With three kids aged 14, 11 and 2, I’m always on the lookout for unique and adventurous family days out that will meet everyone’s needs, be it for a weekend of fun, or over the long school holidays in ways which keep me just as entertained as my children! Below are 5 unique days out your kids will honestly love, whatever their age, with days out spanning a Viking experience to rowing on the River Nidd, there really is something for everyone here! Let me know if you’ve visited these places or if you have more suggestions in the comments.
- The Deep (Hull)
One of the largest aquariums in the UK, book your visit to peruse penguins, fish and bugs at this spectacular education and conversation charity. With educational talks on offer, school trip visits Over 55 Silver Sharks events, this is one unmissable place! Find out more here.
2. The Jorvik Viking Centre (York)
An interactive experience transporting you back to 960 AD (the Viking era spanned 800 until 1050 AD) at a monumental time in history when the last Viking King in Jorvik, Eric Bloodaxe, was banished and the Vikings were thriving. Strapped into a pod, you will ride around this film set style model village, absorbing Viking life from over a 1000 years ago. The Jorvik Viking Centre provides the perfect platform for learning: through a playful, entertaining and immersive experience. I still remember visiting the centre as a child in the 90s (you would walk around it, on foot then) and the vision of a model Viking on the loo (door shut) still remains with me today! The smell does too! So, go make some of your own core memories with the kids and learn about the important advancements the Danes made and their contribution and impact on York and Europe as a whole.
- The Yorkshire Sculpture Park (Wakefield)
Nature meets art at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in 500 acres of breathtaking 18th century landscape, for an utterly unique day out. From playing Pooh Sticks over the bridge (my kids favourite activity) to strolls around the lake watching feathered friends, not forgetting spotting lambs who share the land, to taking in the permanent and changing exhibitions respectively by world renowned artists like Barbara Hepworth, Damien Hirst and Anthony Gormley, you must make a visit. With restaurants and cafes on site, with picnic benches located in the grounds, you can also bring your own food. Parking is free with reasonable rates to visit with every ticket contributing to the charity continuing its work.
- The Science Museum (London)
A family favourite, The Science Museum allows you to discover man made flight, space, and modern science in a captivating and stimulating way which requires many visits to garner the full experience. Charting 250 years of science and technology, you will come face-to-face with the Apollo 10 command module, Babbage’s Difference Engine No. 1, Crick and Watson’s DNA model and the first Apple computer!
Free to enter and view much of the museum, you will need to buy tickets for special exhibitions and for the IMAX cinema experiences which are well worth the price. With The Natural History Museum next door, you can easily do both in a day. My only tip is to arrive early and before the 10am opening times to miss the queue!
- Rowing Boats and River Fun (Knaresborough)
A dreamy visit when the weather plays ball, head to Knaresborough in gorgeous North Yorkshire and take a ride on an iconic green or red Blenkhorn’s Boats‘ rowing boat (established over a 100 years ago) on the breathtaking River Nidd. The last time we visited, my eldest son, Oliver, 14, was in charge of the rowing, and with us all decked out in safety jackets, we felt safe and relaxed, even when he encountered a few initial teething problems and almost-collisions with other nearby boats! After an hour’s long ride on the water, for just £20 for a six-seat boat no less, you can rest on the banks by the shallow edge of the river for a picnic with the kids. The area is surrounded by restaurants, family pubs and ice cream shops galore, if you fancy dining out and don’t miss a trip to Knaresborough Castle, a ruined fortress overlooking the River Nidd, a short but steep walk up a hill which is well worth the trek just for the views at the top.
Have you had a day out at any of these places?
Pram above a gift from Graco UK.
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