Half term in Leeds: Recommended activities for adventurous families

With the school holidays just around the corner, you may well be looking for inspiration on how to entertain your children during the February half term.

To give you a helping hand, I‘ve pulled together a list of my family’s favourite half term activities in and around Leeds to occupy even the most adventurous!

These places have been incredibly popular when my children were little, and we love returning to these places during school holidays and throughout the year. 

2) Roundhay Park, Leeds 

Another fabulous outdoor space is Roundhay Park, not far from the centre of Leeds, in West Yorkshire. There are lots of things for families to do there and it’s a brilliant place to visit.

One of the largest city parks in the whole of Europe, there’s a massive 700 acres of parkland! There are lakes, woodland and formal gardens for you and the children to discover, as well as a couple of playgrounds, a skate park and a lovely lakeside cafe.   

A land train also runs every 15 minutes, weather permitting, from around 11am on the weekends and during school holidays too.

The park is also home to the popular Tropical World visitor attraction. This place is sure to be a hit if you’ve got anyone in your family who is a fan of unusual animals and exotic plants.

Whether you need a quick blast of fresh air, or have a whole day you need to fill, Roundhay Park is a perfect place for your children to stretch their legs and tire themselves out!

It's one of the most popular attractions in Leeds, and for good reason! Nearly a million people visit each year.

Parking is free, and there are five car parks dotted around the different entrances to the park.

Visit the Roundhay Park website here. 

3) Solar system bike ride in York

For something a bit more quirky, why not get your bikes out and enjoy the solar system bike ride in York?

It’s a brilliant, very flat and child-friendly bike trail so it’s great even for young ones just getting used to their pedals. Better still, it’s traffic free making it safe too.

The entire route is a scale model of the Solar System, spread out along 6.4 miles of the old East Coast main-line railway. As you cycle along the well-maintained track, you will find scale models of all the planets and come across space probes Voyager 1 and 2. The distances between the planets are also to scale.

It’s exciting to follow signposts to Jupiter and Mars! It’s also fascinating to discover that, relatively speaking, some planets are very close together and others are stretched out at much greater distances. You also get a feel for how huge some planets are while others are tiny in comparison!

You can also dazzle the children with fascinating facts such as that for every 100 metres walked or cycled along the track, you have travelled the equivalent of more than 57 million kilometres in space!

It really is a family bike ride with a twist! I learned lots about space along this route, with the added bonus of fresh air and exercise for everyone! 

Find out more about cycling the solar system. 

4) Brimham Rocks

Brimham Rocks is a weird and wonderful collection of natural rock formations in North Yorkshire, managed by the National Trust, about 11 miles from Harrogate.

It’s not only great for scrambling but it also offers breath-taking views that kids and adults of all ages will appreciate. This place has always been a firm favourite with my boys since they were big enough to clamber over the rocks!

Do be warned…it’s a natural playground full of nooks and crannies so is not for the faint hearted.

Budding geologists will find the rock formations fascinating and can find out more about the history behind the rock formations at the welcome cabin.

So, if you’re wanting to visit somewhere this February half term where you can let the kids climb and explore, then I highly recommend Brimham Rocks.

Click here to find out more about what to expect and for all the essential information such as opening times and parking charges. 

5) Hetchell Woods Nature Reserve

Hetchell Woods Nature Reserve, near Leeds in West Yorkshire, is a hidden gem in between the villages of Bardsey and Thorner, and is a great place to explore as a family.

We have spent many a great afternoon swinging on the rope swings, leaping over the stepping stones by the steam, or playing hide and seek in the nearby Pompocali mounds (which my kids call Teletubby land).

You can park in the lay-bys on the roadside, and as you walk through the gate your will discover an ancient woodland with crags, quarries and steep undulating trails for you and the children to explore It’s also very dog friendly so bring your four-legged friends too.

If your children are full of spirit and energy, I am certain that they will love Hetchell Woods.

Find out more about Hetchell Woods here.

Days out during half term in Leeds, Yorkshire

I hope that this list of local attractions has inspired you to plan some adventures around Leeds this February half term.

I would love to know which of these you’re planning to visit and what you think of them when you do.  Do also let me know if you’ve got any other outdoor spaces that you would recommend and think that I should add to my list!

Comment below or contact me via this form. 

Whatever you decide to do with your family this half term, I hope you have lots of fun and make many new wonderful memories!

Outdoor family photoshoots

I love working with families and capturing them on their adventures. If you are in the Leeds area and are thinking about having a family photoshoot, do get in touch.

I’m also running spring mini family sessions in April and May which are the perfect way to get updated family portraits at a fantastic price.

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Andrea

Related reading: Things to do in and around Boston Spa during the school holidays