Beat School Holiday Boredom In North East England

Are you looking for top ideas to beat School Holiday Boredom In North East England

Tourism attractions in Durham have organised a packed summer of events to help children beat boredom during the upcoming school holidays. From children’s cookery schools to forest den building, storytelling sessions and arts workshops in country gardens, Durham is a great place to distract the children during the summer months.

Hamsterley Forest, Teesdale, Durham Dales

This vast forest and visitor centre is not just a superb picnic spot and mountain biking centre of excellence, it hosts superb children’s activities in July and August.

The 4th annual Hamsterley Forest Play Day is taking place in August and is perfect for bored kids who want to escape into the outdoors. Play day includes den building, mountain biking, zip wires, archery, drumming workshops and a Robin Hood story trail with Jack Drum Arts. It is advised to book to avoid disappointment as places are limited on many activities. For further details call: 01388 762 220. A toll ticket for the forest costs £3, under three’s go free on play day, children aged three and over £2.

Other events including arts and craft workshops, den building, mountain bike trail building and night time forest walks are also taking place in July and August.  For more details visit: www.visitcountydurham.com/site/whats-on

Beamish Museum

This award winning open air museum recreates the story of life in North East England during the 19th and 20th centuries and is a year round favourite with children. Grab a bag of pear drops at the sweet stop in the reconstructed 1913 market town and ride the authentic tram on route to attractions like Home Farm, Mahogany Drift Mine, The Colliery Village, Pockerley Manor and the Railway Station. www.beamish.org.uk
A family ticket for 2 adults and 2 children costs £46.

Crook Hall & Gardens, Durham City – Art in the Gardens

The popular exhibition of outdoor art returns to Crook Hall & Gardens, a 13th century medieval manor house and English country gardens, situated in the heart of Durham City. This August, children can explore innovative and exciting sculpture and exhibitions by local artists beside the moatpool and inside the maze, orchards and scented gardens.

Family ticket costs £16
Web: www.crookhallgardens.co.uk
Tel: 0191 384 8028

Summer Food Festival, Thorpe Farm Country Park, Barnard Castle

This brand new family-friendly food festival is showcasing the finest food producers in North East England as well as introducing children to the art of cooking. The Augill Castle cookery school will be on hand to run children’s cookery classes for young Heston’s and Delia’s, as well as pony rides, falconry displays and a children’s play area. Fortnum and Mason are also sending their famous toffee apple demonstrator to show children how to make and enjoy their own toffee apples.

Date: August 8-9
Times: 10am – 4.30 pm
Prices: Adults £7.50 with children under the age of 16 free
For more information and ticket log onto www.theglutton.co.uk or contact Prink Festivals on 0191 260 2262 or 0191 221 1221.

Killhope: North of England Lead Mining Museum, Weardale, Durham Dales – Children’s Archaeological dig

Killhope, a fantastic place to learn about mining, minerals, geology and precious metals is offering children the chance to be Indiana Jones for a day at a special archaeological dig on the 19th and 26th of July.

For more details and to book a place call: 01388 537 505, web: www.killhope.org.uk
Price: Adult £6.50, children £3.50

Toy Tales at The Bowes Museum

The Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle is hosting the exhibition, Toy Tales, celebrating 60 years of BBC children’s television characters, from Pinky and Perky to Postman Pat and The Flowerpot Men to the Teletubbies. Events in August include learning to create a digital animated story based on childhood memories, summertime stories in the museum gardens with storyteller Adam Bushnell and toy handling sessions with objects from the exhibitions.

www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk
Prices: £7 adults, children under 16 free

Events
Animated Toy Tales – August 7
Summertime Stories – August 13 – £2 adults, £1 children – booking advisable
Toy Handling sessions – August 11,18, 25 (children must be accompanied by an adult)
Tel: 01833 694 602

Toy Tales runs at the renowned art treasure house from May 9 to November 1.

Locomotion: Model Mania

The National Railway Museum at Shildon is holding a special exhibition of model planes, trains and automobiles from August 8-9, alongside its impressive collection of locomotives from around the world. The museum is currently home to the original steam engine from the popular 1960’s BBC Children’s TV programme The Railway Children.

Web: www.locomotion.uk.com
Telephone: (01388) 777999
Price: Free entry

For more general information: www.visitcountydurham.com