Step Into Xmas Cramlington & Metrocentre

This is an advert for November 2022. Any shares / edits beyond this date have not been asked or paid for. This post is based on a visit to Step Into Xmas Cramlington in November 2022 which is also when the photos in this post were taken.  

Step Into Xmas is a premium Christmas Tree Buying Experience set across two convenient locations in North East England. I absolutely LOVE our tree from here and will actually go as far as to say that it is genuinely the best tree we've ever had. 

Like many, I struggled to get into the festive spirit this year but I can hand on heart say that going to pick out a lovely real tree with the family and then decorating it at home with our festive playlist playing and a Christmas buffet afterwards really got us all feeling Christmassy. FINALLY! 

Christmas Tree Brownies Recipe

This post has been published by Steve. 

Brownies are one of my favourite bakes. The are very easy, super quick and so delicious. For Christmas I decided to jazz them up a bit and turn them into happy little christmas trees. This recipe will make 6 large brownies which are ideal for leaving out for Santa, as a Christmas Movie Night Snack or after school treat. 

Festive Walks & Trails for Winter 2023

Today's post is a list of festive walks and trails you can try across Winter 2023 

There's not one, not two but three Ice Sculpture Trails taking place in the North East this Winter: 

Saltburn Ice Sculpture Trail (FREE)

Taking place on 17 December, this FREE drop in trail includes 9 Ice Sculptures to find - each revealing a secret you will need to complete the trail.

There will be plenty of festive entertainment across the day including free drop-in letter writing workshops (and a special ice postbox), walk about acts and live ice sculpting. Dogs on leads welcome.  Find out more here. 



Darlington Ice Sculpture Trail (FREE)

At time of publishing, there is minimal info available but Enjoy Darlington have mentioned to save the 3rd and 10th December for the return of their ice trail. More details should be announced soon. Dogs on leads welcome.  Find out more here. 

Sunderland Ice Sculpture Trail (FREE)

Magical Music Trail in Hexham (FREE) 

Beamish Circular / Elf Woods (included with admission) 

The walk around Beamish Museum is around 2 miles circular (a little longer if you take detours to the different areas) and a nice way to take in the festive sights and sounds of the past and get into the Christmas mood.

Alternatively, for a shorter walk, why not wander though Elf Woods and look out for all of the elves who are hiding there. Christmas Daytimes at Beamish run from 26 Nov - 24 Dec and visits no longer need to be booked in advance. Dogs on leads welcome in the grounds.  Find out more here. 

An Elf for Christmas Trail at Land of Oak and Iron (suggested donation of £3 per child) 

From 5 Dec - 3 Jan, visitors can collect an Elf for Christmas Trail Sheet. Find and name all of the elves and you will be rewarded with an 'Elf for Christmas' finger puppet activity to take home.

Once at home, you can create your own finger puppet and enter their competition to win a prize. Dogs on leads welcome. Find out more here. 


12 Days of Christmas at Raby Castle Deer Park (included with admission) 

We love a walk around Raby Castle Deer Park and this year they are hosting a 12 Days of Christmas Trail in their grounds from 26 Nov - 24 Dec. Included with admission, visitors can follow the clues using lyrics from the famous song in a natural winter wonderland. Dogs on leads welcome. Find out more here.


Winter Wanderers' Trail at Seaton Delaval Hall (included with NT membership / admission) 

Take a stroll around the gardens, find all of the festive stars and become a winter nature detective with this drop in trail available between 3 Dec and 8 Jan during normal opening hours (do check for seasonal opening times online before heading out). Dogs on leads welcome. Find out more here. 


Festive Snowflake Trail at Northumberlandia (£3 per trail) 

There is a self-led Festive Snowflake Trail at Northumberlandia on 10&11 / 17&18 December. Download the trail to your phone and hunt for the snowflakes in the woodland whilst solving the wildlife clues. On completion of the trail, you can collect a small chocolate treat from the cafe as your reward. Dogs on leads welcome. Find out more here. 


Christmas Present Hunt in Cragside's Formal Gardens (included with NT membership / admission) 

Head to Cragside's Formal Gardens and search for six Christmas gifts which have accidentally fallen from Santa's Sleigh as he was practicing his loop-de-loops over Cragside. Drop in from 3 Dec - 2 Jan during opening hours (Cragside is closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). Dogs on leads welcome. Find out more here. 


Ollie Owl's Winter Trail at Wallington (included with NT membership / admission) 

Follow 10 trail boards around East Woods and discover what different animals get up to in Winter time. Available on a drop in basis from 1 Dec - 8 Jan during opening hours (check seasonal opening hours online before you visit). Dogs on leads welcome. Find out more here. 



