Things to do and places to stay in and around Whitby with 5yo and 2yo please.

[Blatherskite]

5yo DS has been asking over and over whether we can go to the beach again for our holiday this Summer. We can't afford to go abroad and I've always wanted to take the children to Whitby as I have some lovely memories of going there myself but it's been a long time since I went and the last few times were as a Goth to the goth festival so I'm not really sure what there is available for children and families around there these days. I doubt the children would be impressed with the Dracula Experience and a mooch around the Abbey like we used to do as teenagers :)

I quite fancy travelling round a bit, maybe visiting the lifeboats at Filey, the Sea life Centre at Scarborough and the Yorvick Centre in York while we're in the area - but I need a few more ideas to pad the trip out a bit and sell the idea to DH.

Any suggestions would be gratefully recieved

We took DS (then 16mo) to Scarborough last year and found loads of child-friendly stuff (though he quite enjoyed getting windswept at Whitby Abbey too, so don't rule it out!)

Playdale Farm Park near Filey was a good rainy day choice. Had enough stuff to do that was small enough for DS, but plenty of bigger attractions for older kids too.

The North Bay of Scarborough is lovely - lots of brightly painted beach huts, a couple of cafes and lots of golden sand. Peasholm Park is a five minute walk from the beach and has a lake with pagodas on which they reenact naval battles in miniature a couple of afternoons a week. You could then get the North Bay miniature railway up to the Sealife Centre. There's also a nice pub up near the railway terminus at the Sealife Centre end of the line, if you need to further persuade your DH!

Thanks CakeJunkie. That sounds really good. DS definitely wants sand and both children would love the miniature railway.

Where did you stay while you were there? Would you recommend it?

I love Whitby/Robin Hoods Bay, less keen on Sacrborough. If your 5yo wants to go to the beach why so many day trips away from there? Don't forget the North York Moors railway, fish and chips on the beach and the penny arcades - rewards for good behaviour for months if he has a piggy bank he can collect pennies in! Depending on the weather he may enjoy the boat rides out of WHitby harbour too, and my DS is always fascinated by the opening bridge between the 2 halves of the town

I'm just aware that it can get fairly chilly on the beach even on a nice day and then DD especially, will then want to come away from the beach. Having some back up ideas will be good for if the weather isn't great.

we stayed in pickering last year, which is about 50mins drive away, and we had a great time.
York Castle museum was a huge hit with dd1.
there's www.ryedalefolkmuseum.co.uk/ as well. we went to flamingoland which was ££££ but worth it - we stayed for a very full day.
north york moor rail is fun.

We stayed in Whitby over New year a couple of years ago in this cottage www.english-country-cottages.co.uk/sites/english-country-cottages/pages/PropertyDetails_C.aspx?QS=2B831DC8-E0A4-4868-B1DF-DDB2FE4FD44A~C~IHR~HCG~216~GBP~4~0~~A~N~1~5edc379e-cece-4fcb-b607-a564039f771b~7452~0~11~N~N~N~N~N which we all loved as there was a room on each floor. DS still remembers it as the cottage with all the stairs - in a good way !

Loads of lovely little cafes to mooch in one is particularly child friendly and has boxes of childrens toys. There is a steam car thing ride you can go on which is lots of fun and if you like fish and chips then a visit to The Magpie cafe is worth the queue.

We loved it. Less keen on Scarborough which we visited for the day.

Great thread - we are off to Whitby in June so it will come in handy.

I'm really looking forward to it. Keep the ideas coming :)

Try Ingrid Flute for accomodation good selection of cottages /flats etc if you have a car try to get one with parking as it can be a problem in Whitby

My DS loves Whitby he has been going since he was 4 and now aged 9 still loves it.

Whitby Wizard science centre is fab even for younger kids it's near the crescent.

Bracing walk to the abbey always good .

Steam train to Goathland or up to Pickering if you have more time.

Sea life centre was good but pricey if I recall about £40 for three of us and we could only spend a couple of hours there...didn't really like Scarborough

Have been to Flamingo land the zoo part and the farm were good for younger children but the theme park bit wasn't my cup of (Yorkshire) tea - you used to be able to use Tesco vouchers to get in as again it was pricey

Fossil hunting at Runswick bay

The museum in the park at Whitby is also good fun and free DS liked it even when he was younger

Dalby forest great value for a picnic hire bikes or just drive through think it's around £8 per car and you could easily spend a few hours there

Hope the weather is good...my DS loves Whitby beach and we have a staycation week every year.

Great places to eat too Mounterays Italian very good and a couple of child friendly pubs near the abbey steps which do good food also The moon and sixpence- again good food and child friendly.

I love Artefacts shop too

Oh roll on August.

we went to whitby last summer, we stayed in ahouse that was literally 5 mins from the beach! it was a really good price as well, if i can find a link i will post it :)

the beach, lots of walks and stuff to do, the big hole, hokeham hole? orsomething i forget what it was called

dalby forest was very good, the sea life is pricey but if you can find a deal online then its worth going. we visited when they had the show with the red arrows, (it was their last display before the crash :( ) and that was good, there were lots of free activities on along the sea front that weekend :)

at 5 and 2 they will love the arcades, mine did, and lots of 2ps etc to stand and push them in the slots and a walk along the seafront, ice creams etc.

there are plenty of places to visit i just cant remember them all, i will look at the photos and get back to you.

we did the north york moors railway, got free tickets from a friend, your 2 yr old will be free :) that is nice and we went to the village where they used to film hearbeat and had a pub lunch etc in what was the adensfield arms!

My parents take my niece and nephew to Whitby every summer for a week (they are 8 and 4). They stay in a lovely hotel called the Ellerby (in a village called Ellerby, just outside of Whitby) which has family rooms and a nice restaurant. The kids spend most of the week in wetsuits on Sandsend beach and absolutely love it. The hotel packs them up a picnic or they get fish and chips. For the past five years they have been really lucky with the weather - I'm sure it wouldn't be quite so idyllic in the rain!!!

Going to have a look for places to stay tomorrow...if I can get DH to give me some dates he can have off work!!

Bumping for a few more ideas

We have been camping to whitby for the last 2 years running and my 2 who are now 7 and 5 love it. My 7 year would be happy to spend literally all day crabbing off the harbour there! They also like going fossil hunting in Robin Hoods bay and Boggle Hole. Your older one might really enjoy the whole Dracula thing tbh, mine definitely do!

if you get the bus from whitby to scarborough get an all day tripper thing, 4 of us did this last yr and it was cheaper to bus into scarborough than parking and also the all day tripper thing gave you unlimited trips from one end of the scarby to the other on the open topped bus so we went on it about 30 times! Oeasholme park is nice and when we were walking through it we stumbled across some blokey proposing to his wife which wa slightly mortifying but nice.