I love theme parks. Before having children, I’d throw myself into the joy of a rollercoaster ride – the more hair-raising the better – at big-hitting British parks, like Alton Towers and Thorpe Park, and always emerge with a grin.
Now, with three young children in tow, I’m gradually discovering the smaller coasters and gentler rides of parks like Paulton’s Park and Roarr!, with the gleeful shrieks of my children acting as the soundtrack to some of our best family days out.
As it turns out, the UK is rather good at theme parks, whatever your age. From thrill rides to family coasters, themed lands based on TV hits to live shows with spectacular special effects, we really do have it all right here.
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Best for young children
Paultons Park, Hampshire
Parents of young children will know Paultons Park as the home of Peppa Pig World. It’s a corker for pre-schoolers, with scaled-down rides like Grandpa Pig’s Little Train and Grampy Rabbit’s Sailing Club floating boats. Its Wild Lands zoo houses animals including penguins, lemurs and meerkats, while older kids will enjoy dino-themed Lost Kingdom and the just-opened Valgard: Realm of the Vikings. Both have two rollercoasters.
How to do it: Admission £41, free for children under one metre in height. Stay at the Mortimer Arms from £145.
Legoland Windsor, Berkshire
Kids don’t need to love Lego to enjoy this theme park, though it helps. Everything is bright, bold and Lego-themed. With more than 50 rides and attractions, there’s plenty to fill a full day, or two if you can spare it. Highlights for young children include the Duplo Dino Coaster, the Thunder Blazer flying swings and the L-Drivers electric cars, while the amazing model scenes of Miniland will delight all ages.
How to do it: Admission £32, free for children under 90cm. Alternatively, stay at the Legoland Resort Hotel, which has rooms from £273, including one-day park tickets.
Roarr!, Norfolk
Britain’s largest dinosaur-themed park is ideal for little ones, with lots of outdoor play areas, an indoor soft play with several huge slides and a trio of tiny rides gentle enough for toddlers (though they must be at least 90cm). Taller children over a metre can tackle the high ropes course, which ends with a short zip wire. The Valley of the Dinosaurs, a woodland trail that winds past 21 animatronic dinos, will be enjoyed by all.
How to do it: Admission from £13.50, children under 90cm from £1.80 (roarr.co.uk). Stay 15 minutes’ drive away at the Goat Shed; cottages from £140.
Lightwater Valley, North Yorkshire
There are more than 35 rides and attractions at this Yorkshire park, including plenty with no height restrictions (like the Savannah Express train, the Caterpillar coaster and the classic carousel). Those over 1.2m can try the aptly named Spinning Racer, a twisting, turning rollercoaster that’s new for summer 2026, while lakeside walks, woodland play areas and dance parties at the Valley Theatre will appeal to the whole family.
How to do it: Admission from £22, free for children under 90cm. Stay at the Ripon Inn from £72.
Robin Hill, Isle of Wight
Set in natural woodland, this outdoorsy park will get kids jumping on the “Jelly Beans” (giant water-filled bouncy pillows), racing down the hillside on a giant rubber tube and clambering around in the trees at Jungle Heights. There’s also a quarter-mile-long toboggan ride and multi-level aerial playground, plus a brand-new soft play that comes complete with tunnels, slides and bridges. Don’t miss seeing birds of prey flying overhead at the daily Falconry Experience show.
How to do it: Admission from £16.49, free for children under one metre. Stay in coastal Shanklin at Luccombe Hall Hotel from £119.
Best for teens
Thorpe Park, Surrey
Thorpe Park bills itself as Britain’s most thrilling theme park and buzz-seeking teens will love riding the country’s tallest coaster, Hyperia, as well as SAW – The Ride, based on the horror film. There’s also Tidal Wave, where riders plunge 85ft into the water and the inverted vertical loop coaster Nemesis Inferno, which reaches speeds of up to 50mph. Queues can be lengthy, so it’s worth considering Fastrack passes (from £9pp for three rides).
How to do it: Admission from £29, free for children under 1.2m. Stay on-site at Thorpe Shark Cabins from £208, including two-day park tickets.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Lancashire
There’s a great mix of rides at this seaside big-hitter, from its 10 rollercoasters to the world’s first ghost train, which opened here in 1930. Don’t miss The Big One hypercoaster and Icon, the UK’s only double-launch coaster (it accelerates twice) and make time for bobsled coaster Avalanche. Got little ones in tow? Nickelodeon Land has 12 rides, themed on shows such as SpongeBob Squarepants and Dora the Explorer.
How to do it: All-you-can-ride admission from £30, free for children under two. Stay at the on-site Boulevard Hotel from £98.
Zipworld Llechwedd, Gwynedd
Seeking adventure? This old slate mine in Snowdonia has it by the bucket-load. Thrill-seekers won’t want to miss the four-person Titan zip line, which soars above the old quarry, and the Caverns tour, an adventure course of rope bridges, tightropes and 13 different zip lines that lead you through the mine. A vast underground playground of bouncing nets appeals to families, as will The Deep Mine Tour, where an underground train reveals the history of this unique place.
