Article supplied by: Lydia - Founder of LS Tuition
A look ahead: Family-friendly activities and opportunities to boost your primary-aged child’s learning and development
Check out LS Tuition’s month-by-month guide to fun, (mostly) free, educational opportunities in Edinburgh and give your child the chance to discover new things, think creatively, problem-solve and build resilience – complementing the work they already do at primary school or with LS Tuition.
With the new year underway, there’s never been a better time to explore all the free, family-friendly attractions and events Edinburgh has to offer. When you’re a busy parent living somewhere popular with visitors, it can be easy to forget the many amazing attractions on your doorstep. Perhaps you feel you’ve overdone certain museums or venues, or your children have outgrown the places you used to love visiting. But, with changing event schedules and new exhibitions being unveiled all the time, those family favourites can provide fun learning opportunities for all ages.
January
The streets are quieter in town, so it’s a great time to head along to the National Museum of Scotland. There’s a reason it’s the UK’s most popular attraction outside of London… The place is filled to the brim with a world of wonderful objects and curiosities. Whether you’re just popping in to shelter from the cold weather or are making a planned visit, you and the family will always discover something new at the National Museum of Scotland.
The city centre museum boasts two specially designed, family-themed galleries – Imagine, which uses objects from the museum’s vast collection to ignite imagination and learning, and Adventure Planet, which enables visitors to explore the natural world and learn how to protect and care for it. Spend hours marvelling at the millions of items, including the Lewis chess pieces, Dolly the sheep, dinosaur bones, and Viking treasures. There’s plenty to fuel young imaginations and empower your child on their learning journey, with displays encompassing everything from science and geology to history and the future of technology.
February
The shortest month, but the one that seems to drag the most… it’s cold, but there are some signs of spring, so why not draw, sketch or colour whatever you’ve seen on your walks about town or your local area? Edinburgh Council has set up a network of Warm and Welcoming Spaces across the city, including one in the family area at the City Art Centre. Visit between 10am and 5pm every day to get creative together with art materials and worksheets.
At this time of year, it’s also worth finding out what’s going on at your nearest library. Many local libraries host Lego clubs which are suitable for children up to the age of 12, while Saturday Crafternoons help keep young minds engaged and happy.
March
21 March is World Poetry Day, and what better way to mark it than a trip to the Writers’ Museum? Celebrating the lives of three giants of Scottish Literature – Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson – the Writers’ Museum is a must-visit for any young reader.
But it’s not all dusty tomes and ancient relics. The Museum’s current exhibition, Disrupting the Narrative, invited four Edinburgh writers of colour to learn about the city’s pivotal role in transatlantic slavery and colonialism, then to visit and respond to the city’s museums on the Royal Mile through a ‘decolonising lens’. With plenty of scope for reflection and understanding for young adult readers in particular, this free exhibition is taking place in the Writers’ Museum, the Museum of Childhood, and the Museum of Edinburgh.
April
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is one of the finest botanical gardens in the world, and it’s blooming with fun learning opportunities. Head along in April to see spring unfurl in areas including the Rock Garden, Woodland Garden and Chinese Hillside. Spending time in nature has wide-reaching benefits for children, including lowering stress and anxiety levels, learning about taking responsibility and caring for things, deepening their understanding of the world around them, and providing physical activity.
Keep your eyes peeled on the What’s On page of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh website, to find out what family-friendly activities are happening this month. Previous years have seen Mighty Oaks holiday clubs take place, giving children from P4 to P7 the chance to learn skills and get closer to nature – an essential part of connecting with and protecting our environment. The annual Spring and Hallowe’en Trails also provide a fun opportunity for children to learn more about nature as they follow clues around the Garden. Or, simply pop along – entry is free – to make the most of more than 70 acres of space, greenery and natural beauty for a fun-filled day out that all ages will enjoy.
Don’t forget, the 2025 Edinburgh Science Festival runs from 5 to 20 April too. This year’s theme is Spaceship Earth, which will see a whole host of free and ticketed activities taking place exploring the challenges of living on a planet with finite resources. A must for any budding astronaut or sci-fi fan, the interactive, hands-on event promises to be mind-blowing.
May
As the weather warms up, it’s time to make the most of any opportunity to get outside and burn off some energy! World Bee Day takes place on 20 May, and you can celebrate it the weekend before with a drop-in event all day on 18 May at Lauriston Castle. Children can make a painted tile, plant bee-friendly seeds or go on a bee walk with the Castle’s resident beekeeper to learn more about why bees are so important for the planet.
