Children's Activities in Edinburgh

Edinburgh isn't just Scotland's capital — it's one of the best cities in the UK for children's activities. A UNESCO World Heritage city with world-class museums, 12 major festivals, and a thriving community arts scene, Edinburgh gives kids access to experiences you simply can't find elsewhere. From toddler dance classes in Leith to youth theatre in Livingston, eco-resin workshops in Abbeyhill to science festivals at the National Museum — there's something for every age, interest, and budget.

What Makes Edinburgh Special for Kids

Edinburgh punches well above its weight for children's activities. The city's compact size means most venues are within 15-20 minutes of each other, and Lothian Buses (one of the UK's best bus networks) plus the tram line make getting around easy. But it's the sheer variety that sets Edinburgh apart:

12 major festivals throughout the year, many with dedicated children's programmes
World-class museums with free entry and regular family events
A thriving community arts scene in venues like Out of the Blue Drill Hall and the Scottish Storytelling Centre
Outstanding natural spaces — Arthur's Seat, the Pentland Hills, and the Firth of Forth coastline are all within the city boundary
Three major universities running STEM outreach and enrichment programmes

Edinburgh Providers on Busy Kids

Here are some of the providers offering children's activities across Edinburgh and the Lothians right now:

Drama & Theatre

Firefly Arts — Running weekly drama and theatre sessions across West Lothian since 1990. Firefly uses drama as a safe space for self-expression and growth. Classes for P1 through S6 at Howden Park Centre (Livingston), Burgh Halls (Linlithgow), and Armadale Community Centre. From £3.50/hour.

Strange Town Youth Theatre — Weekly drama classes and holiday courses for young people at Out of the Blue Drill Hall in Leith. Learn different performance styles, drama games, and meet new people.

Browse all drama & theatre in Edinburgh →

Visual Arts & Crafts

Art Start Academy — After-school art classes for P1-P7 across Edinburgh and Musselburgh. Explore printmaking, collage, stencil, drawing, watercolours, and mixed media. Classes at Craigentinny (Wednesdays), Northfield (Thursdays), and Fisherrow Centre Musselburgh (Mondays and Tuesdays). All materials provided. Free trial available.

Polymorphics — Eco-resin craft workshops at We Make in Abbeyhill. Learn to create earrings, trinket dishes, and trays using sustainable materials and pressed flowers. Great for older children, teens, and family groups. Workshops from £35.

Mothlight Arts — Creative workshops specifically for neurodivergent children and young people at Out of the Blue Drill Hall. Gentle, sensory artmaking in a quiet, low-pressure environment. Saturday mornings for ages 6-11 and 11-16.

Browse all arts & crafts in Edinburgh →

Dance & Movement

Toddler & Pre-School Creative Moves — Dance and music classes for children aged 2-4 and their grown-ups at Out of the Blue Drill Hall in Leith. Now in its fourth year, combining creative movement, music, and play.

Browse all dance in Edinburgh →

Music

Sing & Sign Baby Classes — Fun-filled classes for babies from 2 months to 2 years at Out of the Blue Drill Hall. Structured sessions encouraging language, communication, and social skills through songs and signing.

Browse all music in Edinburgh →

STEM & Science

Dynamic Earth — Edinburgh's interactive science centre at the foot of Arthur's Seat. Regular family events, planetarium shows, and holiday workshops. Home to Edinburgh Science Festival events each April.

National Museum of Scotland — Free entry with a packed programme of family events year-round. Curiosity Club (monthly sessions for kids without grown-ups), Find Out Fridays (term-time drop-in), Summer Family Fun, and major exhibitions. Plus Edinburgh Science Festival workshops each spring.

Browse all STEM in Edinburgh →

Sports & Outdoor

Aerial Classes at Out of the Blue — All or Nothing run aerial classes including static trapeze and aerial silks for all ages at the Drill Hall in Leith.

