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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: 96

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  1. Crowds enjoying food at Chester-le-EATS. Image credit: Gareth Williams Photo & Film

    Add Chester-le-EATS 2025 to your Itinerary

    Chester-le-EATS 2025

    Type

    Type:

    Food & Drink Festival

    Chester le Street

    Chester-le-EATS Festival Returns to Durham Cricket With An Exciting New Line-Up

    Dates

    From:
    27 Sept 2025to28 Sept 2025Open 11:00 - 17:00
    More info for Chester-le-EATS 2025
  2. Poster promoting free family fun day in Peterlee. Illustrations of the sun, icecreams, 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
  3. A wooden carving of the Buddhist figure of Guanyin

    Add The Path of Kindness at The Oriental Museum to your Itinerary

    The Path of Kindness at The Oriental Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Durham City

    Discover the latest scientific research we've been doing on a very special statue of Guanyin and use your imagination to recreate how it might have looked like 500 years ago.

    Venue

    Durham University Oriental Museum, Durham City

    Dates

    From:
    12 July 2025Open 13:00 - 15:00
    More info for The Path of Kindness at The Oriental Museum
  4. An artist impression of Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens with title and date of event

    Add Big Bang: A Summer Space Day - Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens to your Itinerary

    Big Bang: A Summer Space Day - Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Durham

    On Saturday 28 June 2025, prepare for lift-off! Ushaw is blasting into orbit for a one-day cosmic celebration of science, space and summer fun like no other.

    Dates

    From:
    28 June 2025
    More info for Big Bang: A Summer Space Day - Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. Children in Hamsterley Forest searching for stick characters on The Stickman Man Trail. Credit Forestry England Crown Copyright

    Add The Stick Man Trail at Hamsterley Forest to your Itinerary

    The Stick Man Trail at Hamsterley Forest

    Type

    Type:

    Family Fun

    Hamsterley, Bishop Auckland

    Families can join a new forest adventure as the much-loved character Stick Man, based on the beautiful picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, returns to Forestry England Hamsterley.

    Dates

    From:
    12 Feb 2025to31 Jan 2026
    More info for The Stick Man Trail at Hamsterley Forest
  8. Deer Park - a group of deer gathering under a tree

    Add Deer Park Safari at Raby Castle to your Itinerary

    Deer Park Safari at Raby Castle

    Type

    Type:

    Nature

    Staindrop

    Enjoy a scenic tour of Raby Castle’s extensive Deer Park, guided by a knowledgeable ranger who will share fascinating insights about the deer and the park’s history.

    Dates

    From:
    25 June 2025Open 10:30 -
    More info for Deer Park Safari at Raby Castle
  9. The Bowes Museum and grounds

    Add Deadly Beauty from the Medicine Box Trail - The Bowes Museum to your Itinerary

    Deadly Beauty from the Medicine Box Trail - The Bowes Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Family Fun

    Barnard Castle

    Embark on a journey through The Bowes Museum’s galleries to learn about blood-curdling botanicals and tragic tales of the past.

    Dates

    From:
    1 May 2025to30 June 2025Open 10:00 - 17:00
    More info for Deadly Beauty from the Medicine Box Trail - The Bowes Museum
  10. Two people sawing a log - Beamish Museum

    Add Home Front, Home Farm 2025 - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North to your Itinerary

    Home Front, Home Farm 2025 - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Beamish

    Visit our 1940s Farm to learn about life in the British countryside during the Second World War.

    Dates

    From:
    20 Sept 2025to21 Sept 2025Open 10:00 - 17:00
    More info for Home Front, Home Farm 2025 - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North
  11. Someone partaking in an 'Artist Makers' session at The Bowes Museum

    Add Artist Makers - The Bowes Museum to your Itinerary

    Artist Makers - The Bowes Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Barnard Castle

    Make time for making; join in and get creative. An opportunity to try out new techniques, materials and experiment with the Museum’s team of artists, makers and designers in the Create Space.

