The build up and buzz to Christmas 2021 is well underway now and one of our favourite family festive activities is ice skating. There’s something so nostalgic about putting on a pair of skates and slipping around the rink. Here’s our guide to the best ice skating experiences available this year.
*I’ll be updating this post regularly so keep checking back*
Centre For Life, Newcastle
Dates: 13th November 2021 – 9th January 2022
Where: Times Square, NE1 4EP
About: “We are delighted to confirm that our much-loved, open-air ice rink will return this winter. Tickets for timed slots can be purchased online in advance. Some slots will be kept free for walk-ups – but booking is advised to avoid disappointment.”
About: “Ready to deliver a magical winter experience for people of all ages we promise to give you the best year yet at Sunderland Ice Rink with our fantastic new all weather rink – say goodbye to the rain and wind we now have a huge marquee covering us from the elements!”
About: “Join us at Manor Walks Shopping Centre for festive fun with a glide on our first ever real ice rink! Grab your skates and enjoy the 32x 15m open air ice rink and enjoy the perfect day out with friends and family.”
About: “We’ve brought the outdoors indoors this year with our magical Arctic Experience. Little kids, and big kids too, can skate on our synthetic ice rink, grab a selfie on our enchanted throne, and watch the magical snow fall indoors.”
About: “We have something for all the family – from thrilling rides, attractions and an ice rink to Santa Claus himself & his reindeer. This is not one to be missed! We look forward to seeing you there!”
Prices: Adult – £9.50, Child – £7.50 (general admission tickets also need to be purchased)
Winter Wonderland At Rainton Arena, Houghton-Le-Spring
Dates: 26th November 2021 – 2nd January 2022
Where: DH4 5PH
About: “Grab Your Skates And Come And Join Us At Our Real Open Air Ice Rink. Kick Off The Winter Season With Some Festive Skating, Open Daily. Stretch Out And Practice Your Skating Moves And Enjoy The Afternoon Sun As It Glistens On The Ice; Soak Up The Romantic Atmosphere At Twilight, Or Skate After Dark Under The Stars.”
From bats to pumpkins, ghosts to potions there are loads of Halloween Trails happening over Half Term throughout the region.
Alnwick Garden Family Friendly Halloween Trail, Alnwick
What They Say: “Grisly ghouls, spooky skeletons and Halloween nasties have taken over The Alnwick Garden, grab your family’s hand and go on a spook-tacular adventure around The Alnwick ‘Spooky’ Garden. A trail card and activity pack will assist you on your ghoulsome journey.”
Booking Needed:
When: Saturday 23rd October until Sunday 31st October 2021
What They Say: “Pick up your trail sheet at the museum Welcome Desk then explore the museum to try and find all the bats. Count how many you can find and make your way back to the Welcome Desk with your completed trail sheet. If you’ve spotted them all then you’ll be rewarded with a small sweet treat! The Berwick Bat Trail is inspired by the story of the Berwick Vampire.”
Booking Needed:
When: Saturday 23rd October until Sunday 31st October 2021
What They Say: “The famous Scarycrow Trail has been running for over 10 years and causes great excitement amongst visitors and locals. Follow the trail of weird and wonderful ‘Scarycrows’ around the villages, awarding them scores as you go.”
Booking Needed:
When: Monday 25th October until Sunday 31st October 2021
What They Say: “Venture on a quest through the West Wood and help Ghastly Griselda collect magic items to conjure a grizzly pet. Creep towards Griselda’s lair and create a scary monster using twigs, acorns, leaves and more – from spindly arms and scruffy hair to yellow fangs and eyes that glare!”
Booking Needed:
When: Saturday 23rd October until Sunday 31st October 2021
What They Say: “This Halloween trail is inspired by the Day of the Dead. Purchase your trail sheet from the café and search for the items hidden around the park. Each one will help you learn more about the Mexican traditions relating to this special.”
Booking Needed:
When: Saturday 23rd October until Sunday 31st October 2021
What They Say: “If you venture down to High Force Waterfall this Halloween, you’ll find a series of spine-tingling clues along our woodland walk. Can you collect them all, solve the puzzle and make it all the way back to the Hotel?”
Booking Needed:
When: Saturday 23rd October until Sunday 31st October 2021
Land Of Oak & Iron Painted Pumpkin Trail, Winlaton Mill
What They Say: “After the popularity of last year’s trail – we have once again enlisted our artist friends and our staff team to get creative by hand painting spooky pumpkins for our Painted Pumpkin Trail! Visit the Heritage Centre in Winlaton Mill and pick up a trail page during half-term, then find and name all the different painted pumpkins that you encounter.”
Booking Needed:
When: Saturday 23rd October until Sunday 31st October 2021
What They Say: “The Borough’s Big Halloween Pumpkin Trail features 30 giant pumpkin caricatures on pavements in and around town centre locations, and adventurers will be able to track all of them using a free app. Characters can be found in Tynemouth, Wallsend, Whitley Bay, North Shields, Cullercoats, Killingworth, Forest Hall and more.”
