Friday 31 July 2020

Treasure Trail

Hi Everyone,

We recently had our first try at a Treasure Trail Hunt. The trail is a self guided walk which led us around Seaburn starting near Roker Park and along to Whitburn. 

Along the way we were solving clues to identify a person and a weapon in our murder mystery themed trail. We absolutely loved the trail with  clues that are a good mix of skill levels. There are clues which are easy enough for the kids to get involved and some hard enough to make the adults think. It is sometimes hard to find activities to keep the whole family entertained but this certainly ticked that box.

The trail itself is very scenic and despite visiting Seaburn and Whitburn many times we have now discovered places we didn't know existed. We also had the pleasure of visiting and discovering different landmarks that we usually wouldn't pay too much attention to.

There is a fair amount of walking involved but it's easy to split the trail up and do it over 2 days if little legs start to get tired. Alternatively, there's plenty of places to stop for a picnic or a break along the route as you head along the coast. There are also two brilliant play areas enroute too within Roker park and Cornthwaite park.

We are really looking forward to trying more trails as there is a huge amount to choose from in different areas of the UK. This is a brilliant idea as it helps everyone to explore both locally and areas further afield. The directions given are fabulous so there is no need to worry about getting lost.

If you'd like to try a trail you can get one at a discounted price on the below link:

https://tidd.ly/2PaQ7Q1

For more information visit:

www.treasuretrails.co.uk

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Tuesday 28 July 2020

Tynemouth Park

Hi Everyone, 

There's lots of outdoor fun to be had at Tynemouth Park they have the Jungle Wipeout Inflatables back priced at £5 (book a slot on the day) , Lost World Adventure Golf from just £3 and Pirate Quest Maze just £2. (£1 extra for fun treasure map and prize)

Tynemouth Park itself also has a free play park, a lake, green areas and toilet facilities. It is also directly across the road from the beach making it an ideal spot for a full day out. On our last visit we even managed to see dolphins 😁


Sunday 26 July 2020

Big Kid Circus

Hi Everyone, 

We are so excited that BIG KID CIRCUS is back on tour and is coming to Whitburn Sunderland on the 5th August with an amazing offer of all seats for every performance for only £7.99. Due to limited capacity be sure to book early to avoid disappointment. 

We can't wait to go and support this wonderful circus! Click the link below for our review from last year's fantastic  show:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=741182169634480&id=674273372992027



Friday 24 July 2020

Gibside National Trust

Hi Everyone,

Today we visited Gibside National Trust for the first time since it had reopened. There is currently a new booking system in place to ensure the sites don't get too busy and I must say it worked wonderfully. We booked the 10:00-10:30am entry slot and it felt like we had the site to ourself.

We headed straight along the beautiful avenue (completing some wild challenges along the way) upto the stables and onto the play scape, which comprises of various wooden obstacles and objects to navigate round.

From there we headed to the low ropes challenge, this is a favourite spot of ours. Set in beautiful woodland you navigate various rope obstacles. We always time each other and see who can be the quickest to complete the challenge. The ropes are trickier than they appear and keep us entertained for a good while. We stayed here to enjoy our picnic on the table and benches.

After lunch, we headed to the den building area. Another favourite pass time of ours. We spent almost two hours on our creations today and they were pretty impressive, if I do say so myself.

We spent a full day here and didn't get round half of the site. We will keep the river walk, walled garden and geo-caching for our next visit.

The toilet facilities and cafe are open but the main playground and stables are still closed. This didn't take away at all from our day as there is so much to do at Gibside.

Gibside is chargeable but free for National Trust members. I couldn't recommend the benefits of a National Trust membership enough there are a huge amount of sites to visit and enjoy. We've found that the Scottish National Teust membership is cheaper and allows you into all the English sites. For more information on the National Trust Memberships follow the below link:

https://tidd.ly/3eZrU9X

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Thursday 23 July 2020

South Shields

Hi Everyone,

We just wanted to share some of the stunning views from the South Shields coast that we have capture during lockdown. We are very lucky living in an area with such beautiful sandy beaches, amazing rock pools teaming with wildlife and spectacular views. Sometimes it's easy to forget the beauty on our door steps.


Wednesday 22 July 2020

Kids Pass

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Hi everyone,

We've  recently signed upto Kids Pass and wanted to let you know that there are hundreds if not thousands of offers available through them including free child entry to Tynemouth Aquarium, free kids meals,discounts on cinema tickets and theme parks including Diggerland as well as savings on online shopping at The Entertainer (Great for a particular winter holiday that is fast approaching).

You can join Kids Pass for £1 which will give you 30 days access and monthly membership starts at £2.99

Click the link to find out more

https://tidd.ly/2ZOtWoN


Tuesday 21 July 2020

Finchale Priory

Hi Everyone,

We visited Finchale Priory on Sunday and wow what a beautiful place it is. The area is free to visit but there is a very reasonable £3 all day parking charge.

The priory itself is large with lots of ruins to explore, it reminded us alot of Fountains Abbey. The kids loved being able to run around and explore all the different areas. There is also a large grass area surrounding the ruins which is perfect for taking a break and enjoying the views.

The priory is connected to a woodland walk by crossing a bridge over a stunning section of the river wear. The woodland walk is very picturesque taking the path to the right hand side will lead you to lots of different routes to take. In this section there are plenty of tree climbing opportunities and we  found a tree swing which we thoroughly enjoyed. You can even have a splash in the river or just relax on the sandy river banks.

The path to the left of the bridge is a straight narrow walk along the river with some very sweet looking pigs near the end. It is a lovely walk but can be restrictive if people are trying to pass. 

