A bundle of Donna Wilson's Creature Collections

15 free family-friendly things to do at V&A Dundee this summer

Looking for cool stuff to keep everyone entertained during the summer holidays?

Discover unique hands-on activities and creative fun for all ages this summer at V&A Dundee.

Our free Families programme is generously supported by Players of People's Postcode Lottery.

Illustration of origami animals

Visit POP Playground!

This summer, explore our indoor playground for families inspired by Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk and Japanese pop culture. The studio is packed with videogames, cool comics, retro toys and more. Design your own comics, kimono or some pattern-tastic origami.

Full length shot of the back of a pictoral kimono

Design a Kimono

Did you know the word kimono translates from Japanese as “the thing to wear”? Our latest exhibition follows the kimono’s journey from 17th century Japan to present-day fashion, where you can design a unique on-screen outfit in the exhibition. Visitors aged 18 and under go free.

A bundle of Donna Wilson's Creature Collections

Visit the Creature Collective display

Scottish textile designer Donna Wilson created our loveable museum mascot, Selkie the Seal. This summer you can visit Donna’s Creature Collective display wall and see over 100 of her folklore-inspired characters, including Wilfred Wolf and Joey Giraffe.

A group of people looking at the Dundee diorama map

Explore the giant Dundee map

Take a look at Sohei Nishino’s giant photographic map, ‘Diorama Map, Dundee’ to spot your favourite sights. Made up of thousands of black and white photographs of Dundee, have fun looking at all of the details – from people in the streets to planes and even seagulls.

A group of young people discussing a videogame

Play Gimbal City

Videogame Gimbal City is located on the upper floor of the museum. Designed by architecture studio iheartblob, it is part of the free Photo City exhibition. You can create a cool interactive world with other players and become architects of your own imagined cities.

Young people looking at Streets Ahead exhibition

Discover Streets Ahead

We asked young people to reimagine and redesign their high street to make it more inclusive and sustainable. Come see the visions shared by pupils from across Scotland – and have a go yourself!

Follow the Selkie Trail

Explore the museum's architecture with museum mascot Selkie the Seal. You can find out all about V&A Dundee, which was designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and opened to the public in 2018. After you’ve finished, pick up your Official Explorer Stamp!

Children and their parents playing with KAPLA blocks in the foyer of V&A Dundee

Twist and Shape

You can have endless fun in the Twist and Shape design zone creating new structures and forms to play with. There are giant foam Imagination Playground shapes as well as KAPLA planks and architect Kengo Kuma's TSUMIKI stackable triangles. Once you’re done, knock it all down and start again.

Two children doing a drawing activity with an adult

Be a Design Buster

Pick up a Design Busters activity sheet then draw, colour and solve a design challenge together. Even if you’re small, you can have big ideas and designers have the power to change the world. Get creative and design a patch, logo or symbol for new Design Busters everywhere to wear.

Close up of a chess board

Don’t be board... play some board games

Grab a seat and enjoy the views of the River Tay and a board game by the picture window on the ground floor. Who will win at chess? It’s a perfect place to rest a while – you might even spot a seal in the water or on the sandbanks!

Visitors in the Scottish Design Galleries

Explore the Scottish Design Galleries

Featuring over 300 objects, many from the V&A’s world-famous collections of art, design and performance. There are so many stories to discover – don’t miss Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s beautifully conserved Oak Room.

Close up of hands making a model of a high street

Book Wee Design + Play: Cities

This free workshop is suitable for under 5s and their grown-ups. Join our friendly designers to explore different materials and create designs inspired by our exhibitions and collections. The sessions take place on Monday 29 July.

Two children building a cities with building blocks

Build with Blockitecture

Young visitors inspired by Kengo Kuma’s magnificent museum design can try building their own towns and cities using the fun and colourful wooden Blockitecture playblocks. Let your imagination flow!

Two children holding a trail guide and ice cream cones

Take a peek outside

Pick up a seek + peek trail map from the welcome desk, then head outside for a playful waterfront trail. This activity is designed to take families on a wander round V&A Dundee, as well as the urban beach and nearby Slessor Gardens. What will you discover and do today? (Doughnuts and ice cream from Heather Street Food optional!)

A child reading a book

Enjoy the Story Space

Take a break, find a picture book and enjoy a comfy chair in the family-friendly Story Space in our Designer-in-residence studio. With lots of titles from which to choose, relax for a while in this lovely space. It’s also a great place to watch as the museum bustles with visitors.

To find out more about everything the museum has to offer, as well as handy info about accessibility, parking and more, head over to our Visit page.

Get the latest news from V&A Dundee

Sign up to hear first about exhibitions, events and new things to do.

image that represent two pages of V&A dundee website