What They Say: “Are you brave enough to follow the Halloween trail through the house? Grab your potion ingredients list before searching for the potion bottles to find out what is required to cast your spookiest spell. Keep alert for what you might find in the dark rooms filled with magic and mystery, then continue your spooky adventure outside to discover more about the darker side of nature on the poison garden trail.”
Booking Needed: ❌
When: Saturday 23rd October until Sunday 31st October 2021
What They Say: “Collect an activity sheet from our creepy Coach Yard and see what hidden creatures you can find. Steer clear of the Witch’s cauldron and brave our scary spiders to find all of the clues and complete the puzzle.”
Booking Needed:
When: Saturday 23rd October until Sunday 31st October 2021
What They Say: “Travel through our child-friendly Halloween-themed illuminated gardens, where you will come across some rather spooky characters roaming the grounds of Ushaw.”
Booking Needed: ✅
When: Friday 29th October until Sunday 31st October 2021
Washington Wetland Centre Halloween Trail, Washington
What They Say: “Are you brave enough to explore the weird and wonderful side of wetland nature this October? Discover what lurks beneath and join us on our all new interactive trail to uncover amazing facts about some very special creatures, while facing tricky tests along the way.”
Booking Needed:
When: Saturday 2nd October until Sunday 31st October 2021
For the next few weeks, government guidelines state everyone should “Stay Local” and avoid unnecessary travel. Twelve months after we were first told we must “Stay At Home” I’m sure everyone has exhausted all of the walking routes in their area. So how do you make your daily walk a little bit more exciting? Below are a few options that are super engaging and fun.
HUNTEE
Brief: Free treasure hunts on your phone to explore the world around you.
Area Covered: Tees Valley
Tell Me More: Each Huntee is a digital treasure hunt, encouraging players to explore the world around them. To date the Huntee platform has 27 digital treasure hunts around the region. Players can compete against the clock to earn the highest score and even collect medals & badges as they progress. Huntee is a Progressive Web App that can easily be played on all modern smartphones and tablets in the web-browser. No app download is required.
Tell Me More: Follow the directions and solve the clues along the way. Treasure Hunts take you past many local attractions and places of interest, but more importantly they get you looking around opening your eyes to many other things you would ordinarily walk straight past! A hunt will take about 2 hours to complete and is ideal for families.
Brief: Scavenger hunts, challenge cards and forest activities designed to get kids outdoors, one wood at a time.
Area Covered: North East
Tell Me More: There’s something going on in the woods and Tailsy the Squirrel needs your help. Little Wood Walkers allows your child to choose their own story through the wood, whilst following their chosen characters story and completing challenges along the way. Add an extra element to the story with more challenge cards and scavenger hunts.
Over the coming weeks, enjoy a (socially distant) Christmassy walk around North Tyneside’s town centres following The Snowman and The Snowdog trail.
This winter, North Tyneside’s most prominent shopping areas are delighted to welcome Wild In Arts festive sculpture trail celebrating Raymond Briggs’ quintessential Christmas characters, The Snowman and The Snowdog.
The ‘Walking with The Snowman and The Snowdog’ trail is made up of 20 stunning sculptures featuring twelve giant Snowman and eight Snowdog.
Each of The Snowman figures have been reimagined with stunning designs and decoration relating to the song, ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’.
The sculptures are waiting to be discovered in and around North Tyneside, specifically Wallsend, North Shields, Killingworth, Tynemouth and Whitley Bay.
The trail is centred around North Tyneside’s shopping areas to hopefully encourage those completing the trial to support small businesses and shop local in the run up to Christmas.
An interactive app costing 99p, which includes a trail map and sculpture information, is available for download in the app store with the proceeds going to St Oswald’s Hospice.
After visiting each sculpture, you can share your ‘snowfies’ with the sculptures using: #SnowmanandSnowdogNT
Local artist Lisa Kirkbride designed the A Partridge in a Pear Tree Snowman, which can be found outside “For the Love of the North” at Spanish City in Whitley Bay. Prints and Christmas cards based on Lisa’s design can be purchased in-store, online and in selected St Oswald’s Hospice shops.
You can also bring home the magic of The Snowman and The Snowdog Trail North Tyneside 2020 with Snowdog figurines available in-store at “For the Love Of The North” or online at https://www.snowdogarttrails.co.uk/shop/.
The Snowman and The Snowdog trail is available from Saturday 14th November through to the end of January 2021 so plenty of time to get out there and find them all.
If you do manage to spot the sculptures, I’d love to know which one(s) is your favourite, we have ours!
This initiative is organised by North Tyneside Council and Wild in Art and is supported by the North of Tyne Combined Authority.
North East Eats and Kids 