Suggestions for a weekend away with ten year old ds

[Mumofteenandtween]

Dh and dd are going away for a sports thing for dd both over Easter weekend and the weekend after. (This happens a lot in our house.)

For Easter weekend ds and I are going to my parents which will be nice.

But I have just had the idea that maybe ds and I could go away for the weekend for the second weekend.

But I don’t know what to do or where! Centre parcs looked quite fun but ds is not keen. Not sure why - maybe because all the 1 bedroom places only have a double bed and he doesn’t want to share with me! And he might be concerned that I will make him go for walks in the forest.

Soooooo…. Any suggestions! Not camping! I do not do roughing it. And single beds. And maybe no lovely forests.

We live in Yorkshire so North of England.

Maybe a hotel with a swimming pool (we are both big swimmers) but with lots of fun things nearby.

Fabulous child-engaging museums and galleries? Food? Sculpture on a beach? Two Cathedrals? Great new central library building (even the pathway outside)? Ferocious theatre? Water, skylines, great hotels?

Liverpool is what you want.

I’ve stayed at Hope Street Hotel with a boy of that age - and there simply isn’t enough time for everything there is to do. Hope Street alone is worth a full day.

I believe there’s also a football connection …

City break to York? Or Liverpool? Loads to see and do. Ds2 and I once had a similar w/end randomly in Peterborough and Coventry. We had a ridiculously good time, just exploring together, and there wasn't nearly as much to see there! He still talks about it as a favourite holiday!!

Newcastle? Good science centre, museums etc. beach at South Shields with metro and ferries to get about.

The OP lives in Yorkshire, @Notquitegrownup2!

What about hoseasons or haven. We've just been on a short break in a caravan with 2 rooms and a swimming pool and restaurant on site. Loads around the country and theres chalets and lodges too.

My similar aged kids loved our weekend in Birmingham. Cadbury World, a night in a cheap Premier Inn and Lego Discovery Centre the next day. Coupled with a walk along the canal, pub grub dinner, there was a random fairground too, not sure if that is still there.

Yorkshire covers a multitude of places and environments OP. (Know it quite well. 😉)Maybe you don't need to go too far to do something quite different.

If you're rural or seaside, do industrial or city. Or vice versa. If you can be a little bit more specific we can make suggestions. 😊

I went to Edinburgh from York with my two age 9 and 11. Train is cheap and not too long and there is loads to do! Book a holiday in and ask for twin beds.

Edinburgh Castle, harry potter magical walking tour, Edinburgh zoo, kids underground gory stories tour.

BBC

And the national museum of Scotland - posted too soon!

There is so much more, it's a beautiful city

I move in Yorkshire, but about 18 months ago, the dc and I had a mini break to York. It only took about 45 mins to get there, we did loads of tourist stuff, and we stayed in a with with a pool.

You can ask for the beds in the Centre Parks 1 bed to be configured as twins. I’m taking my 10yo DS in June.

Bristol has lots in the centre, plus Concorde.

Barcelona is great and has the advantage of being warm. Liverpool is a good shout mine loved it. The legoland hotel was also v. popular at that age.

Edinburgh is magnificent of course - but if taking a child I might prefer to wait until the weather is a bit warmer and sunnier. There’s so much to do outside. (Holyrood Park in particular) and one wants to be walking all the time. In Liverpool the weather matters less.

York has lots to do / see but if you live in Yorkshire have you already been?

Not sure where in Yorkshire you live but Snowdonia's only a couple of hours from where I live in Yorkshire. Lots to do there.

I'd also say Newcastle. Centre for Life, couple of indoor go-kartimg places and metro to South shields for funfair / crazy golf / bowling/ Havenpoint pool has slides pkus beach obviously.

I've had two weekends away with my DSs in Bristol at a similar age - the SS Great Britain, the M Shed and an Aardman Animations workshop which was running at the zoo were more than enough to keep everyone happy. And when the science museum was open that was a whole day in itself - it's reopening early summer this year I think. Highly recommend!

(and I did see in your OP that you live in Yorkshire but can't tell if that means you do or don't want to stay close to home)

Tattershall Lakes in Lincolnshire? Mobile homes, heated outdoor pool, lots of water sports and activities on site.

Another vote for Liverpool. You can swim in the Queen's Dock, there's a Watersports centre there, they also do paddle boarding and kayaking if you fancy something a bit different. It's near the city centre and a fun way to see the city from a different angle.
Can also really recommend the Liver Building tour.

Belfast. Titanic museum and docks. Trip up the coast to the giants causeway.

One of our favourite mini breaks ever.

Thanks so much for all the suggestions. I am currently looking at Liverpool hotels.

There are a couple of city centre hotels with swimming pools in Liverpool.

Novotel and Crown Plaza both central. The Crown Plaza on waterfront. Plenty to do for free in Liverpool.

I know it's close to you but I like to go to the hotel at Yorkshire Wildlife Park with DS11, even though it's only 40 mins from us! We go and spend an afternoon milling around the Hive then have tea at Evolution then the wildlife park the next day. Another hit was Manchester with Legoland discovery then dinner, bowling and arcade at the Trafford centre