Check our handy map to help find Things to Do in Durham with Kids, with something for all ages including play cafes, soft plays, adventure farms, karting, the best parks, walks & playgrounds, and lots more. More details in our A-Z below
Details are subject to change, please check directly with providers for the latest updates, opening times and booking requirements.
📌 Union Hall Farm, Brasside, Durham, DH1 5SG
Adventure Valley is North East’s biggest Family Adventure Park! With over 50 activities and attractions, themed events every school holiday, outdoor adventure play, 18,000 sq feet of indoor play, undercover Farm Yard & Creature Corner and acres of more!
👉 For more info, visit @AdventureV
🎫 Tickets from £8.95 – £14.20 (babies & 1 year old’s: free)
Passes: Term Time – £35 pp per year. Annual – £70-£75 pp
📌 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
📌 Beamish, County Durham, DH9 0RG
Open air museum set in 300+ acres recreating life in the early 1800s and 1900s, with farm, tram, replica steam train and fairground rides (selected dates).
👉 For more info, visit @BeamishLivingMuseum
🎫 Unlimited annual pass £11.50-£19.50 pp / Family £36.50-£51 (under 5s free)
📌 39 Medomsley Road, Consett, Co Durham, DH8 5HE
An award winning role play cafe, with a mini version of a real life village for your children to explore.
👉 For more info, visit @Believe & Be
🎫 From £5.90-£6.90 per child per 2h session
📌 Unit 19, Prince Bishops Shopping Centre, High Street, Durham
Interactive play village with range of role play areas including a tea room, rescue station, supermarket and ride on toys and road. Plus a range of table-top toys, with vehicles, houses and more. Cafe serving snacks. Located next to Superdrug in Prince Bishop’s Shopping Centre.
👉 For more info, visit @BertiesPlayBarn
🎫 From £2-3 per child
📌 Near Witton Gilbert, Durham, DH7 6TR
A working organic farm with onsite café, farm shop, picnic area and outdoors play area, plus Forest Adventure available from Spring-Autumn (online booking required), with puzzling quiz trails, zip wires, tunnels and more.
👉 For more info, visit @BroomHouseDurham
🎫 Farm & play area: free entry.
Forest Adventure: £6.50 (under 2 years: free)
📌 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
📌 Burns Green, Chester-le-Street, Durham, DH3 3QH
Three-tiered soft play with slide, tunnels and toddler area with slide, ball pit and soft play shapes.
👉 For more info, visit @DurhamThriveActive
🎫 From £2.60 (siblings £1)
📌 Unit 33F, Consett Number 1 Industrial Estate, Consett, Durham, DH8 6SZ
Playtime fun with sensory play, messy play, soft play shapes and imaginative role play. Cafe facilities offer a breakfast and snack menu.
For more info, visit @ClartAboutSensoryCafe
📌 Langley Park, Durham, Co Durham, DH7 9TT
Digger-themed adventure park where children and adults can drive and operate diggers, dumpers and more. Plus fairground-style rides, dodgems, go karts, mini landrovers, an under 5s zone with ride-on toys and an indoor soft play.
👉 For more info, visit @Diggerland
🎫 From £25.95 pp (under 90cm free)
Seasonal opening hours, closed Nov-Jan
📌 Mandale Business Park, Durham, DH1 1TH
Three-tiered soft play area, trampoline, football pitch, role play cottage, supermarket and road with ride-on toys. Plus a café with hot and cold food including breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
For more info, visit @dragonfliesdurham
📌 Grange Villa Community Centre, Chester-le-Street, Co Durham, DH2 3LN
Play sessions, dedicated baby area & oodles of outdoor space! There’s a packed programme of activities and events, including: 
Sensory snug Baby massage Messy play Baby rhyme and social Baby weaning sessions Breastfeeding group
👉 For more info, visit @dreambigroleplay
🎫 From £5 per 2h play session (sibling discounts available).
📌 South Road, Durham, DH1 3TN
Plant collections from around the world, including woodland, alpine, a bamboo grove, tropical rainforest plants, desert plants and Mediterranean plants. Also tropical bugs, scorpions, tarantulas and in spring-summer rare breed sheep.
