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Things to do in North Staffordshire with kids on a rainy day

Blog· Days out· home· Staffordshire· UK

2 Jan

There is nothing better than spending time outdoors with the kids in the fresh air. Popping on the wellington boots, wrapping up warm and heading outdoors for a couple of hours away from the screens is great,  but what do you do when it is the weekend … you wake up, look out of the window and it is raining? Here are a few ideas for things to do with the kids in North Staffordshire on a rainy day including a few ideas and days out in Stoke-on-Trent when it’s raining.

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You may also find my post on free or cheap things to do in Staffordshire helpful!

things to do in North Staffordshire with kids on a rainy day

Things to do in North Staffordshire with kids when it’s raining

  • Things to do in North Staffordshire with kids when it’s raining
  • Indoor play
  • Climbing walls
  • Pottery painting
  • Visit a Museum
  • Trampoline fun
  • Go to the Theatre
  • Waterpark/swimming pool
  • Visit the Cinema

Indoor play

We are lucky to have a number of great indoor soft play centres in North Staffordshire.

Come Into Play  is located in Stone and aims to bring the outdoors indoors. It is a safe place for kids of all ages with separate areas for different age groups. There is also a cafe for a bite to eat or a coffee or two for the adults.

Come into Play, Unit A, Whitebridge Ln, Stone ST15 8LQ

Just Kidding is located in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent and is another great soft play centre. Again there are play areas designed for different age groups, including a play area for the juniors (up to age 12) and one for the toddlers.
Just Kidding, Hanley Etruria Road, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 5NH

Climbing walls

Awesome Walls in Stoke is one of England’s largest dedicated bouldering centres. It comprises over 900 square metres of bouldering surface made up of walls and features of all angles to keep you happy every visit!  Most of the bouldering walls are 4.5 metres tall, but there are smaller walls specially designed for younger climbers.

Awesome Walls, Sefton Road, Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire, ST3 5LW

Pottery painting

Pottery Painting at the World of Wedgwood design studio in Stoke on Trent

Potters at Wheel at World of Wedgwood in Stoke on Trent

We are so lucky to have some wonderful places to paint pottery in Staffordshire. Pottery painting can be pricey particularly as a family, but here are a few places with variable prices. Also look out for the individual events that run over the school holidays.

World of Wedgwood – Families can get creative with pottery painting and ceramic design in the Decorating Studio. You can also learn how to throw a pot on the potter’s wheel in the Master Craft Studio. In the school holidays World of Wedgwood has themed Create and Explore activities as well as special events throughout the year.

Emma Bridgwater – Get creative in the Emma Bridgwater decorating studio and create an Emma Bridgwater masterpiece (Advance booking is required). Choose the pottery you would like to paint (prices start at £7 and a £2.95 decorating fee).

Royal Stafford – We discovered Royal Stafford just before Christmas and it is a lovely place to get creative. Visit the ceramics café and you can choose a piece of pottery to paint at a great price. Use the variety of colours, stencils and sponges to make your creation.

Royal Stafford Ceramic Café

Visit a Museum

Visit the Museum at the World of Wedgwood, Brampton Museum or the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery.

The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery is free to enter. The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery has been shortlisted for the prestigious Family Friendly Museum Award 2019 and they have really made an effort to ensure young visitors and families enjoy their visit.

Bethesda St, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 3DW

The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Hanley Stoke on Trent

Explore 260 years of ground-breaking design and production and learn all about Josiah Wedgwood’s lasting influence on industry and society at the World of Wedgwood Museum. Kids welcome.

World of Wedgwood Wedgwood Drive, Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST12 9ER

World of Wedgwood museum in Staffordshire Stoke on Trent with kids

Trampoline fun

Head to Flip Out in Stoke (Stone) for a couple of hours of trampoline fun! The trampoline park is suitable from 6 months +

Flip out, Opal Way Stone Business, Stone, Staffordshire, ST15 0SS

Go to the Theatre

We are lucky to have some great theatres in and around North Staffordshire. These include the Regent Theatre, Victoria Hall, and the New Vic Theatre

The Regent Theatre was constructed in 1929 as a cinema and is a number one touring venue. Since re-opening, following a £23 million development of the city centre, it has played host to War Horse, Mamma Mia! and Jersey Boys.

review Tom Gates Live on Stage and Regent Theatre in Stoke on Trent

Regent Theatre Tom Gates Live – image credit Regent theatre

Waterpark/swimming pool

If its rains – head to the swimming pool … and there are a few swimming pools to visit if it is raining in North Staffordshire! Jubilee 2 in Newcastle-u-Lyme, Dimensions Leisure Centre, Stoke on Trent, and Fenton Manor all have family swims and party hire. You will find a dragon slide, rapids and water fountains at Dimensions!

