WILD THINGS AT LOWRY: A FREE FAMILY DAY OUT CELEBRATING CHILDREN'S BOOKS
Wild Things at Lowry
On Saturday morning, we were invited along to a special launch event for Wild Things at Lowry, a brand-new free family exhibition celebrating animals from some of our favourite children's books.
Dad came along with me, Alice and Leo, and because the trams weren't running to Lowry, Mum dropped us off opposite the Imperial War Museum North and we walked across the bridge.
We arrived at Lowry at around 10:10am and headed upstairs to the Circle Bar, where lots of special activities had been organised to celebrate the opening of the exhibition.
🎨 Wild Things Launch Event
Before we'd even made it into the exhibition, Alice and Leo had already found plenty to do.
As part of the special launch event, there was face painting, temporary tattoos and artists creating pictures of the children with their favourite animals. There was also a table with little chocolate muffins, fruit sticks and cartons of juice for the children, as well as tea and coffee for the adults.
These activities were specifically part of the Wild Things launch event and aren't part of a normal visit to the exhibition, so don't worry if you don't see them when you visit – there's still loads to see and do once you head into Wild Things itself.
Alice and Leo both chose a juice and a chocolate muffin, while Dad got himself a cup of tea, and then we joined the queue for the face painting.
Alice decided she wanted to be a lion, while Leo doesn't like having his face painted, so he chose to have a rainbow and butterflies painted on his arm instead. I really liked that he could still join in without having to have anything painted on his face.
After Leo had finished, it was time for a welcome speech from Michael Simpson, Lowry's Director of Visual Arts, who told us a little more about Wild Things before inviting through to explore the galleries.
We decided to hang back for a few minutes and let the initial crowd go through first. While we waited, we visited one of the artists, who created a picture of Alice with a lion and a snake and another of Leo with a giant butterfly.
I think I might have enjoyed watching the artist work just as much as the children enjoyed getting their pictures!
I've always loved drawing and painting, although I haven't properly drawn for quite a while. It's something I'm hoping to start getting back into, so I found it fascinating watching the pictures come together.
📚 Stepping Inside Wild Things
On the way into the exhibition, every child is given a free notebook where they can write and draw their own animal stories inspired by what they discover inside. Alice and Leo were both handed one as we entered, which was a lovely way to encourage them to get creative during and after their visit.
The exhibition itself was fantastic.
Wild Things is an A–Z of animals from beloved children's stories, combining original illustrations with animal facts, colourful displays and lots of activities for children to get involved with.
It was bright, colourful and immediately felt like somewhere designed for families rather than a gallery where I'd spend the whole time worrying about the children touching something they shouldn't!
I really enjoyed reading all the facts about the featured animals as we made our way around. There were even a few things I didn't know myself, which meant I was learning alongside the children.
🐯 A Tiger Is on the Loose!
Alice absolutely loved the Furry Wardrobe, which was filled with different animal costumes for children to dress up in.
Her favourite was the tiger.
She put the costume on and very quickly decided that simply looking like a tiger wasn't enough. She then proceeded to chase Grandad around the exhibition pretending she was going to eat him!
She was having a brilliant time, and I loved seeing how something as simple as dressing up encouraged her to use her imagination and create her own little game.
✏️ Leo Gets Creative
Leo was much more interested in the drawing areas.
There were little desks with postcards and colouring pencils where children could draw their own animals, with boards nearby where they could display their finished pictures.
There were separate boards for animals including frogs, giraffes, koalas and X-ray fish.
Leo chose to draw a giraffe and an X-ray fish and then proudly pinned both of his pictures onto the boards.
He loves sitting down and concentrating on activities like this, so it was lovely that there were quieter creative things alongside the more energetic imaginative play.
🍊 Playing at Vera's Veggie Delights
Both children also had lots of fun at Vera's Veggie Delights, a colourful little fruit and vegetable stall.
This seemed to be incredibly popular because there were children playing around it almost every time we passed.
Alice and Leo enjoyed exploring all the different fruit and vegetables, but Leo was particularly fascinated when he discovered that the oranges could actually be peeled apart.
He spent ages taking them apart and putting them back together again!
Sometimes it's the simplest things that keep children entertained for the longest.
🦔 Testing Our Animal Knowledge
Leo and I also had great fun with one of the interactive animal games.
