brighton Pride with creative crafts, games, and plenty of space to picnic in the beautiful Pavilion Garden.
From arty to archaeology at Brighton Museum
At Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, children aged 5–13 can take part in Art Clubs on 30 July and 13 August, using the museum’s collections as creative inspiration. For teens, a ‘Totes Amazing’ Tote Bag Tie-Dye Workshop on 19 August offers a chance to create bold wearable art. Throughout the holidays, families can enjoy Friday drop-in storytelling sessions (25 July, 8 Aug, 22 Aug) and self-guided trails, perfect for discovering highlights like the Ancient Egypt, Archaeology and See the Sea galleries — all designed with young explorers in mind.
Cookery club plus family fun at Preston Manor
Preston Manor & Gardens offers something a little different for families, with time travel back to a family home from another era. Children aged 8–12 can try their hand at historic recipes in our highly popular Victorian Cookery Club on 29 July, or cook up wartime classics in the WW2 edition on 12 August. There’s also a fun children’s trail to guide little visitors through the Manor’s Edwardian history, alongside some dress up, servant chores, fishing and ghostly fun! Don’t miss the peaceful Manor Gardens and Tearoom for some post-activity downtime (Fri-Sun only, admission applies).
Arts, stories and Wonder at Hove Museum
Hove Museum of Creativity is buzzing with activity this summer. Younger kids (5–12) can join Art Clubs on 24 July, 14 and 29 August, while teens can dive into creative workshops. The Wonder Club on 26 July (ages 13–18) explores early filmmaking with artist Chahine Fellahi, and Photo Finish on 7 August (ages 13–16) introduces hands-on darkroom techniques like cyanotype and chemigram. The museum also hosts drop-in storytelling (28 July, 11 and 25 August), art (24 July, 14 & 29 August), and play days throughout the holidays — a relaxed and welcoming way to spend time as a family. Don’t miss our Cafe Rust tea room too!
Jaws N Claws bite into Booth Museum
At the Booth Museum of Natural History, get ready to meet creatures great and small. The family-friendly Jaws N Claws events on 30 July and 18 August lets you get up close and personal to minibeast and reptiles as well as the wider museum collections. Please note, Booth Museum is closed for essential maintenance at the moment, but will be open on these days for these events.
And don’t forget — all three of our gardens (at the Royal Pavilion, Preston Manor, and Hove Museum) are perfect places to picnic, play and relax after a visit. Whether you’re joining a workshop, dressing up like royalty, or simply soaking up some creative inspiration, Brighton & Hove Museums have your summer sorted.
