5 Of The Best Family Friendly Days Out in Yorkshire

This is a guest post by Jo Addison. Jo is a Mum of 2 little boys, Yorkshire born and bred, occasional marathon runner, dreamer and once RTW traveller. She blogs about holidays and days out for babies and toddlers at Kiddieholidays

I love getting out and about in Yorkshire with my 2 boys aged 5 and 2. There is so much to do and see – from world class museums, like the National Railway Museum in York, to the wild Yorkshire coastline in the East. I’ve lived in Yorkshire for most of my life, and these are some of my favourite places to visit for family days out.

A cave with long, thin stalactites hanging from the ceiling, above a wooden walkway where two people stand under a light, surrounded by dark rock walls—a hidden gem among 5 of the best family-friendly days out in Yorkshire.

1. Get underground and explore some caves – Mother Shipton’s Cave and White Scar Caves in the Yorkshire Dales are amazing opportunities to explore underground. Mother Shipton’s cave has 2 adventure playgrounds, a children’s trail and more importantly a tea room!

A maize field maze, one of the 5 Of The Best Family Friendly Days Out in Yorkshire, is viewed from a wooden platform. In the foreground, a cartoon maize character on a box invites people to "PUSH MY NOSE!" among tall green maize stalks.

2. Get lost in York Maze – Every year the maze has a different theme and last year it was based on Thunderbirds and took over a week to make! Once you’ve made it out of the Maze try out the Cobstacle Course, jump on the Jumping Pillow or climb the straw bale mountain.

A beached fishing boat rests on a sandy shore at low tide—one of 5 of the best family-friendly days out in Yorkshire. In the background, families and children play near the water, with cliffs and a partly cloudy blue sky overhead.

3. Have a day at the seaside – Our favourite beach is at Filey on the East Coast – there are donkey rides and plenty of rockpools around Filey Brigg and it’s really long so there is plenty of space for everyone. Have a trip to Scarborough afterwards and see the wonderful naval warfare battle in Peasholm Park.

A large ferris wheel stands near a tree-lined grassy park with a pond—one of 5 Of The Best Family Friendly Days Out in Yorkshire. Two swan-shaped pedalos glide on the water under a bright blue sky scattered with clouds.

4. Visit a theme park – Flamingo Land or Lightwater Valley are great theme parks in Yorkshire with lots of rides for big kids and smaller children alike.

A narrow canal with a moored tour boat on the right and a traditional canal boat entering a stone tunnel on the left, surrounded by brick buildings and greenery—an ideal scene for one of the 5 Of The Best Family Friendly Days Out in Yorkshire.

5. Standedge Tunnel – As one of the Seven Wonders of the Waterways, Standedge Tunnel is the longest canal tunnel in Britain. Go on a family friendly guided boat trip inside the tunnel, stop for a bite to eat in the cafe, and let kids jump, climb and explore the playground and wildlife garden. If it rains, you can try the free soft play facility in the exhibition centre!