6 Day Trips to take with your Kids this Summer (that are less than 2 hours drive from Newcastle)

*This is a collaborative post

Summer is the perfect time to plan a family road trip. We love nothing better than jumping in the car and planning an adventure. I think we are pretty fortunate living in the North East as not only do we have lots of award winning attractions on our doorstep, but we are also well placed to explore a little further afield. 

Once you've filled the car up with petrol, checked your Summer tyres and packed your bag with sandwiches, sun cream and sun hats, you're good to go.

Travelling for long distances with little ones in the car isn't for everyone so today I am sharing a few of my favourite places to visit for the day that are within 2 hours drive of Newcastle. If you set off at 8am and you can be at your destination for 10am and ready for a day of fun.

A Day Trip to Whitby 

Whitby is a gorgeous little seaside town in North Yorkshire. It feels slightly more upmarket than it's sister seaside resort of Scarborough and you'll find the paths and winding streets packed with wine bars and bistros serving fresh seafood. 

There's lots for kids to do in Whitby too, whether this be visiting the Dracula Experience, climbing the steps to Whitby Abbey or buying a crabbing kit and joining the other children as they line the harbour with their nets.

 There's a beautiful beach with a small fun fair and donkey rides, lots of places to grab an ice cream and of course a visit to the world famous Magpie Cafe for fish and chips is a must. 

Children catching crabs at Whitby Harbour

Whitby | Need to Know

• Drive time | 1 hour 34 minutes (73 miles)
• Parking |  We normally park at Marina Black car park which is £8 for 24 hours. Postcode YO21 1YN
• Read More | Our Day Trip to Whitby

A Day Trip to Harrogate 

Harrogate is a gorgeous market town in North Yorkshire and definitely worth a visit on a sunny day. We highly recommend Harrogate's Valley Gardens which has everything you could possibly need for a park from a fantastic adventure play area to an outdoor pool, skate park, pitch and putt, boating lake and more. I recommend Gianni's Pizza for lunch - kids eat free on a Saturday before 6pm and all day Sunday. 

Harrogate | Need to Know

• Drive time | 1 hour 44 minutes (84 miles)
• Parking | Jubilee Car Park is £9.80 for 7 hours. Postcode HG1 1DJ
• Read More | An Afternoon at Valley Gardens Harrogate

A Day Trip to the Lake District

The lakes are always discounted as a day trip from the North East and I'm not sure why - with a drive time of less than 2 hours, it's a beautiful and relaxing countryside drive over the Pennines with some of the best views in the UK. 

The lakes are a lovely place if you just fancy a wander or walk and there are lots of country pubs where you can stop for a drink. I recommend a trip to the Lakes Distillery where you can take a family tour and learn all about the smugglers along the rivers. 

There are lots of National Trust properties to visit in the area (including Beatrix Potter's House), and there are lots of opportunities to enjoy watersports or take a boat trip. Don't forget to pick up a Grasmere gingerbread man! 

Lake District | Need to Know

• Drive time | 1 hour 35 minutes (78 miles)
• Parking | There's a huge variety of paid/free parking that is well-signposted
• Read More | Our Day Trip to the Lakes

A Day Trip to Kielder

Kielder really does feel as if you're in the middle of nowhere. It's definitely worth the trip though. Kielder Water is the largest man-made reservoir in the UK and is surrounded by Kielder forest - the largest man-made forest in Europe. 

Kielder also holds special 'dark sky' status and receives 250,000+ visitors every year. There's lots to do in the area for families including a Gruffalo trail around the forest, a free Salmon Discovery Centre, Kielder Birds of Prey, Archery, Clay Pigeon Shooting & Swimming, lots of Cycle and Walking Routes, a Castle, Minotaur Maze & more........

 Kielder | Need to Know

• Drive time | 1 hour 13 minutes (47 miles)
• Parking | You just need to buy one ticket for £4.50 to park at any Kielder visitor centre throughout the day. Start with the visitor centre - Postcode NE48 1ER
• Read more | 6 Family Things to do at Kielder

A Day Trip to Carlisle

Carlisle is a place we'd never thought to visit before but it's a really compact city and perfect for children. We're really pleased we made the trip last year. 

Carlisle Castle is a fantastic place to explore and kids love playing with the cannons (don't worry - they aren't loaded!) plus Tuille House is a fantastic child-friendly museum with lots of fun, hands-on exhibitions. Definitely worth checking out. 

