📌 Allensford, Castleside, Consett, Co Durham, DH8 9BA
14 acre park with woodland and riverside walks, picnic areas and children’s adventure playground with a range of equipment. Some areas of stream suitable for paddling. Cafe open daily serving snacks.
👉 For more info, visit Durham County Council
📌 Bill Quay Park, Station Road, Gateshead, NE10 0UH
Large sandpit with pirate ship and slide, plus separate junior play frame and water play with trough and pump.
👉 For more info, visit Gateshead Council
📌 Off Castle Square, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 1YD
Park with formal gardens, woodland and riverside walks and a more challenging walk up Haw Hill, the site of an 11th-century motte and bailey. There’s a skate park, play area and paddling pool.
👉 Free. For more info, visit Northumberland County Council
Seasonal opening for paddling pool, typically open late May-early Sep
📌 Marley Hill, Near Stanley, Co Durham, NE16 5EG
A woodland walk alongside the Tanfield railway track, the world’s oldest railway with steam trains running on selected dates. Cross a disused railway bridge over a woodland gorge and take the steps down to a riverside walk, with some areas suitable for plodging. Causey House Tea Room in car park serving meals and treats.
👉 Free
📌 Cullercoats Bay, North Tyneside, NE30 4BY
A sandy bay enclosed by two piers, with nearby dining options including cafe, takeaway and pub. Moderate coastal walks of around 3-4 miles to Whitley Bay beach or Tynemouth beach.
👉 Free
📌 Red Row, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 5BX
3.5 miles of beach, plus woodland, grasslands and Ladyburn Lake. Lake permits available for boat sports. Visitors’ Centre with displays on the local area, plus a cafe, shop and young children’s play area. Separate play area for older children.
👉 Free. For more info, visit Northumberland County Council
🎫 Water Sports: from £4.
📌 Exhibition Park, Claremont Road, Newcastle, NE2 4PZ
Park with grassland, woodland and lake, plus crazy golf, skate park, sports courts, water play trough and playground with sandpit and mini diggers. There’s a Military Vehicle Museum, a cafe and Wylam Brewery serving main meals. Behind the brewery is a miniature train track with free rides 11am-3pm first Sunday of each month (April-Sep plus seasonal specials).
👉 For more info, visit Newcastle City Council
🎫 Donations welcome for train rides, more info @TynesideSocietyMEE
Sunday – Thursday: 10am – 6pm
Friday – Saturday: 10am – 9pm
(times may changes seasonally)
Rowlands Gill, Burnopfield, Gateshead, NE16 6BG
Tel: 01207 541820
There’s plenty to explore in this National Trust 18th century landscape garden, with 600 acres of gardens, woodland and countryside, chapel, cafe and two children’s outdoor play areas, with a zip wire, sandpit and water play trough. Plus regular family events and workshops.
Adults: from £12
Child: from £6
Family: (2 Adults:): from £30
Family: (1 Adult:): from £18
📌 Greencroft, Haltwhistle, Northumberland. NE49 9DW
Three outdoor heated pools with flume slide, floats and pool toys for toddlers/babies and giant inflatable sessions. Plus adventure play area and picnic area.
👉 For more info, visit @HaltwhistleLeisure
🎫 From £7.80 pp / Family from £15.50-£24
*Opening varies seasonally, typically open mid April – early Sep
📌 Redford, Hamsterley Forest, County Durham, DL13 3NL
2,000 hectare area with range of woodland and riverside walking/cycling trails, bike hire and play areas. Story character trails with Zog and the Gruffalo sculptures. Viking trail with forts and boats. Some parts of stream suitable for paddling. Optional 2 mile ‘Forest Drive’ with scenic lookouts. Cafe serving snacks and treats.
👉 For more info, visit Hamsterley Forest – Forestry England
🎫 Free access (parking charges apply). Forest Drive Toll : from £6 per car
📌 Pier Parade, South Shields, South Tyneside, NE33 2JS
Indoor swimming pool with large twisty flume slide, family bubble spa and a water play area for younger children with bridges, slides, jet sprays and bubble features. Cafe serving snacks.
👉 For more info, visit South Tyneside Council
🎫 From £1.15-£5.35 pp / Family from £18.55
Cardholder discount available
📌 Jesmond, Newcastle, NE7 7DA
Woodland stretching over three kilometres with streams, waterfalls and a network of paths and bridges. Some parts of the stream are suitable for paddling. There’s a visitors centre, café and outdoor play area with slides and nest swing. Plus ‘Pet’s Corner’ including pigs, goats, sheep, rabbits and birds.
👉 For more info, visit @urbangreenncl
🎫 Free, donations welcome.
📌 Grand Parade, Tynemouth, North Tyneside, NE30 4JL
Beach with around a mile of dunes and cliffs. Tynemouth Park with boating lake, dinosaur themed mini-golf, pirate themed maze & scavenger hunt, and inflatable play areas for toddlers and older children. Cafe serving snacks and takeaway serving fish & chips.
