THINGS TO DO IN MANCHESTER (UK) WITH A 10-YEAR-OLD

If you’re about to visit Manchester with your tween, I’ve got a great list of things for you to do with him or her while you’re in the city.  I recently visited Manchester with my family, which includes three boys ages 10, 7, and 4. 

Good To Know:  We’re visiting from outside of the UK, so some of these activities (like checking out the grocery store) may seem silly if you’re from the United Kingdom.

My 10-year-old is a huge Manchester City fan, so I’ve included plenty of soccer-themed things to do for him.  And while our trip was definitely soccer-focused, we did spend time doing other things in Manchester. 

I hope I can give you some good ideas for your family.

Let’s take a look!

Map of Things to Do in Manchester with a 10-Year-Old

Things to Do in Manchester with a 10-Year-Old

Tour Etihad Stadium

Manchester City has multiple tours you can take at Etihad Stadium, including:

• Classic Etihad Stadium tours
• Etihad Stadium and City Football Academy tours (where Man City trains)
• VIP Stadium tours
• Tours that visit the pitch on match days

We did a tour that included a visit to Etihad Stadium and the training grounds.  Our entire family enjoyed seeing the stadium behind the scenes and getting a look at where the players train.  The tour highlights for my boys were:

• The hallway leading to the locker room and the walkway the players use to get to the pitch
• The sidelines – totally empty!  It was amazing to see the field and stadium empty and to then see it the next day roaring with life.
• The dugout – we sat in Pep’s seat.
• Seeing goalkeeper Ederson training and having him say ‘hi’ to us.

Go to a Manchester City Match

The whole purpose of our trip to Manchester was to see the Manchester City vs Chelsea match.  And, the entire experience lived up to the hype! 

The roar of the crowd, the heckling and singing from the fans, the skill of the players… we couldn’t get enough!

If you have a chance to see a football match at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium, don’t pass it up!

You can read all about Manchester City’s Tunnel Club Premier – Our Experience

Have a Pub Meal at The Old Wellington Pub

This was a must on my list for my kids, and my 10-year-old was happy to settle into our cozy booth and table at The Old Wellington Pub in the city center.  We tucked into a delicious meal of burgers and fries, pies and veggies, and the classic Manchester pub nachos (wink, wink).

Visit the Imperial War Museum North (IWM North)

We go to the Imperial War Museum every time we’re in London, and my boys could spend all day wandering through the displays and trying the interactive exhibits. 

Good To Know: Manchester’s IWM North is part of a group of 5 Imperial War Museums (including the main museum in London, one in Duxford, the HMS Belfast in London, and the Churchill War Rooms in London). 

See real equipment like tanks and radios, read about life during wars, and see artifacts like metal from the World Trade Center.

Play at Immersive Gamebox

Video-game-loving kids will want to try the Immersive Gamebox in the Arndale Shopping Centre.  You can book experiences from 30-60 minutes and you enter a small room and interact with the screens.

My boys tried the 30-minute The Floor is Lava experience.  They had to hop around and complete challenges, just like in the television show.  I sat in the back of the room and watched, and was thankful they didn’t ask me to join (I definitely would’ve held them back!).

Order Street Food      

If your 10-year-old is a foodie, check out one of these spots for street food:      

• Piccadilly Street Food Market – cuisines from around the world; convenient location in the center
• Hello Oriental – Asian cuisine
• GRUB – vendors change weekly

Explore the Grocery Store

Whenever we visit a new place, we like to check out the grocery store to see which foods are available, what the packaging/marketing is like, local foods, and more.

On this trip, we spent time in the M&S Foodhall, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.

We also explored the Arndale Shopping Centre (different from malls where we live), rode the double-decker buses, and looked for other things that were different from what we’re used to.

Man City Team Shop

While you can find Man City souvenirs scattered throughout the city, there are two main Manchester City shops – the Etihad Stadium Manchester City Stadium Shop or the shop in city center (in the Arndale Shopping Centre).  You’ll find a variety of jerseys, clothing, stationary, gifts, and toys.  There’s something for every budget, and if your child has saved up, he/she can even get a jersey printed on-site (and you can choose Premier League or Champions League fonts and patches). 

NERF Action Xperience

I can’t believe we missed this one!  NERF’s first ‘experience center’ in the UK has four zones:

• Sports Arcade
• Blaster Arcade (Training Ground)
• Two Battle Arenas (Chaos City and Mission X)

You pay for a 90-minute session and one of the instructors helps guide you through the four zones, giving your child(ren) an equal-ish amount of time in each zone.  There are other entrance options available (like 60-minute sessions on some days and full-day passes).

Good To Know:  You can rent goggles on-site.  All NERF blasters are provided.

Heads Up:  There’s a shop on-site, so be prepared! 

Explore the Science & Industry Museum

We always try to hit up a city’s science museum, so we made sure to visit Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum.  Highlights for my 10-year-old were seeing the ‘vintage’ computers and electronics and watching the cotton mill demonstration.  He also enjoyed learning about cotton, since his grandmother picked cotton in Alabama as child!

This was also one of our favorite gift shops.  There are so many fun science kits and activities, plus books and small gifts.

Play Indoor Mini Golf

The Junkyard Golf Club is an indoor mini golf course, and it’s a perfect place to stop in if the weather isn’t cooperating during your visit.

For a kid-friendly visit, I recommend coming around lunch time or in the early afternoon.  The evenings seem to be full of adults in groups or on dates, and kids are actually required to be out of the venue by 7:00pm.

Book online to ensure you’ll get a spot.

Visit the National Football Museum

If you haven’t gotten enough football during your visit, you can stop in and check out the National Football Museum.  While it’s focused on England (with some international displays), there are plenty of soccer exhibits to keep a 10-year-old interested. 

Play foosball, try a penalty kick, or check out the trophies.   

Get Harry Potter Vibes at the John Rylands Library

If your 10-year-old is a Harry Potter fan, duck into the John Rylands library and stroll past the rows of books, the statues, and niches that seem to come straight from one of the books. 

If you’re also interested in the history of the library, you can join a quick tour.  Or, look up events before your visit.  You may be able to catch a printing press demo or peek at one of the library’s rare books.

Check out the Manchester Museum           

The name of this museum isn’t doing much for marketing it… It sounds a bit like a museum on the history of the city of Manchester.  Instead, it’s a natural history museum with almost 5 million objects! 

You may want to check out:

• Rocks and minerals
• Egyptian mummies
• Taxidermied animals
• Live reptiles and amphibians in the Vivarium
• Dinosaur fossils

It’s free, so you don’t need to stay for hours to feel like you’re getting your money’s worth! 

Good To Know:  Every day of the week (except Monday), you can take a 25-minute tour of museum highlights.  Check the website for details, but it currently starts at 11:15.

Snap Photos at the Museum of Illusions

We have a Museum of Illusions where we live, so we didn’t check this one out.  However, if you haven’t been in one, it’s an excellent way to let kids be active and wowed while they’re learning about science. 

Take photos, try to figure out how the illusions work, and leave an hour or hour and a half later with huge smiles.  The Museum of Illusions is great fun for kids and adults.

I hope this helps give you some ideas of what to do in Manchester with your 10-year-old! 

When I asked my 10-year-old what his favorite things were, he replied:

• Seeing a Manchester City match
• Touring Etihad Stadium
• Trying the Immersive Game Box

We didn’t have a chance to see the War Museum or go mini golfing on this trip, and I know he’d love to try the NERF Action Xperience as well.  I’d add the Manchester Museum, as I know he’d enjoy the exhibits (insects, dinosaurs, mummies, and more). We’ll add those to our list for our next visit to Manchester as a family!