Summer holiday activities for families across Newcastle and the North East

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• Play spaces, trails and exhibitions >>
• Hands-on learning >>
• Outdoors and active >>
• Art and craft activities >>
• Relaxed and SEND >>

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There is absolutely loads happening across our museums and galleries during the school summer holidays – but these are some of our highlights.

You could have a really Roman weekend across 31 July – 2 August by attending both the Gladiator Encampment at Segedunum Roman Fort and the Meet the Tungrians living history event at Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort. You'll be able to watch gladiators train, see how Roman auxiliaries really lived, try archery and plenty more. Both events are completely free for children.

At the Hadrian Celebration event at Segedunum Roman Fort across 15-16 August, meet the Emperor himself and take part in hands-on activities including archery, Roman games, weapons training and meeting Roman horses.

Dinosaur-obsessed kids are bound to love the Dinky Dinosaur Adventure Day at Stephenson Steam Railway on Bank Holiday Monday, 31 August. It's a heritage train ride complete with puppeteers and adorable baby dinosaurs.

Our summer highlights

• 31 Jul - 2 Aug: Gladiator Encapment at Segedunum Roman Fort, Wallsend (KIDS GO FREE)
• 1-2 Aug: Meet the Tungrians at Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort (FREE)
• 15-16 Aug: Hadrian Celebration at Segedunum Roman Fort, Wallsend (KIDS GO FREE)
• 31 Aug: Dinky Dinosaur Adventure Day at Stephenson Steam Railway, North Tyneside

Sometimes you just want to keep the kids entertained for a few hours without breaking the bank, and museums are great for that!

We have some amazing free play spaces for small children, including Let's Play at South Shields Museum & Art Gallery (until 8 August). 

Tiny Tyneside at Discovery Museum, the circus-themed Playspace at Laing Art Gallery and the Mouse House at Great North Museum: Hancock are all free play spaces that toddlers love.

Free exhibitions and trails are another fantastic way to enjoy an hour or two with older children. The Treasure Trail at Great North Museum: Hancock is inspired by the latest special exhibition, Treasure: Hidden, Lost, Found. 

Kids get free entry at Segedunum Roman Fort and the Following the Eagle exhibition has a LEGO® play table and dress-up station. While you're there you can also enjoy the Roman Herbs Trail around the site. 

Things That Go is a brand-new exhibition about transport at Discovery Museum. It's designed especially for under 7s and opens on 1 August.

Play spaces, trails and family-friendly exhibitions you'll love

• Until 8 Aug: Let's Play play space at South Shields Museum & Art Gallery (FREE)
• All summer: Tiny Tyneside play space at Discovery Museum, Newcastle (FREE)
• All summer: Playspace at Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle (FREE)
• All summer: Mouse House play space at Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle (FREE)
• All summer: Treasure Trail at Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle (FREE)
• All summer: Treasure: Hidden, Lost, Found exhibition at Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle (FREE)
• All summer: Following the Eagle exhibition at Segedunum Roman Fort, Wallsend (KIDS GO FREE)
• All summer: Roman Herbs Trail at Segedunum Roman Fort, Wallsend (KIDS GO FREE)
• Opens 1 Aug: Things That Go exhibition at Discovery Museum, Newcastle (FREE)

Of course you want to have a fun day out with your family but isn't it also nice when the kids are able to get 'hands-on' and learn something?

If you visit Victor the Veteran's bootcamp at Segedunum Roman Fort on 20 July, your child will be able to handle Roman armour, helmets, shields and swords. 

You could go to Shipley Art Gallery on either 22 July, 29 July or 5 August for a LEGO® Coding Workshop. Together you'll build a model robot and then programme it with an iPad using Scratch block coding.

Visiting Great North Museum: Hancock on 22 July for the Archaeology Day is a great idea if you want to meet and speak to real-life archaeologists from Newcastle University.

Also available at Great North Museum: Hancock on 23 July, 6 August and 20 August is Time Odyssey: A Family Adventure. Here, we give you an iPad and you explore the museum as a family, completing challenges to help four ancient characters find their way home. It's lots of fun!

If you visit Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort on 19 August for After the Fire: Hands-on Archaeology you'll be able to try your hand at soil flotation to spot clues and explore what might have been found in a Roman stable.

Hands-on learning experiences

• 20 Jul: Victor the Veteran at Segedunum Roman Fort, Wallsend (KIDS GO FREE)
• 22, 29 Jul + 5 Aug: LEGO® Coding Workshop at Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead
• 22 Jul: Archaeology Day at Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle (FREE)
• 23 Jul + 6, 20 Aug: Time Odyssey: A Family Adventure at Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle (FREE)
• 29 Jul + 5, 12, 19 Aug: Mouse Tales Storytime (for under 5s) at Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle (FREE)
• 19 Aug: After the Fire: Hands-on Archaeology at Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort (FREE)

When the weather is nice, it's natural that people want to spend more time outdoors. Did you know that many of our museums have outdoor spaces you can enjoy? For example: Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort, Great North Museum: Hancock's front lawn, Segedunum Roman Fort, Stephenson Steam Railway's Woodland Walk and Woodhorn Museum.

