How to Get Outdoors with the Kids in the North East and Yorkshire
Get out and about with the family come rain or shine
Swing into Action
Take a leap of faith and get the adrenaline going with our pick of high ropes courses to try this Half-Term.
Go Ape at Matfen Hall
GoApe at Matfen offer a Treetop Challenge designed to make you step firmly out of your comfort zone, with super-fast and super-high zip wires, obstacles, and an unforgettable Tarzan Swing. The course is suitable for children aged 10 and up, as long as they are over 1.4 metres tall.
Air Trail, Tees Barrage
Towering above the River Tees, Air Trail is an exhilarating obstacle course packed with tightropes, zip wires and swinging stepping stones. Put your daring to the test across four levels and 38 individual challenges or, for younger kids (over two years and under 1.2 metres tall) try Air Tykes for a challenge that is just a bit closer to the ground.
Calvert Kielder, Kielder Water & Forest Park
The high ropes course at Calvert Kielder is 15 metres high and has six challenges to conquer before the final leap of faith, but this is only one of multiple experiences on offer here. Their King Swing is 10 metres high and reaches speed of 100 kilometres per hour, while the Kielder ZipCoaster promises to blend the twists and turns of a roller coaster with the free-flying sensation of a zip wire – it’s also wheelchair friendly! The activities here have varying weight and age restrictions so get in touch before your visit to make sure everyone can participate.
Live for Today at Ripley Castle, Harrogate
Live for Today’s high and low rope courses offer team-building and nerve-testing challenges in the grounds of Ripley Castle. The challenges are suitable for children aged eight and up, and they have a minimum group size of four so that your gang can benefit from the guidance and encouragement of a dedicated instructor. live-for-today.com
Mission Out, Leeds
The high ropes course at Mission Out offers an additional test of bravery, strength and stamina. The two-tier course is suitable for kids aged six and up (and over 130cm), and they have a compulsory practise course to make sure you’re in the swing of things. For anyone who’d rather stay a bit more grounded, there’s still a lot of fun to be had with standard entry activities including adventure golf, giant swings, an assault course, rafts on the lake, and a giant pillow jump! missionout.co.uk
Go Ape, Dalby Forest
With an incredible location in the North York Moors National Park, this course will test your nerve with 50 metre-high zip wires, treetop crossings and their infamous Tarzan swing. Children under 10 can look forward to their Treetop Adventure including stepping stones, a button bridge, zip-wires and something called a flying carpet – and daredevils can still look forward to getting more than eight metres above the forest floor. goape.co.uk
Blasts from the Past
Step back in time with these historical days out
Timeless Toys: May Half Term 2024
25h May–2nd June
If you’re out of ideas for the long weekend, you’ll be pleased to hear that Beamish Museum have a celebration of memories which the whole family can enjoy. Step into the enchanting world of Timeless Toys at Beamish Museum! Discover the magic of play with nostalgic treasures and vintage marvels. Experience an Edwardian childhood and play with wooden toys at the Pit Village School, get involved with Georgian games at Pockerley Old Hall or learn circus skills in the park.
Childhood Exhibition at Bailiffgate Museum & Gallery, Alnwick
23rd April–8th September
This year Bailiffgate’s summer exhibition will be taking visitors back to the days before iPads to discover how childhood has changed over the decades. Locally curated, the exhibition will explore childhood experiences unique to Alnwick as well as offering visitors the chance to see historical toys and clothing, learn about life at school, and get involved with games and I-spy activities.
Eden Camp Modern History Museum, Malton
Step back in time to experience the sights, sounds and even smells of wartime Britain at Eden Camp. This immersive museum was created on the site of a former prisoner of war camp, and is an incredible place for families of all ages to learn about Britain’s social and military history during the Second World War.
Bank Holiday at Bolton Castle, Wensleydale
26th–27th May
Join the ‘living historians’ at Bolton Castle for their May Bank Holiday events. Learn all about life during the reigns of Henry VIII and his family at their special Tudor Weekend then, later in the month, learn about King Charles I, his unruly parliament, and Bolton Castle’s role in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Elsewhere in the grounds you’ll find birds of prey displays, archery demonstrations and even wild boar feeding!
Playgrounds of Epic Proportions
These adventure playgrounds are on a different scale
The Plotters’ Forest, Raby Castle, Staindrop
As its name suggests, this immersive outdoor playground on the grounds of Raby castle was partly inspired by the rebellious history of the castle’s inhabitants. Its forest trails, treetop tunnels, slides and turrets have been woven into the natural clearings of the surrounding Christmas tree plantation. From outdoor musical instruments to a dedicated toddler area with chalk boards, there’s plenty to keep kids entertained, but more than anything, we think its magical setting and enchanting design make an incredible canvas for young imaginations.
raby.co.uk
Lilidorei at The Alnwick Garden
It may have opened less than a year ago, but Alnwick’s Lilidorei should need no introduction. For the uninitiated, Lilidorei is an adventure playground and living fairytale where nine Christmas-worshipping clans live ruled by Lord Elfwin in his high tower (also the largest play structure in the world). The creatures that inhabit Lilidorei are invisible, but an immersive soundscape allows you to hear them as you clamber up ladders and towers, whizz down slides and fly into the air on the swings.
lilidoreialnwick.co.uk
Forest Adventure at Broom House Farm, Witton Gilbert
The folks at Broom House Farm have put their forest to excellent use, with a thrilling choice of activities from their toboggan run to zip wires, tunnels and slides. Those who don’t feel like taking part in the more physical elements can still look forward to a walk in beautiful woodland, with nature trails to follow, wildlife to learn about and forest quizzes to complete.
broomhousedurham.co.uk
Skelf Island at Castle Howard
Named after Henderskelfe, the historic site of this stately home, Skelf Island is a magical treetop playground with nests connected by rope bridges, slides, nets and climbing equipment. For extra curious adventurers, an activity sheet on their website will help you spot all the birds on the Great Lake.
castlehoward.co.uk
Stockeld Park, Wetherby
The weather is no barrier to fun at Stockeld Park. There are five outdoor playgrounds to choose from, an enchanted forest, a yew tree maze with more than two miles of paths (and lots of hidden objects), and outdoor inflatables. If the heavens open – or even if they don’t – their indoor playground, Playhive, is one of the largest in Europe!
stockeldpark.co.uk
Cannon Hall Farm, Barnsley
With a zip line, tower slides, a tube maze that is best described as a hamster run for children, and a marginally calmer zone for the under fours, there’s endless fun to be had at Cannon Hall Farm. What’s more, if the weather won’t comply just head inside to The Hungry Lama Indoor Play. And that’s before you’ve even seen the farm itself!
cannonhallfarm.co.uk
