Activities for children in and around Richmond, North Yorkshire
Children's activities
Distances from Richmond are shown where applicable. 🥤- café or refreshments are available. 🦮 - dogs are believed to be welcome (conditions may apply). ☔️ - good for a rainy day.
- Big Sheep, Little Cow, Bedale (12 miles). Farm tours, animal petting, play-barn with slides, climbs, ball-pools, pedal-carts. Café. 🥤
- Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle (14 miles). Nature trail, family fun-days, crafts workshops, story garden, play area. 🥤☔️
- Castles, stately homes, fine buildings - see list under INFO above
- Cinemas: Station Cinema, Richmond ☔️ The Empire Cinema at Catterick Garrison is closed, though it may reopen as 'The Savoy' in 2024.
- Forbidden Corner, near Middleham (13 miles). A labyrith of tunnels, secret chambers, follies and surprises. Good children's play area. Utterly unique. 🥤
- Foxglove Covert, Catterick Garrison (3 miles). Local Nature Reserve, with trails, hides, activities and a Field Centre.🥤🦮
- Georgian Theatre Royal. Go behind the scenes, try on costumes, discover your inner actor. ☔️
- Green Howards Museum. Family friendly museum with stories of 300 years of friendship and adventure, service and sacrifice to explore. Quizzes, holiday activities and a great gift shop. 🦮☔️
- Hazel Brow Farm, Low Row (15 miles). Alpaca treks, spring lamb feeding, animal experiences, open days, trails - and basic camping! 🦮
- Ice cream! Archer's at The Station | Mocha | Brymor (13 miles)| Reeth Ice Cream Parlour (10 miles)- all🥤
- Lightwater Valley, north of Ripon (20 miles). Large theme park with many rides and attractions. 🥤
- Locomotion, Shildon (18 miles). What child doesn't enjoy a railway museum, steam engines and all? 🥤☔️
- Mini Golf: Richmond Swimming Pool🥤| Barnard Castle (14 mile)
- Playgrounds: best In Richmond is Ronaldshay Park (10-minute walk from the Info Centre)
- Richmond Castle. Breathtaking Norman fortress, high above the River Swale. Great for picnics, family activities, running around. 🦮
- Richmondshire Museum. Rambling old building, with exhibits from prehistory to the present day. Discovery Centre for children. ☔️
- Soft play: Tumble Town, Brompton-on-Swale (2 miles). Slides, ball-pools, climbing frames, bouncy castle... 🥤☔️
- The Station. Renovated Victorian railway terminal, with ice-cream parlour, cinema, country walks on the doorstep. 🥤🦮☔️
- Swaledale Museum, Reeth (10 miles). Geology, prehistory, and thousands of acres of glorious countryside all around. 🥤🦮☔️
- Swimming: Catterick Garrison (2 miles) 🥤☔️ | Richmond (with mini-golf).🥤☔️
- Theatre Hullabaloo, Darlington (13 miles). Children's theatre with frequent performances, Enchanted Forest play area. 🥤☔️
- Thorp Perrow Arboretum, near Bedale (13 miles). Woodland trails, activities, adventure play area, birds of prey. 🥤🦮
- Treasure Trails: downloadable adventures. Richmond 🥤 | Richmond Riverside and Easby Abbey 🥤| Richmond 950 (free)
- Waterfalls! Richmond Falls (follow your nose, or pick up a Town Map from the Info Centre) have an ice-cream wagon in summer hours. 🥤🦮 | Aysgarth Falls (15 miles) has a cafe.🥤🦮
- Wensleydale Railway, Leeming Bar (12 miles) – Redmire and stations between. Heritage line through beautiful countryside. 🥤🦮
- What’s On: In Richmond | In the district