A Coast for All …. the family!

Summer school hols will fly by if you find yourself on the Durham coast, celeb chefs, water sports, hunting for precious glass treasure all await at little or no cost! 

The lively harbour town of Seaham is a must-visit on 3-4 August when the annual Seaham Food Festival storms into town. Bring the family for mouth-watering street food, local delicacies and deserts from more than 100 stalls. 

TV chefs Rosemary Shrager and Phil Vickery will take the stage alongside locals Mike Bartley and Chris Bavin for cookery demos.  There’ll be plenty of family entertainment with a cookery theatre on Saturday and world-renowned chocolatier Paul Young on stage on Sunday alongside British Bake Off finalist Josh Smalley and ‘The Dirty Vegan’ Matt Pritchard.  This weekend of family fun and fantastic food by the sea is not to be missed! 

Sunrise paddle and breakfast or paddle and brunch packages are on offer at Adventure Access, Seaham Marina Activity Centre, perfect for getting everyone out on the water! Family-friendly wetlands and a useful visitor’s centre at RSPB Saltholme Nature Reserve is ideal for young birdwatchers, you’ll encounter avocets, little terns and there’s a café and play area. 

On 21 July, Strut your Pup Dog Walk at Dalton Park Outlet will bring together shoppers, day carers, groomers and more, enjoying doggy treats galore in a free, summer morning walk in some of the 55 acres of parklands. 

Also at Dalton Park Outlet will be the new Seaside Mini Golf, 29 July to 4 August, a free 9-hole golf activity for all the family. Take pics at the giant deckchair and enjoy giveaway surprises. There’ll also be a Summer Outdoor Artisan Market on 17-18 August featuring more than 50 stalls heaving with handcrafted treasures, jewellery and culinary treats plus live music. 

Seaham is globally known as the hotspot for sea glass collecting, take the family for a free, fun day of treasure-hunting and amass a collection of blue, green, yellow and multi-coloured jewels to create your own jewellery.  

Sandcastle competitions, a Spanish galleon and a Festival of Dogs are just a taster of the packed family programme of fun – get over to Thanet this summer! 

A series of Seashore Safaris is on offer between 24 July and 23 August organised by Thanet Coast Project at different bays across the Isle, run by volunteers. Kids have the chance to go rock-pooling, with experts on hand to identify finds, ideal for 4-17 year-olds with a suggested £2.50 donation. 

Broadstairs Water Gala at Viking Bay, 24 July, will be a brilliant free, family day out with water sports, sandcastle competition, Teddy Bears, children’s entertainment and quite literally, all the fun of the fair.  

A replica of a 17th century Spanish galleon used in discovery expeditions and trading will be on show at El Galeon Andalucia, Royal Harbour, Ramsgate 25-28 July. You’ll be able to tour the decks, check out interactive exhibits and videos and chat to crew members, ideal for 5-10 year-olds (£6) and free for under 5s. 

The hugely popular Broadstairs Folk Week hits town on 9-16 August. Expect daily fun at the Bandstand with the free Hobby Horse Club with visits by the Hooden Horses and Clarence the Dragon. Games, dances and special caller’s sessions for family ceilidhs promise guaranteed fun for all! Crafts, learning a new musical instrument and workshops make this event unmissable. 

There’s a new production of open air theatre – Jemima Puddle-Duck at enchanting Quex Gardens Birchington, 21 August or for a high-energy hit, head to Monster Slam 2024 at Quex Park 11 August for a day of extreme stunts, massive jumps and explosions. 

No summer holiday is complete without fireworks and Broadstairs will deliver! Free pyrotechnic displays will dazzle night skies on July 24, 31, August 21 and 28, just donate a pound or two in the collector’s buckets to keep it free. 

Family of dog-lovers look no further! Kent Country Show and Kent Festival of Dogs promises a fun day out at Quex Park on 25 and 26 August. In addition to pups of all shapes and sizes there’ll be rural crafts, cookery demos, festival for kids, live music and more! 

Overlooking beautiful Westbrook Bay in Margate, Strokes Adventure Golf offers an 18-hole mini-golf course, dotted with rockscapes, plants and water features for putters of all ages and abilities. 

Heading to the Lancashire coast? 

You’ll be at the very heart of family entertainment on the coast with scores of attractions whether it’s rain or shine. 

As a premier seaside resort, Blackpool leads the way.  Visit Blackpool Tower, with its world famous Ballroom, the Blackpool Tower Eye, Dino Mini Golf and the nearby SEA LIFE Blackpool and Madame Tussaud’s Blackpool.  Most recently Peter Rabbit Explore & Play has been added to Merlin’s collection of amazing family friendly attractions on Blackpool’s Promenade and in May 2023 a new attraction; The Gruffalo and Friends Clubhouse joined the scene, aimed specifically at little ones. 

With no fewer than three historic piers, North, Central and South, you’ll find great entertainment too, with restaurants, arcades, and fairground rides synonymous with the seaside on offer. Further down the prom, close to South Pier you’ll find Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Nickelodeon Land for thrill seekers, and Sandcastle Waterpark one of the UKs largest indoor waterparks. 

Big cats, elephants, orangutans, sealions and much, much more reside at Blackpool Zoo, also right on the doorstep for animal-lovers are Ridgeway Farm, Lowlands Farm Alpacas and World Horse Welfare Penny Farm.

Just down the coast the smaller towns of Lytham and St Annes are hugely family-friendly and a little quieter. Let the kids paddle and build sandcastles at St Annes beach, tide permitting, or head to Splash Park Zone and paddling pool and beautiful 1800s pier with amusements. 

Fairhaven Lake is ideal for kids, enjoy the play area, adventure golf, miniature landmarks, RSPB discovery centre, hire a boat or try windsurfing on the lake. 

In Lytham, the famous Lytham Windmill dominates the prom, Lytham Green, the site for many events held in the town, is perfect for a picnic. Nearby the Lowther Pavilion features entertainment for kids while Lowther Gardens offers a great park to play in. The town also boasts the Park View 4U park, offering a sand and water play area, skate ramps, for all ages. 

Visiting Morecambe? Amusements reside on every corner by the prom. Aside from the great beach, take the kids for a bounce at Jump Rush, hit a strike at Soul Bowl or explore Happy Mount Park with its mini golf, soft play and splash park. There are also plenty of play areas, a promenade stage area and water fountains, perfect for tots to play in on hot days at Morecambe West End Gardens.