You had to try to match the unusual name for a group of animals with the correct animal. Was it a mess, a prickle or a dazzle? Some of the answers were definitely easier than others, and I discovered that my knowledge of animal collective nouns wasn't quite as good as I thought!
It was a fun way of learning something new together without it feeling like a lesson.
🐘 Our Favourite Elmer Display
One of our favourite parts of Wild Things was the E is for Elephant section celebrating Elmer.
Alice and Leo have loved Elmer ever since we saw the stage production at Lowry in 2024, and we've gradually built up quite a collection of Elmer books and toys at home.
They were both excited when they spotted the familiar patchwork elephant, while I particularly enjoyed looking at David McKee's original artwork.
Original illustrations are featured throughout Wild Things, and this was probably my favourite part as an adult. There's something very different about seeing the actual artwork up close rather than simply looking at the finished illustrations on the pages of a book.
Alongside the Elmer artwork were facts about elephants, and we even discovered a few things we hadn't known before our visit.
🛍️ The Wild Things Shop
There was also a little shop inside the exhibition selling some of the books featured in Wild Things alongside other animal-themed items and lots of plushies.
We managed to leave without buying anything this time, although Alice and Leo had already created quite a list of things they'd like on our next visit.
Apparently this includes a giant inflatable Elmer!
I have a feeling we're not going to get away quite so easily next time.
🔎 The Animal Safari
Leaving the exhibition didn't mean the end of the activities.
On our way in, we'd picked up a Wild Things leaflet from a member of staff, which included an Animal Safari around Lowry.
Children are challenged to search the building for five pairs of hidden animals, ticking them off on the leaflet as they find them. Once you've found all five pairs, you can head to the Lowry Shop to collect a special sticker as a reward.
Leo absolutely loves this kind of thing and was completely focused on finding them all.
It was such a simple activity, but it turned walking around the building into another little adventure.
🐝 Queen Bee's Hive Drama
Next, we headed to the Lowry Bar for Queen Bee's Hive Drama, a 25-minute drama adventure inspired by Queen Bee's Day Off.
The children buzzed around pretending to be bees and played games including Queen Bee Says, which works a bit like Simon Says.
Alice absolutely threw herself into it and had a brilliant time.
Leo found it a little overwhelming and stayed for around five minutes before deciding he'd had enough and coming to sit with me and Grandad instead.
That's one of the reasons having lots of different activities available worked particularly well for us. There was no pressure for both children to enjoy exactly the same things or participate in the same way.
Queen Bee's Hive Drama takes place Tuesday–Sunday at 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm.
🌈 We Found Elmer!
After Queen Bee's Hive Drama had finished, we spotted someone very colourful walking past.
Elmer!
He was making his way towards the entrance, so Alice and Leo followed him and got the chance to meet him and have their photograph taken together.
Considering how much they love Elmer, this was definitely a special moment for them – particularly after we'd just been looking at all the Elmer artwork inside the exhibition.
📖 We're Going on a Bear Hunt
We then headed over to the Storytelling Corner for one of the 20-minute storytelling sessions.
The story during our visit was We're Going on a Bear Hunt.
Leo found himself a quiet spot at the side where he could sit, watch and listen, while Alice wanted to be right in the middle of everything.
The storyteller encouraged the children to follow instructions and act out different parts of the story, including packing an imaginary backpack before setting off on their adventure.
Alice had great fun joining in with all the actions, while Leo was perfectly happy experiencing the story in his own quieter way.
Storytelling sessions take place Tuesday–Sunday at 12pm, 12:30pm, 1pm, 1:30pm, 2pm, 2:30pm, 3pm, 3:30pm and 4pm.
⭐ One Last Stop
After the storytelling session, we suddenly remembered that we'd completed the Animal Safari but hadn't actually collected our reward!
So we headed over to the Lowry Shop, where the children collected their special sticker for finding all five pairs of animals.
By this point it was around 1pm and we were all starting to get hungry.
We could have stayed at Lowry for lunch, but after such a busy morning we decided it was time to head home, so Mum came back to pick us up.
We'd arrived at around 10:10am and left at approximately 1pm, which meant we'd managed to spend almost three hours there without the children running out of things to do.
And we still hadn't done everything!
🎨 More Family Activities at Lowry
Although we didn't have time to fit everything into this particular visit, there are plenty of other family experiences available across Lowry throughout the summer.