A visit to Lauriston Castle gives kids the chance to get out of town, explore woodland trails, check out the estate’s beautiful Japanese Garden, or even tour the castle itself. If you’re taking a child with additional support needs, you can view the castle’s Visual Story online before you go, and pick up a sensory backpack if you’ve booked a tour.
June
With the days getting longer and sunny days beckoning you outdoors, a trip up one of Edinburgh’s many hills is a great idea. Don some sensible shoes and pack some snacks to make the trek up Arthur’s Seat (perfect for some science-based learning since it’s an extinct volcano!) or the Salisbury Crags. Alternatively, an early trip up Calton Hill (before the tourists descend) is an amazing way to see the sunrise. Your high-up vantage point will let you spot the city’s best-known landmarks… or why not ask the kids if they can figure out where their home is?
July
School’s out for summer! Except at LS Tuition, where we’ll be running our Summer School programme from 14 July. Summer School helps keep your kids busy and avoid ‘summer brain’ – whereby children return to school in August feeling like they’ve forgotten everything they learned previously. We’ll be offering blocks of two weeks each for Key Stage 1 (P1 to P4) and Key Stage 2 (P4 to P7), and tuition will encompass everything from literacy and maths to social studies and arts and crafts. LS Tuition’s Summer School takes place at our dedicated Learning Space on Harewood Road, Edinburgh. It proves popular year after year, so register your interest now via our website.
August
Enjoy the height of summer with a trip to the Meadows – always popular at this time of year, the playpark is unmissable and it’s the perfect spot for a picnic too. Perhaps you could involve the kids in preparing some food or make a shopping list for a picnic? And, of course, it’s Festival season. If you can brave the crowds, head up the Royal Mile for plenty of free entertainment and culture for you all to enjoy.
If you’d rather get fully away from the city during Festival season, why not hop on a train elsewhere? Scotrail’s Kids for a Quid tickets are available when you purchase most adult rail tickets. They must be bought in-person at the station ticket office or on the train, and they allow up to four children to travel for just £1 return each with an adult. As well as giving you cheap train travel, the Kids for a Quid ticket gives free entry to a number of attractions including Deep Sea World in South Queensferry, Dundee’s RRS Discovery, or Edinburgh Zoo.
September
If your children love exploring new places and discovering hidden histories, Doors Open Day 2025 is the perfect event to spark their imaginations. Taking place across Edinburgh and East Lothian, previous Doors Open Day venues have included Ashworth Laboratories (part of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Biological Sciences), the Supreme Courts of Scotland, and even a 1940s Police Box! Doors Open Days is Scotland’s largest free festival that celebrates places and stories, new and old. To ensure you don’t miss out, pre-booking your choice of places to visit is a must.
October
With spooky season upon us, there’s no better place than Edinburgh to get into the Halloween spirit. Book on to the Witches and Wizards’ School at Lauriston Castle, or why not head on a self-guided walking tour of Edinburgh’s most haunted spots? From the punishments doled out at Nor’ Loch (now Princes Street Gardens), to the witch trials and the true story behind the real Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, the city’s streets and alleyways are awash with scary stories and tall tales to stir up your child’s imagination and help them learn more about the history and culture of Scotland’s capital.
November
It’s easy to forget that Edinburgh is home to some spectacular beaches. It may not feel like the right time of year but, pick a dry day, and a trip to the beach can deliver plenty of fun! Cramond or Portobello beach can keep young minds and bodies busy with shell collecting, nature spotting and stone skimming, while on breezier days you might choose to have fun with a kite or simply people-watch from a cosy cafe. A scoot or bike ride along Portobello promenade is a must to burn off some energy too.
December
Edinburgh is the place to be at Christmas, with pretty lights, festive markets and seasonal celebrations taking place across the city throughout December. But, to beat the crowds and keep toasty warm, it’s the perfect time to take up some simple crafts at home, work on spellings and literacy by writing Christmas cards and letters to Santa, or mix up some wonderful seasonal recipes. The Museum of Childhood is also worth a visit to find out what was at the top of childrens’ Christmas lists in years gone by… a visit to this quirky place is a wonderful way to spend a fun few hours.
If you want to make the most of the learning opportunities available to your child in 2025, contact LS Tuition today to discover how we can help support their educational journey by providing holistic, individually tailored teaching.
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