im ashamed to admit that I'm lost for ideas to do near my home-North East

[ash6605]

Not the big things like theme parks or museums,something more 'nature' with not alot to do except picnic,walks,maybe a small park or river or few animals and prefferably free or cheap!!

I ,live near Beamish Museum if that helps,children are ages 11,7 and 1 tia x

Beamish Museum is nice this time of year

Jesmond Dene? Up the coast to Seahouses and a boat to see the puffins?

Lol, sick of beamish to be fair and it's expensive!
Never been to Jesmond with the kids but remember going as a kid, will add that to my list thank you :)

Hadrian's Wall and the various Roman sites? Whitley Bay and the causeway to the lighthouse, Anwick? Bamburgh?

Walks in Kielder Forest
Visiting all the castles along the north east coat - Alnwick, Lindisfarne, Dunstanburgh, Bamburgh, Warkworth.

White house farm nr morpeth
Jesmond dene has a new and improved pets corner
Apparently a new place with animals opening at kirkley hall nr Ponteland
Salt well park
Beaches
Crook hall nr Durham
Barn at beal
Ford and etal

Hamsterly Forest
Druirage Bay (sp?)
Whitley Bay
Lindisfarne
Lots and lots of local walks - go to a camping shop and buy some guides
Finchale Abbey
Barnard Castle nice for walks then tea

Brilliant, some great ideas thank you! Thinking finchale abbey and/or jesmond dene for this weekend, hope they're pram friendly!

Tour of St James' Park?

That really is a no go in this house, DH would KILL me if I suggested St James! Lol x

I wondered if it might be a controversial suggestion!

It'll be the Hoppings soon, won't it?

Forbidden Corner - it's seriously weird!!! i do not recommend if your children are of a sensitive disposition...but it is fantastic!

Haha yes :) Erm I'm sure hoppings isn't until June, usually last week of June I think? God I hate that place too, huddle and bussle, mud, poor babies dumped in prams for 12 hours of the day AND you come out £40 worse off!

Finchale is a lovely place for a picnic, I think you're all right with a buggy but you might rather leave it in the car and just pootle about not going very far or fast.

If you can afford a year's National Trust membership (look on cashback sites etc for offers) you can get into Cragside, Wallington and various other places for free as many times as you want, we did it for a year and often just drove up for a walk round the grounds/gardens and a picnic without even going into the houses (though you can do that too of course esp if it rains). They have a nice place down near Middlesborough too but I've forgotten the name, and Fountains Abbey has loads to do too though it's a bit further. It is a lot of money at first, but may work out worthwhile if you go there lots. They have loads of family events too.

Is there still a Bede theme park? I remember seeing a flyer once, but have never been, but did wonder if it might be good. Then you could also do a trip to sightsee in Durham and tie the two together.

Whitworth hall is near you, we fab time hand feeding the deer, not sure it would fill a whole day though.
Come over to South Shields in the summer, we have tommy the trumpetor parties,beach and summer concerts. Marine park with ducks to feed (new playground), minature raily, pedloes and ice cream parlour!
Penshaw Monument has a great park there also.
Meditrina Bede's World still there.

We like seahouses, bamburgh and thereabouts but gotta say I love the discovery museum for rainy days. its free and well cool.

How about the National Trust lighthouse that is near to Whitly Bay?

Cragside is lovely if thats not too far.

The big art gallery at Newcastle - Baltic Centre. I remember going to some good kids' museum/science type museum in Newcastle as well.

Yes Bedes world is fab! Just been to Penshaw park tonight lol(Herrington) and LOVE the park at the coast, just looking for quiter places I find South shields so busy at times! Some great suggestions thanks everyone x

How about Hamsterly Forest?

Down At The Farm is superb!

www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk/
I've got loads of ideas from this site!

Well today we have discovered a new, if slightly odd place- called goats on the roof at font burn reservoir, between morpeth and rothbury, a cafe, with, yes, goats on the roof and other rare breed animals. There are picnic benches and a playground and the food was lovely.

ooh that sounds good Moules. making a note of these