50+ Family Walks & Trails to try across North East England

My posts featuring family walks and trails are some of my most popular and they are the posts that are shared the most often across the year.

I thought it would be handy to round them all up in one post. If you are ever looking for this post, just look for the walks and trails category in the drop-down category list at the top of this blog.

Essentials for Family Walks 

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• These travel foldable waterproof seat mats are ideal for sitting down if it's been raining and the grass / bench are wet. Nothing worse than a wet bum! 
  
  
• I love these Wildlife Guides for Kids  - ideal for learning more about the plants and insects you spot on your walk 
  
  
• This bug hunting kit for little ones comes with a backpack, magnifying glass, net, flashlight and more and is really reasonably priced. 
  
  
• These insulated water bottles for kids are ideal for little ones and will keep their water nice and cool 
  
  
• If you are looking to save money, take a flask of coffee rather than visiting a cafe. Here are some nice flasks/leak proof mugs worth investing in. 
  
  
• Again, if you want to take snacks with you, I really like this snack storage box for kids and these are an absolute bargain - I use them to make DIY lunchables 
  
  
• You can't trust the British weather and it's always handy to have a pac-a-mac in your bag 

Let me know if there are any other walks or trails we should try and add to the list.

• 10 Easy Coastal Walks in North East England
• 11 Woodland Walks to try across North East England 
• 10 of the Best Family Walks with Playgrounds & Cafes Nearby

Hamsterley Forest

• 10 Magical Winter Walks for Children in North East England 
• 13 Pushchair-Friendly Walks to try across North East England 
• My Favourite Short Walks in North East England

Rothbury Riverside Walk 

• The Snowdrop Trail at Howick Hall 
• Nature Trail at Derwent Waterside Park  
• Cheeseburn Sculpture Garden Trail 
• Rothbury Riverside Walk and Playground 
• Durham Heritage Coast Walks

Plessey Woods

• Gruffalo / Shaun the Sheep Trail at Kielder 
• Thornley Woodland Centre Sculpture Trail 
• Plessey Woods Sculpture Trail
• Northumberlandia - Climb the Lady of the North

Ladyburn Lake

• Ladyburn Lake Walk at Druridge Bay Country Park 
• Craster to Dunstanburgh Walk 
• Belsay Hall Garden Walk 

Fontburn Reservoir 

• Fontburn Reservoir Walk & Play Park 
• Whitley Bay to St Marys Island Walk 
• 5 Short Walks around Newcastle City Centre 

Rising Sun Country Park

• Rising Sun Country Park | A Pushchair & Dog-friendly Walk  
• A 3 hour walk around Fountains Abbey 
• Durham Fire & Ice Trail (February Half Term)
• Roseberry Topping 

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A Monthly Bucket List for North East Families

This post will share some of the best events for families taking place across North East England this year. Time to grab your diary and get planning! If there is a must-visit annual event I have missed from the list, please let me know.

Click on the blue links to learn more about each event and always double-check details with event organiser before setting off as events can change.

Bird-friendly Reindeer Food Recipe

These recipes have been adapted from the RSPB website. They recommend NOT using glitter as it is damaging to wildlife.

These snacks can be made at home using store-cupboard ingredients, are a brilliant Christmas activity to get the kids involved with and can be safely enjoyed by all of the wildlife in your garden - not just reindeer.

Gutterball Royal Quays Review

Ad -  We were invited along to press night. Prices correct December 2019. 

As a former North Tyneside resident, Star Bowl at Royal Quays used to be a regular haunt of ours. We LOVED it when it first opened but have to say, it did go downhill over the years and right before it closed I am sure they never turned the heating on to save money as it was always freezing and put us off going!

The Best Santa Experiences in North East England

Over the past 13 years, we have visited many, many Santas. In our house, we believe that you only meet the real Father Christmas once and you never know when that will be. All of the others are just helpers.

While I do believe that we shouldn't put too much pressure on ourselves to book the best Santa or feel like we have to, it is still a question that comes up time and time again so I thought I would share my thoughts on who I think is the best.

Christmas & Santa at Cragside Review

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We visited Cragside over my birthday weekend in December and had such a lovely day. Cragside is open daily throughout December and I honestly think a visit is going to be an annual tradition for us now.

It is one of those days out where there is something for everyone and it isn't all just about the kids. There are beautiful decorations to admire, choirs to listen to, roaring fires, beautiful winter walks to enjoy, delicious food, gifts to buy and if you are lucky, a visit to see the main man himself too. 

The Mill House Birtley Menu & Review

Ad - We were invited along to their pre-opening launch 

The Mill House in Birtley has re-opened! Their new owners are the team behind The Woodsman's Arms which features as one of our best Sunday Lunches in the North East so we were very much looking forward to taking a peek inside.

A Viking Christmas Review & Top Tips

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A Viking Christmas is a brand new festive show for Northumberland showing at Queen's Hall Arts, Hexham from 13 December - 28 December 2019. Over 2500 tickets have been sold already and tickets are available from just £10.

Use code ‘NEFF10’ to access £10 tickets to any performance - click here to buy tickets

How to Plan a Slower December

This post was published in 2019. 

October - December is my busiest work period. It also happens to be the busiest time of year for parents and with three kids, my diary is packed out with events I need to keep track of.

No Uniform Days, Movie Nights, Christmas performances, Church services, Christmas Parties, Panto Trips, Christmas Lunches, Shoebox Appeals, Early Finishes, Late Finishes, Book Fairs.......My head is spinning!

Steve works 9am-7pm and as I work from home, I am naturally the default parent too so the meal planning, food shopping, pet care, cleaning, gift planning, budgeting, buying & wrapping tends to lie with me too. It is rather stressful!

20 Christmas Eve Events for Kids in North East England

I love hearing about Christmas Eve traditions. We love to stay at home, eat loads of food and drink plenty of fizz whilst watching Christmas TV but I know lots of you like to plan a special outing so I thought I would put together a little guide to a few Christmas Eve events taking place this year.