Family fun activities

Built to feed the Court of Henry VIII, the kitchens were expected to provide meals for 600 people twice a day. See the kitchens and experience the sights and smells of a real Tudor kitchen! Click here to learn more on the Tudor kitchens.

---

The great outdoors

The palace is surrounded by beautiful parks and gardens featuring sparkling fountains, glorious displays of over 200,000 flowering bulbs and 750 acres of tranquil royal parkland. Take care when visiting the gardens that contain water features, such as ponds and canals. Click here for more information and to download a map of the gardens.

The King's Guard Chamber

King William III decorated his guard chamber with 2,846 pieces of arms and armour. A special children’s audio guide takes you on a fun-filled tour through the rest of the King’s magnificent rooms. Look out for his very comfy toilet! 

Family audio guides

Family audio tours are available to help you explore the history and stories at Hampton Court Palace. Aimed at children aged over 6, they present the palace in a light-hearted way. Collect your free audio guides from the Information Centre.

Family trails

Packed with fun quizzes, activities, facts and illustrations, our free family trails for different age groups are the perfect way to explore Hampton Court Palace as a family.  Hard copies are available at the palace's Information Centre after you have purchased your tickets. When you've completed one, bring it back for a prize! Click below to download sample family trails.

William's classics: The Baroque Palace >
How did the Greeks and Romans influence Hampton Court? Find out in this family trail.

Henry's dinners: The Tudor Kitchens >
(PDF 603KB)  How do you feed 600 hungry people twice a day? Find out in this Tudor food factory.

More entertaining activities

Visiting a Historic Royal Palace shouldn’t be boring. Try these entertaining activities with your family:

Give us a clue! You’ll hear about all sorts of interesting people during your visit. Take it in turns to pretend to be one of them, or act out part of their story, and see if the others can guess who you are.

Hide and seek in the 20th century garden. It’s perfectly safe– no worrying water features here. The rule is no-one can leave the garden.

Decipher the ciphers. The royals have left their initials, called royal ciphers, everywhere in the Palace. Instead of their surnames, they all end in ‘R’, for the Latin Rex or Regina, meaning king or queen. You’ve seen the ciphers of recent kings and queens on post boxes. See how many different ones you can find here.

Watch out, beasts about. There are carvings of animals everywhere: proud lions, scary dragons, fast greyhounds, beautiful unicorns. See how many different ones you can find, including real animals from ducks to deer in the park and gardens.

Kids rule! Tudor King Edward VI was born at Hampton Court Palace. He became King when he was only 9. How about letting your children take the lead? You might be surprised where they want to go. Remember to call them ‘Your Majesty’ and to bow and curtsey!

School holidays. During school holidays, we have costumed guided events and craft activities that are aimed at primary school aged children. Visit ‘What’s on’ for more information on current and upcoming events.