It's cold and wet, you want to get the children out of the house for a while, but you can't quite bring yourself to go on an adventure in the great outdoors. It's ok, if you are looking for ideas of places to go with children on cold or rainy days in Essex I have you covered. There is a huge amount of choice so whether you fancy some thing energetic or a more leisurely activity you should find some where to interest you, or more realistically to interest your children which you can tolerate. There are suggestions of places to go with toddlers and preschoolers right the way through to where to go with teens so whatever age your children are you will find ideas of inside places to go to.
I also have a big list of places to visit in Essex with children, but most of them are outside and many have seasonal opening so they aren't so good in Autumn and Winter. The cold weather options range from soft play to swimming, climbing walls to ice skating and cinemas to museums. So whether it's a rainy day in the summer holidays or a cold and wet half term there are plenty of ideas of where to go.
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| Over 150 places to go with children in Essex that are indoors and ideal for wet or cold days |
I was originally going to put all the locations in one post, but it was HUGE so where there is lots of choices eg swimming pools and bowling the details of all the venues are in a linked post. There is a map at the end of this post so you can find out what is near you.
Where to go With Children in Essex on Wet or Cold Days
Swimming
Many of the pools in Essex require prebooking due to popularity, but there are
quite a few indoor pools in Essex including some with slides (Colchester
Leisure World is the best for that and you don't need to book), plenty with
shallow training pools and a few private pools you can book for an hour for
just your family. Check out my
list of public swimming pools in Essex.
Soft Play
Some days the idea of going to soft play fills me with fear, but there is no
doubt they are a great way for children to burn off some energy while you get
to be inside in the warm. If you are lucky you might enjoy a warm cup of tea
too! Many need to be prebooked which requires a little planning, but at least
keeps the numbers to a less-than-absolutely-crazy level on wet days. Here is a
list of soft play venues in Essex.
Bowling
Ten pin bowling is a fun activity with children that works from preschoolers
(with a little help) right through to tweens. Most bowling alleys have arcades
and other activities too and some now let you wear your own shoes as long as
they have non-marking soles. Find out
where to go bowling in Essex here.
Cinema
Spending an hour on so in a warm room watching a film with popcorn is an
appealing activity for a cold day when you don't want to do too much. I have
pulled together a list of nearly 20 cinemas in Essex including a few drive
ins. Check out which are near to you in my Essex cinemas post.
Laser Tag
Trampolining
Climbing Walls in Essex
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| Climbing walls at Harlow Leisure Zone |
Indoor Go Karting
Indoor Crazy or Mini Golf
A quirky indoor golf experience with two 10 hole courses in the style of a junkyard. Children are welcome until 8. No dedicated parking.
Ice Skating
Riverside Ice and Leisure Centre, Victoria Road, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 1FG
Sapphire Ice and Leisure centre, 24 Western Road, Romford RM1 3JT
Lee Valley Ice Centre, just outside of Essex, this centre has 2 huge ice rinks offering skate courses and public skating sessions. Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, London E10 7QL
Rollerskating
RollaCity, 12 Purdeys Way, Rochford, Essex SS4 1ND
Sk8ters at Madison Heights, Park Drive, Maldon, Essex, CM9 5JQ
Ceramic Cafes and Craft Cabins
Gaming Cafes (board games and computer games)
The Board Game Hut, 10-12 Clarence Street, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS1 1BD
Boardgames
Dice & A Slice, 37 Queen Street, Colchester, CO1 2PQ
Boardgames
Immersive Gamebox, Lakeside Shopping Centre, Thurrock, Essex, RM20 2ZP
(In The Quay,
opposite Vue Cinema) Suitable for everyone over 5 years old, enter an
interactive digital room featuring projection mapping, touch screens, motion
tracking, and surround sound, creating a hyper-immersive, 30-60 minute game
experience.