The events below involve getting outdoors and doing something a bit more active.

On 22 July, 29 July and 5 August at Stephenson Steam Railway, Step Outdoors: Stay and Play are special sessions for under 5s that feature exciting outdoor play opportunities and free tea & coffee for parents/carers, too!

Also at Stephenson Steam Railway on Thursdays and Sundays during the summer are the ever-popular Heritage Train Rides – enjoy a four-mile return trip hauled by steam or diesel locomotives.

Woodhorn Museum has lots of outdoor space and a brilliant adventure play area. Every Wednesday during the school holidays is Wild Wednesdays where together you can enjoy wild-themed crafts, take part in bug hunts, plant seeds and meet our volunteer gardeners.

Don't forget, museums can offer a cooler and calmer day out when the weather outside is very hot and sunny.

Outdoors and active fun

• 22,29 Jul + 5 Aug: Step Outdoors: Stay and Play at Stephenson Steam Railway, North Tyneside (FREE)
• Thursdays and Sundays all summer: Heritage Train Rides at Stephenson Steam Railway, North Tyneside
• Wednesdays all summer: Wild Wednesdays at Woodhorn Museum, Ashington (KIDS GO FREE)

We have so many opportunities to enjoy family art and craft activities that it's easiest to list them all!

• All summer: Arts and Crafts in the Pop Up Ashington Group Hut at Woodhorn Museum, Ashington (KIDS GO FREE)
• 15-31 Jul: Make your own Manacles at Hexham Old Gaol (KIDS GO FREE)
• Mondays all summer: Marvellous Mondays at Segedunum Roman Fort, Wallsend (KIDS GO FREE)
• Tuesdays all summer: Free Family Crafts at South Shields Museum & Art Gallery (FREE)
• Tuesdays all summer: Family Crafting at Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead
• Tuesdays all summer: Treasure Tuesdays at Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle (FREE)
• Wednesdays all summer: Art workshops (for 4-11 year olds) at Hatton Gallery, Newcastle (FREE)
• Wednesdays all summer: Discover a Story + Crafts at Discovery Museum, Newcastle
• Wednesdays all summer: Family craft sessions at Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort (FREE)
• Thursdays all summer: Art workshops (for 12-18 year olds) at Hatton Gallery, Newcastle (FREE)
• 23, 28, 30 Jul + 4, 6, 11, 13, 18 Aug: Art Camp (for 7-12 year olds) at Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle
• 23, 28, 30 Jul + 4, 6, 11, 13, 18 Aug: Make and Muse: Family Crafting Tour (for 7-12 year olds) at Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle
• 23 Jul: Metro Hat Making at Stephenson Steam Railway, North Tyneside (FREE)
• 27 Jul: Chinese Painting on a Paper Plate at Hatton Gallery, Newcastle (FREE)
• 27 Jul + 7, 10 Aug: Little Artists Plus (for under 7s) at Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle
• 30 Jul + 6, 20 Aug: Holiday Art Class (for 7-12 year olds) at Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead
• 30 Jul + 13, 20, 27 Aug: Time Travel Club at Discovery Museum, Newcastle (FREE)
• 1 Aug: Saturday Art Class (for 10-15 year olds) at Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle
• 6 Aug: Make a Train Track at Stephenson Steam Railway, North Tyneside (FREE)
• 8 Aug: Family Art Class at Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead
• 13 Aug: Make a Train Station Artwork at Stephenson Steam Railway, North Tyneside (FREE)
• 24 Aug: Make a Roman copper emblem at Segedunum Roman Fort, Wallsend (KIDS GO FREE)

We think it's so important to offer something for parents and carers of children with autism and other sensory needs.

Great North Museum: Hancock is offering free Relaxed Early Openings of the museum every Wednesday. On 29 July and 5, 12, 19 August you can also book a Relaxed Storytime session for under 7s.

Woodhorn Museum and Hexham Old Gaol both offer Sound Down Sundays on the last Sunday of the month.

Relaxed sessions for those with sensory needs

• Wednesdays all summer: Relaxed Early Opening at Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle (FREE)
• 29 Jul + 5, 12, 19 Aug: Relaxed Storytime at Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle (FREE)
• 26 Jul + 23 Aug: Sound Down Sunday at Hexham Old Gaol (KIDS GO FREE)
• 26 Jul + 23 Aug: Sound Down Sunday at Woodhorn Museum, Ashington (KIDS GO FREE)

The school summer holiday 2026 is generally the same everywhere across the North East: 20 July - 31 August.

But the exact dates for you might be slightly different depending on where your school is.

So whether you're in Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland, Durham or the Tees Valley, it's worth checking with school to find the exact summer holiday dates.

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.