Summer Holidays in Cambridge: 11 Brilliant Things to Do with the Kids (2026)

Looking for fun, science-packed days out with the children this summer?

Cambridge is one of the best cities in the country for curious young minds and this year there’s a very special show coming to town.

Here’s our pick of the best family things to do in and around Cambridge over the summer holidays.

🌟 Top of the list: Fun Kids Science Quest – Live! at Cambridge Junction

If you’ve got a budding scientist in the family, this is the one to put in the diary. Fun Kids Science Quest – Live! brings the hugely popular podcast to the stage, with Fun Kids presenter Dan Simpson serving up the weirdest and coolest stuff in science — and making it far more fun than it’s ever been in any classroom.

Expect hilarious experiments, exciting guests, games and a one-hour journey into how the world works (and beyond). It’s a Bronze winner for Best Family Podcast and a finalist for Best Educational Podcast at the British Podcast Awards, so you know the kids are in safe — if slightly explosive — hands.

📍 Where: J2, Cambridge Junction, Clifton Way, Cambridge, CB1 7GX
📅 When: Sunday 26 July 2026, 2:00pm
🎟️ Tickets: £16.50 adult • £11.50 child
👧 Age guide: 5+ (audience participation, live demonstrations and flashing lights)

👉 Book your tickets for Cambridge Junction here

Touring the rest of the UK too? See all the Fun Kids Science Quest Live dates and venues.

10 more brilliant family days out in and around Cambridge this summer

Make a proper day — or a whole week — of it. Here are ten more ideas for keeping the kids entertained across the summer holidays, from hands-on science to splashing about in the sunshine.

1. Cambridge Science Centre

The perfect companion to a morning of live science. The Centre’s new home on Cambridge Science Park is packed with over 20 hands-on exhibits, live STEM shows and lab activities aimed squarely at 5–11s (younger and older siblings welcome too). It’s open daily through the school holidays — but you’ll need to pre-book a session online.

📍 The Trinity Centre, Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, CB4 0FN

2. Imperial War Museum Duxford

Just south of the city, Duxford is one of the world’s great aviation museums — vast hangars full of Spitfires, Concorde and even a Blackbird spy plane you can walk beneath. There’s masses of space to roam, summer flying displays on selected dates, and plenty to fire up the imagination of plane-mad kids.

📍 Duxford, CB22 4QR (about 20 minutes by car)

3. Museum of Zoology

A genuine free gem. Walk in under a 21-metre fin whale skeleton, hunt for specimens collected by Charles Darwin himself, and spot a real dodo skeleton. There are free family trails for all ages, including a colour-spotting one for the littlest visitors. Closed Mondays (except bank holidays).

📍 Downing Street, CB2 3EJ — free entry

4. Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences

Dinosaur obsessives, this way. The Sedgwick is greeted by “Stan” the T-rex skull and rolls on through millions of years of fossils, rocks and prehistoric beasts. It’s compact, free, and runs special activities during the school holidays.

📍 Downing Street, CB2 3EQ — free entry

5. Cambridge University Botanic Garden

Forty acres of glorious green just a short walk from the railway station and city centre. Kids can splash about exploring the trails, hunt for dragonflies around the lake, peer inside the steamy glasshouses and let off steam on the lawns. A lovely, low-stress sunny-day option.

📍 1 Brookside, CB2 1JE

6. Go punting on the River Cam

Quintessentially Cambridge, and a hit with children who’ll happily watch everyone else wobble about. Glide past the back of the famous colleges on a guided chauffeured tour, or — if you’re feeling brave — hire your own punt and have a go at steering. Pack a picnic and make an afternoon of it.

📍 Departures from Mill Lane, Quayside and Granta Place

7. Shepreth Wildlife Park

A friendly, manageable-sized animal park where the kids can meet tigers, meerkats, monkeys and red pandas, get hands-on in the bug city and water world, and burn off energy in the play areas. Easy to do in half a day, which is ideal with younger ones.

📍 Station Road, Shepreth, SG8 6PZ

8. Wimpole Estate (National Trust)

A working farm and huge parkland just outside the city. Little ones love meeting the rare-breed animals and lambs, exploring the adventure play area and rolling down the grassy slopes. Plenty of room for a picnic and a proper run-around.

📍 Arrington, Royston, SG8 0BW

9. Milton Country Park

Free to enter (you only pay for parking), this lakeside park has woodland trails, two big play areas, a splash-friendly atmosphere on warm days and a café for the all-important ice cream stop. A reliable, budget-friendly favourite close to the city.

📍 Milton, CB24 6AZ

10. Lammas Land paddling pool & Sheep’s Green

When the sun’s out and you want a free day, head here. There’s a shallow paddling pool that’s perfect for smaller children, a big playground and open meadows where you’ll often spot cattle grazing. Stroll along the river from The Mill pub through Sheep’s Green and Coe Fen for a gentle, scenic loop.

📍 Lammas Land, Newnham, CB3 9EL — free

Also worth a look

Rainy day forecast? The Fitzwilliam Museum (free) is a treasure trove of Ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman wonders, while the Whipple Museum of the History of Science is a quirky, free hidden gem. For more outdoor space, try Wandlebury Country Park or Anglesey Abbey’s gardens and mill.