Geek Retreat, Harlow- Harvey Centre, Harlow CM20 1XR
Chelmsford- 48 Cunard Square, Townfield St, Chelmsford, CM1 1AQ
Described as a nationwide retailer,
gaming cafe and events hub. They have a calendar of events on their
Facebook page
with events every day for children and adults including D&D, Pokemon and
board games.
Theatres
There are lots of theatres in Essex and from pantomimes to musicals it is worth checking out what they currently have to see.
Museums and Open Houses
Free Museum with lots of interactive displays for children. Also home to the Essex Regiment Museum.
Colchester Castle Museum, Castle Park, High Street, Colchester, CO1 1TJ
The largest Norman keep in Europe. It houses the museum which covers Colchester's history and includes many of the historical finds. Includes interactive displays.
A small museum telling the story of Epping Forest. Generally probably of limited interest to children, but they often have small events on for children.
Visits by appointment only (apart from on event days), covers the history of fire fighting in Essex. Free entry.
Essex Police Museum, Essex Police Headquarters, Chelmsford CM2 6DN
Tells the story of the police in Essex from Victorian times to the modern day. You can go in a victorian cell, have your finger prints taken and dress up in police uniform. Open most Saturdays and also Wednesdays during the school holidays. Free, but small charge for special events. Read about what to expect from a visit here.
Free entry, open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday with free parking available. 4 galleries tell the history of Harlow.
Hollytrees Museum, Castle Park, Colchester, CO1 1UG
A Georgian townhouse with hands on exhibits and displays to help discover what life was like for the rich and poor. Open Monday to Saturday. Previously free entry, but charging introduced in Spring 2024.
Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker, Kelvedon Hall Lane, Kelvedon Hatch, Brentwood, Essex CM15 OLA
(If using Sat Nav use post code CM15 0LA- Access via A128)
A large cold war bunker that can be explored.
Natural History Museum, High Street, Colchester, CO1 1DN
Houses collections of objects found
locally as well as hands on activities. There is a special Mini Museum
Explorers session on the last Tuesday of each month for 2 to 4 year
olds.
Saffron Waldon Museum, Museum Street, Saffron Walden, Essex, CB10 1JL
A wide range of
exhibits with interactive learning for children including a sandpit to dig for archaeological treasure.
Southend Museums, Victoria Avenue, Southend-On-Sea, Essex SS2 6EW
Next to Southend Victoria Station and at the top of the High Street you will find Southend Central Museum (which contains an planetarium) and next door is Beecroft Art Gallery. Closed Monday and Tuesdays.
Other Indoor Places to Go In Essex
Claiming to be the South Easts premier aquatic attraction there are over 40 sea life displays as well as otters, penguins, meerkats, butterflies and monkeys. Mostly, but not all, indoors. You can read more about what to expect here.
Brentwood Park Ski and Snowboard Centre, Warley Gap, Brentwood, Essex CM13 3DP.
Skiing, snowboarding and tubing activities available on this dry slope. Ski classes available Saturday
mornings for 4 to 16 year olds. Prebooking required for all activities.
Top Golf, Abridge Road, Chigwell, Essex, IG7 6BX
More than just practicing your
golf swing, you hit a microchipped ball from one of their 50 bays to take part
in various games. Under 12s are Juniors and are a reduced price. No minimum age limit but guests under 16 must be supervised by a guest who is over 18.
An indoor (and outdoor) skate park with different sessions suitable for age 6 upwards.
Also potentially worth visiting if you are looking for somewhere with free entry that is a change of scenery:
Shopping centres- Lakeside is a great option for a rainy day, if you are shopped out it is also home to Laser Quest, Escape Hunt, Nickelodeon Adventure and the Upside Down House as well as plenty of eateries.
Local libraries- It is always worth checking the online calendar for upcoming events at your local library.
IKEA (Lakeside) Often have free events for children throughout the year- check them out here.
All information correct as far as I am able to check at time of publishing, please always check with the locations website/ Facebook page for opening hours and latest information.
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