10 Places to Take Toddlers & Pre-Schoolers in Newcastle
Our guide to some of the best places to take little ones in the city centre
Finding fun and interesting activities and events for pre-schoolers and toddlers can be challenging, and when the weather is bad it can be even harder.
If you find the right activity, however, it can be wonderful to see your little ones immerse themselves, explore and discover, and make new friends as they do.
We’ve gathered some of the museums, arts centres and more that regularly offer activities, classes and one-off events to appeal to kids under five and we’re sure you’ll find something here that will make your little ones grin.
Discovery Museum, Blandford Square
The Discovery Museum is a real gem, full of exhibits and activities to appeal to all ages, and they have some excellent activities aimed at kids aged 3-5 years old. Their Tiny Sparks events take place most Wednesdays and offer an hour-long session during which kids can learn about science and history through the museum’s collections by means of play, craft, activity, song and story and even make new friends too (things can get messy, so bring a change of clothes!). During school holidays, the museum also hosts regular Discover a Story events which begin with storytelling followed by related activities like crafting or exploring the museum - whether it’s Mr Bunny’s Chocolate Factory or Ten Little Pirates, the sessions promise to be fun and engaging.
Life Science Centre, Times Square
The Life Science Centre is a fantastic destination for kids, an exciting space full of discovery and activity, and they devote a lot of energy to making it appealing for the young. Their Pre-School Days, for example, are aimed at kids under 4 and offer hands-on fun, interaction and a chance for socialising - they could end up creating something in the Making Studios, having their tiny minds opened by the Planetarium or enjoying storytelling or music. Adult tickets cost £10.50 and that includes free entry for up to two children.
Great North Museum: Hancock, Barras Bridge
Great North Museum: Hancock on the Newcastle University campus is another excellent city centre museum that offers a lot for pre-schoolers to enjoy. There’s a permanent activity space – The Mouse House – that’s open every day except Wednesdays and Fridays, when it’s given over to pre-booked educational sessions. This multi-purpose space offers adventures across the whole museum and is full of surprises and exciting things for your youngest kids to enjoy, and acts as a hub for all sorts of activities for the very young, from stories to music to crafting.
Dance City, Temple Street
Little ones are full of energy and a class at Dance City is sure to help burn some off. Their Boogie Babies (aimed at pre-walking age children) and Boogie Bopper (for walking-age kids) classes feature plenty of fun with sensory instruments, dancing and musical instruments while older kids aged 4-6 years old will love their Pop Steps classes which teach little ones different dance routines set to popular from the charts, films and TV shows.
Theatre Royal, Grey Street
The Theatre Royal might be one of the city’s grandest buildings but it definitely makes sure there’s plenty to entertain tiny theatre fans too. The theatre’s programme always has plenty of shows aimed at pre-schoolers and their families. This July, the zoo comes to fantastic life in Madagascar, as kids’ favourite characters escape from New York Zoo and head for the island and in August, everyone’s favourite pig Peppa and her friends go to the beach and the zoo in Peppa Pig’s Fun Day Out, a show full of songs, dance and puddles. Some shows quality for a Babes In Arms ticket where under-3s can attend for free as long as they sit in an adult’s lap too.
Tyneside Cinema, Pilgrim Street
Kids love films (if you can get them to sit still long enough) and Newcastle’s magnificent Tyneside Cinema makes them welcome for some special screenings. There’s the Family Film Club, offering cheap tickets and films that are suitable for the whole family (keep an eye on the website for details), and the Tyneside Baby Club which offers screenings aimed at adults but set up so that babies can attend (quieter screenings, brighter lights).
Laing Art Gallery, New Bridge Street West
The Laing is one of the finest galleries in the North East – the country, even – and they are keen to encourage kids to engage with art from an early stage. With that in mind, they have a permanent, dedicated Playspace for little ones under 5 with toys, a dressing up box, books and more in a specially constructed little den. There are feeding and changing facilities, pushchair parking and more, everything to make it as easy as possible for kids and their parents to visit. The gallery also regularly hosts Little Artists sessions most Mondays aimed at 1-5 year olds that offer a range of art-based activities.
Exhibition Park, Claremont Road
One of the city’s most popular green spaces, Exhibition Park always seems to have something going on and plenty to entertain little ones. There are playgrounds, water play areas, ducks and swans to feed, the Urban Green Cafe for refreshments and all the other things that make parks great. There’s also the Tyneside Society Of Model and Experimental Engineers who offer rides on the mini steam train! These usually happen on the first Sunday of the month, weather permitting, from 11am to 3pm, and start behind Wylam Brewery. Check their Facebook page to see if it’s running before setting off.
Northern Stage, Barras Bridge
Another Newcastle theatre that makes time and space for the very young is Northern Stage, which always has some appropriate shows in its packed programme. For example, Judith Kerr’s eternal favourite The Tiger Who Came To Tea is coming to life onstage in late May, and Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book follows in July, the stage adaptation of the much loved Julia Donaldson / Axel Scheffler tale. Northern Stage also offers Babes In Arms tickets for kids under 12 months.
NE1’s Summer in the City & Screen on the Green, Quayside & Old Eldon Square
And finally, the NE1 team put a lot of effort into ensuring their regular programme of summer activities has plenty to offer toddlers. Summer in the City offers everything from story-telling sessions to dance classes and the popular Screen on the Green open-air cinema at Old Eldon Square screens plenty of kid-friendly movies. The 2024 programme is going to be announced very soon at the official website so watch that space.
Newcastle is full of really excellent cultural and historical spaces – great cinemas, theatre, galleries and more – and they all offer something for the very youngest demographic. So if you want to introduce your toddlers to art or cinema, theatre or steam trains, there’s something in the city just for you and your little ones.
