Things to do with the kids in Newcastle

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While a walk along the Tyne and an evening on the water may appeal to adults, the youngest members of your family can easily get bored. Tailoring your weekends to the young ones is a good way to avoid stress, tantrums, and general frustration. Thankfully, there are plenty of activities in Newcastle to keep both you and the children entertained.

Feed their imagination at a play café

This is our first choice for parents who don’t want to sacrifice their wind-down holiday time while letting the kids run wild. At the Hopscotch Play Cafe, adults are free to sit down and have a bite to eat while the kids explore five play areas across the cafe. Take a break from worrying about what they’re getting up to while you sit back and enjoy a chat and a cup of coffee. The cafe’s play areas are designed to wear the children out while they’re having fun, with a play gym and a den to discover. 

Discover the past at Newcastle Castle

As Newcastle’s namesake, Newcastle Castle is in the centre, overlooking the rest of the city. If your kids love to play ‘castle’, ‘knights’, ‘princesses’ or ‘dragon attack’, nothing will feed their imaginations quite like a real-life backdrop. Help them to defend the Black Gate or take on the role of adventurer as you descend into the depths of the Castle Keep. Residents rejoice: one ticket to the castle will last all year, and for a child, a real keep never gets old. 

Take a ride on a miniature railway

If your child loves trains - the steam-powered, coal-smoke, ‘choo choo’ kind - the Tyneside Society of Model & Experimental Engineers are designers of very tiny (and very entertaining) locomotives. If you catch them at the right time of year, you can hop on a ghost train or take the Santa Express to a Christmas grotto with the kids in tow. Keep an eye out to see when they’ll be running their trains - the rarity makes it more of a novelty! 

Engage your little scientists at the Life Science Centre

There’s no reason why science can’t be fun from a young age, and, luckily, Newcastle has the perfect place for that! That’s why parents searching for things to do with toddlers should consider the Life Science Centre; a working research hub running pre-school days for tots. Visit for a day of balancing, storytelling, crafting and even planetarium shows to expand your little one’s horizons. 

Let them blow off steam at soft play

For a child, there’s nothing quite like running wild at soft play. From making new friends to jumping, climbing, crawling and sliding their way through a jungle gym of new experiences, you can’t go wrong with the very best of indoor activities for kids. Newcastle has plenty of soft play centres throughout the city and its suburbs, such as Round the Twist, opening plenty of options for resident tots.

Pet the animals at a farm

Right in the centre of Newcastle, the Ouseburn City Farm accepts visitors with open arms (and no fees). The farm has a range of animals from cows and sheep to rodents and reptiles, making it perfect for the little animal lovers in your family. The farm is conveniently located in the city centre just north of the Tyne, putting it within the radius of a day trip into town. Once you’ve visited Ouseburn, there are plenty of other farms around Newcastle’s rural surroundings to explore as well, such as Bill Quay.

Give them pocket money at the market

The Quayside Market, dating back to 1736, is the perfect place to teach the kids about why money matters. Give them some pocket money and let them pick out what they want to buy (under supervision for safety!). With a range of independent vendors selling everything from food to crafts, the kids will have plenty of choice on how to spend their funds. It’s a wonderful learning experience to help them budget in future! 

Horse around with riding lessons

If your kid, no matter their age, is taking an interest in horses (or you simply want to pass on your own passion), a few riding lessons could be the perfect idea for a day out. Stepney Bank Stables is Newcastle’s horse riding-based charity, offering private and group sessions for both children and adults. Let them live out their dream as a horse rider for a few blissful sessions of dream fulfilment. Be warned, however: they’ll only become more horse obsessed for it! 

Let them become a monkey at Go Ape

Located in the wilds to the west of Newcastle, Matfen Go Ape awaits new challengers. Open from spring to autumn, Go Ape is a series of ziplines, climbing frames and treetop obstacle courses to help the kids channel their inner monkey. Suitable for 10-year-olds and up, Go Ape can be a wonderful party option for juniors or a fantastic thing to do in Newcastle with teenagers, especially while they’re at their thrill-seeking age. Matfen Go Ape is only 30 minutes away by car from Newcastle, perfect for residents venturing out on a sunny day. 

Get a hole-in-one at adventure golf

Adventure golf is one of the more traditional days out for children and teenagers both. Its popularity is rooted in a very simple explanation: it’s fun! Visit Treetop Golf in Gateshead to find a magical course full of strange fungi and glow in the dark props waiting to feed the kids’ imaginations. The best part about adventure golf is it’s a fun experience for adults and children alike, meaning there’s no need to sit back and stay out of it while the kids run wild!

Newcastle is a destination for everyone: from beautiful waterscapes to bridge walks and museums, you’re bound to find something to do whether you’re out with the kids or planning a date with your other half. 

If you can’t fill a weekend with everything you want to do in the city, why not check out our new build homes in Newcastle and move to your ideal destination? 

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