Beach Box Jesmond Family Beach Camp

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Are you looking for something fun to do with the children this weekend? Well read on to see what we thought of Beach Box Jesmond. Beach Box is located in Jesmond, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, there is free onsite parking or it is just a short walk away from Haymarket in Newcastle city centre. It is a place to go for food and drinks during the summer and is popular with couples and groups of friends, however on a weekend they run a family Beach Camp which is great for a family outing. 

Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs Pantomime At The Tyne Theatre & Opera House - Review

Last Friday we headed to the iconic Tyne Theatre and Opera House in the centre of Newcastle to watch this years pantomime production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I love visiting the Tyne Theatre and Opera House as it is such a grand, beautiful, old building steeped in history and it is a joy to watch shows there. I have watched so many shows there over the years from shows when I was a child, to Fifi and the Flowertots when my eldest was little and more recently Ben & Holly Live with my younger children. I have not visited for a pantomime though I and was looking forward to the show after hearing great things about previous pantos. Unfortunately, my little two were unwell as they had a sickness bug so I attended the show with my teen and her friend instead. 

Cinderella Pantomime At Whitley Bay Playhouse Review

You can't beat a family visit to the pantomime at this time of year and on Saturday we headed to Whitley Bay Playhouse to see this years production of Cinderella. As a family we love Whitley Bay Playhouse, it is not far from where we live and even though it is one of the smaller theatres in the region it is modern with comfortable seats and great views wherever you sit in the audience. We really enjoyed last years production of Aladdin and I did not think they would be able to top it, but they most definitely did. 

Afternoon Tea With Santa At Wyevale Garden Centre Gosforth

This year I am so excited for Christmas as it is the first year my little two (aged 3 & 4) have properly understood what Christmas is all about. They have already written their Christmas lists for Santa, they keep asking when we can put the Christmas tree up and they are amazed by the twinkling lights from the shopping centre decorations. They are so excited and each day they race downstairs in the morning asking if today is the day we can put our tree up. They truly believe in Father Christmas and the magic of Christmas and it is heartwarming to watch. 

Sunderland Illuminations With Tyne & Wear Metro

Every year Sunderland have an illuminations event (from the 5th October to 5th November), where Roker Park is transformed into an illuminated wonderland that both adults and children will enjoy. Every single year we say that we will take the children but we never get around to it as we keep hearing how bad the traffic and parking is. So when I was recently invited to enjoy a family day out on the Tyne & Wear Metro I knew that a trip to Sunderland Illuminations would be the perfect day out that the whole family would enjoy. 

Jurassic Kingdom Newcastle Review

On Sunday we went along to the Jurassic Kingdom event in Leazers Park Newcastle, as my three-year-old son is dinosaur crazy. I will start this review off by saying that I was giving complimentary tickets to the event in exchange for running a giveaway and promoting the event before it arrived in Newcastle. However, I was not asked to write this review and all views in this post are my own.

Jurassic Kingdom Is Coming To Newcastle & Family Ticket Giveaway

Dinosaur fans listen up as Jurassic Kingdom is arriving in Newcastle in just a few days time, and not only do I have all the details about the event but I also have a family ticket to give away to one lucky reader. Read on to find out what Jurassic Kingdom is and how you could win yourself a family ticket to see the dinosaurs yourself.

English Heritage Day's Out This Summer In The North East

This summer English Heritage have a host of summer events planned to keep the whole family entertained. They have everything from evening theatre shows under the stars to historic re-enactments and medieval falconry displays, they sound perfect for getting children interested in history. If you are stuck for something to do as the summer holiday's come to an end, check out what is on here in the North East at English Heritage centres this summer.

100 Free Day's Out In The North East This Summer

We are now one week into the summer holiday's and if you are looking for some free day's out these holidays to keep your children entertained then I have compiled a list of 100 free places to visit this summer in the North East. While these attractions/ places/events do have free entry you will have to factor in car park fee's & petrol or bus fares - unless you live within walking distance of one of these places. Also, some of these places may have extra charges for certain things or they may change opening times or cancel events, so please do check their websites / social media accounts before travelling.

I hope you find this list useful and if you have anywhere to add or visit any of the places on the list do let me know. 

Travel With Virgin Trains For Family Day's Out This Summer

This week schools up and down the country break up for the long awaited summer holidays. As a mum of three myself, I am so looking forward to spending extra time with my children, having fun and making memories. Obviously, the six week's holidays are long and children do get bored, so as a family we normally plan a few exciting days out. Last year we visited York several times by train which we found much more convenient and relaxing than travelling by car.

Travelling by train is exciting for children and is more relaxing for us adults too, there is no need to worry about getting lost or finding a parking space. When travelling with young children, like we do I also find it much more convenient to travel via train as they have toilets on board and refreshment trolleys - so no more constant service station stops. 