There's a traditional carousel in the market place and we recommend Franco's for a traditional Italian lunch.

Carlisle | Need to Know

• Drive time | 1 hour 20 minutes (58 miles)
• Parking | Carlisle Castle Car park £2.50 all day. CA3 8UL
• Read more | Our Day Trip to Carlisle

A Day Trip to Scarborough

Scarborough is a place I've been visiting since I was a child and it's a somewhere I take my own children now. It's definitely one of our favourite seaside towns. 

It is extremely child-friendly with it's own outdoor water park, Peasholm park with boating lakes, squirrels and performances, a vintage water chute, outdoor amphitheatre, miniature train ride, Sealife centre, open top bus rides, it's own Castle, beautiful beaches with donkey rides available, beach huts for hire, amusement arcades and funfairs, speedboat rides, pirate boat trips, family theatre and more. There is honestly SO much to do and you'll never end up bored in Scarborough. 

Scarborough | Need to Know 

• Drive time | 2 hours (93 miles)
• Parking | We park near Peasholm Park (YO12 6AQ - £7 for 24 hours), explore the North Bay attractions and then catch an open top bus to the busier South Bay.
• Read more | North Bay Attractions

If you have enjoyed this post and found it useful, here are some ways you can say thanks and support North East Family Fun: 

1 - Click here to sign up to our FREE monthly guide to what's on. This monthly email will feature lots of ideas for things to do for the month ahead plus exclusive deals. 

2 - Join our  Days Out Facebook Group here which includes lots of ideas for things to do - you can post your own recommendations too. 

3 - Click here to buy me a coffee 

4 - Share this post with your friends 

5 - Follow North East Family Fun on the following platforms :

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram

Thank you for your support as always. 

Please follow social distancing rules & Government guidelines , respect the local area. leave no trace, take litter home, park responsibly and if somewhere is busy on arrival, please consider leaving and returning at a later date. 

Always check updated opening hours / protocols with venues direct before setting off as things may have changed since this post was published. 

I am counting down the days to summer now. Let me know where you'd recommend for a day trip with kids. 

Pin Me For Later

The Stables Beamish Hall | Sunday Lunch Review

*This is a collaborative post

A few North East Bloggers were invited to road test the new School Holiday Camps at Beamish Wild in County Durham this week and as part of our day, Beamish Hall Hotel invited us all to enjoy Sunday lunch in 'The Stables' which is a warm and welcoming pub/bar/restaurant joined onto the hotel. The Stables is a fantastic place to enjoy Sunday Lunch in North East England and I'd highly recommend. 

After spending all morning outside building dens and climbing trees, we were more than ready for our lunch and were impressed when the staff quickly arranged tables so our party of 16 could all sit together and took our drinks orders.

We had a tight schedule of activites planned so just opted for the one course. Steve went for the Pork loin and Black Pudding and I ordered the roast beef. Both were priced at around £12 and pretty big portions. Served with homemade roast potatoes & a giant Yorkshire plus a side dish of beautifully cooked seasonal veg (the honey glazed carrots were a particular favourite) we all devoured our lunch and declared that this was exactly what a pub Sunday lunch should be like. The piece de la resistance for me was the gravy - meaty and packed of flavour, it certainly wasn't watery like can often be the case and really made the dish for us. Jack even tried to drink his from his plate before I put a stop to it!

Half portions of Sunday Lunch are available for children at £5.95 or they can pick from the children's menu which is very reasonably priced at £3.95 for a main. Harry ordered the Cheeseburger with fries and there certainly wasn't anything child sized about the portion. Heidi went with a cheese sandwich and fries and again, cleared her plate. Happy kids and happy parents!

Service was nice and speedy (which is what we wanted). We were in and out within 45 minutes.

There are a few tables outside the Stables restaurant with a lovely adventure playground with zip wire, climbing frames and rope bridges. If you fancy an after dinner coffee, this would be the perfect spot in the sun whilst the kids burn off some energy.

£12 ish puts The Stables almost en-par with The Broad Chare or Jesmond Dene House for Sunday lunch in terms of pricing and I don't think it reaches those standards to be honest but if you are looking for a pub/restaurant with a nice atmosphere, home cooked food and an outdoor play area for the kids, I would recommend giving The Stables at Beamish Hall a try. We'll definitely be heading back in the summer.