Edinburgh's natural setting is spectacular for outdoor activities:

Arthur's Seat and Holyrood Park — hiking, orienteering, and ranger-led activities
Pentland Hills — mountain biking, walking, and nature trails
Edinburgh International Climbing Arena — one of the world's largest indoor climbing centres
Royal Commonwealth Pool — swimming and diving
Firth of Forth — sailing, kayaking, and coastal walks

Browse all sports in Edinburgh →

Edinburgh's Festival Calendar for Families

Edinburgh is the world's leading festival city. Several of these festivals run dedicated children's and family programmes:

Month	Festival	Why Kids Will Love It
April	Edinburgh Science Festival	Hands-on workshops, shows, and experiments across the city. Dig Up a Dinosaur, Splat-tastic slime making, The Rocket Show, and CSI crime scene workshops.
May-June	Edinburgh International Children's Festival	The UK's premier performing arts festival for young audiences. Theatre, dance, and music created specifically for children. Family Day at the National Museum of Scotland.
July	Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival	Free outdoor stages, family-friendly gigs, and workshops for young musicians.
August	Edinburgh Festival Fringe	The world's largest arts festival. Hundreds of children's shows, street performers, and free events. The Made in Scotland showcase highlights young Scottish talent.
August	Edinburgh International Book Festival	Author events, storytelling sessions, and creative writing workshops for all ages.
August	Edinburgh Art Festival	Free exhibitions, family workshops, and gallery trails across the city.
August	Edinburgh International Film Festival	Family screenings and young filmmaker programmes.
October	Scottish International Storytelling Festival	Stories from around the world at the Scottish Storytelling Centre. Perfect for younger children.
Nov-Jan	Edinburgh's Christmas	Christmas markets, ice skating, fairground rides, and Santa's grotto in Princes Street Gardens.
December	Edinburgh's Hogmanay	Family-friendly events including the Torchlight Procession and outdoor concerts.

Family-Friendly Neighbourhoods

Edinburgh's neighbourhoods each have their own character and activity provision:

Leith — Creative hub with Out of the Blue Drill Hall, We Make studios, and a growing food scene. Home to the Royal Yacht Britannia and Ocean Terminal.
Morningside & Bruntsfield — Leafy, family-oriented with excellent schools, parks, and local clubs. Close to the Meadows for outdoor play.
Stockbridge — Charming village feel with the weekly Stockbridge Market, Inverleith Park, and the Royal Botanic Garden.
Portobello — Edinburgh's seaside with the beach, promenade, and a strong community arts scene. Monthly Portobello Local Market.
Corstorphine — Home to Edinburgh Zoo and family-friendly green spaces.
South Queensferry — UNESCO World Heritage Forth Bridges, boat trips, and coastal walks.
Craigentinny & Northfield — Community centres with after-school art and activity clubs (including Art Start Academy).

Cost of Activities

Edinburgh is moderately priced for children's activities:

Type	Typical Cost
Community drama/art classes	£3.50-8 per session
After-school art clubs	£6-12 per session
Dance/music classes	£5-15 per session
Craft workshops	£30-65 per workshop
Music lessons (private)	£20-40 per hour
Holiday camps	£20-40 per day
Museum events	Many free; workshops £7-15

The City of Edinburgh Council runs Active Schools programmes providing free activities within schools. Many museums (National Museum of Scotland, National Galleries) offer free entry and regular free family events.

Getting Around

Lothian Buses — Extensive network covering the city and Lothians. Day tickets available.
Edinburgh Trams — Airport to city centre, York Place, and Leith/Newhaven.
Walking — The city centre is compact and walkable.
Cycling — Growing network of cycle paths including the Water of Leith walkway.
Rail — ScotRail connections across Scotland and to England.

Nearby Locations

Glasgow — 45 miles west (50 minutes by train)

Regional Context

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and a major centre for finance, technology, and creative industries. The city's three universities (University of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt, Edinburgh Napier) all run outreach programmes for young people.

Related Resources:

Famous People from Edinburgh

12 inspiring figures who started their journey in Edinburgh. What could your child achieve?

Sir Chris Hoy

Olympic Cyclist • 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scottish

Age50

Education

George Watson's College, Edinburgh • BSc Applied Sports Science (University of Edinburgh)

Key Skills

Cycling

Determination

Mental Strength

Leadership

Sportsmanship

Career Path

→Started BMX racing aged 7 in Edinburgh
→Switched to track cycling as a teenager
→Won first Olympic gold at Athens 2004 (1km time trial)
→Triple Olympic gold at Beijing 2008
→Six Olympic golds — Britain's most successful Olympic cyclist
→Knighted in 2009, retired 2013

Fun Fact

Hoy was inspired to take up cycling after watching the 1982 film E.T. He started at Dunedin Cycling Club in Edinburgh aged 7. The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow was named after him.

