Yorkshire Dales with Kids

Your guides to visiting the Yorkshire Dales with the Family

Looking for things to do in the Yorkshire Dales with the kids?

Are you on holiday with the kids in the Yorkshire Dales? Are you looking for a quick and easy guide to spot what the BEST stuff to do with the family is? Planning on visiting the Yorkshire Dales with the kids for the day and want to know what the absolute ‘need to do’ things are and need help to decide?

Well then I have you covered!

Not only do we have over 100 Family Friendly Walks to do across the entirety of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the outlying areas, not only do we have details of all the Yorkshire Dales seasonal events and trails taking place across the area at all points throughout the year and not only do we have an entire A-Z directory of where to find every single play park in the Yorkshire Dales… (because this is ESSENTIAL need to know information when visiting with the kids!)

But I have also prepared a handy bite-sized guide to each bustling hub or gateway town across the Yorkshire Dales National Park and beyond, so you can see exactly what you can’t miss in the area you are visiting with the family.

So here are the quick view guides with our favourite things to do, places to walk, places to eat and where to find the ice cream, all drawn from 12 years of living in the Yorkshire Dales with kids!

All Our Visit the Yorkshire Dales with Kids Guides

Jumping in front of White Wells building in Ilkley

Visit Ilkley with Kids

Stuff to do in and around Ilkley with the Kids

Located just outside of the south eastern border of the Yorkshire Dales National Park in lower Wharfedale, Ilkley is a Spa Town with a WHOLE lot of stuff to do with the Kids!

And we know the best places. Oh yes we do. Because this is our home town!

So check out all of our insider info about the best places to go with the kids in Ilkley!

Tap here to head to kid friendly Ilkley
Child walking along a walkway with Skipton castle behind

Visit Skipton with Kids

Stuff to do in and around Skipton with the Kids

Have you decided to pay the lovely market town of Skipton a visit? Well you HAVE to check out our guide to figure out exactly what the best things are to do with the kids whilst you are there!

I’ve got you covered!

Tap here to head to kid friendly Skipton
Child sat on a bench looking at a where's wally made of flowerpots

Visit Settle with Kids

Stuff to do in and around Settle with the Kids

If you’re visiting Settle or the surrounding areas of Ingleton, Clapham or Horton in Ribblesdale, here’s the family friendly guide for you!

All the things you can do with the kids, come rain or shine in the Settle area!

Have fun.

Tap here to head to kid friendly Settle
Child doing a handstand in front of Richmond Castle

Visit Richmond and Swaledale with Kids

Stuff to do in and around Swaledale, with the Kids

Located on the far north eastern edge of the Yorkshire Dales, is the pretty market town of Richmond, the gateway to Swaledale!

One of the northernmost Dales in the Yorkshire Dales National Park has PLENTY going on in and around the area and we are of COURSE going to tell you all about it in our dedicated Visit with Kids Guide!

Tap here to head to kid friendly Richmond and Swaledale
A child in a white top and bunches pointing at a green map of the Yorkshire Dales

Visit Hawes with Kids

Stuff to do in and around Hawes and Wensleydale with the kids.

Located more or less smack bang in the middle of the Yorkshire Dales National Park lies Hawes. This pretty market town is packed with stuff to do with the kids.

Head to the page by tapping the button below to find all of the local family friendly attractions, what our favourite walks are in the area, where to find the play park and where to get ice cream (the most important bit!)

Tap here to head to kid friendly Hawes
Two children in pink and yellow raincoats walking down a traditional narrow country street in Grassington

Visit Grassington with Kids

Stuff to do in and around Grassington with the Kids

Are you headed to Grassington with the family? This beautiful market town is a hub of activity, made famous by its association with the TV Drama, All Creatures Great and Small and the great news is, there is plenty to do with the kids in and around it!

Tap the button to find all the parenting essential info for visiting Grassington with the kids!

Tap here to head to kid friendly Grassington
Children leaning over stone built pillar with a bronze plaque and hills behind

Visit Sedbergh and the Westmorland Dales

Stuff to do in and around Sedbergh and Westmorland with the kids.