You will also find some great water parks;

The Alton Towers Waterpark boasts loads of fantastic interactive water features with lazy rivers, crazy cannons, and the Master Blaster water coaster. The Alton Towers waterpark is open all year round and offers fun for all ages.

Waterworld is considered a great day out in Staffordshire. The waterpark provides a range of thrill seeking rides from the Space Bowl to the Black Hole. Waterworld has more than 30 different rides and experiences so we really do have something for everyone no matter what age or swimming ability – there is something for everyone.

Visit the Cinema

Visit the cinema – Vue Cinema in Newcastle under Lyme, Cineworld, Stoke on Trent, or the Odeon in Stoke on Trent.

Don’t forget to look out for the special events including the Mini Morning sessions at Vue cinema (every Sat/Sun morning from 10am plus every day in the school holidays) where adults and children pay from  £2.49/€2.99 per ticket.

So there you have a few ideas for things to do in North Staffordshire with kids on a rainy day! Do you have any to add to the list?

You may also like to read;

A family day out in Wedgwood

Tips for visiting the Monkey Forest with kids

A visit to Trentham Gardens

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Things to do in North Staffordshire with kids on a rainy day

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Vanlife • Camper Family • VWT5


Ad/ Oh the places we will go .......

I’m reall
Ad/ Oh the places we will go .......
 
I’m really hoping better days are coming for us all 🌈
 
Tonight I wanted to tell you about a wonderful campaign by @whsmithofficial and I’m honoured to have been asked to be a part of it. 

Their aim is to encourage people to try something new throughout 2021. @whsmithofficial have some wonderful products to help you plan your trips (products linked in stories).
 
I would really love you to join me on Friday at 6pm over on the @whsmithofficial account, chatting about why we love vanlife, our favourite road trips, and what vanlife means for us. Believe it or not before we purchased our camper, we had never camped before! 
 
If you have any questions for me, I would love you to send them my way via my stories and I will do my best to answer them on Friday. 
 
Look forward to seeing you over on the @whsmithofficial Instagram on Friday at 6pm! 

#bringiton2021 #vanlife #vanlifewithkids #vwt5


Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are y
Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are you all doing? How are you feeling about the announcements tomorrow?

I know so many are finding it all a bit ‘meh’ at the moment.

So this is a little Sunday reminder to keep doing what makes your soul a
smile, check in on each other often and look after yourselves..... and know that better days are coming 🌈🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 

(My usual Sunday campsite share will be a little late - I’ll post it tomorrow I promise - I’ve been painting the girls bedroom all weekend😆 )

🌈 💕

Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynn
Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynnfamily as part of her bongo convo series.

Did you catch it?

I think it is the first time I’ve ever chatted on a live, or chatted in front of a camera even 😆

Anyway I just wanted to say thank you  so much for all the messages and lovely comments after the live. I’ve had a few vanlife questions too so I will pop them in my stories for you.

Thank you  Jenny for inviting me to take part in your new live travel chat. Chatting about Van life and road trips .... It definitely made my soul smile :)

🏕Sunday share is back 🏕

My next campsite to
🏕Sunday share is back 🏕

My next campsite to share is a really lovely campsite in Llangollen. We were introduced to this lovely site by my beautiful friend @a_girl_on_the_crescent 

Abbey Farm Campsite

@abbeyfarmllangollen is a working farm set just outside the beautiful town of Llangollen in North Wales.

Suitable  for camping, touring caravans and motor homes and camping pods available.  There are three self-catering cottages to rent and also a static caravan site.

The camping fields are set next to the ruins of Valle Crusis Abbey, and what we loved the most - there is a small brook that runs across the bottom of the field that the kids absolutely loved.

Facilities

Hot showers/ toilets
Laundry room
Bistro/bar
Shop
Electric Hook Up
Dogs Welcome 

What we loved 💕

⭐️Family campsite 
⭐️The brook provided hours of fun
⭐️Picturesque Llangollen a walk away 
⭐️Beautiful location with lots of space and walks
⭐️An ideal base to explore North Wales 

Definitely one to bookmark 

🏡For now the message is to stay at home, but my Sunday share is to inspire and introduce you to new campsites for when the time is right xx


Camping with kids 🏕

I was going to share my ne
Camping with kids 🏕

I was going to share my next favourite campsite but thought I would mix it up a bit with a new topic. Campervan storage. So tell me... What is your favourite storage hack? 

As our Campervan conversion  isn’t quite fully finished we have had to be clever with storage. As a family of five in a T5 space is super tight! 

Our favourite hacks so far....

