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You are here > Home > What's On > Family Events

Family Events

For guaranteed fun for all the family check out our list of events taking place across the county.

Whether you are looking for things on this weekend, or looking for what's on today, we have all the amazing events for a great days out with the kids.

Create lasting memories with your loved ones at Durham's family-friendly events. Explore a diverse array of kid-friendly activities, family festivals, and interactive outings that cater to all ages. From educational workshops to entertaining performances, Durham offers a vibrant calendar of events designed to bring families together. Stay informed about the latest family-friendly happenings, and plan your weekends with the exciting array of cultural and recreational activities that Durham has to offer.

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Number of results: 95

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  1. Heritage Open Days Logo

    Heritage Open Days 2025

    Type

    Type:

    Heritage Open Days

    Heritage Open Days is England's largest festival of history and culture, bringing together over 2,000 local people and organisations, and thousands of volunteers.

    Dates

    From:
    12 Sept 2025to21 Sept 2025
    More info for Heritage Open Days 2025
  2. People sitting in a carriage drawn by two beautiful black horses at Beamish Museum

    Add Attelage Horse Weekend 2025 - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North to your Itinerary

    Attelage Horse Weekend 2025 - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Beamish

    See a remarkable carriage driving competition by the Concours d'International d'Attelage de Tradition (CIAT) take place around the museum.

    Dates

    From:
    13 Sept 2025to14 Sept 2025Open 10:00 - 17:00
    More info for Attelage Horse Weekend 2025 - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North
  3. Adventures in Wonderland. Two people walking through a red tunnel of lights, beneath suspended playing cards.

    Add Adventures in Wonderland: An Immersive Experience - Raby Castle Park and Gardens to your Itinerary

    Adventures in Wonderland: An Immersive Experience - Raby Castle Park and Gardens

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Staindrop

    Raby Castle, Park and Gardens is encouraging families to journey down the rabbit hole this summer with an Alice in Wonderland inspired takeover of the castle grounds.

    Dates

    From:
    19 July 2025to17 Aug 2025Open 10:00 - 16:00
    More info for Adventures in Wonderland: An Immersive Experience - Raby Castle Park and Gardens
  4. poster promoting free family fun day in Peterlee

    Add Free Family Summer Fun Day to your Itinerary

    Free Family Summer Fun Day

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Helford Road, Peterlee

    Looking for something exciting to do with the kids this summer? Peterlee Town Council is bringing you free  Family Fun Days packed with entertainment, activities, and summer vibes!

    Dates

    From:
    4 Aug 2025Open 10:30 - 15:30
    More info for Free Family Summer Fun Day
  5. Chinese Stone Mask

    Add Fakes and Forgeries at The Oriental Museum to your Itinerary

    Fakes and Forgeries at The Oriental Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Durham City

    Be a detective and hunt down some objects that might not be exactly what they seem and make one of your own.

    Venue

    Durham University Oriental Museum, Durham City

    Dates

    From:
    30 July 2025Open 13:00 - 15:00
    More info for Fakes and Forgeries at The Oriental Museum
  6. Two women and three children walking around the lake at Hardwick Park

    Add Hardwick Holiday Club 2025 - Hardwick Park to your Itinerary

    Hardwick Holiday Club 2025 - Hardwick Park

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Sedgefield

    Join us this August for Hardwick Holiday Club. Each day will offer opportunities to explore and discover a range of outdoor adventures while making new friends, playing games, and learning new skills. Holiday Club will include a themed morning…

    Dates

    From:
    11 Aug 2025to15 Aug 2025Open 09:00 - 16:00
    More info for Hardwick Holiday Club 2025 - Hardwick Park
  7. Preston Park Museum and Grounds

    Add S&DR200: Tracks of Change to your Itinerary

    S&DR200: Tracks of Change

    Type

    Type:

    Exhibition

    Stockton on Tees

    Following a major redevelopment, Preston Park will open its new exhibition space with Tracks of Change, a series of exhibitions exploring the impact and legacy of the Stockton & Darlington Railway. 

    Dates

    From:
    1 June 2025to30 Sept 2025
    More info for S&DR200: Tracks of Change
  8. Two women and three children walking around the lake at Hardwick Park

    Add Passport to Nature: Bat and Moth Evening (Summer Holiday Event) - Hardwick Park to your Itinerary

    Passport to Nature: Bat and Moth Evening (Summer Holiday Event) - Hardwick Park

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Sedgefield

    As the sun sets and the night comes alive, join us at Hardwick Park to explore the mysterious world of bats and moths. Discover the wonders of these nocturnal creatures, learn about the vital roles they play in our ecosystem and gain insight into…

    Dates

    From:
    1 Aug 2025Open 19:30 - 22:00
    More info for Passport to Nature: Bat and Moth Evening (Summer Holiday Event) - Hardwick Park
  9. Poster promoting free family fun day in Peterlee. Illustrations of the sun, ice creams, doughnuts and hot dogs.

    Add Free Family Fun Day in Peterlee to your Itinerary

    Free Family Fun Day in Peterlee

    Type

    Type:

    Family Fun

    Peterlee

    Looking for something exciting to do with the kids this summer? Peterlee Town Council is bringing you FREE Family Fun Days packed with entertainment, activities, and summer vibes!

