Newcastle city centre (Haymarket)
The Great North Museum · Photo: Nick-D
Three free stops within a mile of each other: a natural history museum with a T. rex and Egyptian mummies, Newcastle's oldest park for a picnic and a run-around by the lake, then the city's science and industry museum. It works in drizzle because two of the three stops are indoors.
Museum · 10:00–12:00 (2h)
Free museum with dinosaurs, a big animal wall and mummies; the planetarium has a separate (unconfirmed) charge.
An indoor museum in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Photo: Nick-D
Park · 12:10–13:30 (1h20m)
Picnic lunch by the lake and swans, then the woodland play area.
Newcastle's oldest public park, next to St James' Park, with a large lake, swans and ducks, a woodland play area split by age, and courts for older kids. A free green break close to the city centre.
Photo: Peter Scott
Museum · 13:45–16:00 (2h15m)
Free museum of Tyneside science and shipbuilding; under-5s head to the Tiny Tyneside space.
An indoor museum in Newcastle upon Tyne, aimed at ages 0–12.
Photo: Chabe01
North EastRowlands Gill (Gateshead)
A free green day on Gateshead's western edge: a flat old railway path along the Derwent for scooters and buggies, a picnic deep in a big Forestry England wood, then the ruins of a medieval castle above the Tyne at Prudhoe. Good for families who want fresh air without paying entry fees.
Derwent Walk Country Park → Chopwell Wood → Prudhoe Castle
North EastWallsend / North Shields
Three free stops with free or cheap parking: a big country park on reclaimed colliery land with a community farm and sand-and-water play, a wooded Victorian dene with a pump track, and a little sheltered beach to finish. Pack a picnic or use the park cafes.
Rising Sun Country Park → Northumberland Park → Cullercoats Bay
North EastSunderland (Roker)
A bracing walk out along Roker Pier, a long play on Sunderland's main family beach, then into the city for a restored Victorian park with a big adventure playground. End inside a medieval gatehouse castle that is free to visit on a booked slot.
Roker Pier and Lighthouse → Seaburn Beach → Mowbray Park → Hylton Castle
