Summer Holiday Activities in Ponteland: Keeping the Kids Busy

The summer holidays are wonderful and long, which is exactly the problem. Six weeks is a lot to fill, but Ponteland families are well placed, with a proper zoo on the doorstep, a leisure centre packed with holiday activities and plenty of green space and days out within easy reach. Here is our guide to keeping children busy over the summer in and around Ponteland.

Kirkley Hall Zoo

Kirkley Hall Zoological Gardens, now run by Northumberland College, is the standout local day out, home to more than 200 species from meerkats to reptiles, set in the grounds of the 400-acre Kirkley Hall campus. There are keeper talks and animal encounters, a river-and-forest trail, and a separate outdoor activity centre with a treetop high-ropes course and a 120-metre zip slide for older children. It is open every weekend and throughout the school holidays.

Best for: Best for: a full day out with animals and outdoor adventure, minutes from the village.

Ponteland Leisure Centre

Ponteland Leisure Centre on Callerton Lane runs a full programme of holiday activities delivered by qualified staff, including multi-sports holiday camps. On top of the camps there is a four-storey rainforest-themed soft play area, a Clip 'n Climb arena and family swimming in the main and learner pools, so there is plenty to do whatever the weather.

Best for: Best for: holiday camps, soft play and swimming all under one roof.

Sports camps

If your child is sporty, the summer is prime time for coaching camps. The leisure centre's multi-sports camps are joined by external providers such as Next Generation, who run multi-sport days in Ponteland, and the Newcastle United Foundation, whose football courses run across the region. See our dedicated guide to summer sports camps in Ponteland for more.

Parks and free days out

For no-cost fun, Ponteland Park and the riverside offer play areas, open grass and picnic spots, and the surrounding countryside is made for walks and bike rides. Our guides to free things to do in Ponteland and rainy-day ideas in Ponteland cover more options for both fine and wet days.

Days out further afield

When you have exhausted the village, the wider region is full of family days out within 30 to 45 minutes: castles, coast, museums and country parks. Our guide to days out around Ponteland rounds up the best of them.

Run a holiday club or activity in Ponteland we should list? Get in touch.