Spending a long weekend in York can be fun for all the family, even when you do base it around the masses of history that can be found there. While kids may think that learning is boring and that sort of activity should be kept in the school, you'd be surprised at how much enjoyment they will get out of a stint in York. While the summer holidays are a perfect time to escape to warmer climes and encourage the kids to play outside with friends during the nice weather, a few days away on a city break can be a very welcome opportunity to spend quality time together. If you book now with Travelodge, you can benefit from excellent value family rooms in the medieval city of York and perfectly placed to enjoy the history in store.
While York is a relatively small city, it certainly makes up for it with its volume of things to do. From ghosts and Vikings to medieval ruins, your days in the city will be jam-packed with activities that will be both fun and enjoyable for all the family. The preservation of the walled city is simply astounding and has managed to fuse the past and present flawlessly to create an all-round fantastic place to visit.
DIG
A museum based around the wonders of archaeology, DIG is a great way of introducing your kids to times of yore, with the chance to take part in an artificial dig, where they can use typical archaeological tools to brush away earth and stone to find artefacts for themselves. As part of the Jorvik Viking Centre, it's a great attraction to while away a couple of hours before heading over to the Viking Centre for some more fun-filled escapades.
Jorvik Viking Centre
As you're in the area, it'd be rude not to visit the Viking Centre, too. The centre can be found just a short walk away from the walled city and includes plenty of authentic looks at how Viking life would have been, including a ride through a replica village, including all the associated smells – even the revolting ones.
Yorkshire Museum
When kids hear 'museum' their hearts turn to dread, thinking that their parents will be dragging them around musty exhibitions that hold no interest whatsoever. They couldn't be more wrong! Yorkshire Museum has plenty of treats in store, including Roman costumes and armour and dinosaurs.
Ghost Walks
While these are definitely not for the faint-hearted, and you may want to avoid them if you have very young children, older kids love a good ghost walk and York is definitely the place to do it. Meet outside York Minster and be taken on a dark and chilling walk through the city by a professional guide.
Combine any of these fun activities with some good food and family-friendly walks (hide and seek in the ruins of St Mary's Abbey, anyone?) and you can have a well-deserved family break that everyone will love.
Guest post by Kira