Family fun this summer at North East Museums

Enjoy great family days out this summer holidays with our Ways to Play programme. There are lots of free and low-cost activities to enjoy across our museums and galleries.

Let's have fun!

Stephenson Steam Railway

Two children stand at the door of a rail carriage, they are looking towards the camera and smiling.

Stephenson Steam Railway offers a family-friendly journey into the coal-powered past, with heritage train rides and exhibits of historic rail vehicles in the museum.

Dinky Dinosaur Adventure Day 

  • Meet a group of adorable baby dinosaurs and join them for a heritage train ride, as you learn all about them from a team of expert handlers. This experience is perfect for dino fans aged 5—12, but fun for the whole family. 

Stephenson Steam Railway | 25 August | Tickets from £7 | Book tickets for Dinky Dinosaur Adventure Day

Heritage Train Rides

  • Take a trip along the historic route once taken by the coal trains from the collieries to the River Tyne, in a 1950s passenger carriage. 

Stephenson Steam Railway | 24, 28 and 31 August | Child/concession — £7, Adult — £9, Family (2 adults and 2 children) — £23, pay once and ride all day | Book tickets for your Heritage Train Ride

Woodland Walk 

  • Explore this new outdoor space and learn about the area's natural and industrial heritage. 

Stephenson Steam Railway | Open Thursday, Saturday and Sunday | Free, drop in | Find out more about the Woodland Walk

Family Craft Activities

  • Take part in a different family craft activity inspired the railway and its surroundings every Thursday. 

Stephenson Steam Railway | Thursdays throughout the summer holidays | Free drop in events, various dates:

Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort

Two children put their heads through the holes of a caricature of Roman soldiers. The text on the caricature reads Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort.

Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in South Shields. You can step into reconstructed Roman buildings on the fort site and explore fascinating archaeological finds from Arbeia in the museum.

Time Quest: A Mini Dig 

  • Become an archaeologist every Wednesday. Uncover 2000-year old Roman artefacts and learn about life on the fort. 

Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort | 27 August | Free, timed slots | Find out more about Time Quest: A Mini Dig

Free Guided Tours 

  • Join one of our knowledgeable volunteers for a guided tour of Arbeia, where they'll bring history to life with fascinating stories and expert insight into the Romans. 

Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort | Thursday throughout the summer holidays | Free, booking essential | Book tickets for your Free Guided Tour

Great North Museum: Hancock

A child smiles at the camera, holding a magnifying glass.

Great North Museum: Hancock is a family-friendly museum in Newcastle city centre exploring natural history, archaeology and human cultures. It was founded in 1884 by the brothers John and Albany Hancock. 

Mouse Tales

  • Storytime, songs and a special opportunity to handle a museum object for under 5s and their families. 

Great North Museum: Hancock | 26 August | Free, booking essential | Book tickets for Mouse Tales

Time Odyssey: A Family Adventure  

  • An exciting new interactive learning experience which takes families on a quest physically and virtually. 

Great North Museum: Hancock | 26 August | Free, booking essential | Find out more about Time Odyssey

Mindful Colouring

  • Grab some crayons and relax in the Living Planet gallery with some mindful colouring in. 

Great North Museum: Hancock | Daily | Free, drop in | Find out more about Mindful Colouring

Underground Adventures with Murray the Mole

  • Free family trails where you can explore the museum and collect prizes. 

Great North Museum: Hancock | Daily | Free, drop in | Find out more about Underground Adventures with Murray the Mole

LEGO Build the change: drop-in mass build

  • Join our exciting LEGO® mass build, where creativity meets sustainability! Families with children aged 6+ are invited to unleash their imaginations and build innovative LEGO®  brick solutions to real-world challenges facing nature, climate, and the environment.

Great North Museum: Hancock | 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 August and 1 September| Free, drop in | Find out more about LEGO Build the change: drop-in mass build

Woodhorn Museum

A woman and child look at a glass jar next to a bed of flowers

Woodhorn Museum is a family-friendly museum in Ashington. It tells the story of what daily life was really like for miners in Northumberland. 

Pop Up Ashington Group Hut

  • Have a go at creating your own football pennant, making your own Victorian cooking range and making a meal for a miner this summer holidays. 

Woodhorn Museum | Until 31 August | Free, drop in | Find out more about Pop Up Ashington Group Hut

Wild Wednesdays 

  • Join us for Wild Wednesdays and take part in free, family-friendly craft activities. 

Woodhorn Museum | Wednesday throughout the summer holiday | Free, drop in | Find out more about Family Craft Activities

Woodhorn Wild Trail 

  • Follow our family-friendly wild trail around the museum grounds to discover the animals and plants living at Woodhorn. 

Woodhorn Museum | Daily | Free, drop in | Find out more about Woodhorn Wild Trail

Segedunum Roman Fort

A child dressed in a Roman cloak and collar stands against a wooden backdrop and smiles at the camera

Segedunum Roman Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Wallsend, North Tyneside. Built in AD 122 to guard the eastern end of Hadrian's Wall, Segedunum housed 600 Roman soldiers and stood as a symbol of Roman rule for nearly 300 years.

Hadrian Festival 

  • Celebrate Emperor Hadrian's birthday with a festival of combat demonstrations, horse parades, cavalry displays, cooking and crafts. 

Segedunum Roman Fort | 23 and 24 August | Admission charges apply | Find out more about Hadrian Festival

Make a Roman Cavalry Mask 

  • Have a go at making your own Roman cavalry mask, like the ones that would have been used at Hadrian's Wall. 

Segedunum Roman Fort | 25 August | Admission charges apply | Find out more about Make a Roman Cavalry Mask

Discovery Museum

Three children in a museum exhibition look up at the ceiling.

Discovery Museum is a family-friendly museum in Newcastle city centre showcasing Tyneside's rich maritime, scientific, military and industrial heritage.

Codes and Puzzles

  • Build your own Morse Code machine using Turing Tumbles. 

Discovery Museum | 26 August | £2.50, booking recommended | Book tickets for Codes and Puzzles

Secret Code

  • Investigate binary code using Lego®. Can you send a message using 0s and 1s?

Discovery Museum | 28 August | Free, booking recommended | Book tickets for Secret Code

Tiny Tyneside 

  • A new play space for our smallest visitors. Explore and play around the themes of the museum with replica transport, invention and bridges.

Discovery Museum | Daily | Free, drop in | Find out more about Tiny Tyneside

A great value day out with Tyne & Wear Metro

Metro Kids Go Free campaign graphic

Our summer holiday events are part of our Ways to Play programme of free and low-cost family-friendly activities. 

Make your Ways to Play adventure a great value day out by travelling to our venues by the Metro and/or Ferry. 

Up to three children aged 11 and under can travel for free on the Metro and the Shields Ferry with a fare-paying adult. 

Metro is the convenient, fast and frequent way to get to your favourite attractions and now its even more affordable. 

To find out more about kids go free on the Metro, visit the Nexus website.

Ways to Play is sponsored by Tyne and Wear Metro.