May half-term: Family adventures to enjoy
and memories to be made
- Stories & Inspiration
- May Half Term Family Adventures Family Memories
May is a great time to visit North Yorkshire with family
As we head towards the May half-term holiday there are lots of great attractions to visit across North Yorkshire as well as some exciting events taking place. With such a great vibe in North Yorkshire you are sure to be kept entertained.
Celebrate National Walking Month this May and discover some great walks across the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors or head to the coast for the perfect beach stroll. It’s time to find your family’s happy place and make this the best half-term ever.
Streets brought to life
Scarborough Streets returns 30 May – 1 June 11am to 4pm each day with lots of free street performances on Westborough, Aberdeen Walk, North Street and in the Crescent Gardens in Scarborough.
Be entertained by live musicians, outdoor theatre and dancing before testing your circus and magic skills at one of the workshops and joining in with craft activities.
Children will love having their faces painted before enjoying a yummy ice cream. You can even see a replica Victorian bathing machine!
Explore our National Trust properties
North Yorkshire’s National Trust sites are great attractions to visit with the whole family, and you can enjoy some extra activities over the half-term. Pick up your spotter trail at Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal Water Garden from 24 May – 1 June and look for the papier mâché birds in the trees near the bird hide – can you find them all?
You can also join in with the family craft workshop on 28 May and make your own bird decoration to take home.
Beningbrough invites you to imagine yourself as one of the servants from 24 May with their new family trail - are you a groom, a kitchen maid or a scullery maid? Spin the wheel to find out if you will have a good or a bad day and see if you can find the missing tools and work out who they belong to. On 27 and 29 May join the drop-in servant trail themed craft activities in the garden from 11am to 3pm.
Alternatively pack up a picnic and enjoy your surroundings at Brimham Rocks or Rievaulx Terrace
Dream steam
Travel by steam across the North York Moors countryside on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. Services run between Pickering and Whitby where you can spend the day on the beach, eat fish and chips and climb the 199 steps to Whitby Abbey before you catch your return train.
Or alight at Grosmont or Goathland station (the Harry Potter station) and enjoy a walk around these picturesque villages and the surrounding countryside.
As part of the Railway 200 celebrations, you can download a spring trail to follow – can you find the 40 items on the list?
Where history comes alive
For those who like history, head to one of the English Heritage properties in North Yorkshire and learn tales of kings and battles and imagine living in a castle in medieval times.
Enjoy craft activities plus outdoor games including cornhole (a game where players toss beanbags at an inclined board with a hole to score points), boules and skittles at Whitby Abbey while at Scarborough Castle you can race your family on space hoppers after having a go at one of the hands-on craft activities. Who will win the family bragging rights?
Splish, splash, have an awesome day out
North Yorkshire Water Park is the perfect place for some fun water sports and activities for the whole family. Choose from one of their three aquaparks – Wipeout, Warrior and Splash Kingdom with inflatables, huge slides and swings. Splash Kingdom is for ages 3-7 so it's a great option for younger family members.
Get that adrenaline kick by giving wakeboarding a go or choose a more relaxed pedalo ride. Whatever activities you try, you will have a great fun-filled water adventure.
With a hundred miles of coastline and many pretty beaches and bays, you can enjoy a dip in the sea or simply go for a paddle.
For the sportier ones in the family, Cayton Bay is great for surfing and bodyboarding and fans of wild swimming can buy a parkland and gardens pass at Swinton Estate and swim in their woodland lake.
Note: Swimmers must be over 12 years old and under 16’s must be accompanied by an adult. Pre-booking is required.
If the weather turns, we have a great choice of public swimming pools offering general swim sessions alongside family fun sessions with inflatables.
Discover an underground world
Explore the amazing cave networks beneath your feet at Ingleborough Cave in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Walk through the beautiful woodland of Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail to the cave entrance before walking down 500 metres heading deep below Ingleborough.
Explore the caves before heading back above ground and enjoying a hot drink and some delicious cake at the The Old Sawmill Cafe by the entrance to the nature trail.
With so many things to see and do in North Yorkshire this May half-term you and your family will be able to fill your days with adventure, activities and experiences. Explore our family page or head to our socials for more half-term inspo!
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