Five Family Activities in Northumberland That Might Just Make Them Forget Their SCREENS
Family holidays are a chance to slow down and spend time together, doing the things that everyday life often gets in the way of. Northumberland offers plenty of opportunities to explore, discover and enjoy the outdoors, with adventures that children of all ages can enjoy.
Whether it’s discovering tiny creatures in a rock pool, building a woodland den, exploring a castle or staying up to look at the stars, these are the kinds of experiences that children often remember long after the holiday has finished.
If you’re looking for a few ideas to enjoy during your stay, here are five family favourites that prove the simplest adventures are often the best.
Become a Rock Pool Explorer
Rock pooling is one of those activities that has entertained children for generations and still holds just as much appeal today. At low tide, Northumberland’s rocky shoreline becomes a fascinating place to explore, with tiny shore crabs, sea anemones, limpets, periwinkles and small fish all waiting to be discovered.
Beadnell Bay is a great choice for younger children thanks to its accessible rock pools, while Craster and Seahouses also offer plenty to explore. Further up the coast, Low Newton-by-the-Sea is another excellent spot, with plenty of rock pools to investigate at low tide.
A bucket, a small net and a simple seashore guide are all you need to get started. The Northumberland Wildlife Trust also has an excellent guide to the fascinating creatures you might discover along the county’s coastline. Remember to handle any sea creatures gently and return them carefully to the rock pool where you found them. Every pool is different, so there’s always something new to discover.
Many of Northumberland’s beaches are perfect for flying a kite too, making it easy to turn a couple of hours of rock pooling into a full family day out.
Low Newton-by-the-Sea, Northumberland
Build a Woodland Den
Sometimes the simplest activities are the ones children enjoy the most. A few fallen branches can quickly become a woodland hideaway, a secret headquarters or somewhere to stop for a picnic.
Allen Banks and Staward Gorge, cared for by the National Trust, is a wonderful place for a family walk, with woodland trails, streams and plenty of places to explore along the way.
The Woodland Trust encourages children to build dens using naturally fallen branches, leaving living trees undisturbed and dismantling dens before heading home so that others – including local wildlife – can continue to enjoy the woodland. It’s an activity that encourages imagination and teamwork, and children are often happy to spend far longer building and improving their den than parents expect.
Kielder Forest is another great woodland to explore. Forestry England also has a range of downloadable family activity sheets, with ideas to help children discover more about the woodland during their visit.
Follow a Waterfall Trail
A walk to a waterfall can turn an ordinary family walk into a real adventure.
The trail to Hareshaw Linn, near Bellingham, follows a woodland stream across a series of small bridges before reaching one of Northumberland’s most impressive waterfalls. Along the way there are plenty of opportunities to look for birds, butterflies and wildflowers, or simply stop to watch the water flowing beneath the bridges.
Children often enjoy counting the bridges (there are around 14 to cross before you reach the waterfall), balancing on stepping stones where it’s safe to do so, or racing leaves along the stream. The walk isn’t particularly long, but it’s one that keeps younger walkers interested from beginning to end.
Become a Castle Detective
Northumberland has more castles than any other county in England and they’re ideal places for children to explore, imagine and ask questions. Whether they’re climbing ancient staircases or peering through arrow slits, castles have a wonderful way of capturing the imagination.
Many castles also offer family trails, activity sheets and special events during the school holidays, making them a great choice for a family day out.
From the dramatic coastal setting of Bamburgh Castle to the medieval towers of Warkworth Castle and the famous grounds of Alnwick Castle, each has its own stories to tell. Before long, children are often asking questions, exploring every corner and discovering that history can be far more hands-on than they expected.
Warkworth Castle, Northumberland
Stay Up for the Stars
One of Northumberland’s greatest attractions doesn’t appear until after dark.
The county is home to some of the darkest skies in Europe, making it one of the best places in England for stargazing. On a clear evening, wrap up and head outside to see how many constellations you can spot. If you’re lucky, you may even catch sight of a shooting star or a satellite passing overhead.
If you’re staying during the school holidays, keep an eye out for the annual Perseid meteor shower, which is active from mid-July until late August and reaches its peak overnight on 12–13 August 2026. Under Northumberland’s dark skies, it can be one of the best opportunities of the year to spot bright meteors streaking across the night sky.
For many children, staying up a little later than usual to look at the night sky becomes a memorable part of the holiday, and it doesn’t require any special equipment – just a clear evening and a little patience.
Simple Adventures, Lasting Memories
One of the best things about a family holiday in Northumberland is that entertainment doesn’t always need to be expensive or carefully planned. Some of the most enjoyable days are built around simple adventures that encourage children to explore, ask questions and use their imagination.
Whether you’re searching rock pools on the coast, building a woodland den, climbing the steps of a castle or looking up at a sky full of stars, these are the kinds of experiences that bring families together and often become the stories that are still being talked about on the journey home.
Don’t be surprised if, by the end of the day nobody has even thought about checking their phone.
Wooden Star Cottages offers the perfect base to experience the beautiful county of Northumberland. Book your stay at Wooden Star Cottages today and prepare for an unforgettable escape into the heart of one of England’s most beautiful regions.