These are the best arty and culture-y things to do in Somerset with the kids
Get the little ones doing, seeing and engaging in art and culture in Somerset.
Check out this fantastic list of the very best ways to get children exciting about art and culture in their own backyard.
See artworks as tall as a house
You may get a groan if you suggest taking the kids to an art gallery. But if you go on an outdoor mural hunt, you’re on to a parenting win. It’s the perfect way to get some family exercise (even the family dog can come along) as you walk around the towns of Glastonbury and Weston-super-Mare taking in the most incredible displays of colour, and talent. Grab an ice cream and follow the maps (available to download online or pick up at a Tourist Information Centre) and see parts of these towns which you won’t have seen before.
Public spaces have been transformed with the introduction of mural-making and it’ll give the kids an appreciation of real talent (none of that AI stuff here). You can have fun with your cameras as you take selfies in front of the artworks. Perhaps the kids will be inspired and try and recreate their own interpretations (on paper, not your internal walls at home).
See Somerset through the lens
Taking photos on a phone is second nature and with all the tech out there nowadays there’s heaps of opportunity to get creative with your images. But how about a point and shoot? There’s a real talent and art to taking professional images and learning how has never been easier with the countless YouTube videos out there offering tips and tricks.
Firstly, you’ll need to invest in a cheap camera (perhaps head to your local charity shop) and then it’s time to let the kids play with the lenses and adapt to how the camera can be manipulated to change the image. All too often we just grab our phones, which can give surprisingly good results. But there’s another feeling all together when you truly get behind the lens.
Head to Somerset’s coastline, the Mendip Hills National Landscape or Exmoor National Park for striking landscape opportunities. Or perhaps a trip to your local park for wildlife on the pond? Did you know that the RSPCA does a Young Photographers Award every year? There are plenty of photography competitions aimed at children and it’s a great way to encourage them to get outside and explore the county.
If your child is showing keen interest in pursuing photography further, the Somerset Photography Group is a great place to start for recommendations on courses and local photography groups.
Enjoy a movie in a 100-year-old cinema
Turn the clock back to 1912 and The Picture House was opened with a matinee showing which raised funds for the relatives of those affected by the sinking of the Titanic. At this time, the cinema projector was illuminated by gas.
As the oldest, continually running independent cinema in the country, the Curzon in Clevedon has remained open the whole time since being built (aside from enforced closure during the recent pandemic lockdowns), keeping everything rolling through both World Wars. Today, its retro interior is what makes it such a cool destination. Neo-classical architecture, tin panelling and a very striking staircase guide you up to the balcony and box seating.
Head to the cinema on a Nappy Monday for morning film showings which are targeted at carers looking after babies and toddlers. You can catch the latest releases or cult classics in a family friendly environment. The auditorium sound levels are reduced for little ears, and the lights aren’t quite so low so you can keep tabs on toddling toddlers. The Curzon has space for 20 prams in the auditorium and it even provides changing mats and heats baby bottles too.
Go Back to the Future
“Wait a minute Doc, are you telling me you built a time machine? Out of a DeLorean?” In the 1980s classic movie, Back to the Future, Michael J. Fox’s character is thrown back in time to the 1950s when an experiment with Doc Brown doesn’t quite go to plan.
Now is your chance to see their DeLorean and it’s gull-wing doors up close as you head to Haynes Motor Museum. Other familiar sights at the museum include the Aston Martin frequently seen in James Bond movies, along with a Ford Anglia that you may recognise from the Harry Potter series of films.
For those who enjoy a faster pace of life there’s a Ferrari and F1 exhibition. You’ll be able to get up close to cars which have won some big trophies, including the Mansell Red No 5. Elsewhere, ‘Motoring Masters’ can pick up an Explore Trail booklet, and complete the quiz and brass rubbings as they explore the museum. Those with little legs can get behind the wheel of a Little Tike car to cover the space in style.
Step inside the Chained Library
At over 550 years old, the Chained Library in Wells Cathedral certainly resembles the Hogwarts Library depicted in the Harry Potter films.
Books were quite rare during the Middle Ages and as such, were pretty valuable. So, chaining them to the shelves made sure they never left the premises. The majority of the printed books here were donated by Bishops, with the oldest one dating from 1472.
Did you know that hippos used to be called ‘River Horses’? A book dating from 1682, called A New History of Ethiopia, shows the kids 300-year-old drawings of these megaherbivores.
There’s also a copy of the Naturalis Historiae, an encyclopaedia of the world from the 1st Century. Originally compiled by Pliny the Elder, who was born in 23AD, it is said that he was so keen on learning, he was read to while travelling, eating meals, and even when he was in the bath.
Wells Cathedral has lots for kids to see, including the toothache man (see No. 193) and the not-to-be-missed astronomical clock striking every 15 minutes.
For more great ideas for spending better time with the kids in Somerset, buy a copy of 237 Ideas for Stuff to Do and Places to Go in Somerset with Kids.
