Whitby - what are the "must do" things to do with young children?

[jenthehen]

We're only going for 2 nights so I don't want to come home having missed out on the best bits. What are your Whitby (and surrounding area) tips?

[jenthehen]

any suggestions?

[MaeBee]

dont know how old your kids are, but:
go to Robin Hoods Bay, its lovely and great for fossils. you can walk there along the clifftops from Whitby if you fancy a big old hike! i've done it without kids...
there is a doll house museum in Whitby, down the stairs in a shop.
theres a really good cafe for kids, up a back street and oh, i wish i could remember the name! its v child and breastfeeding friendly, has games and toys and the tastiest cakes. its in the old town is all i can remember.
theres a horror museum but never been.
and Magpie Fish and Chips are meant to be excellent but always too long a queue.

[jenthehen]

My children are 6 and 3. The fossil hunting sounds great. Is this where the rock pools are too?

[3Ddonut]

Maebee: was it the Shepherd's Purse? that's fab for veggies, also the White Horse and Griffin is fab for food, very nice a bit posh,

for kids, there's a crazy golf course on top of the cliffs, kids just love the beach and we always go for a little run out in the boat, The Esk Belle 2 is our fave! A walk up to the abbey is good too, English Heritage, if you have a card....? It's just a really pretty little town, you'll find loads of lovely little shops and things! Have fun, we only live an hour away and we're often there, kids also love Scarborough (about 20miles further down the coast) with the Sealife centre being a big draw there!

[MaeBee]

could have been the shepherds purse?
yep, Robin Hoods Bay full of rock pools. there's a little sea life place inside with a pool too for if its raining.
theres some booklets about ghosts available in some of the rather excellent bookshops, and thats fun to read the stories (which totally arent scary!) and look for them.
also, in the graveyard in the abbey at the top there are some gravestones with skull and crossbones on. allegedly, pirate graves.
the beach is great too, but i assume you are going in winter so it's good to have other things too! we went in a gale with our baby who wasnt so impressed!!!

[TheMadScaryHouse]

Robin Hoods Bay is great for Kids. Beacon Farm ice cream is oovley. Magpie is great fish and chips and they also have a take away now (Its great to eat them looking over the harbor).

2nd the abbey. The area is wonderful.

We have just returned from the Southeast and live 20 mins away - wonderful.

when are you visiting and what do the children like?

[portonovo]

The Whitby wizard is a hands-on science centre near the crazy golf course on the cliff-top side. Quite small but loads in there. I don't know how old your children are? In the same area they also have paddle boats, trampolining and go-kart thingies.

Abbey is great, lovely cafe there too. Boat trip always good, anything from 20 minutes to longer trips. Whitby Museum in Pannett Park is excellent, our children loved it.
Fossil-hunting and rock-pooling always good.

Get the steam train from Whitby, that's a lovely day out. You can just go a few stops or a longer trip. Steam train to Pickering is good, then you can 'do' Pickering Castle, have a coffee etc and get the train back.

[Clary]

Beaches are lovely. Sea is cold tho.

Walking on moors with backpack (not sure how old kids are).

Steam train from Grosmont up the Esk valley. Sorry portonovo but it doesn't go from Whitby itself (unless that's changed in the last few years)

Yes abbey is good tho 3yo might get a bit bored with the long audio commentary thingy.

Fish and chips at Magpie or Trenchers.

[portonovo]

Yep Clary, steam trains do indeed go from Whitby now - I did it less than 2 months ago! I think it is only the last year or two it's happened though, and I'm not sure whether it's just a high-season thing. They're actually fund-raising like mad to try to extend the number of services from Whitby. We went right from Whitby to Pickering and it was a glorious day out, just the right amount of time in Pickering as well as the train ride itself. It was fairly pricey though, but most of our other activities in Whitby were so cheap, that was our expensive day out!

[Clary]

wow that's fab about the steam trains portonov!

It was always something long-hoped-for when I lived there - but then that was 11 years ago!

Might just be high-season tho, worth inquiring. If not from Whitby, it's well worth doing from further up the Esk Valley if you have a train fan in yr party. [grin[

[Desiderata]

Oooh, I love Whitby with a passion.

My favourite bit (pre-kids) was the vampire museum ... but I think it would freak them out, tbh.

Just eat lots of fish and chips and savour the maritime ....

[seeker]

I remember buying little glass animals. Can't remember where, of course......

[Clary]

Ah yes seeker, Lucky Ducks from the lucky duck shop (on Sand lane on the East side), I have five on my dressing table!

[jenthehen]

wow, thanks everyone there is loads there to keep us busy for a couple of days.