Things to Do with Kids in Whitby

We adore Whitby and one reason for this is that there is always something to do for the entire family, whatever the weather! I have been asked on many occasions what there is in Whitby and the surrounding areas for children to do specifically, so here is a list of recommended options:

brilliant sandy beaches
beaches for fossil hunting and paddling in rock pools (our son's favourite)
donkey rides
Whitby Abbey.....don't go with a buggy as it's 199 steps!!
the North York Moors Railway steam trains from Whitby to Pickering are great fun and go through Goathland which was in the first Harry Potter film and famous for Heartbeat (if you remember that) http://www.nymr.co.uk/
'Paint a Pot' for wet days http://www.doodlepots.co.uk/
amusement arcades and a soft play centre for wet days
Charlotte the charabanc can be found near the ramp down to the Whitby beach and band stand. A short trip round Whitby is great for kids! http://www.whitbysteambusandcharabanc.co.uk/
Pannett Park is opposite the apartment complex and has a brilliant pirate themed playground
great 30 minute boat trips on the Whitby Endeavour...which is a replica gallion and we tell our son is a pirate ship ;) http://www.endeavourwhitby.com/

The things above are all in Whitby and easy to access by foot from the apartment. Our Whitby Pad apartment had Families Welcome accreditation from Quality in Tourism, which means that you should have confidence that it will meet the needs of your family.

There are also things you can do further afield (although you might want to check out their websites to see if would suit your children before you venture out:

Ryedale Folk Museum http://www.ryedalefolkmuseum.co.uk/
Scarborough (about 30 minutes away and a bit overrated in my view, but has some nice beaches)
Flamingo Land theme park...brilliant for children over the age of about 4 as there are many height restrictions. The Tourist Information shop sells discounted tickets and you can save 30% on the gate price!
Eden Camp war museum http://www.edencamp.co.uk/
York!! About 1 hour away but it is an amazing medieval city with castles, city walls, museums and street performers. So much to do here! http://www.visityork.org/
The fabulous Little Vikings webpage also lists events and activities in the York area for children to do. Definately worth a look!

More generally, all the restaurants and bars are very welcoming to families and people in Whitby are incredibly friendly. This makes it a relaxing place to be!