Families can browse books together in The Book Nook, a welcoming reading space complete with a miniature dolls' house version of Lowry, get creative with drop-in craft activities in The Lookout, or enjoy imaginative role play in the Little Lowry Kitchen.
Having experienced these areas on previous visits, we know they're always a popular addition and offer even more reasons to make a day of your visit.
If you're planning to stay for lunch, the summer family offer is another welcome bonus. Throughout the school holidays, children can eat free in the Lowry Bar & Kitchen with every adult main meal purchased, making it even easier to enjoy a full day at Lowry without needing to leave the building.
The Coffee Shop also has Wild Things lunchboxes for £5.50, which include a sandwich, drink and snack.
We didn't eat there on this particular visit because we decided to head home for lunch, but they're useful options to know about if you're planning to stay for longer.
♿ Accessibility at Wild Things
Accessibility is something I always pay attention to when we're planning family days out, and one thing I particularly like about Lowry is that there are options for visitors who may find a quieter environment easier.
Lowry regularly hosts Relaxed and Quiet Sessions, allowing visitors to experience the galleries in a calmer and less busy atmosphere.
Upcoming sessions include:
Thursday 13 August, 10am–3pm – Lowry Relaxed Day for Families
Sunday 6 September
Sunday 25 October
Sunday 22 November
Capacity is reduced for these sessions, so booking your free timed ticket in advance is recommended.
I also appreciated during our own visit that the children didn't have to participate in activities in exactly the same way. When Queen Bee's Hive Drama became too much for Leo, he could simply come and sit with us, while at the storytelling session he was able to watch quietly from the side as Alice joined in.
For our family, having that flexibility makes a big difference.
Final Thoughts
We had a brilliant morning exploring Wild Things at Lowry, and I think what I loved most was how much variety there was.
Alice was happiest dressing up, pretending to be a tiger and throwing herself into the drama and storytelling activities, while Leo loved drawing, completing the Animal Safari and taking his time exploring the hands-on displays.
For me, the original children's book illustrations were probably the biggest highlight. I particularly loved seeing David McKee's Elmer artwork, and watching the artist create Alice and Leo's pictures at the launch also made me want to get my own pencils out again.
Wild Things itself is colourful, playful and packed with things for children to discover, while all the additional activities happening around Lowry can turn a visit into a much bigger family day out.
Best of all, Wild Things is completely free.
You do need to book a free timed ticket for the Andrew Law Galleries, and I'd recommend booking in advance, particularly during the school holidays.
We will definitely be going back before it closes – although next time I might have to prepare myself for the children remembering that giant inflatable Elmer in the shop!
At a Glance
📍 Venue: Lowry, Salford Quays
📅 Exhibition Dates: 1 January–30 November 2026
🕙 Opening Times: 10:15am–4:30pm. Check Lowry's latest opening information before travelling.
🎟️ Admission: Free, but advance booking is recommended. Entry to Wild Things is included with a free timed ticket for the Andrew Law Galleries. A limited number of walk-up tickets may be available.
📓 Free Notebook: Every child receives a free notebook on entry where they can write and draw their own animal stories inspired by the exhibition.
⏰ Time Needed: We spent just under an hour exploring Wild Things itself and almost three hours at Lowry altogether, including the special launch activities and the additional family activities around the building.
👨👩👧👦 Suitable For: Families with children of all ages, particularly anyone who loves children's books, animals, drawing and imaginative play.
♿ Accessibility: Relaxed and Quiet Sessions are available on selected dates. Upcoming sessions take place on 13 August, 6 September, 25 October and 22 November.
🍽️ Food: Lowry Bar & Kitchen and the Coffee Shop. Wild Things lunchboxes containing a sandwich, drink and snack are available from the Coffee Shop for £5.50. During the school holidays, children can eat free in the Lowry Bar & Kitchen with every adult main meal purchased.
🚋 Getting There: Lowry is accessible by tram, bus and car. Tram services are affected by temporary disruption from 13 July–3 August, so check your route before travelling. During our visit, Mum dropped us off opposite the Imperial War Museum North and we walked across the bridge to Lowry.
🚗 Parking: Nearby parking is available at Quayside MediaCityUK.
Watch Our Visit to Wild Things
Our visit to Wild Things at Lowry features in Weekly Vlog #460, where you can see us exploring the exhibition and taking part in some of the family activities around Lowry.
The Wild Things part of the vlog starts at 14:47, so you can skip straight to our visit if you'd like to see what it was like.
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