Weather is too nice to stay indoors? Want to stretch your legs? Children need to run wild?  Then head to one of the UK's fantastic parks and playgrounds on offer and breath in that fresh air!

Parks and Playgrounds

Whatever your child's age there is always something to enjoy. Get cracking in  a multi-level play area where kids can climb, clamber and slide over all sorts of adventurous obstacles. What’s next? What about a ball pond where your children can dip and dive in a pool full of colourful balls? All of the above would make for serious family fun. Of course parents are not forgotten either as a cafe is never far away. You can relax with a tasty coffee and a slice of cake. What more could you want?

Indoor and Soft Play Areas

A leisure cycle is a great way to get the whole family out and exercising! It allows you to travel further whilst still getting to experience the local area. Why not take your family along the Camel Trail in Cornwall? Or Maybe go and hunt a Gruffolo in Delamere Forest, Cheshire, the possibilities are endless! Whether you are a family who loves biking together on relaxing forrest paths or a serious Wiggins type who prefers fast road cycling, there is no doubt that camping holidays give you the freedom to take your cycling hobby with you, wherever you decide to go in the UK.  Plenty of great campsites are near cycling paths and some may also offer bicycle hire too, showing you the best routes to take for a great day out cycling.  

Cycling

The UK has a huge array of museums and art galleries for you to enjoy. From the big hitters in London, such as the Natural History Museum, V&A, Tate Modern and National Portrait Gallery, to exciting living museums where your family can step back in time (such as the Black Country Museum in the West Midlands or the Highland Folk Museum in the Cairngorms). These Museums let your kids get hands-on with history, attending School and learning about farming, crafts, and much more. Art Galleries are not just for the grown ups! They now have workshops and child-friendly trails to inspire even the youngest artists to start drawing.  So why not try out one of our Museums or Art Galleries on your next holiday?   

Museums and Art Galleries

If you decide to take a holiday in the UK to an area you don't know (or maybe you do but want to know more), an excellent way of seeing around and actually getting to see the "best bits" is by taking a tour with a local guide or someone in the know. Walking tours, cycling tours, boat tours, pogo-stick tours (ok maybe not the last one) - whatever suits your family best, can be booked online or at local visitor information centres and make a real difference to your stay.  You can find out the history of a place, local facts or even go on something weird and wonderful like a ghost walk or follow in the footsteps of Sherlock Holmes or Jack the Ripper.  Eek.  An open top bus journey can take away the hours pounding the pavement to look around a large city. Boat trips and river cruises are also a great way of seeing a lot of things in a small amount of time, giving you a completely different aspect of the town you are visiting.  Join a large boat or charter something smaller yourself and follow the river along to get a better look at all the surround countryside.  

Tours and River Cruises

Feel like royalty and visit one of the UK’s beautiful palaces, castles or stately homes. We are lucky to be surrounded by amazing history and architecture here in the UK, and through several organisations we are able to visit and experience these amazing homes. Learn about the history of the buildings and residents, view the art and walk amongst the gardens. Many of these places also offer plenty of activities and guides for the children too! So why not visit one on your next trip?

Castles and Palaces

Climbing is a great way to test your strength, balance and agility. As both an indoor and outdoor sport it can be done whatever the weather! You can try out bouldering, climbing and traversing lower walls (around 3 meters) without the assistance of rope. Bouldering basics can be mastered in a few hours and climbing centers will have graded routes allowing you to start out on the easier paths and work your way up. Rock climbing or high ropes is climbing vertically with the assistance of ropes and using safety harnesses, the walls are around 15 meters tall. You will need a good nerve for heights for this activity! Again, beginner sessions are available as are graded routes.

Climbing

There are a huge number of zoos, wildlife and safari parks all over the UK and most are well worth a visit and provide a really exciting and unique day out.  The broad difference between them is that Zoos tend to keep animals with their own species in smaller enclosures for a real up-close encounter, whereas a visit to a Safari Park usually involves driving around much larger enclosures to see groups of animals - maybe rhino, giraffe and gazelle all in one setting.  Some are self-drive (for a monkey snapping off your wing mirror type affair) or in others you are guided round in a truck, spotting lions and elephants from afar - similar to an African safari, just without the plus-size sunset, hot weather and flamboyant tribespeople (although lets not get too picky about this; most UK safari parks are just a couple of hours from home and do not involve remortgaging the house to go). Many zoos and parks now are great conservation pioneers and animal rescue centres, so by visiting, you are often contributing to real global issues, supporting endangered species or deforestation or other genuine threats to wildlife.  The parks usually have lots of information about these causes and it can be a great way to get the kids to learn about the world we live in, the animals from different continents and the dangers they face.

Zoos, Wildlife Parks and Safari Parks

Kayaking and canoeing is a great way to get close to nature and experience lochs, lakes, rivers and canals in the UK. An easy way to start experiencing boat sports and go on an adventure. Kayaking and Canoeing are slightly different! When Kayaking you will be seated with your legs extended and you will use a double ended paddle. When you canoe, you can be seated or kneeling and often use a single paddle.

Canoeing and Kayaking

Ideal for expert, casual or budding fisherman alike, there is something for everyone and a great deal of choice. From expert fly fishing in Scotland, general coarse fishing, specialist carp fishing lodges and lakes on the Cotswold Water Park and Devon and Cornwall to excellent pike & river fishing holidays on the Norfolk Broads. We want to get you and the kids out on Britain’s rivers, lochs and sea to land your own catch of the day. Don't think twice, book today! 

