What can you do with children in Newcastle?

[dontrunwithscissors]

We lived in Newcastle for 10 years, but this was before DC's so I have no idea what there is to do with them. I'm thinking of taking DD's up there when we visit my parents this summer. Any suggestions of places to take an 18 month and 4 year old?

Hill hall farm is a good day out, my kids love it

www.hallhillfarm.co.uk/

Centre of life usually have things on

Tanfield Railway

Beamish museum

Seven Stories

Saltwell Park

Have a run down the coast

Whitehouse Farm in Morpeth is better than Hall Hill Farm and is closer to Newcastle too.

South Shields - great park, boating lake and fairground there.

Seahouses - take a boat trip round the Farne Islands, then go up the coast to Bamburgh and chill out on the lovely beach there.

Saltwell Park

Chester le Street Riverside Park

Belsay Hall - nice walks and a little castle to have picnics in the grounds.

There used to be a large softplay in Eldon Square Leisure Centre, but don't know if it's still there.

Wet 'n' Wild in Whitley Bay

Blanchland - lovely little village in the Durham/Northumberland Border - has a lovely little park, walk by the small river with plenty of stones to throw in, a lovely tearoom, small store and abbey to visit.

The Life Centre has a Wallace and Gromit exhibition at the moment.

Discovery museum is free, cheap parking just outside, and there's loads to do for little ones. Centre for Life is a two minute walk away as well.

Tynemouth beach is good and there's a Blue Reef aquarium.

Jesmond Dene pets corner

Hancock Museum

Bill Quay Community Farm- free and has a cafe

Seven Stories - designed for children, I have an almost 3 year old and a 17 month old and we can spend a day in here

Life Centre - just opened an entire floor of an under 7s play area

Walk along the quayside, usually live music,boats and the baltic has a kiddy area

As a cafe recomendation look for the Settle down cafe near the discovery museum

And in terms of swimming waves at whitley bay has more for preschoolers than wet and wild and is a quater of the price.
Use the metro to get about to - cheaper than parking and my two ride it most days but still love it so with the novelty factor you might be able to spend a day just going round :-)

Second the novelty factor of the metro! Along those lines, the Shields Ferry is also good fun.

All of the above are great ideas - The Baltic (modern Art Gallery) usually has arty / crafty stuff for the kids in the summer hols. The Millenium Bridge opens at 12 every day and is pretty cool to watch.

The Discovery & Hancock (now North Museum) are also free !

I know it is a good 30 miles down the road, but if the weather is hot, Haltwhistle (west of Newcastle towards Carlisle) has an open air swimming pool which is great ! Also lots of lovely places to stop & visit down Tyne Valley

The discovery museum has water play, so take spare clothes. They provide aprons, but they all get soaked anyway.