Family days out near Newcastle

[HouseofGods]

I was wondering if anyone had anywhere they could recommend for a family day out (kids are 7 and 4) near Newcastle? We're possibly going to Newcastle next Friday and I thought it might be nice to go somewhere on the Saturday and stay overnight again before heading back to Scotland on the Sunday.

I looked at flamingo land but didn't appreciate how much further it was and that then leaves quite a journey home on the Sunday. So extra points if the attraction is near Newcastle or along the route back to Glasgow!

'The Public Weigh Room' in the Grainger market. You give 20p to the babushka sitting behind the high wooden counter, she motions you to step on the scale, one of those big old fashioned ones with a round clock face (though its facing her not you, so only she can see how much you weigh). She writes your weight on the back of your ticket (its a secret known only to you and her 😉), then you exit through the another door. It's a cheap day out !

Definitely hoppings, it would be a shame to miss it when you've timed your visit perfectly. Life science center is good and could possibly be teamed up with other city center museums like hancock (great north) or discovery or baltic (art gallery) just over the river. Northumbria country zoo is nice and not thar far away, or maybe Kirkley Hall which is a smaller zoo type place you could probably fit in Sunday morning before the drive back.

All of the above, and I would also check out the ‘North East Family Fun’ blog as that is full of ideas!

OMG the hoppings.
We went every year as kids with parents, and then as teens with cider
OP It's a huge funfair that comes to Newcastle once a year.

Drove past The Hoppings yesterday. DD is a student and lives near there so she and her housemate will be going.

If you get a sunny day Carlisle park in Morpeth is lovely. Has a cafe, toilets, outdoor paddling pool and a decent play park. You can also hire boats to go on the river. There’s a cafe in the park and usually a donut van, in the summer months there tends to be a bouncy castle/assault course type thing too.
There are loads of shops and cafes in Morpeth too.
You buy a disk for parking (couple of pounds from the machines or the leisure centre) and it’s free to park for 3 hours.
The seaside is also a good shout. We like Newbiggin-by-the sea. It’s not Whitley Bay/Tynemouth but has a little cafe with toilets and a few shops. Parking is free as well.
Beamish is also a good shout, full day out. Bring a picnic as the queues for food can be long when it’s busy.

Beamish, Alnwick gardens, bamburgh, outs loved the Hancock museum when they were little

Beamish although with the nice weather they have sometimes posted on facebook that they have closed the carpark as they are full ,you still need to book a time slot before 12, but if you are just here for a day theres the Discovery museum and the Great North museum both in the city centre ,do the open top bus tour, or get the metro to the beach either South Shields /Whitley Bay /Tynemouth /Cullercoats