Visit The Stables Restaurant Website here

We enjoyed a complimentary lunch as part of our blogger trip to Beamish Wild but were not asked to blog about this part of our day - I can never resist sharing a nice place for lunch though! 

Soldiers of the Roses event at Warkworth Castle

Warkworth Castle is one of our favourite castle's in Northumberland. It is managed by English Heritage. As we are members entry is free which is always a bonus!

This week we have been staying at our in-law's caravan in Cresswell and whenever we stay we always try and visit Warkworth as it is only up the road. We had nothing planned for our first day at the caravan so packed a picnic and off we went.

Warkworth castle is an absolutely stunning setting for a picnic - you get to sit within the castle walls and really feel like you are somewhere special. We set up camp near the underground dungeon and relaxed whilst the kiddies ran off and played together. They could spend hours running around the castle grounds pretending they are Knights, Kings, Queens or even Dragons. I love watching their imagination go into overdrive.

After our picnic we settled to listen to the story of a medieval barber and surgeon - the story tellers really captivate the crowd and brought the stories of brutal surgery in times gone by to life (with the help of a few props and eager volunteers). I did have to close my eyes as cracking a kneecap to remove an injured solidier's leg on the battlefield in less than 30 seconds was demonstrated and explained! Not for the squeamish! Generally though, the stories were very interesting and funny and enjoyed by young and old alike. The Soldier of the Roses event focuses on bringing the 'War of the Roses' to life with storytelling, weapon displays and hands on activities. There is something different happening during every hour so plenty to keep your family interested.

In between activities it is a good idea to stretch your legs and explore the castle - there are free audio guides available to hire if needed. I like to just wander at our own pace though and nothing beats the views out to sea from the castle windows.

We spent a lovely few hours at Warkworth Castle and I would highly recommend a trip this summer. The Soldiers of the Roses event continues every Tuesday and Wednesday throughout the Summer Holidays. As we were leaving, I was interested to see a stage was starting to be erected for an outdoor performance of sense and sensibility that evening (next event is Much Ado About Nothing on 14th August). These events look amazing and are definitely something I would like to attend when my children are a little older.

Before I leave, I have to say, I love how Warkworth Castle is dog friendly (need to be kept on leads). How lovely that they aren't made to stay at home and can enjoy the castle too.

Festivals with Kids | 10 Essential Items You Can't Leave Home Without

*This post contains affiliate links

February and March have brought little glimpses of sunshine into my life and my long-suffering family have been taken on picnics and many an outdoor adventure already. I just can't wait to get our tent out but I am being sensible and waiting until the temperature is at least 15 degrees before that happens. So instead I've been making plans for a summer to remember and this August we are heading to not one, but two festivals - Festival on the Wall in Northumberland and the Just So Festival in Cheshire. Both are fantastic festivals in the North and definitely worth checking out.

I remember our first festival with the kids, it's difficult to know what to pack. I nearly always over-pack and forget an essential so I've put together a list of items that you absolutely cannot leave home without:

1 - You'll need a rucksack

Don't even consider heading to a festival without a rucksack. Even if you have nothing to carry, the kids will want you to carry their coat at some point, you need somewhere to pack snacks and water bottles and it is much easier having your essentials with you rather than having to head back to your tent when it starts to rain or the sun comes out. We usually get away with just one large rucksack between the 5 of us.

2 - Pack wipes

An obvious one but wipes are a real festival staple - hands will get muddy, faces will get covered in ice cream, wellies will need a wipe down, face paint will need removing before bed.........wipes can do all of this and more!

3 - Waterproofs for all

The great British weather means that it is highly likely to rain at some point and waterproofs for all are a must. I think we've only been to one festival where there hasn't been a single drop of rain so please don't kid yourself that it won't happen - and don't listen to the weather forecast either. Just take a waterproof! Something light that will roll up into your rucksack is best. I like these Mountain Warehouse raincoats that are good quality, pack away and have pockets!

4 - Something to sit on

Kids get tired walking around festivals and something to sit down on is essential. I would not recommend camping chairs as you'll get tired of carrying them around - I think a picnic blanket is much better. The ground is often muddy so a waterproof backing is a must. It doesn't need to be too big either as there often isn't much space at festivals. An alternative is to buy each child a folding sit mat (such as this one). They are much easier to pack away and waterproof too.