👉 For more info, visit @durham.botanic.gardens
🎫 From £1.50-£4 pp (under 5s free)
📌 The Chapter Office, The College, Durham, DH1 3EH
Welcoming of all faiths and ages, with guided tours and regular toddler/family activities. Borrow a kid’s backpack with toys and games, and see the 300,000 brick Lego replica cathedral.
👉 For more info, visit @durhamcathedral
🎫 Free (donations welcome)
📌 Meadowfield Industrial Estate, Durham, DH7 8TZ
Catering for every level of climber, the Advanced area (ages 12+) has a good selection of routes in coloured circuits, the Junior wall has easier problems and gentle slopes. There are Parent and Toddler sessions on weekdays mornings on the Junior wall.
👉 For more info, visit @Durham Climbing Centre
🎫 From £4 (discounts with membership)
📌 Seaham Grange Industrial Estate, Seaham, Co Durham, SR7 0PU
Indoor playcentre with large soft play, separate toddlers areas and role play village, trampolines, football court, Go Karts, Tenpin Bowling and more!
👉 For more info, visit @funshack1
🎫 From £1-£12.50 pp (siblings under 1 year free)
**Toddler discount, weekdays 10am–3.30pm: £8.50 (term time).
**Kids Eat Free, after 3pm Mon-Fri term-time only (online bookings only, normal admission applies).
📌 Millennium Place, Durham, DH1 1WA
Cinema and theatre. Offering ‘relaxed performances’ of select shows, with a less formal environment where audiences can talk or move if needed and ‘chill out’ space available.
👉 For more info, visit @galadurham
📌 Lanchester, Durham, DH7 0TA
Over 700 acres with plenty to do, including: lamb feeding, donkey rides, baby chicks & rabbit handling, feed the animals, puppet shows, tractor & barrel train rides, crazy golf, outdoor play area, indoor soft play and tea room.
👉 For more info, visit @Hall Hill Farm
🎫 From £7.75 – £8.50pp (under 2’s: free)
*Opening hours vary seasonally, usually closed Nov-Jan apart from special events
📌 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
📌 Chester-Le-Street, Co Durham, DH7 6EY
50,000 ft2 of indoor play, including archery, roller skating, soft play & inflatables (toddler area, pole joust & obstacle course for ages 4+). Outdoor activities include fort with slide, mini karting track, pedal karts, zipline, sandpit, jumping pillows and real disused fire engine and helicopter.
👉 For more info, visit @holmsidepark
🎫 From £5-£12 pp (under 1s free)
Toddler Tuesday: £5 (includes 1 adult & 1 toddler, term time only)
📌 New Ferens Park, Co Durham, DH1 1GG
16,000 sq ft of trampolines, with tumble tracks, raised platforms and box sections. Under 6’s soft play area and Infinite Tots bounce sessions for age 6 months–5 years, family jump sessions and open sessions for age 6+. Plus indoor and outdoor Soccarena pitches.
👉 For more info, visit @infiniteairuk
🎫 From £8.50 pp
📌 No 1 Industrial Estate, Consett, Co Durham, DH8 6TW
Large 4-tiered soft play with slides, rope swings and high tower bridge. Separate toddler area with slides and tunnels, and a football pitch. Cafe serving snacks and main meals.
👉 For more info, visit @jumbojungleltd
🎫 From £4 (under 1 year free)
**Tuesday special: £4 entry with special guest characters
📌 Greencroft Industrial Park, Annfield Plain, Durham, DH9 7YB
Large 3-tiered soft play with ball cannons and astra slide, separate 2-tiered toddler area, enclosed baby area with toys and ball pit. Plus climbing wall, trampolines, electric go-karts and football/basketball area. Serving snacks and main meals.
👉 For more info, visit @krazykingdomdurham
🎫 From 50p-£4.95 (under 6 months free)
Toddler discount term-time weekdays
📌 Unit 53, Beveridge Way, Newton Aycliffe, DL5 4DU
Children’s role play centre that also offers weekly classes along with events and private parties for 0-7 years. Owned and ran by Nikki, local mam of 3 with an extensive education background.