➡️ Using cushion covers / pillow cases to store items 

➡️ storage hooks on the back of the seats (I think I learned about this one from @daisy_thefamilycamper ) 

➡️ Using a pop up tent to store the large bulky items such as car seats and strollers etc 

➡️ Packing pods to organise the clothes!!! My absolutely favourite thing ever we have used them for years.

➡️ plastic storage bucket for the outside toys that we take to the beach (and can even double up as a baby/toddler bath 

 
 ➡️ Foldable items, folding table, folding scooters, folding chairs, the list goes on but helps with space 

➡️hamman towels. Absolutely wonderful. We were sent some towels to review a few years back and they are incredible. We haven’t looked back and we are fully converted. They don’t take up much space, dry really quickly, have multiple uses  and basically we just love them! 

🌈 I have linked my post in my stories - but would love to hear if you have any campervan storage ideas to share or add? 

Hope you have all had a lovely weekend whatever you have been up to ?


Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for
Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for the time when it is safe to travel again 😍🚐

 Sunnyside Croft Touring Site 

This is my next campsite to share... the beautiful Sunnyside Croft Touring Site - an award winning site located between the villages of Arisaig and Mallaig on the West Coast of the Scottish Highlands 

⭐️What we loved 🌈

Direct access to the most beautiful beach 
Family friendly, clean  and quiet 
Dogs allowed 
Eco friendly
Lovely touches - outside shower for wetsuits, infant and toddler washroom with a bath 
Pets allowed 

We loved staying here for two nights as part of our Scotland road trip with our beautiful friends. Mallaig is the nearest village  and we loved visiting Skye and Glenfinnan too. The campsite has direct access to the most spectacular beach - just a walk away along a dedicated path.  Definitely one to bookmark and a campsite we would definitely return to.

📸 Our first view of the beach from the campsite 
 
➡️ swipe for more photos of Arisaig and Mallaig

🌈 #stayathome and keep hoping for sunnier days☀️

#dreamingofvanlife #keepondreaming #arisaigbeach #scotlandphotography


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Ad/ Oh the places we will go ....... I’m reall Ad/ Oh the places we will go .......
 
I’m really hoping better days are coming for us all 🌈
 
Tonight I wanted to tell you about a wonderful campaign by @whsmithofficial and I’m honoured to have been asked to be a part of it. 

Their aim is to encourage people to try something new throughout 2021. @whsmithofficial have some wonderful products to help you plan your trips (products linked in stories).
 
I would really love you to join me on Friday at 6pm over on the @whsmithofficial account, chatting about why we love vanlife, our favourite road trips, and what vanlife means for us. Believe it or not before we purchased our camper, we had never camped before! 
 
If you have any questions for me, I would love you to send them my way via my stories and I will do my best to answer them on Friday. 
 
Look forward to seeing you over on the @whsmithofficial Instagram on Friday at 6pm! 

#bringiton2021 #vanlife #vanlifewithkids #vwt5
Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are y Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are you all doing? How are you feeling about the announcements tomorrow?

I know so many are finding it all a bit ‘meh’ at the moment.

So this is a little Sunday reminder to keep doing what makes your soul a
smile, check in on each other often and look after yourselves..... and know that better days are coming 🌈🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 

(My usual Sunday campsite share will be a little late - I’ll post it tomorrow I promise - I’ve been painting the girls bedroom all weekend😆 )

🌈 💕
Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynn Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynnfamily as part of her bongo convo series.

Did you catch it?

I think it is the first time I’ve ever chatted on a live, or chatted in front of a camera even 😆

Anyway I just wanted to say thank you  so much for all the messages and lovely comments after the live. I’ve had a few vanlife questions too so I will pop them in my stories for you.

Thank you  Jenny for inviting me to take part in your new live travel chat. Chatting about Van life and road trips .... It definitely made my soul smile :)
🏕Sunday share is back 🏕 My next campsite to 🏕Sunday share is back 🏕

My next campsite to share is a really lovely campsite in Llangollen. We were introduced to this lovely site by my beautiful friend @a_girl_on_the_crescent 

Abbey Farm Campsite

@abbeyfarmllangollen is a working farm set just outside the beautiful town of Llangollen in North Wales.

Suitable  for camping, touring caravans and motor homes and camping pods available.  There are three self-catering cottages to rent and also a static caravan site.

The camping fields are set next to the ruins of Valle Crusis Abbey, and what we loved the most - there is a small brook that runs across the bottom of the field that the kids absolutely loved.

