Things to do in North Yorkshire with my 9 year old

Things to do in North Yorkshire with my 9 year old

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james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,332 posts

204 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
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At the end of April, I'm having a Daddy/Daughter weekend with my 9 year old - I'm trying to think of ideas that we can do together that will be fun. She's an active girl, but she also enjoys the theater and I am wanting to do something special for us both (she's a proper Daddy's girl).

So far I've had to rule out go karting (she's too young for some of the places I've seen) and Go Ape as she's not old enough for the bigger bits and she'd be bored with the smaller bits (she's recently done an adventure weekend with school and loved it).

I'm in Harrogate so I'm pretty open to travelling within Yorkshire, but not really for a 2 hour trek somewhere - Any ideas welcome.

Thanks

JTW

ellroy

7,248 posts

232 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
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What about that secret garden place? That's relatively close to you i think?

Mammasaid

4,324 posts

104 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
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ellroy said:
What about that secret garden place? That's relatively close to you i think?
Forbidden Corner, my 8yo loves it!

http://www.theforbiddencorner.co.uk/

Try also Flamingo Land near Ripon

http://www.flamingoland.co.uk/

Boating on the Nidd at Knaresborough






james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,332 posts

204 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
quotequote all
Good shouts there - I might try the garden as I've been to Flamingo land. I'll give her the choice though smile

Mammasaid

4,324 posts

104 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
quotequote all
james_tigerwoods said:
Good shouts there - I might try the garden as I've been to Flamingo land. I'll give her the choice though smile
If you like weird stuff, it's great.



Zonergem

1,368 posts

99 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
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Minor correction: Lightwater Valley is the amusement park near Ripon, FlamingoLand is between Malton and Pickering over in Ryedale.

Another vote for the Forbidden Corner.

The Tour de Yorkshire bike race is whizzing around Harrogate/Ripon/Masham on the last Saturday of April (Bank Holiday weekend). 3 day race for the men and there's the 1 day women's race on the Saturday - Tadcaster to Harrogate. Could watch that go whizzing past (start or finish, or maybe up a hill to see the climbing - might inspire the next generation of Laura Trotts). There's mountain bike trails at Sutton Bank and in Dalby Forest if you get that far over. Also, of course, the North York Moors railway.

Edited by Zonergem on Thursday 30th March 14:19

james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,332 posts

204 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
quotequote all
Mammasaid said:
james_tigerwoods said:
Good shouts there - I might try the garden as I've been to Flamingo land. I'll give her the choice though smile
If you like weird stuff, it's great.


Is that the forbidden corner?? smile

ben5575

6,642 posts

228 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
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Mammasaid said:
If you like weird stuff, it's great.

Another vote for Forbidden Corner. The ticketing system is not straight forward though.

York Maze http://www.yorkmaze.com/ is also very good. Not to be confused with Maise Maze, which isn't. Sadly it opens in mid july so no good for now, but definitely worth a trip in the summer.

Brimham Rocks is very good for outdoors/climbing. Local to you so I'm sure you've already done it. You also only pay to park. https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g1...

Thorpe Perrow Arboretum. Sounds dull but it is beautiful and gentile. Has some play equipment and an excellent falconry centre. One for mild/good weather and exploring. My 7yo daughters favourite place. https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g1...

Mammasaid

4,324 posts

104 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
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james_tigerwoods said:
Is that the forbidden corner?? smile
Yep, as is this!



james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,332 posts

204 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
quotequote all
ben5575 said:
Mammasaid said:
If you like weird stuff, it's great.

Another vote for Forbidden Corner. The ticketing system is not straight forward though.

York Maze http://www.yorkmaze.com/ is also very good. Not to be confused with Maise Maze, which isn't. Sadly it opens in mid july so no good for now, but definitely worth a trip in the summer.

Brimham Rocks is very good for outdoors/climbing. Local to you so I'm sure you've already done it. You also only pay to park. https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g1...

Thorpe Perrow Arboretum. Sounds dull but it is beautiful and gentile. Has some play equipment and an excellent falconry centre. One for mild/good weather and exploring. My 7yo daughters favourite place. https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g1...
Not done Brimham rocks to be fair....

I'll give them a shot though - I have a 5 year old boy who isn't with me that weekend, but I think it's worth a look at Easter for us smile

battered

4,088 posts

154 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
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Brimham is a great idea. Try also exploring the undergrowth at the bottom of Sutton Bank (base of the cliffs there), it's like the Lost World of Arthur Conan Doyle. Call it a dinosaur hunt, take a picnic and have an adventure. It's limestone, you might even find some small fossils.

Vaud

52,399 posts

162 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
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Wacky Racer

38,989 posts

254 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
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james_tigerwoods said:
Not done Brimham rocks to be fair....