Wild Welly Walks at WWT Washington (included with admission) 

From 2 Dec - 29 Jan, you can take part in a Wild Welly Walk at WWT Washington. Pick up a guide on arrival and complete the challenges as you go including spotting wild birds and making a stick person. Once complete, you can show your guide to the cafe team and collect a complimentary cookie as your reward. No pet dogs permitted. Find out more here. 


Cullercoats Community Advent (free) 

Each evening from 1 - 24 December, a new Christmas window will be unveiled in Cullercoats. You can follow the community advent trail through the village and enjoy the festive displays. This event is free and drop in. Dogs on leads welcome.  Find out more here. 


Elf Trail at Hamsterley Forest (£3 per trail) 

An Elf Trail will be available at Hamsterley Forest as part of their Christmas Festival Weekend on 10 & 11 December. Trails cost £3 per person and everyone who completes the trail will receive a complimentary Hot Chocolate at the end. Dogs on leads welcome.  Find out more here. 


Christmas in Sunderland AR Trail (free / charity donations) 

Hunt for several charity stockings across the city and watch as they are brought to life with augmented reality technology. Dogs on leads welcome. Find out more here. 

20 Dog Friendly Christmas Events in North East England

This post shares some of the places you can enjoy a festive day out with your dog. I hope you find it helpful. Please note, dogs will need to be kept on a lead for all of these events and some events are likely to be busy which you should take into account. 

 
Cullercoats Community Advent Trail 

The Cullercoats Community Advent Trail runs from 1 - 24 December and will be a lovely option for a nice wholesome walk with the family, including your four-legged friend. A new window is revealed each day so you could visit more than once. Find out more here. 

There are lots of dog friendly pubs nearby to warm up afterwards including The Queen's Head in Cullercoats. 

Christmas Daytimes at Beamish 

Concordia Swimming Pool Review

This post is based on info from November 2022. Please check with Active Northumberland for the most up to date info. 

Concordia Leisure Centre is just a 10 minute stroll from my house in Cramlington. It's where I learned to swim when I was a child, where I took my own children for their first dip and where I now visit weekly for a swim myself.

It's often recommended as a good pool to visit with kids in our Facebook group so I thought it was about time I shared a review myself. 

Some of the photos in this post are credit: Active Northumberland and may be from before the pool's refurbishment but it pretty much looks the same now (I think it was just the tiles that were changed).  

Gift Vouchers & Experiences for Families

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If you're looking to buy an experience gift this year, hopefully this list will provide some inspiration. The price categories in this post are based on an a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 kids aged 5+) and may vary depending on your family make up.

When buying vouchers / annual passes, check the ages of the children you are buying for as they may receive free admission depending on their age so won't need to be included in the pass.

An Inspector Calls Review

AD - We were provided with press tickets 

Where does the time go? I remember studying An Inspector Calls as my GCSE text back in the year 2000. It seems like just yesterday we were taking it in turns to read the lines out in class.

Fast forward to 2022 and now Harry is following in my footsteps. He's now in year 11 and also studying An Inspector Calls as one of his GCSE texts. He is studying for his mocks at the moment and it all seems so real now. 

Harry and I were lucky enough to watch An Inspector Calls a few years ago but his teacher had strongly recommended we see the performance again as a refresher (either ourselves or as part of a school trip) so Harry popped along on opening night with my brother Mark who had not seen the show before and did not know the story. 

Where to Watch the World Cup with Kids (in North East England)

Thanks so much for everybody's suggestions and recommendations for this post. If you know of any other venues, just leave a comment and I will add them to this post when I can. 

It's worth noting that most pubs require U18s off premises by 9pm as a condition of their license. There are very few exceptions so it's best to assume that this will be the case at all of the bars/pubs in this list. 

Most of the England matches seem to kick off at 7pm so this should just give you enough time to see the whole game (let's hope extra time is kept to a minimum!).

What's On for Kids & Teens - November 2022

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Has the pandemic changed our eating out habits?

 This is an advert for October 2022. Any edits / shares beyond this date have not been asked or paid for. 

I think it's fair to say that the pandemic changed all of our lives in some way.

For us, we decided to prioritise finally getting around to fixing things that needed doing in our house and having so much quality time together and Steve switch to working from home helped us to come to the decision that it was time for Steve to leave his employed job and join North East Family Fun as a partner (we haven't looked back). 

Cragside Play Area

Thanks to our writer Bethanie for this post which was based on a visit in October 2022. Always check with venues direct for the most up to date info. 

This post is the first in a new series where I am going to share updated information and photos featuring the playgrounds at different National Trust sites across the North East.