Oops, we tripped and fell into Cumbria! Did you know that the Westmorland side of the Yorkshire Dales National Park actually lies within Cumbria? It’s true, the boundary almost touches the Lake District National Park!

Here you’ll find all the places to visit with the kids that are in or nearby, our favourite walks in the area and of course where to find the park!

Visit Sedbergh with the Kids Guide
A child in the river at an old bridge in summer with green trees

Visit Kirkby Lonsdale with Kids

Stuff to do in and around Kirkby Lonsdale with the kids.

I’ll be the first to admit that for a long time Kirkby Lonsdale was a place we drove through on the way to the Lake District!

But oh how wrong I was not to stop and give this beautiful market town on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park a proper explore! But it’s ok, we made up for it by spending a mini holiday right here, to make sure we really did it the justice Kirkby Lonsdale deserves!

Read on for more!

Visit Kirkby Lonsdale with the Kids Guide
Child standing in front of a fairy house with an activity sheet on her knee and fairy information board

Visit Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale with Kids

Stuff to do in and around Pateley Bridge with the kids.

Located on the Eastern edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, outside the boundary, you will find the Nidderdale National Landscape.

And it’s not kidding! Whilst this area lies outside of the National Park, the area is just stunning and well worth a visit with the family as there is SO MUCH TO DO! You know what? You’ll find all the details of all the Nidderdale attractions, family friendly walks and must see places!

So tap here for all the need to know family friendly info (like where the play park and ice cream is!)

Tap here to head to our Visit Pateley Bridge with Kids Guide

Where to Go Star Gazing

Want to know where to go star gazing in the Yorkshire Dales with the kids?

Did you know that the Yorkshire Dales National Park is a designated dark skies reserve?

It is officially one of the best places to go star gazing in the world, and so we have put together all of the best places to go star gazing in the Yorkshire Dales in a handy guide for you!

Tap here to head to our star gazing page
On the swings at the park with Pen y Ghent in the background.

The A-Z Guide of Yorkshire Dales Play Parks

…Because you’ve GOT to know where the nearest park is!

Yes, I have created a handy little A-Z guide to all the play parks in and around the Yorkshire Dales National Park! So you’ll never be stuck asking yourself…. ‘is there a park nearby’ again!

Tap here to head to our A-Z of play parks
Sitting on the rock in front of Thornton Force

The Ingleton Waterfalls Trail with Kids

How to do the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail with the kids.

Located in Ingleton on the South Western edge of the Yorkshire Dales, the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail is a firm favourite for many visiting this area of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

We will tell you all about doing the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail with the kids, like how long it takes, how many miles it is, whether or not it’s pushchair friendly and all the other need to know family facts!

And we’ll also tell you where the play park is and where to find the ice cream!

Tap here to head to kid friendly Kettlewell

Scroll using the arrows for all our Family Friendly Walks

Buy Me a Coffee

Make a Donation

Thank you for taking the time to have a look at my website and for reading this now!

I set up the Reluctant Explorers and maintain the website and attached social media accounts in my spare time, around mum-life and two jobs. It was designed to provide access for parents to free resources to help get more families outside and exploring in nature. These walks have all been created by myself and the kids and we have walked each one ourselves (and re-walk them regularly to keep the information as up to date as we can).

If you would like to support us and can afford a few pennies, you can make a donation to our ‘Buy Me a Coffee’ page. Simply tap the button below to head there!

Tap Here to Buy Me a Coffee

Did you just stumble upon our little website?

Well hi there!

If we’ve just popped up on your Google search then welcome, I want to let you know a little more about us.

We are three explorers (two reluctant, one very much enthusiastic) and this website holds so much more that just the walks you see above! Over the years we have researched, walked and then re-walked over a hundred family friendly walks across the Yorkshire Dales National Park and beyond, and you’ll find them all here on the website!

But not just that, this website serves as a lifeline for any families visiting the Yorkshire Dales, with Visit with Kids Guides, an A-Z of Play Parks, and the blog which covers everything else in between, from campsite recommendations, to wild swimming spots!

So sit back and take a little look!

Thanks for visiting,

Sam, Edie and Ezra.

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