👉 For more info, visit @Littlelandadventure
📌 The Louisa Centre, Front Street, Stanley, Co Durham, DH9 0TE
Four-tiered soft play with slippery slides, dizzy discs, rope climbs, climbing walls, splat pads and more. Plus separate two-tiered soft play for toddlers with tunnel, slide and ball pool. Baby area with soft shapes, toys and play house. Cafe serving snacks.
👉 For more info, visit @The Louisa Centre
🎫 From £3 per child
📌 Edwards Square, Chester-le Street, Co Durham, DH3 3QF
A range of activities and play equipment for 0-7 year olds (older siblings welcome), including baby area, role play, ride-on toys, crafts and messy play and compact soft play with slide and ball pit. Plus decked outdoor area offering the best of both worlds when the weather is fine, with water, sand and mud kitchen.
For more info, visit @moobears.cls
🎫 From £3.50-£5
📌 Meadowfield Industrial Estate, Meadowfield, Co Durham, DH7 8TZ
Our Early Years Role Play Centre offers an ideal opportunity for you to engage fully with your children, with Petite Coffee Shop offering delicious savoury and sweet treat items, teas, coffees and soft drinks.
👉For more info, visit @PetiteStreetPlaytown
🎫 From £3.50.
📌 29 & 30 Church Street, Seaham Harbour, Co Durham, SR7 7HQ
A non profit playcentre for babies and young toddlers. We have a large open space for parents with a mixture of tables, lounge areas and cosy carpet area. Weekly activities, such as stay & play, music & movement, baby disco, yoga, massage and more, plus special events for the whole family.
👉 For more info, visit @playdatesbabylounge
🎫 From £3.50. Monthly pass also available.
📌 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
📌 Chipchase Court, Seaham, Co Durham, SR7 0PP
Pottery painting, baby prints, 3d castings and silver jewellery.
👉 For more info, visit @rosebudceramics
📌 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
📌 The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co Durham DL12 8NP
A 19th century museum with fine and decorative arts, set in acres of parkland with childrens’ play area, including climbing frame, slide, bucket swing & balancing equipment.
👉 For more info, visit @TheBowesMuseum
🎫 From £5-£14 pp / Family from £30 (under 5s free)
Fees include unlimited entry all year around
📌 156a Front street, Chester-le-Street, Co Durham, DH3 3AY
A friendly, family ran, non-profit craft cabin. Make crafts to take home, including: pottery painting, slime making, sand art, wooden item painting & decorating, fabric bags and pencil case decorating, t shirts & much more! Plus themed events, after school club, parties and individual takeaway boxes for virtual parties.
👉 From £10 for 2h craft session
For more info, visit @artypartynortheast
Approx 18 months to teens – and adults
📌 18 Pease Road, North West Industrial Estate, Peterlee, Co Durham, SR8 2RD
Role Play Cafe for young children, with drop-in sessions, special events, birthday parties and mascot hire.
👉 For more info, visit @The Play Place
🎫 2h play session from £5.50 per child.
📌 Rennys Lane Ind Est, Gilesgate Moor, Durham, DH1 2RS
200m indoor go karting track with a disco atmosphere, including ultra violet tubes, strobes, spotlights, music and smoke machines. Competition sessions or basic open sessions, designed to just enjoy or to improve your racing techniques.
👉 For more info, visit @topgearkarting
🎫 From £20pp
Age 8+ (min height 4ft 2in)
📌 10 Morton Crescent, Houghton le Spring, Co Durham, DH4 6AL
An open plan learning & development facility and cafe, which allows for safe play for babies and toddlers in a calming and relaxing environment. Open ended all-wooden toys allowing children to create their own scenarios. Play sessions plus special events and regular activities such as coffee mornings, Breast Feeding Cafe, and Grandparents Social.
👉👉 For more info, visit @woodlandplaypatch
🎫 From £5 per 90 min session (babes in arms free).
📌 Washington, Co Durham, NE38 8LE
Rare wildfowl, flamingos, cranes and otters with talks, walks and animal feeding. Plus adventure playground with waterwheels, scramble nets and swings.
👉 For more info, visit @WWT Washington Wetland Centre
🎫 From £5.54-£9.72pp | Family from £26