A Day Out With Thomas At Stephenson Railway Museum

My little boy Jacob is Thomas the tank engine crazy, he has Thomas bedding, toys, pyjamas and train sets. So when I heard that Stephenson railway museum in North Tyneside was holding a day out with Thomas event a few weeks ago I just knew that I had to take him. I bought a family ticket for two adults and two children for £35 and we kept the day out a surprise from Jacob. 

A Wacky Warehouse Birthday Party

A couple of week's ago, my middle child, Sophia turned four years old! To celebrate her birthday she had a party at our local Wacky Warehouse soft play which is at the Wheatsheaf pub near Newcastle airport, about 15 minutes away from where we live. We had never actually been to this Wacky Warehouse branch before so had no idea what to expect, so read on to see what we thought.

Disney On Ice Presents Passport To Adventure

Ever since I was a little girl I have been a huge Disney fan, I remember going to the cinema with my Mam to see The Little Mermaid film back in 1989, I enjoyed it so much that it is still my favourite film all of these years later. Not long after the film was released I was lucky enough to go on holiday to Disneyland Florida and I vividly remember that all of the floats in the parade were Little Mermaid themed. Ariel was on a float with Prince Eric and Flounder and they even had a rather large and scary looking Ursula float. 

Dacia Magic Weekend 2017

Newcastle has just hosted it's third Dacia Magic weekend and we were lucky enough to be invited along to experience it as a family. The Dacia Magic weekend is a two-day rugby super league event held at Newcastle United St Jame's park stadium, right in the city centre of Newcastle. Three matches are held on each of the days and it is a great way for rugby league fans or total rugby novices like me to experience different matches. 

Smyths Toy Superstore Family Party Day

Next weekend is a bank holiday weekend and I don't know about you but I sometimes struggle thinking of ways to keep my children occupied on the long weekends. When the weather is nice we like heading to the beach or the park but we all know the great British weather is very unpredictable, we even had hailstones here in Newcastle earlier on today - in the middle of May! However, Smyths Toys Superstore is hosting free family parties at UK stores next Saturday the 27th May from 9 am to 2 pm. 

Beamish - A Brilliant Day Out For The Whole Family

Whenever anyone asks me where to visit in the North East my number one recommendation is always Beamish. It is such a unique and wonderful place to visit that the whole family will enjoy, everyone from babies and young children to adults and elderly relatives will have such a lovely time. I remember visiting Beamish as a child myself and now I visit with my own family, no matter how many times I have visited I always see and discover something new, there really is so much to see.

BBC Newcastle Children's Tour Review

Did you know that you can book a tour to go behind the scenes at BBC Newcastle? I didn't until we were kindly invited along last week to see what the children's interactive tours were like. BBC Newcastle runs two different types of tour's, the children's one which we went on and is recommended for children aged 6-12 years old and they also have an adult one. If you don't live in the North East then you can also book on tours at your local BBC studios. 

An Easter Visit To Whitehouse Farm Morpeth

Whenever I think of Easter I not only think of chocolate eggs and fish and chips but also of baby chicks and lambs, and what better way to see them than a visit to a farm? You just can't beat a spring time Easter trip to the farm, seeing all the newborn baby animals and getting outside in the countryside is fun for the whole family. Living just outside of Newcastle my favourite farm that we have been visiting for many years is Whitehouse farm, which is celebrating its 20th birthday this year! 

Tiny Town Newcastle

*Updated 2018 - Tiny Town has now shut down*

Being a mum to two pre-schoolers I am always on the lookout for fun places that I can take them and last week we discovered somewhere pretty special, Tiny Town Newcastle. Tiny Town is located in Chapel House in the West Denton area of Newcastle, tucked away near the shops in a large detached house which has been transformed into a magical role-play centre for young children to have fun and let their imagination run wild. 

Tiny Town opened over a year ago now and I have been meaning to visit ever since I was invited when it first opened, after following them on Facebook and seeing what fun it was I knew that I had to take my 2 and 3-year-old along to see what they thought. It is recommended for children from around one to six years old, making my children the perfect age for a visit. 

Young Driver Driving Lessons for 10-17 year-old's at Newcastle Racecourse

Did you know that you book your 10 - 17-year-old child onto driving lessons? Neither did I until I heard about Young Driver driving lessons. Recently myself and my teen were invited down to the recently opened venue at Newcastle's Gosforth Park racecourse, which is only a five-minute drive from where we live. Young Drivers used to be based near the Metrocentre but the new venue at the racecourse is brilliant as it is so easy to get to from the A1 and A19 with free onsite parking and regular buses stopping outside the racecourse gates.