5 Great Things For Families To Do In Belfast

• By: Editor
• On: 09/Oct/2009
• In: Belfast Travel Tips

(1) W5 (Who, What, Where, When, Why):

This is simply a must visit attraction for families - located within the magnificent Odyssey Arena, the award winning W5 has become a hub of learning and fun for visitors of all ages with over 200 exhibitions that are interactive and are set over the four sections of START, GO, SEE and DO.

In 'START' (this section is best suited to aged 8 and under) you can let your imagination take over as you build your own house, dance to music, sail your own boat, make a splash, explore the castle and do some imaginary shopping in the mini Tesco store! As you move on to 'GO' you can take on the tug-of-war challenge, experience elevation on pulley chairs, fly your own place, go deep into space and make magnets move or build your own K'nex car.

In 'SEE' you can take on the lie detector challenge, touch the sound wall, view into microscopes used by the professionals, play invisible musical instruments, light up some lasers and view some amazing optical illusions. The 'DO' section lets you use your creative side to design and build structures, study the shapes of nature, bring robots to life, create your very own film animation and even star in your own weather report!

Each section is filled with activities for all ages so each member of the family will find something to enthrall and entertain them in W5 and there are regular special events and exhibitions held here throughout the year. For more information visit the website of W5.

(2) Belfast's Big Wheel:

Located within the grounds of Belfast City Hall on Donegall Square in the city centre, The Big Wheel is a great family attraction that is a take on the London Eye (but without the ridiculously long queques!). Each capsule can carry up to eight people and the wheel will transport you into the skies of Belfast where you can enjoy some amazing views over the city streets and Belfast in general.

Look out over the city and get the kids to spot out landmarks such as the Haarland & Wolff Shipyard, the River Lagan and the imposing Cavehill - extra points might be might won by the first person to spot your hotel! All in all, The Big Wheel is a really fun attraction that all the family will love. For more information visit the website of Belfast's Big Wheel.

(3) Belfast Zoo:

Belfast Zoo is a great spot to spend a few hours with over 1200 animals and 140 species to get to know. Alot of the animals housed in Belfast Zoo are actually under threat within their own natural habitat in the wild and the zoo has a special emphasis on the whole area of conservation.

Just some of the animals you can view are barbary lions, red kangaroos, moloch gibbons, elephants, spider monkeys, giraffes and Malayan sun bears while Belfast Zoo is the only zoo in Ireland where you'll see a giant anteater! Other features of the zoo include the Bird Park, Rainforest House, Giraffe & Elephant Enclosure and Lakeside (check out the beautiful flamingos!).

For more information, visit the official website of Belfast Zoo.

(4) Dundonald International Ice Bowl:

Another great family attraction that is all under one roof (if the weather lets you down!) and is packed full of activities for all ages. The main attraction is obviously the Olympic sized ice rink where you can whizz around the ice to show off your skills or just find your feet if you're new to this most fun of pastimes. It's also worth noting that the Belfast Giants Ice Hockey team play their home games here so for an evening of action and fun why not catch "The Giants" in action!

And after an hour or two on the ice, you can try out your bowling skills and enjoy the ultra-violet lights of the Xtreme Bowling Centre where you can have hours of fun taking on the kids in a bowling challenge. For the younger members of the family there is always Indiana Land which is a wonderful indoor playground.

For more information, visit the official website of Dundonald International Ice Bowl.

(5) Aunt Sandra's Candy Factory:

Perhaps it is not the most well known of family attractions in Belfast but we reckon Aunt Sandra's Candy Factory should make it onto every list of family things to do! A 1 hour tour (must be booked in advance) of this charming little factory will take you into a world of handmade fudge and chocolates and candy where you can sample the tastes and enjoy the wonderful smells.

The shop at Aunt Sandra's has been lovingly restored to exactly as to how it would have appeared back in 1953 with wooden counter and ceiling along with genuine slate floor. Interestingly, some of the candy making recipes that are still used today are over 100 years old so you could well be sampling a piece of history from the last century as you bite into a handmade chocolate!

For more information, visit the website of Aunt Sandra's Candy Factory.

So that's our list of top 5 things for families to do in Belfast city - if you are planning your family break to the city, check out our value for money Belfast hotels.

Let us know in the comment box below if you think there are any other attractions or activities that should make the list instead.