If you’re planning a staycation or a day out outside of Wakefield with the kids you’ll want to make the most of your time and money.
Why not use other Mumbler sites to do research on the area that you’re visiting?
We now have fully operational sites in the following areas;
Yorkshire:
Leeds (North Leeds Mumbler, South Leeds Mumbler, Wharfedale Mumbler)
Further afield:
From museums to mining, lakeside walks to sculptures, Wakefield has lots of fun, free, family activities!
Here are our top 5 for you!
1) A walk around Pugneys Country Park (WF2 7EQ). It’s suitable for prams and children’s bikes and is not too far for small children to walk the circular 1.5 mile circular route. There’s the bonus of a miniature railway ride (charges apply) and a fab playground!
2) Follow the Room on the Broom trail at Anglers Country Park (WF4 2EB). The lake was once the deepest opencast mine in the UK! At the visitor’s centre you can hire bikes for the whole family including bike trailers for the tiniest!
3) The Hepworth Gallery (WF1 5AW) is a great place for families with a family centred café, a playground and lots of free weekly craft and art activities. Visit the Explore & Draw Stations and create your own artworks as you explore the galleries
4) Visit Wakefield (WF1 2DD), Pontefract (WF8 1BA) or Castleford Museum (WF10 1BB). Stand on the back of a fierce caiman in Wakefield, view a unique & special Iron Age chariot in Castleford and find out about liquorice in Pontefract! Every Saturday they all have family craft sessions between 11am and 3pm.
5) Learn about the history of coal mining & the science behind it at National Coal Mining Museum (WF4 4RH). You can travel 140m underground with a past local miner to explore England’s last deep coalmine (charge applies). See the pit ponies, run around the new adventure playground, check out the indoor soft play and take a walk around the beautiful countryside!
YSP welcomes families and aims to be as family-friendly as possible. In the open air, children are free to run around, making the most of our 500 acres of historic parkland.
With 60 works in the open air, there are many hidden treasures to hunt for, and unlike traditional galleries, at YSP you can touch the sculptures. Family favourites in the Park include Playground by artist collective Greyworld, a musical sculpture that children will love to step across, and Crawling by Sophie Ryder, a half woman, half hare made from domestic items and plastic toys.
Families will also enjoy walks in the newly restored lakes and woodland where they’ll discover bridges, follies and incredible historical features including a Greek-style summer house, a now land-locked Boat House, an Obelisk, Stepping Stones and a magical Shell Grotto.
Facilities for families include:
Baby changing at YSP Centre, YSP Learning and the Bothy Gallery
Highchairs in the Restaurant and Café
Family-friendly food and drink, unlimited tap water
Picnic areas
Pocket money souvenirs and affordable children’s accessories available to purchase in the YSP Shop and Café
Downloads for families
Downloads are available to enhance the family experience- click here
For more resources, including downloadable tours and podcasts visit the Learning section
Family events
There are regular family-friendly events to take part in at YSP. Find out about upcoming activities
Please see our school holiday section and events calendar for details of events for families and Children plus lots of open spaces indoors and out for all ages to enjoy, a great family day out!
FREE (parking charges apply and some vents also have a small charge)
West Bretton, Wakefield, WF4 4LG
Come and enjoy our home made award winning Jersey Ice Cream whilst taking in the stunning views over the Calder Valley.
Entry is free, so bring the children to meet the animals. Enjoy our delicious home made ice cream and award winning sorbets, then burn off some energy in the outdoor play area.
Open 10:30am-6pm every day except Christmas Day
We are a Facebook-based group for mums, dad’s babies and toddlers based in Stanley in Wakefield. We are a new group but fast growing in following with the aim of introducing a new generation of children to the glorious nature Yorkshire is abundant with.
💜 RECOMMENDED BY A MUMBLER! 💜
For kids who love trains, pop over to Moorthorpe Train Stain, near South Kirkby (WF9 3TA) 🚄🚂☕
It’s a nice quiet train station for the kids to watch the trains passing and a great cafe right on the platform called Mallard Coffee Lounge! [Recommended – BP]
The Museum is open daily from 10am until 5pm (closed 1st January and 24th-26th December annually).
The National Coal Mining Museum for England is a unique place where the history of mining over several centuries is preserved both above and below ground.
Call:01924 848 806
Perfect place to feed the ducks, get your wellies muddy and enjoy the great outdoors. Paths suitable for pushchairs and bikes it is likely to be muddy though so be prepared!
Car park
Charges apply 8am – 6pm, Monday to Saturday
Pay and Display Machine
Maximum stay: 10 hours
Up to 1 hour – 60p
Up to 2 hours – £1
Up to 4 hours – £1.30
Over 4 hours – £1.70
Dungeon Tours Every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Additional Tours in school Holidays (Adults £3, Children £1.50)
School Holiday Activities and workshops, check out our events calendar for details
Castle Entrance is FREE
Address: The Lodge Castle Chain, Pontefract WF8 1QH (SAT NAV WF8 2JR)
Contact: 01977 723440
At the Pugneys Watersports Centre you can try your hand at a fantastic range of activities.
Good paths for bikes, pushchairs and wheelchairs. There is also an outdoor adventure playground for the children.
Outdoor gym trim trail, Download the free documents here
Call: 01924 302 360
We really did wonder what we were going to see but look how close we got to the dinosaurs!!
The adventure is based around the FREE Love Exploring App that Wakefield Council have brought into Pugneys Country Park!
Download it onto your phone and off you walk around the lake to discover dinosaurs (just make sure you have a decent amount of battery in your phone)!
You start off at the visitor centre and walk on the new path along the lakeside towards the zip line. Your location counts down the meters to the dinosaur, and when you get close the app tells you to look for the dinosaur with the special app camera. The dinosaur then appears right next to you!
A map shows you the location of the next dinosaur after you have answered a dinosaur fact! Make sure you answer the question or you won’t activate the next dinosaur!
The dinosaurs are often located close to play equipment or the Blown Away Adventure Trail so you get to do all of Pugneys activities!!
Mini Mumbler who is 4, and dinosaur mad, was a little confused at what we were pointing at to start off with, but as soon as we started showing him the image on the phone, before taking a photo, he got it and was really excited to find the next dinosaur!
There were a lot of families enjoying the activity and we’ll definitely use the app again!
To download the app:
@Elsecar Park
open 9am-5pm 7 days
Cafe serving breakfast, coffee, drinks and English cuisine.
Suitable for children.
Takeaway and outdoor seating available
