National Railway Museum, York

Sooner or later every small child seems to have a phase of being obsessed by trains. I assume this happens to little girls too. When it does, you can do worse than get yourselves to the National Railway Museum in York. It is free to get in, although there are lots of opportunities to spend money once you are in.

The highlights include many large steam engines, including the record breaking Mallard, a replica of the Rocket, a Eurostar, bullet train and various royal trains. There are also some impressive model railway layouts, which my son was very excited by. You can go on a Mallard simulator, which recreates the 1930s record breaking speed attempt, for an extra charge. You can buy a children's guide and spend lots of time in the large shop full of train related goodies.

Outside there is a large play area for 3-8 year olds and a ride on model train (extra charge). There are inside and outside picnic benches, and during the school holidays there are a series of hands on activities to take part in, some of which also have an extra charge.

There is plenty of in house catering to choose from. We sampled the Mallard cafe which provides surprisingly good quality drinks, snacks and lunches in the middle of the Great Hall, surrounded by steam engines.

Round up
Cafe latte price: £2.75 for a large one in the Mallard Cafe
Favourite cake: Choc peanut butter brownie for £2.95
Child friendly highlights: Big trains, small trains, trains in the playground, kids lunch boxes in the cafe
Buggy friendy: Yes
Parking: Come by train or park and ride

Verdict
Although free to get in, the extras can mount up quickly, but this can be a full day out for train enthusiasts of all ages.

Markeaton Park, Derby

Deciding whether to include this Derby City Council run park on this blog was a real dilemma.  It’s a great place for small kids.  One of the highlights is a huge paddling pool, which is open in the summer, and has several fountains for added splashy fun.

The playground area is also huge, with signs of extensive recent investment.  My son had a great time in the pirate ship area, and the big slides set into the bank.  Toddlers get swings and a fire engine climbing frame and older children can play on big rope climbing frames.

There are plenty of picnic benches if you’ve brought your own lunch.

Most of this is provided for free.  Additional charges apply for hiring canoes on the boating lake, and the light railway, but these are reasonable, and you can have a good time in the park without doing either.

So far so good.  But this blog is about coffee and cake.  The only coffee I could find was at a takeaway kiosk where it came out of an instant coffee jar, topped up with boiling water.  Add your own milk and sugar, for £1.20.

I’ve since looked at the website, and there is apparently a café. We missed it completely, and even if it is there, it seems to be missing a trick to have it so far away from the children’s play area.

Round up

Café latte price: £1.20 for an instant coffee

Favourite cake: those my friend packed in the picnic

Child friendly highlights: Great paddling pool, huge playground, miniature train

Buggy friendly: Yes, very

Parking: £1.50 for up to 2 hours, £2.80 for up to 4 hours, £3.70 for over 4 hours

 

Verdict

The park is great, and full marks for the investment. But my plea to Markeaton Park: invest in a cappuccino machine in your kiosk, add some homemade cake to the chocolate and ice cream selection, and this would be a perfect family destination.

 

Kingsbury Water Park, nr Tamworth

Kingsbury Water Park is a large country park with 15 lakes, owned and run by Warwickshire County Council. 

It is a great place for outdoor play.  The Lake View playground and the Far Leys adventure playground cater for children of all ages with multiple climbing frames, tunnels and swings.  There are plenty of reasonably flat paths suitable for bikes and scooters and picnic benches at both playgrounds. 

A real highlight for my son is the Echills Wood miniature railway which runs from the playground near the car park, to the playground at Far Leys.  There is an extra charge for this, although if you have a big group, or plan to come again, it can work out well to buy a book of 8 tickets.

The Old Barn café is close to the car park, and serves a good range of drinks, snacks, and ice cream. There is indoor and outdoor seating. The coffee is not a highlight, but if you have spent a couple of hours exploring with children they serve it hot and wet and accompanied by cake.

You pay to park, and you will need £3.50 in change to feed the barrier as you arrive.

The site includes a children's farm, which we haven't explored yet, and is also home to a model boat club, jet bikes and power boats.  But despite all that, it is a surprisingly relaxing destination.

Round up
Café Latte price: I don't think they do it - have a mug of coffee at £1.80 or cappuccino at £2.10
Favourite cake: Tea cake for £1.90, or the coffee and walnut at £2.20
Child friendly highlights: Playgrounds, bike friendly paths, model trains
Buggy friendly: The site is fairly flat and easy for buggies, some on paths some on grass
Car parking: £3.50 pay on arrival

Verdict
Kingsbury has lots of space for playing and biking and is a firm family favourite on a fine day.