I'll give them a shot though - I have a 5 year old boy who isn't with me that weekend, but I think it's worth a look at Easter for us smile
Brimham Rocks (NT) is well worth a visit, but be careful if you do take young kids, they like to scramble all over them (understandable), but I've seen plenty of broken arms, and worse over the years, as they can be quite slippy in the wet.

Other suggestions:-

Middleham Castle and Castle Bolton.

A ride on the Wensleydale steam railway.

Ryedale folk museum

North York Moors railway

The (excellent) car museum at Thornton le dale.

http://www.mathewsons.co.uk/museum

Hardraw Force near Hawes.... England's highest waterfall.

Dent village.





Planet Claire

3,349 posts

216 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
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If you go to the Forbidden Corner (it's good) then you need to pre-book, don't just turn up otherwise you'll be disappointed.

York would be a good day out. The Jorvik Viking Centre is reopening after the floods on April 8th, and of course there's the wonderful National Railway Museum. Elsewhere in the city there's the Minster and The Shambles and lots of other museums.

Towards Leeds there's the Royal Armouries (maybe more for boys), and in Bradford the National Science and Media Museum.

The coast isn't too far - The North York Moors Railway, Whitby...

Gardens wise, then there's RHS Harlow Carr and if you're coming up in the Easter Holidays then there may well be events on for children. Other gardens around and about include Harewood House (has a bird garden) and Castle Howard.

james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,332 posts

204 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
quotequote all
Am really appreciative of these suggestions - thank you

I will say, however, that we've done the armouries and both my 5 and 9 year old lasted 3 hours there - it's officially brilliant. I'm planning on going back for the jousting smile

Vaud

52,399 posts

162 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
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If it rains, then Billy Bobs has a big play area for most ages...

http://www.billybobsparlour.com and the food is pretty good. Could combine with Skipton Castle and a narrow boat trip.

Duke147

629 posts

155 months

Friday 31st March 2017
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Billy Bob's is great, but gets busy, so worth having a plan B for there.
A reasonable shout might be Malham. Went there recently and enjoyed the cove, tarn and the limestone pavement at the top (convinced my kids that the gaps were where the trolls lived). This time last year we went up to Tan Hill for a meal and the owner had taken in some lambs and we ended up feeding the two lambs for a couple of hours. Not a huge drive, either. I live in Knaresborough, so not a million miles from you.
There's also Tropical World in Leeds - more of a rainy day actightly.

Vaud

52,399 posts

162 months

Friday 31st March 2017
quotequote all
Duke147 said:
Billy Bob's is great, but gets busy, so worth having a plan B for there.
A reasonable shout might be Malham. Went there recently and enjoyed the cove, tarn and the limestone pavement at the top (convinced my kids that the gaps were where the trolls lived). This time last year we went up to Tan Hill for a meal and the owner had taken in some lambs and we ended up feeding the two lambs for a couple of hours. Not a huge drive, either. I live in Knaresborough, so not a million miles from you.
There's also Tropical World in Leeds - more of a rainy day actightly.
Hesketh Farm should be open as well above Bolton Abbey. Also good rainy day material.

DoctorX

7,546 posts

174 months

Friday 31st March 2017
quotequote all
Duke147 said:
Billy Bob's is great, but gets busy, so worth having a plan B for there.
A reasonable shout might be Malham. Went there recently and enjoyed the cove, tarn and the limestone pavement at the top (convinced my kids that the gaps were where the trolls lived). This time last year we went up to Tan Hill for a meal and the owner had taken in some lambs and we ended up feeding the two lambs for a couple of hours. Not a huge drive, either. I live in Knaresborough, so not a million miles from you.
There's also Tropical World in Leeds - more of a rainy day actightly.
Gets busy is an understatement, absolutely heaving every time I've popped in. Forbidden Corner is great for kids and adults and gets my vote but I agree with the earlier poster that Thorpe Perrow is great.

roystinho

3,767 posts

182 months

Saturday 1st April 2017
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Duke147 said:
Billy Bob's is great, but gets busy, so worth having a plan B for there.
A reasonable shout might be Malham. Went there recently and enjoyed the cove, tarn and the limestone pavement at the top (convinced my kids that the gaps were where the trolls lived). This time last year we went up to Tan Hill for a meal and the owner had taken in some lambs and we ended up feeding the two lambs for a couple of hours. Not a huge drive, either. I live in Knaresborough, so not a million miles from you.
There's also Tropical World in Leeds - more of a rainy day actightly.
We've stopped going to Billy Bobs, went a few weeks ago when it wasn't too busy, they wouldn't let us into the barn as we hadn't had a full sit down meal, just ice creams and coffees. So if you want to go in the barn it'll cost you about £50 instead of the £1 it used to be.

Hesketh farm is good, and then you can also go down to the river at Bolton Abbey and for a walk through the woods and over the stepping stones