Travel for Kids Stratford-upon-Avon, England



England		\| Heart of England

		Stratford-upon-Avon (Warwickshire)


			Stratford is synonymous with William Shakespeare, but there's more than just the Bard. Start with your explorations with the Birthplace Museum, the house were Shakespeare was a kid, furnished with period Elizabethan furniture.

			Take in a play at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, and kids might also like a backstage tour. Check out the Royal Shakespeare Company site for complete details.

			Holy Trinity Church – At Holy Trinity Church, Shakespeare was baptized here in 1564, and it's where the great playwright is buried, next to his wife Anne Hathaway. Also, check out the Shakespeare monument on the north side of the church – a bust of Shakespeare, sporting a spiffy mustache and goatee, and holding a quill pen, topped with the family coat of arms and a skull.

			Teddy Bear Museum – If you have a toddler in tow, the Teddy Bear Museum has a collection of unusual teddy bears, housed in an Elizabethan setting. Don't miss the teddy bear Victorian dollhouse, the teddy bear's picnic, Winnie the Pooh, Rupert and Paddington teddy bears.

			River Avon – Take the little ferry across the River Avon to the waterside park or cruise down the river on larger boats (pick up the boats near the Clopton Bridge). Or, just walk along the river, it's green and shady, and there's swans in the river.

			Take a bike ride - Stratford is the perfect place to go for a family bike ride. Starting in the center of Stratford is a 5 mile bike path (called the Greenway) that goes along the Avon river and is great for kids.



			Just arrived in Stratford-upon-Avon? Get oriented and ride around the city in a hop on – hop off bus. Kids commentary on the tour, 14 stops around the city, including the Shakespeare's birthplace, River Avon, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, and more. Tickets are valid for 24 hours and you can board the double-decker bus anywhere on the route:

			Stratford-upon-Avon Hop On Hop Off Bus

Bard of Avon biography shakespeare stratford england

Bard of Avon: The Story of William Shakespeare
Diane Stanley, Peter Vennema

William Shakespeare was grew up in Stratford-on-Avon, and returned to live there after years of writing plays in London. The Bard of Avon is richly illustrated with scenes of his boyhood and production of his plays. (Picture book)

Tales from Shakespeare: Seven Plays
Marcia Williams

Shakespeare's plays, presented in a picture-panel format, with detailed lively illustrations. The plays included are Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, The Winter's Tale, Julius Caesar, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest. Super for younger kids, before you see a Shakespeare play. (Picture book)

And don't miss More Tales from Shakespeare – As you Like It, Antony and Cleopatra, Richard III, Twelfth Night, King Lear, The Merchant of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing.

Tales from Shakespeare play kids stratford great britain

Romeo & Juliet
Gareth Hinds

Planning to see Romeo and Juliet at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre? Read this excellent graphic novel adaptation, a timeless love story with a modern twist (Juliet wears a short ball gown and boots), and multi-racial cast of characters. Good for older kids. (Illustrated chapter book)

Manga Shakespeare: Othello
Richard Appignanesi, Ryuta Osada

Adaptation of the classic story of jealousy and betrayal, in a graphic novel format. Iago is particularly devilish, with a black eye patch. And there's more Manga Shakespeare in the series. (Graphic novel)

Manga Shakespeare: Othello kids stratford great britain

Secrets of Shakespeare's Grave mystery kids stratford-upon-avon

Secrets of Shakespeare's Grave
Deron R. Hicks

Searching for a lost family treasure in this mystery adventure, Colophon Letterford and her cousin Julian follow hidden clues to the Shakespeare Monument in Holy Trinity Church. Did Shakespeare leave a copy of Hamlet, written in his own hand? (Chapter book)

(More children's books on other England pages)

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Stratford-upon-Avon (Warwickshire)