    Dates

    From:
    4 Jan 2025to3 Jan 2026Various Opening Times
    More info for Artist Makers - The Bowes Museum
  12. Queen Elsa, Princess Anna & Holly the Elf

    Add Frozen Princess Party - The Manor House Hotel & Spa to your Itinerary

    Frozen Princess Party - The Manor House Hotel & Spa

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    West Auckland, Bishop Auckland

    Join us in The Great Hall of Arendelle for Afternoon Tea where we will meet Queen Elsa, Princess Anna & Holly the elf

    Dates

    From:
    14 Dec 2025Open 15:00 - 19:00
    More info for Frozen Princess Party - The Manor House Hotel & Spa
  13. early evening at Raby Castle and Gardens

    Add Summer Solstice Celebration at Raby Castle to your Itinerary

    Summer Solstice Celebration at Raby Castle

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Staindrop

    Join us for a truly special evening as we celebrate the Summer Solstice and mark one year since the opening of The Rising — our beautifully restored Walled Gardens and new visitor spaces.

    Dates

    From:
    21 June 2025Open 17:00 - 19:00
    More info for Summer Solstice Celebration at Raby Castle
  14. Spooky family with bats - Cliffecon Halloween Edition

    Add Cliffecon - Halloween Edition at Oak Leaf Sports Complex to your Itinerary

    Cliffecon - Halloween Edition at Oak Leaf Sports Complex

    Type

    Type:

    Halloween

    Newton Aycliffe

    Cliffecon Halloween Edition will be taking place on Saturday 25th October 2025 at Oakleaf Sports Complex.
    You can expect all the delicious geekiness of Cliffecon but with a spooky twist!

    Dates

    From:
    25 Oct 2025Open 10:30 - 16:00
    More info for Cliffecon - Halloween Edition at Oak Leaf Sports Complex
  15. Two women and three children walking around the lake at Hardwick Park

    Add Forest Club - Hardwick Park to your Itinerary

    Forest Club - Hardwick Park

    Type

    Type:

    Family Fun

    Sedgefield

    Forest Club is a hands-on experience designed to engage children with the world around them through natural and play based activities. The programme is aimed at children between two and six years of age. Each session will include a different …

    Dates

    From:
    29 July 2025Open 10:00 - 12:00
    From:
    26 Aug 2025Open 10:00 - 12:00
    From:
    28 Oct 2025Open 10:00 - 12:00
    More info for Forest Club - Hardwick Park
  16. Seaham Harbour Marina

    Add Seaham Lifeboat Day - East Durham Heritage and Lifeboat Centre to your Itinerary

    Seaham Lifeboat Day - East Durham Heritage and Lifeboat Centre

    Type

    Type:

    Family Fun

    Seaham

    To be held following the date when the RNLI George Elmy returned from being restored on the River Tyne by Fred Crowell. 

    Dates

    From:
    22 June 2025Open 10:00 - 16:00
    More info for Seaham Lifeboat Day - East Durham Heritage and Lifeboat Centre
  17. 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
  18. HST charter at Stanhope Station - Credit Dan Millard

    Add InterCity 125 High Speed Train (HST) at The Weardale Railway to your Itinerary

    InterCity 125 High Speed Train (HST) at The Weardale Railway

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Station Road, Stanhope

    Railway fans and families are in for a treat this summer as the legendary InterCity 125 High Speed Train (HST) makes a rare appearance on the scenic Weardale Railway.

    Venue

    The Auckland Project, Bishop Auckland

    Dates

    From:
    17 Aug 2025
    More info for InterCity 125 High Speed Train (HST) at The Weardale Railway
  19. Taylor Swift lookalike in a cowgirl hat and silver platforms.

    Add Swift-Tea Party - Lanchester Garden Centre to your Itinerary

    Swift-Tea Party - Lanchester Garden Centre

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Bargate Bank, Lanchester

    Join us this "Cruel Summer" for our very first Swift-Tea - with live singing, games, dance competitions and of course meet & greet with photo opportunities.

    Dates

    From:
    17 Aug 2025Open 17:30 - 19:00
    More info for Swift-Tea Party - Lanchester Garden Centre
  20. Drawing of a anime-style storyboard

    Add Telling Tales: Making Stories Come to Life at The Oriental Museum to your Itinerary

    Telling Tales: Making Stories Come to Life at The Oriental Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Durham City

    Check out our amazing new temporary exhibition Telling Tales and make a storyboard of your favourite story.

    Venue

    Durham University Oriental Museum, Durham City

    Dates

    From:
    21 June 2025Open 13:00 - 15:00
    More info for Telling Tales: Making Stories Come to Life at The Oriental Museum
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