Fishing

Learn to paint or refine your skills... Painting is a completely inclusive activity for the whole family!  Head to a pottery painting class with your friends and take away a keepsake from your holiday! Or let the kids express their creative side with some hand painting!  Maybe you're already proficient and want to polish your brush technique. Whatever the weather, there is something for everyone to enjoy. 

Painting workshops

Pottery is an ancient craft and great fun! Sometimes a little messy, anyone can have a go at either hand building a pot, or getting to grips with a throwing wheel. You can create something beautiful and uniquely yours in no time at all. Families can enjoy together and kids as young as 2 can play with clay, or have a go at painting a pre-made pot. It’s the perfect wet weather or winter activity.

Pottery

Spend the day creating your very own handcrafted pot, vase, or bowl. Or if you have less time on your hands why not try painting a premade version?  A relaxing, indoor family activity. Perfect for creatives and on a rainy day visit one of the many ceramic cafes for coffee, tea, cakes, and of course, crafting!   

Pottery Centres and Ceramic Cafes

Want to enjoy a leisurely swim or a splash with the family? You can find an array of incredibly fun activities for all the family at a Leisure Centre including tennis, badminton, roller skating, aerobics, gym, dance classes and many more! Whatever takes your fancy, they have it! 

Swimming Pools and Leisure Centres

Crazy golf is a great way to spend an afternoon with freinds and family. There are loads of different types of courses, from simple to complex with different kinds of features. It's a great way to get started with golfing, and requires no previous experience to get going. 

Crazy Golf Courses

Dolphin and Whale Watching is a truly magical experience for anyone Watching dolphins and whales is on a lot of nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts’ bucket list. This is not surprising given how impressive these marine mammals are. The sight of these enormous creatures breaching or bow-riding is simply breath-taking. Fortunately, you do not need to go out of the country to cross off this entry on your bucket list. Dolphins and whales, as well as other marine mammals like porpoises and seals, ply British waters. In fact, there are three known resident pods of dolphins in the UK!  

Dolphin and Whale Watching

Northumberland is a bold, wild and majestic county in the very North of England with some of the finest attractions and countryside in the UK.   The National Park in Northumberland is the least-inhabited Park in England and is a stunning 400 square miles of remote uplands and historic sites.  Hadrians Wall in the south of the National Park is an extraordinary reminder of Roman times; built in AD122 and snaking 73 miles across Britain, from Wallsend in the east, to Bowness-on-Solway in the west.  It was made a World Heritage Site in 1987, joining world-class heritage such as the Pyramids and the Taj Mahal.  You can walk the Hadrians Wall National trail - anyone who is reasonably fit can have a go - either a small hike or the whole thing if you feel a Forest Gump moment coming on.  Along the stretch of the Wall you can see some wonderful historic sites including the Brocolitia Roman Temple and Housesteads Roman Fort.  You can find out exactly what you are looking at in this neck of the woods with a visit to The Sill, the excellent National Landscape Discovery Centre.   Now I've stopped waffling about the splendours of the National Park (and it IS splendid), this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of things to see and do on your family holiday to Northumberland.   There are some jaw dropping Castles and none so famous (thanks to the Boy Wizard) than Alnick Castle, a spectacular place and the 2nd largest inhabited castle in Britain (Windsor is number 1).  The grounds and Castle itself are magnificent and all very familiar if you have seen the Harry Potter films; you can even take flying lessons here.   Out on the coast, visit more magical castles - Dunstanburgh, Bamburgh and Lindisfarne - all with stunning sea views. Take a break from the history and stop off in Newcastle up Tyne, a great place to stay if you are exploring Northumberland and want to be in the middle of everything.  It has a huge selection of places to stay and lots to do as well.  Take a trip to the historic Quayside, walk over the Tyne Bridge or go subterranean in the the Victorian Tunnels - a popular tourist attraction.  If you are travelling with younger children, visit the inspirational 'Seven Stories', a museum dedicated to hildren's literature and houses original manuscripts and illustrations from some of the best-loved children's authors in the UK.  Or a trip to the Sea Life centre which has a Planetarium, live theatre and up close / hands on displays. Other notable places to visit (too many to name!) are Berwick up Tweed, just south of the Scottish border, the market town of Hexham, the pretty village of Seahouses, Morpeth and Kielder Water.  There is a huge amount to see and do up here, leave plenty of time to explore the beautiful county of Northumberland.

Discover Northumberland, North England, UK
Northumberland is a bold, wild and majestic county in the very North of England with some of the finest attractions and countryside in the UK.

Things to do in northumberland

Parks and Playgrounds

Indoor and Soft Play Areas

Cycling

Museums and Art Galleries

Tours and River Cruises

Castles and Palaces

Climbing

Zoos, Wildlife Parks and Safari Parks

Canoeing and Kayaking

Fishing

Painting workshops

Pottery

Pottery Centres and Ceramic Cafes

Swimming Pools and Leisure Centres

Crazy Golf Courses

Dolphin and Whale Watching

Sign up to our email to stay updated

Discover Northumberland, North England, UKNorthumberland is a bold, wild and majestic county in the very North of England with some of the finest attractions and countryside in the UK.

Things to do in northumberland

Parks and Playgrounds

Indoor and Soft Play Areas

Cycling

Museums and Art Galleries

Tours and River Cruises

Castles and Palaces

Climbing

Zoos, Wildlife Parks and Safari Parks

Canoeing and Kayaking

Fishing

Painting workshops

Pottery

Pottery Centres and Ceramic Cafes

Swimming Pools and Leisure Centres

Crazy Golf Courses

Dolphin and Whale Watching

Sign up to our email to stay updated

Discover Northumberland, North England, UK
Northumberland is a bold, wild and majestic county in the very North of England with some of the finest attractions and countryside in the UK.