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The best things to do at Whiteley for a day out

Everything you need in one place for an incredible family day out

From delicious dining at restaurants and cafes including family favourites Burger King, McDonalds, Prezzo and Kaspa’s Desserts to movies at Cineworld and incredible climbing walls at Rock Up, Whiteley is the place to enjoy days out with your family and friends.With free parking and public transport links, you can enjoy a full day full of activities and fun.

1.   See big new movies at Cineworld

Enjoy recent releases including DreamWorks Dog Man, based on Dav Pilkey’s bestselling graphic novel series (7 February).

Cineworld offers a whole host of special discounts including family tickets, weekly Movies for Juniors, family special snacks with 30% off and dimmed-light Cinebabies screenings for parents and carers.

And if you buy any products from Compare the Market, you can also enjoy Meerkat Movies for a whole year with 2-for-1 tickets every Tuesday or Wednesday.

2.   The best places to eat with family menus and offers for kids

Whiteley is home to some of the most children-friendly places to eat on the planet. Frankie & Benny’s offers Small Eaters or Big Eaters menus featuring cheesy tomato pizza, creamy mac ‘n’ cheese, all with free veggie sticks and a dessert. Make a note for your diary: Rock Up does free pizzas for kids on Thursday with any climbs after 3pm.

You can always enjoy Happy Meals at McDonalds (with special offers during the holidays),  King Jr meals at Burger King, Prezzo’s pizza, pasta and gelatos and Harvester’s kids meal deal, from £6.99, including staples favourites like Chicken Power Strips and Tomato Twirl Pasta (Ve), plus there’s also a bowl brimming with FREE unlimited salad for them all to fill up on their five-a-day!

Nando’s famous Nandinos meals have chicken strips, wings with side orders of corn on the cob and fries with either a juice or bottomless frozen yoghurt and wagamama does mini chicken ramen, mini katsu curry and more.

Kaspa’s Desserts is sweet-tooth heaven with gelatos, waffles, crepes, milkshakes, smoothies and sundaes and a kids’ menu; Wildwood has kids’ offers throughout the half term, for every adult main meal, kids eat for only £1! T&Cs apply. Dim T makes dining out really fun with bento boxes, crispy duck pancakes, dim sum, ice cream and drinks.

During the holidays, kids can eat for free or for just £1 at leading cafes and restaurants so keep an eye on our offers page.

3.   Book Rock Up climbing and soft play

With fantastic climbing walls (going up to 8m) and 70 different challenges, all-day soft play, slides, swings and obstacle courses, enjoy a family climbing session at Rock Up for four years and up. There are helpful intros, toddler sessions, discounted super saver sessions, parties for kids and climbing clubs with special passes all year round.

4.   Discover the best shopping with kids

Image provided by M&S

Keep youngsters comfy and stylish with M&S kids’ everyday essentials collection, featuring durable sweatshirts, cosy hoodies and versatile tracksuits. Whether they’re playing outside or lounging at home, our quality designs are built to last, including classic knits, playful patterns and easy-care fabrics.

Whiteley is home to some of the best fashion, beauty, food and gifting stores making Click & Collect and everyday shopping easy. There are also plenty of clothes and shoe stores for kids including Mamas and Papas, Mountain Warehouse, Next, Marks & Spencer, JoJo Maman Bébé, H&M and Clarks if you need to pick things up while you’re here with the family.

Don’t miss our kid-friendly stores: The Entertainer, Smiggle and Flying Tiger Copenhagen are full of exciting toys and gifts for all budgets. Help them brush up their maths and english knowledge with Explore Learning. Or, have a fun time finding bedtime reading at Waterstones and WH Smith.

Stay up to date with the latest news and offers here. Happy shopping!

5.   Easy parking and the best ways to get to Whiteley

It’s super easy for families to get here. There are plenty of free four-hour parking spaces available at Whiteley (you can also top up to six hours for £2), including parent-and-child spaces outside Tesco. There is also Blue Badge parking in the East, Cinema A, Tesco and Market Square car parks.

We also have three very useful Pod Point electric vehicle charging bays – one is located in the East outside Harvester with a further two charging points located outside the cinema in the Cinema B car park.

6.   Family-friendly essentials at Whiteley

Mamas and Papas have a fully air-conditioned feeding room on their first floor and there are toilets located in the centre with baby-changing facilities.

7.   Special offers, discounts and insider tips

Don’t forget there are always exclusive discounts for students, Blue Light card holders and NHS workers plus there are plenty of loyalty memberships from Boots, Tesco, H&M and more to take advantage of. 

Keep an eye on our offers page for the latest deals, menus and ways to shop and enjoy delicious food and drink all year round.

Last updated Tuesday 11 March, 2025