Can anyone give me ideas for days out with 2.4 year old in N. Yorkshire & N. Yorkshire Moors?

[steviesgirl]

My husband and I and 2 year old dd are holidaying in N.Yorkshire next Saturday for a week. Does anyone live/or been there who could recommend places for young families?

I'd be very grateful for your suggestions. Thanks

We went here this summer and really enjoyed it although it is in East Yorks.

Depending where you are based Hawes is good, cattle market, market, museum, Wensleydale cheese factory and shop.
Also Docker Park farm nr Kirby Lonsdale is fab.

steam train from Pickering to Goathland

When we holidayed in Scarborough we went to Playdale Farm in Cayton near Scarborough, it was FAB.

Great farm but also really good indoor play area and cafe. We were there for hours.

I have just looked on the website www.playdalefarmpark.co.uk and its open daily til today (typical!) then weekends so that may not be convenient for you if you wanted ideas for during the week.

The steam train at Pickering is really good too.

Have a good holiday.

Steam train from Pickering if you want to see the moors, it now goes right through to Whitby so you could combine the train with a day by the sea.
Flamingoland and Eden Camp (old WW2 camp) are also near Pickering but maybe a bit old for your LO.
York's always lovely, plenty to do there.

Yes, I second steam train from Pickering, all the way to Whitby now.

Day on the beach at Whitby/Runswick Bay/Filey/Scarborough

Walk over the moors if you have a backpack is lovely and very deserted.

Hmmmmm most things I can think of are a bit old for yr DD but there's plenty to do in York itself, train museum, walk on the walls, Yorvik Centre (maybe), Minster very spectacular.

where in North Yorkshire

Thanks for all your suggestions. A great help

We are staying at Kirkbymoorside near Pickering.

How strange - we stayed at a farm at Kirkbymoorside this time last year, we had a great time. We went for tea in the pub at Hutton-le-Hole and the sheep were just grazing on the hills next to the pub, DS was enthralled!

Do go on the steam train if the weather is nice as its great.

Definiately go on the North York Moors Railway. Personally, I wouldn't go all the way to Whitby on it as there is a long time between stops at Grosmont and Whitby... but that's just me.

I'd go to Whitby as a separate day out - but check the tides as you won't get near the beach if the tide is in.

I've heard that Flamingo Land is good but haven't been.

TBH, DD loved the day we went to Helmsly Castle as she just ran about on the grass and climbed on the low walls ...

Hope you have a fab time.

lovely deli in the square at Helmsley, to get picnic things from. Ditto the castle for a visit, to just run around and play

Hi Steviesgirl
The Folk Museum at Hutton le Hole is wonderful- very near Kirbymoorside- lots of space ouside for children to run around, a witch and cat in a little house- great for all ages really. The stream and which runs through is great for paddling/fishing nets.
Lovely cappuccino at The Penny Bank in Kirkby too.
From Kirbymoorside, you can drive up to Farndale through Fadmoor( great pub food at the Plough) or/and Gillamoor (ditto The Royal Oak.)
Farndale and the other dales- Brandsdale and Rosedale are beautiful for views/sheep/heather etc. Rosedale has an accesible stream for fishing nets/paddling and teashops.

A fab day out is Dalby Forest. It is amazing- a wonderful play area, river/paddling/barbeques/lakes and a good visitor centre. It really is a spectacular massive wild place- but also has play areas, lake etc.
(Take a picnic- cafe quite expensive.)You pay £7 I think- not sure as we have a pass, and all the play stuff and wonderful scenery is there. They also have a GO Ape thing there if your kids are old enough.
(Thornton le Dale is a nice village- with one of those pottery painting places if it's wet. You turn off there to get to Dalby Forest.)
Castle Howard has lovely grounds and a good play area too.
If your kids and/or you would like a gentle horse/pony ride in woods and hills, however inexperienced, there's a place at Hawnby above Helmsley called Shaken Bridge farm
here

Pickering and helmsley both have good castles.
And of course the train- which goes to Whitby- though this would take a long time.If you get off the train at Goathland- the walk to Malyan Spout waterfall is worth it- depending on how old the children are. Goathland isn't much other than it's where Heartbeat and Harry Potter were filmed.....

The old railway track that runs around Rosedale is a great walk/bike ride too- amazing views. It starts at Blakey Ridge/Blakey Bank ( The Lion Inn is a good pub for lunch- a fab position- perched betwen the two dales)- Quickest way from Kirkbymoorside is to carry on beyond Hutton le Hole.
Whitby is lovely, Sandsend is a nice village with half stoney half sandy- when the tide is out- beach, and good rock pools, with a couple of nice cafes if the weather's good. The good thing is you can park right next to the beach- (the further away from the cafe, the more steps)
Scarborough is tacky but still fun- North Bay has rock pools, main bay has the slot machines, fair and donkeys.

Oh I've really gone on!
This is my patch as you might have realised!
If you tell me the ages of your kids and what you like doing i could even go on!

Just seen your dc's age- so much of this is irrelevant. Plenty of fun to be had paddling in streams...
Miniature railway at Scarborough North Bay would probably be more fun at that age than the real steam train- which is fun to look at but dull for a longish journey at 2yrs...
A bit further afield there's an animal park which ours always love called Monk Park Farm It has lots of space, and hundreds of guineapigs the kids can hold, very tame miniature goats and ponies/donkeys etc. The food is a bit rubbish, so get a picnic in Helmsley on the way- (Hunters is fab, or Perns).I don't think they mind you eating in your own stuff. It's open at this time of year too.
Helmsley has a nice heritage place with a garden to run around and cafe called The Helmsley Walled Garden, and an old fashioned toy shop in the alley way called Meeting House Court.

I would second Scarborough North Bay - we had loads of fun on the miniature railway, pedaloes and historic water chute. There is also crazy golf. Sea life Centre at Scarborough v. impressive too but she may be a little young. Very expensive but we got money off with some vouchers from Sainsbury. Lots of interesting castles and abbeys around - my 2 just loved running around these exploring all the little rooms. There is Dalby (?) forest near Pickering as well - forestry commission, lots of walking/cycling opportunities (you could get a child seat for her) and some nice playgrounds. Robin Hood's Bay good for rockpools, and the whole coast is good for fossils.

Nunnigton Hall has gardens with peacocks and a collection of dolls house stuff, but your dc is probably too young....
Hovingham- pretty village, stream to paddle in, nice tea/bakery/coffe shops ( Mconnell Thomas is gorgeous there- there's also one in Kirkbymoorside)