Overall Rating99/100

J.K. Rowling

Author — Harry Potter • 🇬🇧 British (Edinburgh resident)

Age60

Education

BA French & Classics (University of Exeter) • PGCE (Moray House, Edinburgh)

Key Skills

Storytelling

Imagination

Resilience

World-Building

Persistence

Career Path

→Moved to Edinburgh in 1993 as a single mother
→Wrote Harry Potter in Edinburgh cafés while on benefits
→Rejected by 12 publishers before Bloomsbury said yes
→Harry Potter became the best-selling book series in history (500m+ copies)
→Created the Wizarding World franchise (films, theme parks, plays)
→One of the world's most successful authors

Fun Fact

Rowling wrote much of the first Harry Potter book in The Elephant House café on George IV Bridge and in Nicolson's Café (now Spoon) in Edinburgh. Hogwarts was partly inspired by George Heriot's School, visible from the café window.

Overall Rating99/100

Alexander Graham Bell

Inventor of the Telephone • 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scottish

Age75

Education

Royal High School, Edinburgh • University of Edinburgh • University College London

Key Skills

Engineering

Innovation

Science

Problem Solving

Communication

Career Path

→Born at 16 South Charlotte Street, Edinburgh in 1847
→Educated at Royal High School and University of Edinburgh
→Fascinated by sound and speech from childhood (his mother was deaf)
→Emigrated to Canada, then USA
→Patented the telephone in 1876 — transforming global communication
→Founded the Bell Telephone Company (now AT&T)

Fun Fact

Bell's childhood home at 16 South Charlotte Street in Edinburgh is now a museum. His lifelong interest in sound began because his mother was deaf — he wanted to find ways to help her hear. He was just 29 when he patented the telephone.

Overall Rating98/100

Ian Rankin

Crime Writer — Inspector Rebus • 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scottish

Age66

Education

University of Edinburgh (English Literature) • PhD (University of Edinburgh)

Key Skills

Storytelling

Research

Observation

Persistence

Creativity

Career Path

→Grew up in Cardenden, Fife
→Studied English Literature at University of Edinburgh
→Created Inspector Rebus while doing his PhD
→Published 25+ Rebus novels set in Edinburgh
→Awarded OBE for services to literature
→Edinburgh's most famous living crime writer

Fun Fact

Rankin's Inspector Rebus novels are essentially a love letter to Edinburgh — every book is a walking tour of the city's streets, pubs, and hidden corners. The Oxford Bar on Young Street is Rebus's favourite pub and a real Edinburgh landmark.

Overall Rating94/100

Sir Andy Murray

Tennis Champion • 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scottish

Age39

Education

Dunblane High School • Sánchez-Casal Academy, Barcelona (aged 15)

Key Skills

Tennis

Mental Toughness

Tactical Thinking

Resilience

Determination

Career Path

→Born in Glasgow, raised in Dunblane, trained in Edinburgh and Barcelona
→Survived the Dunblane school shooting aged 8
→Won Wimbledon 2013 — first British man in 77 years
→Won Wimbledon again in 2016 and Olympic gold in 2012 and 2016
→Reached World No. 1 ranking
→Knighted in 2019, retired 2024

Fun Fact

Murray trained at the Caledonian Club in Edinburgh as a junior. He survived the Dunblane school massacre in 1996 by hiding under a desk. He went on to become one of the greatest tennis players in history and a powerful advocate for gender equality in sport.

Overall Rating98/100

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Author — Sherlock Holmes • 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scottish

Age71

Education

Stonyhurst College • University of Edinburgh (Medicine)

Key Skills

Storytelling

Observation

Science

Imagination

Logic

Career Path

→Born at 11 Picardy Place, Edinburgh in 1859
→Studied medicine at University of Edinburgh
→Based Sherlock Holmes on his Edinburgh professor, Dr Joseph Bell
→Published A Study in Scarlet (1887) — Holmes's first appearance
→Created one of literature's most enduring characters
→Also wrote science fiction, historical novels, and non-fiction

Fun Fact

Sherlock Holmes's famous method of deduction was based on Dr Joseph Bell, Conan Doyle's professor at Edinburgh University, who could diagnose patients' occupations and habits just by observing them. There's a statue of Holmes near Conan Doyle's birthplace on Picardy Place.