5 - Lots of snacks

One of the best things about festivals is the food on offer. I love it and the kids do too. From tasty pizza to lamb wraps and corn on the cobb (plus the odd Candy Floss) - trying out the various food stalls on offer is always a pleasure. We will be purchasing our main meals from the various festival food stalls however if your children are anything like my three, they will be constantly asking for snacks and usually at the most inappropriate times (like when the headline act is about to start their set). You will need snacks and you'll need lots of them. Things like cereal bars, Soreen, raisins, jellies, individually wrapped cakes & breadsticks travel and pack well.

6 - Suncream

Again, you just can't second-guess the British weather and suncream in the summer is a must. We use Calypso 'once a day' suncream in a high factor and apply before heading out for the day. The last thing we want to be doing is applying suncream when the kids are muddy/have their faces painted ect.....We apply it thoroughly and then don't need to worry for the rest of the day.

7 - Face paint and bubbles

Festivals are all about FUN. We do give our children a little bit of pocket money to spend on the various stalls but whatever they buy is guaranteed to not last the full festival. It's a good idea to have a few surprises packed away. My three are always delighted when I hand them a tube of bubbles as we're just sitting down to watch a band and I think it really adds to the atmosphere too. Likewise, face paint will always go down a treat, maybe you can create a family logo and all paint this on your faces - it's all part of the fun and the kids will love you getting involved too.

8 - Water bottles

Most festivals will provide free drinking water in the form of taps that you can just help yourself to. It's really important that children stay hydrated, especially in the summer so don't forget their water bottle which you can refill throughout the festival.

9 - Wellies

Whatever the weather, wellies are always my footwear of choice for the family. Festivals are held in fields and will be muddy. We pack slippers/warm socks for inside of our tent and leave our wellies just inside by the door to stop mud being dragged everywhere.

10 - Old clothes

You may have in your head that you're going to get into festival fashion and buy your family a whole new festival wardrobe with faux-fur and denim shorts. Take my advice and don't. The clothes will only get ruined. Think practically and dress your children in lightweight layers. Hoodies and fleece jackets are good for when the sun goes down and it starts to get a little chilly. Heidi usually wears printed leggings, a t-shirt and a hoodie and the boys wear jeans/jean shorts or 3/4 cargo pants, a t shirt and hoodie. If the weather is ok during the day, we leave our hoodies in our tent and collect just before the sun sets. Warm socks for bed are a must too!

Follow North East Family Fun on Instagram to keep up with our festival adventures this summer.

Let me know what your festival essetials are and if I've missed anything from my list. 

Pin Me For Later

Beamish Wild | School Holiday Club & Activities in County Durham | North East England

*This is a collaborative post

Beamish Wild in County Durham is a place I have heard a lot of good things about but had not visited myself so I was delighted to receive and email and ask if I'd like to organise a group of bloggers to review their new school holiday clubs. We headed along last weekend to put the day through it's paces. Ordinarily, us parents would leave our children in the capable hands of the staff at Beamish Wild but for the purpose of this review we stayed - who else would take the photos? I have to say though after spending the day with the instructors I feel 100000% confident that my children would be safe and well looked after should I not have been there. 

Beamish Wild | School Holiday Club & Activities in County Durham | Prices & How To Book

• School Holiday Clubs run during every school holiday from Easter through to October Half Term. You can choose a 1 day (£20), 2 day (£38) or 3 day option (£54). Use 'Blog17' for an exclusive 10% discount
• School Holiday Clubs are for ages 6-13 years and run from 8:45am - 3:30pm
• All equipment is provided but make sure your child is dressed for the weather and brings a packed lunch
• Your child will enjoy a host of activities from den building to fire lighting, high ropes, woodland crafts, archery, treasure hunts and more.......see here for a sample itinerary. 
• All places must be booked in advance 
• You can book via the Beamish Wild website here (click book now) or can call 01207 233 733 ext 7 to book 

Here is a video from our day: 

Beamish Wild | School Holiday Club & Activities | Exclusive Discount

Enter 'Blog17' when booking online here and you'll receive an exclusive 10% discount. 

Beamish Wild | Safety

• All children are provided with fitted helmets and harnesses which are checked throughout the day and before an activity. 
• All activities are fully supervised by highly qualified staff. We spent the day with Tom who was just superb. He engaged with the kids right from the start, ensured that everyone had a turn and provided just the right amount of encouragement. He also gained the kids' respect and they actually listened to him when needed. 

