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 in the North of England to check out this half-term.
Getting out and about with the family can sometimes be a stressful thought, but can be so rewarding for the kids! Make your life easier by purchasing a family ticket through our app - keep everything in one place and avoid losing or forgetting multiple tickets. The app can also be used to check train times quickly and check for travel delays which can be a lifesaver when you're on the go!
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!
- Nearest Station: Danby
- Website: https://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/things-to-do/attractions/Danby-Lodge-National-Park-Centre
02. Huddersfield Leisure Splash Park, Huddersfield
The Huddersfield 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 keep them entertained for a few hours.
- Nearest Station: Huddersfield
- Website: https://yeahdaysout.co.uk/attractions/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 Café Nation and enjoy coffee and homemade food with a view of the kids.
- 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 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 video games 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.
- 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.
- 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 Arctic fox and a bearcat!
- 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 to both in one day if you were feeling 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 learn about 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.
- 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.
- 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 that includes 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!
- 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 leaderboard 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.
- Nearest Station: Warrington Bank Quay
- Website: https://www.team-sport.co.uk/
That rounds up our awesome list of family days out for the half-term holidays! Don't forget to book your train tickets in advance to take full advantage of cheap train tickets.
Look out for special discounts during half term and school holidays and plan the perfect family day out in the North. Don't forget children aged 5 - 15 travel for half-price on the majority of fares across the UK rail network and under 5s travel for free alongside fare-paying passengers.
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