School kids have finished their academic year for the dreaded six-week holiday, what can parents do to keep their children busy over the summer?
Should they take them to Whitley Bay Playhouse for a spot of theatre or a pantomime? Or have a picnic down by the beach? We have compiled nine things you can do in North Tyneside and Newcastle to keep your children busy over the summer holidays.
1. Blue Reef Aquarium – Tynemouth
The aquarium on the seafront, in North Tyneside, will be hosting it’s very own ‘Dinosaur Day’ on August 10, with Pete the T-Rex being shown inside the aquarium.
Mark Sand, Marketing Manager, said:
“Customers will be able to meet the dinosaur and will be around the aquarium as part of the admission.”
Normal prices will still apply for the aquarium (£11.30 – Adult and £8.75 – Child). However, Sand had also said that there will be discounted prices if you booked online.
2. Tynemouth Longsands
North Tyneside has many tourist attractions for people to visit in their time in the area, one of which is their glorious beaches.
Tynemouth Longsands, just over a kilometre long, is one of the easiest beaches to get to in North Tyneside with Beach Road landing right on its doorstep. Spanning from Cullercoats to famous Tynemouth Rock Pool, it’s a popular destination for long beach walks, picnics and/or dog strolls.
However, there is bad news for dog owners. From May 1 to September 30, popular beaches in the district face dog bans; Tynemouth Longsands, Cullercoats and King Edwards Bay, Whitley Bay beach. Although, in this case, Longsands only has a partial ban. Meaning that dogs are still allowed on the beach, just around the north end.
Failure to comply with the ban will land you with a £100 on-the-spot fine.
3. Cullercoats Bay
Home to a Royal National Lifeboat Institution station in Cullercoats, the bay is an ideal place for families.
On the odd occasion that you are there, you will be able to stand and watch how the RNLI operate to save an unfortunate soul stuck out at sea. With quick access to the North Sea, you can watch as the crew spring into action safely from the sandy shores.
With a park above the bay on the south side and restaurants on the north, it has plenty to offer for families looking for a great day out.
For those who suffer from Cynophobia (fear of dogs), this beach would be the one for you as it operates a full ban on dogs entering the beach. So you can walk freely without any worry of a canine sniffing at your ankles.
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4. Segedunum
Segedunum is hosting it’s Hadrian Festival on August 10. It will give you the chance to get an insight into Roman times as well as the opportunity to get some hands-on experience at Archery.
Liz, a front of house member of staff, said:
“It will have stalls and someone who is Emperor Hadrian for the day, with his entourage.”
They currently have an offer for those who reside in the area of Wallsend, you will be able to gain free entry into the festival. However, if you don’t live in the area, prices will unfortunately still apply (£3.95 concession and £5.95 Adult).
5. Ice Skating – Whitley Bay Ice Rink
Home to the Whitley Bay Warriors ice hockey team, this rink is perfect for those who want to hone in on their ice skating skills or get better at it.
Suitable for all ages, with the chances of lessons that range from teaching children how to ice skate to training them up on how to play ice hockey, taught by Warriors skater, Rolands Grittans.
With two-hour time slots throughout the day, there is ample opportunity to watch your children zoom around the rink, or have them laugh at you when you fall onto the ice.
No skates? No worries, the rink offers a skate hire for £2.50 each, which adds onto the total of administration on entry. However, prices do vary entering the rink; £7 – Adult, £6.50 – Child and £1 for spectators.
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6. Odeon Cinemas – Silverlink Retail Park & The Metrocentre.
One place you will most definitely have to visit during the long haul to September is at least one Odeon Cinema.
With two cinemas to choose from, this could make the ideal place to go, to get a blast of fresh air away from the boring household chores. While at the same time, you and the children are swallowing handfuls of popcorn as you’re getting hooked into a film.
Although a series of films suitable for children may be getting released lately like Secret Life of Pets 2. It wouldn’t only benefit children, but it will also be worthwhile for the parents this year, with live-action remakes of Disney classics like Aladdin and The Lion King and watching the Toy Story franchise come to an end.
7. Life Science Centre
The Life Science Centre is holding an event that will last from the beginning and all the way to the end of the six week holidays. Game On 2.0 looks at how technology in gaming has improved over the years, giving players the chance to play on retro consoles from 1970.
Although you are playing old-style games like Donkey Kong and Pac-Man, the centre will hold a ‘futures’ exhibition to show you how gaming technology will improve with the likes of Virtual Reality making more and more advances into immersion for the avid gamer.
Although parents may face an endless battle to get the controller out of their kids’ hands, doing this will get them out of the house.
8. Discovery Museum
For those, both child and adult, that love to play with lego, this will be the one event you have to take yourself to.
The Museum will show you, through 50,000 mini lego bricks and built by Lego creator Steve Mayes, 45 innovations (through a 3D timeline) that the north region of the United Kingdom has made for its country and the world.
Even after you feel that you’re finished with the event, you can still look around the museum and marvel at many different areas of discovery, from maritime to scientific importance that the area brought to Britain.
This is the one for those who love lego and history.
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9. Stephenson Railway Museum
Last, but not forgotten, is a fun and long – four miles to be exact, journey that you and your family will be able to take on a hot summer day.
Riding on a heritage train, from the Railway Museum, it will take you on the same journey that the coal trains used to take on their way down from the collieries to the River Tyne.
However, they don’t only offer ‘Heritage Train Rides’. Throughout the summer, they will be hosting a variety of activities that will give you something to do every week. From a Vinyl Fun Fair to live music during Augusts bank holiday, there will be something for everyone.
In addition to this, there are no fees (adult or children) to hop on a train during the summer.