Overall Rating97/100

John Napier

Mathematician — Inventor of Logarithms • 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scottish

Age67

Education

University of St Andrews (aged 13)

Key Skills

Mathematics

Innovation

Problem Solving

Logic

Persistence

Career Path

→Born at Merchiston Castle, Edinburgh in 1550
→Entered University of St Andrews aged just 13
→Spent 20 years developing logarithms
→Published Mirifici Logarithmorum in 1614
→Invented "Napier's Bones" — an early calculating device
→His work made modern science, engineering, and computing possible

Fun Fact

Napier was born at Merchiston Castle, which is now the campus of Edinburgh Napier University — named in his honour. His invention of logarithms was described by Pierre-Simon Laplace as having "doubled the life of astronomers" by halving the time needed for calculations.

Overall Rating95/100

Muriel Spark

Author — The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie • 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scottish

Age88

Education

James Gillespie's High School for Girls, Edinburgh

Key Skills

Storytelling

Wit

Observation

Creativity

Originality

Career Path

→Born in Bruntsfield, Edinburgh in 1918
→Attended James Gillespie's School (inspiration for Jean Brodie)
→Worked in intelligence during WWII
→Published The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in 1961
→Wrote 22 novels, numerous short stories, and poetry
→Awarded DBE for services to literature

Fun Fact

Spark based the fictional Marcia Blaine School on her own school, James Gillespie's in Marchmont. Her teacher Christina Kay was the inspiration for the unforgettable Miss Jean Brodie. The novel captures Edinburgh's Old Town and New Town with razor-sharp precision.

Overall Rating94/100

John Logie Baird

Inventor of Television • 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scottish

Age57

Education

Larchfield Academy • Royal Technical College, Glasgow • University of Glasgow

Key Skills

Engineering

Innovation

Persistence

Problem Solving

Vision

Career Path

→Born in Helensburgh, studied in Glasgow
→Demonstrated first working television in 1926
→First transatlantic TV transmission in 1928
→First colour television demonstration in 1928
→BBC adopted his system for early broadcasts
→Pioneered technology that changed the world

Fun Fact

Baird built his first television from a tea chest, biscuit tin, darning needles, and a cardboard disc. He was so poor during his early experiments that he couldn't afford proper equipment. His invention went on to become the most influential communication technology of the 20th century.

Overall Rating97/100

Mary Somerville

Mathematician & Science Writer • 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scottish

Age91

Education

Largely self-taught • Attended a few terms at a Musselburgh boarding school

Key Skills

Mathematics

Science

Communication

Persistence

Self-Learning

Career Path

→Born in Jedburgh, grew up in Burntisland, Fife
→Largely denied formal education because she was female
→Taught herself mathematics from textbooks
→Became one of the most respected scientists of the 19th century
→Her writing helped coin the word "scientist"
→Somerville College, Oxford named in her honour

Fun Fact

Somerville was featured on the Royal Bank of Scotland £10 note. She was denied education as a girl — her father said studying would damage her health. She taught herself algebra by candlelight. She went on to correspond with the greatest scientists of her age and helped inspire the word "scientist".

Overall Rating96/100

Sir Sean Connery

Actor — James Bond • 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scottish

Age90

Education

Tollcross Primary School, Edinburgh • Left school at 13

Key Skills

Acting

Charisma

Versatility

Determination

Presence

Career Path

→Born in Fountainbridge, Edinburgh in 1930
→Left school at 13, worked as milkman, lifeguard, and coffin polisher
→Competed in Mr Universe bodybuilding competition
→Cast as James Bond in Dr. No (1962)
→Played Bond in 7 films, becoming a global icon
→Won Academy Award for The Untouchables (1988)

Fun Fact

Connery grew up in a tiny tenement flat at 176 Fountainbridge with no hot water or bathroom. He delivered milk for the Edinburgh Co-operative before becoming the most famous secret agent in cinema history. He remained proudly Scottish throughout his life.

Overall Rating98/100

Sir Alexander Fleming

Discoverer of Penicillin • 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scottish

Age73

Education

Kilmarnock Academy • St Mary's Hospital Medical School, London

Key Skills

Science

Observation

Curiosity

Persistence

Research

Career Path

→Born in Ayrshire, studied and worked in London
→Served as a captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps in WWI
→Noticed mould killing bacteria in his lab in 1928
→Identified penicillin — the world's first antibiotic
→Won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1945)
→His discovery has saved an estimated 200 million lives

Fun Fact

Fleming's discovery of penicillin was partly accidental — he left a petri dish uncovered before going on holiday, and returned to find mould had killed the bacteria. This "happy accident" led to the most important medical discovery of the 20th century.

Overall Rating99/100