Under 10s family fun itinerary
Darlington has plenty of things to keep little ones entertained. No matter if your child loves being outdoors, imaginative play or something a bit more messy, there is something here for them. Take a look at our recommendations for children aged under 10 years here.
Free town centre events
Darlington town centre has a regular calendar of free events and activities, particularly across the summer. This includes the popular Darlington By The Sea, Fairy Tales & Legends Day and many more. See the full list of what's on here.
Dolphin Centre Soft Play
Under the Sea and Pirate Island is a nautical adventure for the whole family to enjoy - with lots of interactive features and fun characters! Come and meet Pirate Pete and help the Mermaid Princess find Fin the Dolphin. Ideal for kids up to the age of 8 years. Find out more about the Dolphin Centre Soft Play.
The Hullabaloo
Theatre Hullabaloo are the only specialist children’s theatre in the North East. They offer regular events and activities in The Hullabaloo on Borough Road, including free creative play, live show experiences and a cafe to unwind in afterwards. Find out more about The Hullabaloo.
Hopetown Darlington
Hopetown Darlington is the North East's newest railway heritage attraction. The site and museum are free entry, and there's also the Wagon Woods playground, Experiment! ride, exhibition hall, live works, and shop and cafe. Find out more about Hopetown Darlington.
CuriosiTeas Play Cafe
Curiositeas is a family run, family friendly play cafe in the centre of Darlington. The play area includes sensory, role play and curiosity areas, which are aimed at approximately ages 0-5. Find out more about CuriosiTeas.
Create & Paint
Create & Paint is an independent, family friendly pot painting studio in Darlington's Imperial Quarter. It stocks a range of pots, crockery and ceramic ornaments for customers to paint in a comfortable and welcoming studio. Find out more about Create & Paint.
DC Bowl
This five lane bowling alley takes bowling to the next level. Unlike many other automatic scoring systems, this is an entertainment system, delivering more fun, more ways to socialise and more competitive excitement. Find out more about DC Bowl.
Vue Cinema
Vue Cinema can be found in the DL1 leisure complex. This family friendly cinema shows all of the latest mainstream movie releases on state-of-the-art screens. Vue also offers event cinema and child friendly screenings. Find out more about Vue Cinema.
Lingotot Darlington
Learn another language in a community venue with Lingotot Darlington. Kids will learn in a friendly and relaxed environment and sessions include songs, games/play, stories and craft activities. Find out more about Lingotot Darlington.
Imagizone
Imagizone is a children's role play centre and cafe aimed towards ages 6 months to 5 years. The play centre offers a pretend zoo, hospital, tea room and classroom for the children to get stuck into. While your children play, they offer a selection of hot and cold drinks, cakes and light bites. Find out more about Imagizone.
South Park
South Park is a Grade II registered historic park with playground, bandstand, lake, aviary and cafe. It offers a beautiful green space that's ideal for walks in the summer, as well as many free events, such as Proms in the Park. Find out more about South Park.
West Park
West Park is a 12 hectare local nature reserve which combines woodland, wildflower meadows and wetlands with poetry and sculptures. It also has a large natural play area, four bike tracks, an orienteering course and an orchard, so there's something for everyone.