We arrived for opening time and the area was fairly quiet which made it very easy to maintain social distancing but by the afternoon the area really started to get busy. We definitely recommend arriving early or later in the day so you can enjoy the priory and walks. Very importantly the toilets facilities and the cafe kiosk were open.


Saturday 18 July 2020

Plessey Woods and Northumberlandia

Hi Everyone,

Today we visited Plessey Woods Country Park, this is a firm family favourite but it was extra special today as the play area, toilets and cafe have now reopened.

We arrived at around 10am and the playground was fairly quiet. We had no problems enjoying the fab equipment that has been recently re-built. The play park would suit a range of ages from little ones upto around 12.

After enjoying a play, we headed into the woods and enjoyed the trails taking in the sculptures along with tree climbing and having a paddle in the river. We took the scenic route into the Blagden Estate which takes you along the river path. It was very peaceful and we even spotted a lovely family of ducks.

When we emerged from the woods at around 2pm the playground and visitor centre was a lot busier so we decided to head along to Northumberlandia.

Northumberlandia is a very quirky and unique tourist spot. It takes you on a lovely walk around a lady carved into the landscape. Along the walk there are lots of viewing points to see the beautiful countryside. The kids loved being able to climb onto the top of the various body parts.

There is also a woodland trail to be enjoyed, which included areas for den building, stepping stones and wooden sculptures to enjoy along the route, all under an amazing woodland canopy.

When we arrived at Northumberlandia there was a few people milling around but its so spacious keeping a distance wasn't a problem. We had lots of opportunities to admired the views undisturbed. The cafe and toilets are also open with picnic tables dotted throughout the site.

We had a wonderful full day out at these two amazing outdoor sites. We would definitely recommend visiting earlier or later in the day to avoid busy periods and the combo definitely worked well for us.


Beamish Museum

 Hi Everyone, 

Some exciting news from Beamish Museum!

Beamish is set to reopen 23rd July, entry will be by pre-booked timeslot for ALL visitors (including Friends of Beamish members and Unlimited Pass holders). Tickets will be available on their website from Monday, 20th July at 10am.






📷 Beamish Museum

Tuesday 14 July 2020

Ultimate Activities List

Hi Everyone,

Alot of people have been asking about places to take the kids over the summer holidays so we have created a new guide of places and activities all spilt into areas so you can pick from where is local to you. As more and more places and businesses are opening up over the coming weeks we have included some places that are currently closed but may open during the summer so please do check before heading out.

Due to the current situation please stick to social distancing guidelines and try to plan your visits to avoid peak times and have a back up plan incase where you visit is too busy.

As always this is not a complete list and is subject to change. If you know of any places not included please let us know so we can update our list.

Below are the links to all our past reviews that are highlighted in yellow on the guide:

Derwent Waterside Park


Tyne Green Park 


Bolam Lake


Richardson Dees Park


Treetop Nets


Saltwell Park


Bowlees and Highforce Waterfalls


Wallington National Trust


Gibside National Trust


Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art


Spilmans Farm


Plessy Woods


Stephenson Steam Railway


Web Adventure Park


Safari Zoo


Fountains Abbey


Ouseburn Farm


RSPB Saltholme


Whitworth Hall Hotel and Deer Park


Jesmond Dene


Knowsley Safari Park


Life Science Centre


Carlisle Park


Tilesheds Nature Reserve


Herrington Country Park






Saturday 11 July 2020

Derwent Waterside Park

Hi Everyone,

We had a very fun visit to Derwent Waterside Park today. The play park, toilets, cafe and shop are all fully open now and we had no problem with social distancing in the play park, as long as children are supervised there should be no issues as the play area is situated within a large field and quite well spaced out. There are rules for play at the entrance of the park and hand sanitiser. 

If the play area does become  too busy there is a beautiful walk you can take around the reservoir which has some stunning views. There is plenty of space for bikes and scooters along the route. 

If you would like to read more about Derwent Waterside Park please see our full review from our previous visit



Tuesday 7 July 2020

Tyne and Wear Museums

Hi Everyone,

Tyne and Wear museums have released dates of their phased reopenings. They will be operating with a limited capacity to aid social distancing and some locations will need pre-booking so do check the individual museums websites before going.



Monday 6 July 2020

Tyne Green Park

Hi Everyone,

At the weekend we visited Tyne Green Park in Hexham this was a first visit for us after receiving a recommendation from a friend.

It took just under an hour from South Shields to get there. When we arrived there were plenty of free car parking spaces which was great.

We headed straight to the play area which firstly, was open and  well equipped. There is also alot of outdoor fun equipment which has a  ninja warrior feel to it, the kids loved. 

The park was very quiet so we had it to ourselves but the equipment is quite spaced out so social distancing wouldn't be too much of an issue when children are supervised.

Very importantly, the toilet facilities were open and were directly opposite the play area which is ideal. There was also a lovely ice cream van and even a mobile barber van!

Tyne Green Park also boasts a lovely walk along the Tyne which is perfect for bikes and scooters. There was vasts amounts of open green space with picnic tables dotted about. They even have a professional golf course.

We spent a lovely few hours  here and Hexham is a beautiful town so you could easily make it a full day out.


Saturday 4 July 2020

Butterfly World

Hi Everyone,

The lovely Butterfly World at Preston Park will re-open today (4th July) and tickets can be purchased on the door with no need to pre-book.

Full details about the re-opening and the social distancing measures they have in place can be found on the below link:


(photo credit butterfly World)