How to do it: Rides from £8.50. Stay less than 20 minutes from the park at the Royal Oak Hotel; from £126.
Alton Towers, Staffordshire
Rollercoaster fans, rejoice! This is your chance to ride the biggest names in British rides: infamous inverted coaster Nemesis Reborn, vertical drop coaster Oblivion, which plunges 180ft into darkness; and the 14-loop Smiler. Make time too for Wicker Man, a wooden coaster with cutting-edge special effects, and Thi3teen, with its vertical freefall that comes with no warning. If you need something gentler, head to CBeebies Land for a spin on the new family coaster Bluey the Ride. Wait times can be extensive so consider purchasing Fastrack (from £7pp for two rides).
How to do it: Admission from £32, free for children under 90cm. Stay on-site at Alton Towers Hotel from £158.
Adventure Island, Essex
Right on the seafront in Southend, this free-entry theme park is a brilliant pick for a day out, as non-riders don’t need to pay to enjoy the atmosphere. It’s hard not to be tempted though, with twisting, pendulum-swinging Axis rising over 100ft in the air and the beautifully classic City Wheel, which takes you above Southend for views as far as London on a clear day. If it’s set to rain, head into Funtopia instead, home to indoor rides, like the swinging pirate ship, and an arcade of fairground and video games.
How to do it: Admission free, unlimited rides from £30. Stay at the glam Roslin Beach Hotel just five minutes along the seafront. Rooms from £121.
Best for live shows
Kynren, County Durham
A new kind of theme park is coming to the UK this summer: Kynren is all live-action shows, zero rides. That means no height restrictions and no motion sickness, just plenty of live entertainment and spectacle, from knights charging on horseback to 250 birds taking to the skies. The theme is British history and you’ll travel in time from Neolithic Britain through to the Victorian era, via the Viking and medieval periods – all displayed on a vast scale and with extraordinary special effects.
How to do it: Adult admission £30, children £20, free for under 3s. Stay in Bishop Auckland at the Park Head Hotel from £82.
Best all-rounders
Chessington World of Adventures, Surrey
There’s something for every age group at Chessington, especially now that the brand-new World of Paw Patrol has opened. Four new rides have joined the line-up, including junior coaster Chase’s Mountain Mission and flying carousel Skye’s Helicopter Heroes, while older kids will enjoy long-standing favourites like inverted coaster Vampire and the Tiger Rock log flume. The zoo and Sealife Centre aquarium are highlights, between them home to more than 1,000 different animals, from monkeys and ostriches to penguins and sea lions. Long wait times are common, so Fastrack is worth considering (from £15pp for three rides).
How to do it: Admission from £32, free for children under 90cm. Families will enjoy staying at the on-site Safari Resort Hotel; rooms from £155.
Drayton Manor, Staffordshire
If your kids like Thomas the Tank Engine, they’ll love Drayton Manor, where Thomas Land has more than 25 rides and attractions. There’s also nautical-themed Adventure Cove, for rapids and log flumes, and Wild West-themed Frontier Falls, which offers family-friendly coasters like the Gold Rush mine train. Leave time to wander around the zoo; monkeys, red pandas and Andean bears are among the animals that call the park home.
How to do it: Admission from £25.80 for ages four and up, from £14 for kids aged two and three, free for under 2s. Stay just steps from the park at Drayton Manor Hotel from £108.
Flamingo Land, North Yorkshire
Flamingo Land combines a zoo and a theme park, with plenty of rides even the smallest children can enjoy, including a traditional carousel, spooky Mischief Mansion and a Peter Rabbit-themed playground. Thrill-seekers should head for rollercoaster Sik, with its 25m loop, or drop ride Cliff Hanger. The zoo (there are some big animals here – lions, tigers, hippos and both black and white rhinos – as well as flamingos) and Pirates of Zanzibar live show will appeal to all ages.
How to do it: Admission from £30, free for under 4s. Stay in Kirby Misperton at Dewars Hotel from £135.
Landmark Forest Adventure Park, Scottish Highlands
Get up into the treetops of an ancient pinewood forest at this outdoorsy theme park, fittingly located in the Cairngorms. On the family-friendly Red Squirrel Trail, you can run along bouncy nets through the trees or brave the high ropes course, Ropeworx (height restriction of 1.5m). There are three water coasters too, ridden on rafts suitable for everyone over two; a dinosaur kingdom with 22 realistic animatronics; and a butterfly house that’s home to hundreds of butterflies, as well as tropical birds and tortoises.
How to do it: Admission £33; children aged 4-14, £32; three-year-olds £15; free for under 3s. Stay at the Star Hotel in Kingussie, a 25-minute drive south; rooms from £180.