LEEDS or YORK activities/days out with toddlers?

[AdamantEve]

Any suggestions welcome! I have a 3 year old and a one year old and will be spending a weekend in June in either Leeds or York (not sure which yet so suggestions for both are needed please!)

Open to anything age appropriate - indoor or outdoor - cost not an issue, within reason.

Thank you

National rail museum in York is ace.

Roundhay park in Leeds is great, has a butterfly and animal centre which is quite cheap too.

Yorkshire wildlife park is fab, you can get really close to lions, giraffes, some animals to pet. All outdoor so don't go if it's p-ing down!

If the weather's good, the York maze is fantastic (but might not open until July). Also in York the railway museum and creepy Crawlies.

In Leeds city centre, the Leeds museum is really good for all ages. Kirkstall abbey and museum are great.

Yorkshire sculpture park near Sheffield if you've got a car.

second roundhay park
Golden acre park in Leeds is nice too and there is a donkey sanctuary near it which is great
Thackray museum is very child friendly

Museum gardens in York.

Railway Museum.

Yorkshire Museum of Farming (it's about 10 - 15 mins by car from York city centre, but there are probably buses)

Farmers Cart near York is fun for kids as well.

Spurriergate Centre is one of the best places to eat with kids in the city centre. It's a cafe in a converted church with a play area. Very child friendly, extremely central and good home-cooked food too.

If you've got a car then Eureka (near Bradford I think but not for from Leeds) is BRILLIANT especially for toddlers. There's a miniature world where everything is their size and they get to work the bank and the supermarket etc

Some great ideas, thank you all. Need to get planning now!

Eureka is great, its at Halifax (not far)

And we will be driving so will be able to travel easily. Roundhay park sounds good, so may be a definite regardless of where we stay!

You've got a good local editor I do believe and the site is here. They can help with suggestions.

I grew up on the edge of Roundhay Park. It's a beautiful park, don't get me wrong, but not a special day out.

Anyway came back to say Temple Newsam farm, which is fab. (Leeds). Also Harewood House and the Royal Armouries.

Lots of ideas to look at. I'm branching out a bit now as this is neither in York or Leeds but close enough..has anyone got any experience of Flamingo Land? Is it a nice day out with very young children or more for older ones?

We had a fab day there recently during the winter opening - saw lots of animals in the zoo and played in the playground . They had three or four rides for smaller children open but my ds , who is nearly 4 was too small for one of them. I have never been when it is fully open but would imagine that there will be quite a lot they can't go on and is probably more for older ones.

If you are out the way of Flamingoland the playground at Dalby Forest is being redone and looked fab - ds4 loved the story tellers wood and chair last time we went.
Beningborough hall just north of York has lovely gardens and a great play area and nice cafe.
We frequently end up at the National Railway Museum as ds4 loves it.

As others have said, Eureka in Halifax is a museum specifically for children. I guess your one-year-old will be too young to really appreciate it but I guarantee your three-year-old will love it! It's virtually all indoors, so a good wet weather option. It's right next to Halifax station if you prefer to get the train rather than drive.

Harewood House between Leeds and Harrogate is a stately home with beautiful gardens, a bird park and an adventure playground. Most of the adventure playground is designed for older children, but there is a small section of it specifically for little ones.

There's a nice soft play north of York on the ring road if that helps.

Just thought of another one if you're prepared to drive a bit further afield! Newby Hall near Ripon has lovely gardens, a miniature railway you can ride on and a good playground.

flamingoland is a favourite of ours, especially when they are under 4 (when they are free!) there is tons there for the little ones and older ones but once they get to about 14 they seem to outgrow it and want alton towers and the like!
we have been taking ours to FL from 1yr old onwards! its a lovely day with toddlers.

"Yorkshire sculpture park near Sheffield if you've got a car."

It's near Wakefield and I'm not sure how interesting small children would find it.

I love the Thackray museum, but it isn't suitable for toddlers. I think a toddler would find the first bit quite scary.

If the weather is good I would go to Yorkshire Wildlife Park, although it is in Doncaster and a bit of a drive.

The tropical bit at Roundhay park is good, especially if the weather isn't nice.

Another vote for Eureka!

Railway Museum got a big thumbs down from my lot (though their train-obsessed friends liked it). They hated the Armouries too (they are now teenagers, and it still features in their 'most boring places of all time' list) .

Abbey House Museum in Kirkstall (Leeds) used to go down well. Relatively small, but maybe that's why they liked it. There's a handy little playground next to the museum, too.

TBF though Bunbaker, YSP is not far from Sheffield, and if you know it from whizzing past on the M1, it's an easy mistake to make. My 2 love YSP, and always have done - they are only 2 and 5 now. My 5 yo has a very advanced appreciation of modern art!

At 4 and 1 my DC loved Clifford's Tower in York, but were scared by the York Castle Museum.

I found the Armouries boring as well. Abbey House is lovely.

Creepy Crawlies soft play York. Massive inside playbarn ousltside play area and petting farm.

Have you tried local?

local.mumsnet.com/york/things-to-do
local.mumsnet.com/leeds/things-to-do