We tried a few of the activities on offer during our day at Beamish Wild. Here's a quick flavour of what to expect: 

Beamish Wild | Crate Stack

Tom led us through the woods to the crate stacking area. This task is fantastic for developing team work skills and for pushing yourself a little. The kids are all attached to a harness and team up to climb to the top of a tower of crates that the others' have built. Once the crates were 6-7 high, it did get a little scary but the kids were fab and encouraged each other to take one more step up and use each other for support. It was lovely to see.

When the kids had climbed as high as they could, Tom helped them jump down in their harness which was great fun.

Beamish Wild | Tree Creeper

The next challenge was called 'Tree Creeper'. Tom sat all of the children down and explained that they don't all need to get to the top and that they should set their own challenge and have a think in their heads of where they'd like to climb to. I think this is a fab way to involve a group of mixed abilities. If it was me, I'd be happy getting on the second step! haha!

Book your child's place at Beamish Wild Holiday Camp here. Use Blog17 for a 10% discount.

You might have noticed in a few of my previous blog posts that Heidi loves climbing trees and true to form she was straight up to the top. She LOVED this and it gave her a real buzz and sense of achievement. Look at her go!

Jack isn't so keen on climbing trees and managed a coupled of steps up but this was good - he met his own challenge and you can see from the smile on his face, he still had fun. If your children aren't 'outdoorsy' like Jack - they'll definitely still be included and feel like they've achieved something. Equally, if your children do love the great outdoors and climbing like Heidi, they'll also have a fantastic time.

Beamish Wild | Den Building

Now I didn't take too many photos during den building as us grown ups decided to build our own den! It's safe to say that this is the challenge that most of the children enjoyed the most. They had 45 minutes to build a den using any of the materials around them. The den must fit all 9 of them inside. It wasn't long before they set to work. After a group huddle to make a plan of course.

Now this next photo makes me giggle as the kids look so sad! It's because they were sad that den building was over - they wanted to do it all day! They really got into it and used leaves to built a bed, moved logs inside for seating areas and Jack even made a toilet complete with it's very own plunger. There was an angry birds style sling-shot to keep the grown-ups out and you know kids are genuienly super happy when they start chatting with each other (when they'd only just met) and excitedly working together to make plans.

Beamish Wild | Archery

Our last activity for the day was archery and despite this being a more sedate activity was one that all of the kids were really looking forward to. H, H and J have tried archery a few times before and really love it. Safety was taken super seriously - you won't find any sharp arrows and Tom stays with them at all times. Tom also made sure that every child hit the target at least once. 

Beamish Wild | School Holiday Club & Activities | Why I Would Recommend

• Beamish Wild offers affordable childcare - £54 for 6.5 hours per day across three days works out at £2.77 per hour. Bargain! 
• Beamish Wild is FUN. Technically, I don't *need* holiday child care. As somebody who works from home, I can usually juggle my work around the kids when they're at home. The kids' grandparents who can help if needed. Regardless of this though, I will be booking H, H and J in for another day in the summer holidays. They really had lots of fun and it will do them good to have another day packed with outdoor fun that will stretch and challenge them. 
• Beamish Wild will boost your child's confidence &self-esteemm, they'll develop new skills and learn about working together as a team. Plus it's a chance for them to make new friends and will keep them away from their computer.
• The staff and facilities are fantastic. After testing out the facilities myself, I definitely recommend and completely trust the facilities and staff to take care of H, H and J. 
• Easy pick up and drop off - Beamish Wild is joined onto Beamish Hall which is not far from the A1. There is ample parking and a fantastic play park joined onto the Stables restaurant - I can see myself enjoying a nice drink in the sunshine and letting the kids play in the park when I pick them up. 
• I have a DISCOUNT CODE! Enter Blog17 for a 10% discount. 

You can book Beamish Wild School Holiday Club online here. 

I NEVER manage to get a nice photograph of Jack and I think this one may be the first ever! It is living proof that he was happy and relaxed. 

Thanks to Christopher and Ben plus all the staff at Beamish Wild for inviting us along to try out their School Camp - we had lots of fun! 

Puddle Jumping at WWT Washington Wetland Centre | A Review

*We received complimentary entry in Feb 2017 in return for writing this post

This year's Puddle Jumping Championships take place at WWT Washington between 15 - 23 February 2020 (half term week). The championships are included with admission (small additional charge for crafts). This year event includes:

• Welly Boot Camp Obstacle Course
• Puddle Jumping Competition 
• Welly Wanging 
• Welly Shy
•  Find out more here