👉 For more info, visit @tynemouthpark
🎫 Pedalos/Golf/Inflatables/Maze: from £3
📌 Shields Road, Hartford Bridge, Bedlington, Northumberland, NE22 6AN
100 acres of woodland, meadows and riverside with picnic areas and walking/cycling trails, including an art trail with fun sculptures and fairy doors. A new play park opened in Spring 2019 with traditional wooden equipment. Parts of the stream are suitable for paddling. Visitor centre with cafe open at weekends.
👉 For more info, visit Northumberland County Council
📌 North Road, Wallsend, North Tyneside, NE28 8RH
Victorian park with formal gardens, lake and woodland walks, sports courts, skate park and playground with swings, slides and toddler playframe. Plus a water play feature with trough and pump. Cafe serving snacks and treats.
👉 Free
📌 Blyth, Northumberland, NE24 3EB
Park with formal gardens, wildflowers and woodland. Including sports courts, water splash pad play, and play area for all ages with sandpit and water trough play feature. Cafe serving snacks and treats.
👉 For more info, visit Northumberland County Council
Seasonal opening for water play, typically open late May-Sep
📌 Benton, North Tyneside, NE12 9SS
162 hectares of woodlands, grasslands, farmland, walking and cycling trails, and nature reserve with ponds. Play area, cafe and a hillside water play feature with shallow stream by the Rising Sun Countryside Centre. Rising Sun Farm and Earth & Fire Bakery at the South side of the park.
👉 For more info, visit North Tyneside Council
🎫 Free
📌 Riverside South Sports Pavilion, Chester-le-Street, Durham, DH3 3SJ
Park with acres of gardens and easy riverside walk with ducks and swans. Large well-equipped playground, including castle-themed play frame and static wooden train. Free splash pad with lots of fountains and water guns. Kiosk selling drinks and snacks.
👉 For more info, visit Durham County Council
Seasonal opening for splash pad, typically open from late May-late Aug
📌 Roker Park Road, Sunderland, SR6 9NB
Miles of sandy beach with wide promenade and restored pier, with various cafes and restaurants at Pier Point. Easy seafront walk to Seaburn beach and beyond. Nearby is Roker Park, with formal gardens, lake, sports courts, two play areas and a miniature train ride.
👉 For more info, visit Sunderland City Council
📌 Sea Road, South Shields, South Tyneside, NE33 2LD
Miles of sandy beaches, dunes, cliffs and a restored pier, with various seafront restaurants and cafes. Pirate themed mini-golf plus Ocean Beach Pleasure Park, with 40+ fairground rides. Around 2.5 mile coastal walk to Marsden beach, with striking rock formations.
👉 For more info, visit @OceanBeachSouthShields
🎫 Free entry, Fun Cards available for payment of rides and arcades
📌 Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, NE26 4RS
St Mary’s Island is reached by a short causeway covered by tides twice a day, with exhibits on the lighthouse’s history and surrounding Nature Reserve, including cliffs, grassland, beaches and rock pools. Brave the 137 steps to enjoy spectacular views from the top.
👉 For more info, visit @St. Mary’s Lighthouse
🎫 From £1.70-£3.30 pp / Family from £7.70
📌 Castle Park, Stanhope, Durham, DL13 2LU
Heated open air swimming pool, with main pool and smaller toddler pool, sauna (booking required) and soft play area. Picnic tables and cafe serving snacks and treats.
👉 For more info, visit @stanhopepool
🎫 From £3 pp / Family from £12
*Opening varies seasonally, typically open late May – early Sep
📌 Greenwell Road, Alnwick , Northumberland, NE66 1YU
Formal gardens and woodland walk, with adventure golf, labyrinth and tree house restaurant with treetop walkways (buggy accessible). Various water features including splash areas for kids play. Regular performances and family workshops. Two cafes and a restaurant serving snacks and main meals.
👉 For more info, visit @alnwickgarden
🎫 From £4.50-£12 pp / Family from £30 (0-4 years free)
📌 The Links, Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, NE26 1TQ
Swimming pool with wave machine and flume slides, and children’s play pool featuring pirate ship with small slides. Compact two-tiered soft play, gym, spa and coffee shop serving snacks and treats. Also after school and school holiday activities offered.
👉 For more info, visit @wavesNTC
🎫 From 70p-£6.50 pp / Family from £9.30 – £21.70
Cardholder discounts
📌 Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, NE26 4RS
A long sand and rock beach, with a tearoom, pancake house and restaurant within the seafront Spanish City dome, which hosts an annual fun fair in late August. Nearby is Whitley Bay Water Park playground & sports area, with sand pit and water splash pad, including a variety of spray features and a paddling pool.
👉 Free. For more info, visit North Tyneside Council