Facilities

Hot showers/ toilets
Laundry room
Bistro/bar
Shop
Electric Hook Up
Dogs Welcome 

What we loved 💕

⭐️Family campsite 
⭐️The brook provided hours of fun
⭐️Picturesque Llangollen a walk away 
⭐️Beautiful location with lots of space and walks
⭐️An ideal base to explore North Wales 

Definitely one to bookmark 

🏡For now the message is to stay at home, but my Sunday share is to inspire and introduce you to new campsites for when the time is right xx
Camping with kids 🏕 I was going to share my ne Camping with kids 🏕

I was going to share my next favourite campsite but thought I would mix it up a bit with a new topic. Campervan storage. So tell me... What is your favourite storage hack? 

As our Campervan conversion  isn’t quite fully finished we have had to be clever with storage. As a family of five in a T5 space is super tight! 

Our favourite hacks so far....

➡️ Using cushion covers / pillow cases to store items 

➡️ storage hooks on the back of the seats (I think I learned about this one from @daisy_thefamilycamper ) 

➡️ Using a pop up tent to store the large bulky items such as car seats and strollers etc 

➡️ Packing pods to organise the clothes!!! My absolutely favourite thing ever we have used them for years.

➡️ plastic storage bucket for the outside toys that we take to the beach (and can even double up as a baby/toddler bath 

 
 ➡️ Foldable items, folding table, folding scooters, folding chairs, the list goes on but helps with space 

➡️hamman towels. Absolutely wonderful. We were sent some towels to review a few years back and they are incredible. We haven’t looked back and we are fully converted. They don’t take up much space, dry really quickly, have multiple uses  and basically we just love them! 

🌈 I have linked my post in my stories - but would love to hear if you have any campervan storage ideas to share or add? 

Hope you have all had a lovely weekend whatever you have been up to ?
Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for the time when it is safe to travel again 😍🚐

 Sunnyside Croft Touring Site 

This is my next campsite to share... the beautiful Sunnyside Croft Touring Site - an award winning site located between the villages of Arisaig and Mallaig on the West Coast of the Scottish Highlands 

⭐️What we loved 🌈

Direct access to the most beautiful beach 
Family friendly, clean  and quiet 
Dogs allowed 
Eco friendly
Lovely touches - outside shower for wetsuits, infant and toddler washroom with a bath 
Pets allowed 

We loved staying here for two nights as part of our Scotland road trip with our beautiful friends. Mallaig is the nearest village  and we loved visiting Skye and Glenfinnan too. The campsite has direct access to the most spectacular beach - just a walk away along a dedicated path.  Definitely one to bookmark and a campsite we would definitely return to.

📸 Our first view of the beach from the campsite 
 
➡️ swipe for more photos of Arisaig and Mallaig

🌈 #stayathome and keep hoping for sunnier days☀️

#dreamingofvanlife #keepondreaming #arisaigbeach #scotlandphotography
Happy Sunday!!! So I have decided on a Sunday fo Happy Sunday!!! 

So I have decided on a Sunday for the next few weeks I am going to do a little campsite share. Sharing our favourite campsites that we have stayed in our #t5camper over the last two or three years. I wanted to (hopefully) give you some inspiration for all those dreaming and planning for when we are able to hit the road in the future. 

My first campsite is @love2stay in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK. Set in 22 acres of grounds with touring and Glamping on-site. 

Love2stay is a beautiful resort and an absolute gem of a site. We have booked again for this year and have stayed more than once over the last two years.

Facilities

Love 2 Stay  has serviced pitches and a  glamping village. The toilet block is modern and clean.  There is so much to do on site you won’t want to venture far. 

➡️ swipe for pictures 

There is a natural swimming pool, restaurant and pizzeria, fitness suite and thermal bath, assault course, children’s adventure play zone, barefoot trails, mini and junior craft activities, cinedrome for movie nights, yoga and Pilates classes, paddle boarding and kayaking....... the list goes on 

What we loved 

⭐️So many activities on site for everyone 
⭐️restaurant/pizzeria on site 
⭐️Swimming pool 
⭐️Spa/gym on site 
⭐️Dogs allowed (with separate dog walking area and dog agility course )
⭐️Brilliant size serviced pitches
⭐️Glamping available 
⭐️Usually Open all year round (covid restriction dependent) 

Things to consider 
 
⭐️it gets booked up so book in advance 
⭐️No tents allowed 
⭐️No on-site grocery shop
⭐️it is the most expensive campsite we have ever stayed when you factor in all the additional activities that do -but it’s a wonderful experience and we absolutely love it here and it is a place that we will keep on returning to. 

Please do ask if you have any questions or if you have stayed here too? 

I’ll be back next Sunday with another gem !
Ad🌟Top Tip 🌟 Fairy lights dotted around a Ad🌟Top Tip 🌟

Fairy lights  dotted around a climbing frame
 
= A few more extra hours outside over the winter months 

Add in a flurry of snow ....

#1000hoursoutside 

#wickeyadventure #wickeyplaytime #lockdown3

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