    Dates

    From:
    27 Aug 2025Open 10:30 - 15:30
    More info for Free Family Fun Day in Peterlee
  10. Aerial view of Raby Castle and grounds

    Add S&DR200: Coal, Canals and Carriages: The Story of Raby and the Railways to your Itinerary

    S&DR200: Coal, Canals and Carriages: The Story of Raby and the Railways

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Staindrop

    Raby Castle will celebrate the year with stories associated with 19th-century inventions, including the reactions of landowners and farmers to trains, as well as how travel evolved into a privilege for the upper classes from their collections.

    Dates

    From:
    28 June 2025to31 Oct 2025Open 11:00 - 16:00
    From:
    3 July 2025to29 Oct 2025Various Opening Times
    More info for S&DR200: Coal, Canals and Carriages: The Story of Raby and the Railways
  11. Sheep, a goat, a pig, rabbits and a peacock.

    Add The Paddocks - High Farm Holiday Park to your Itinerary

    The Paddocks - High Farm Holiday Park

    Type

    Type:

    Family Fun

    Bishop Auckland

    The Paddocks: wide variety of rare breed animals and bird in picturesque tranquil setting. Perfect for animal lovers of any age.

    Dates

    From:
    7 July 2025to6 July 2026Open 10:30 - 15:30
    More info for The Paddocks - High Farm Holiday Park
  12. Modern Japanese bluish glass sculpture with a design based on ancient form.

    Add Exploring Ancient Japan at The Oriental Museum to your Itinerary

    Exploring Ancient Japan at The Oriental Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Durham City

    Learn about prehistoric Japan and make a clay dogu figure.

    Venue

    Durham University Oriental Museum, Durham City

    Dates

    From:
    1 Aug 2025Open 13:00 - 15:00
    More info for Exploring Ancient Japan at The Oriental Museum
  13. Crowds of people watching a performance at the Hardwick Festival

    Add Hardwick Festival 2025 to your Itinerary

    Hardwick Festival 2025

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Sedgefield

    Hardwick Festival returns 15th to 17th August. The 2025 line-up will be revealed soon.

    Dates

    From:
    15 Aug 2025to17 Aug 2025
    More info for Hardwick Festival 2025
  14. Locomotive pulling a coach pulling a crowd of people

    Add S&DR200 Celebrating Railways: Past, Present and Future at Locomotion to your Itinerary

    S&DR200 Celebrating Railways: Past, Present and Future at Locomotion

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Shildon

    The highlight of the anniversary year will be Rail Futures, a celebratory festival taking place in late September and early October.

    Dates

    From:
    1 Sept 2025to31 Dec 2025Open 10:00 - 16:00
    More info for S&DR200 Celebrating Railways: Past, Present and Future at Locomotion
  15. A Japanese fan

    Add FANtastic! at The Oriental Museum to your Itinerary

    FANtastic! at The Oriental Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Durham City

    Make a beautiful fan to help you stay cool over the summer!

    Venue

    Durham University Oriental Museum, Durham City

    Dates

    From:
    19 July 2025Open 13:00 - 15:00
    More info for FANtastic! at The Oriental Museum
  16. People looking at the exhibition display stand at Locomotion

    Add S&DR200 - Railway Firsts at Locomotion to your Itinerary

    S&DR200 - Railway Firsts at Locomotion

    Type

    Type:

    Exhibition

    Shildon

    Home to one of largest collections of historic rail vehicles in the world, Locomotion is pulling out all the stops to commemorate S&DR200.

    Dates

    From:
    15 Feb 2025to31 Dec 2025
    More info for S&DR200 - Railway Firsts at Locomotion
  17. Jack and the Beanstalk written in Gold on a green background

    Add Jack and the Beanstalk - Gala Durham to your Itinerary

    Jack and the Beanstalk - Gala Durham

    Type

    Type:

    Pantomimes

    Durham City

    Join Jack and his friends as we are transported to a land of magical creatures and a very hungry Giant.

    Dates

    From:
    20 Nov 2025to31 Dec 2025
    More info for Jack and the Beanstalk - Gala Durham
  18. Man demonstrating a science experiment with fire

    Add Big "Lava Lamp" Science to your Itinerary

    Big "Lava Lamp" Science

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Bargate Bank, Lanchester

    This Summer we welcome back Big Science for some more exciting and fun experiments, this time centred around lava lamps.

    Dates

    From:
    6 Aug 2025Open 10:00 - 11:00
    More info for Big "Lava Lamp" Science
  19. Crowds of people at Seaham Food Festival

    Add Seaham Food Festival 2025 to your Itinerary

    Seaham Food Festival 2025

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Seaham

    The festival welcomes thousands of visitors each year for two days of sun, sea, family fun and, of course, food. 

    Dates

    From:
    2 Aug 2025to3 Aug 2025
    More info for Seaham Food Festival 2025
  20. Elizabeth Baker, local storyteller and writer, entertaining children at Durham Cathedral with thought-provoking tales.

    Add Family Storytelling: Magna Carta to your Itinerary

    Family Storytelling: Magna Carta

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Durham

    Hear from local storyteller and writer Elizabeth Baker, as she shares original and thought-provoking tales, as you learn more about Magna Carta and the North exhibition, as history comes to life. Booking is not required.

    Dates

    From:
    22 July 2025Open 10:00 - 15:30
    From:
    5 Aug 2025Open 10:00 - 15:30
    From:
    12 Aug 2025Open 10:00 - 15:30
    More info for Family Storytelling: Magna Carta
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