The best things to do in Brighton with kids

Hit the beach, Brighton’s raison d’être. Skim pebbles off the shore, or paddle or swim if it’s warm out – there are lifeguards on watch from May to September. To get a seagull’s eye view of it all, race the offspring across Brighton Zip, a 32-metre-high dual zip line that follows a 300-metre stretch of the shoreline.

Any Brighton trip should involve a vinegar-soaked portion of chips, eaten while perched on the pebbles. Just pick a seafront chippy and you can’t go wrong. For pudding, it’s either ice cream from Boho Gelato, or sweet treats from Sugar Dough's outpost in the newly revamped Shelter Hall.

King’s Road Playground is right on the seafront, and it’s got a paddling pool that’s particularly good for younger kids. Or check out the free open-air pool and play area at Hove Lagoon, which has a skate park for teens. It’s a short drive away or a quick hop on the 700 bus. The paddling pools are open throughout the summer.

Brighton Museum & Art Gallery runs family sessions in the holidays, and has downloadable trails to get young children involved. Brighton Toy & Model Museum is packed to the rafters with twee pre-tech playthings, and Sea Life Brighton has a glass-bottomed boat for studying creatures with budding Attenboroughs. The free Booth Museum is a natural history treasure trove, a short bus ride from the train station.

Snap a photo of Afloat, the giant doughnut sculpture that’s actually a squashed globe, just off the Palace Pier. Then watch too-cool-for-school skaters and BMX-ers strut their stuff at The Level. Or for a bit of perspective, see Brighton in miniature from the top of the British Airways i360 observation tower. The latter now runs climbing excursions up its exterior for kids in need of an adrenaline fix.

Let them run off that stick of sugary rock at Preston Park. It’s a ten-minute walk from the train station, away from the beach, and has a huge rock garden to explore plus a velodrome that’s free to cycle on. Raining? Wrap is a co-working space that also happens to have a brilliant (and tastefully made) soft play area, plus classes and drop in sessions for the kids. Handily, it also serves strong coffee and excellent cakes.

Ride the Volk’s Electric Railway. Trains on Britain’s oldest electric line run from Aquarium Station near the pier to Black Rock Station by the marina, and kids will love every second of the 12-minute journey. It’s open until October, and trains run every 15 minutes. Special Christmas trains also run, depending on the weather.