
Our Top 10 Half Term Family Days Out
With half term upon us it’s time to start thinking about how you’ll keep the kids entertained over the long holidays. Luckily for you we’ve compiled our top ten favourite attractions to check out this half-term. All of these suggestions are accessible by train meaning you can leave the stress of driving behind and focus on enjoying the journey with the family.
01. Danby Lodge, North York Moors National Park, Whitby
Danby is a village lying 10 ½ miles west of Whitby, and tucked away near the banks of the Esk Valley river is Danby Lodge. Visitors here can see rolling hills and idyllic moorlands and woodlands. Aside from being a Dark Sky Discovery site, Danby Lodge is also home to an art gallery. Over the half-term Danby Lodge is offering many activities that the whole family can enjoy such as: guided trail walking, treasure hunts, archery and more!
- Free entry
- Nearest Station: Danby
- Website: https://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/visiting/see-and-do/danby-lodge-national-park-centre
02. Huddersfield Leisure Splash Park, Huddersfield
The Hudderfield Splash Park is ‘the best leisure water experience in West Yorkshire’ and has something for all the family. It is ideal for all ages, with big and small slides, water buckets, and even a water flume. The awesome Sidewinder slide will have you slipping around in a big rubber ring at dizzying speeds! For something a bit more chilled out there is the Lazy River which is just as fun but at a gentler pace. We can’t promise it will keep the kids quiet, but it will definitely keep them entertained for a few hours.
- Entry from £1
- Nearest Station: Huddersfield
- Website: https://www.yeahdaysout.co.uk/splash-park
03. Inflata Nation Inflatable Theme Park, Manchester
With inflatable fun for the whole family the huge indoor Inflata Nation theme park has climbing walls, assault courses, and Inflata Duel, an inflatable gladiator style experience. They also host birthday parties for all ages. They also offer several classes including Disability Friendly sessions, Grown-Ups only sessions and Inflata Tots sessions (just for pre-schoolers). If all that excitement is too much, parents can take a break and relax at the Café Nation and enjoy speciality coffee and homemade food with a view of the kids.
- Entry from £5.99
- Nearest Station: Trafford Park
- Website: https://www.inflatanation.com/
04. National Videogame Museum, Sheffield
If you enjoyed video games as a kid you can now share that experience with your own children at the National Videogame Museum in Sheffield. With fun and activities for all ages this might be the perfect family day out! At the museum you can see how videogames are made and learn lots of interesting facts about the games. You and the kids can enjoy playing some of the classics together like Sonic. There are workshops and careers events, which might interest your teenagers.
- Entry from £9
- Nearest Station: Sheffield
- Website: https://thenvm.org/
05. Abbey House Museum, Leeds
Take the kids on an interactive walk through history at the Abbey House Museum in Leeds. Transport you and your family into the 19th century and enjoy walking the ‘authentically recreated’ streets of Victorian Leeds, with thoughtfully built shops, pubs, and homes. Over half term there are many events and exhibitions, including sessions for the whole family and community events.
- Entry from £3
- Nearest Station: Headingley
- Website: https://museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.uk/abbey-house-museum/
06. Wild Discovery, Preston
For a wild day out you can get up close with the animals at Wild Discovery Zoo in Preston. The kids will love being a zookeeper for a day by helping out with the upkeep of the animals and getting close to their favourites. The whole family can make friends with a tortoise, a capybara, and even a giant anteater. There’s also a chance to feed an artic fox and a bearcat!
- Entry from £6.95
- Nearest Station: Kirkham & Wesham
- Website: https://wilddiscovery.co.uk/
07. Poole’s Cavern & Go Ape, Buxton
Buxton has so much to offer that we have two choices for one here. Poole’s Cavern and Go Ape are both located in Buxton Country Park. You could easily take the family both in one day in you were feeling extra adventurous. At Poole’s Cavern the whole family can explore deep underground with a guide for 45 minutes through cave passages, see stalactites and stalagmites, and hear of the legends and history of the caves. If that wasn’t enough fun then swing over to Go Ape where the older kids and adults can take on the treetop challenge.
- Entry to Poole’s Cavern from £6.80
- Entry to Go Ape from £35 (10+ only)
- Nearest Station: Buxton
- Website: https://poolescavern.co.uk/ and https://goape.co.uk/locations/buxton
08. Scarborough Castle and Luna Park, Scarborough
We’ve found another day out combo in Scarborough! Take the kids for a walk up to the imposing Scarborough Castle, which offers incredible panoramic views across the Yorkshire coastline. Expose the family to 3,000 years of English history and if all that culture is too exciting, kids can play on the grassy headlands and parents can grab a coffee on site. If that doesn’t tire the little ones out then head down to Luna Park for some action packed theme park style fun, with rides for all ages the whole family can enjoy a fun day out.
- Entry to Castle from £4.80
- Entry to Luna Park, price varies by ride, bring some change!
- Nearest Station: Scarborough
- Website: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/scarborough-castle/
09. Manchester United at Old Trafford, Manchester
This list wouldn’t be complete without something for all the sports fans! For a fab family outing that’s sure to score with the kids, check out the Old Trafford Stadium. Here the whole family can enjoy an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the stadium, food at the onsite Red Café, and buy gifts at the Megastore. There’s even a museum which includes loads of history to give the kids a glimpse of past Man Utd glory. Old Trafford regularly hosts events, conferences, and exhibitions as well as birthday parties!
- Entry: From £15
- Nearest Station: Manchester United (Only open on match days)
- Next Nearest Station: Trafford Park
- Website: https://www.manutd.com/en/visit-old-trafford
10. TeamSport Indoor Go-Karting, Warrington
Our final suggestion for a half-term day out with the kids is go-karting at the UK’s number 1 indoor karting venue, based in Warrington! With a 1000m circuit that includes 35 twists and turns and a tunnel all over three different levels, this fun filled day out is sure to be wheely awesome. The separate adult and kids karts mean the whole family can compete. What’s more, the family can even sign up for karting tuition to make it even more competitive. This F1 experience even offers a leader board spot for those who can finish their lap in under 1 minute and 10 seconds! If all that fun tires everyone out you can head to the bar to grab food and drinks.
- Entry (8+ only) from £37pp
- Nearest Station: Warrington Bank Quay
- Website: https://www.team-sport.co.uk/
That rounds off our awesome list of fun-filled family days out! All of our suggestions are accessible via our network. We believe you see the best of a place when you ditch the car, and active travel is a good way to enjoy your day out sustainably and stress free. Have fun!

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