Family-friendly things to do at Nunnington Hall

Children playing croquet on the main lawn at Nunnington Hall — Come and enjoy a family day out at Nunnington Hall | © National Trust Images/James Beck

There's plenty for all of the family to do on a visit to Nunnington Hall. From art exhibitions to games, crafts and more, including our Lion's Den play area. Visit during half term for extra activities for the kids to enjoy.

Planning your family visit

Here's all the information you need at a glance, to help plan your next day out to Nunnington Hall:

Baby-changing facilities are available on the first floor
Pushchairs can't enter the house, so you will need to leave them outside the hall or return them to the car
Picnics are welcome in the garden.

Summer of Play - Animal Antics!

Visit Nunnington Hall during the summer school holidays to enjoy animal themed games and activities around the gardens.

It's all about getting outside and bringing out your animal spirit! Bring the family along for a summer of play, with activities including animal races, cheeky monkey badminton, giraffe hoopla and frog's dinner archery.

Summer of Play is on at Nunnington daily between Saturday 13 July – Sunday 1 September 2024 (excluding Monday 15 July) from 10.30am – 5pm with last entry at 4.15pm.

Ada Grey children illustration exhibition

An exciting illustration exhibition opening on Saturday 13 July aimed at children, with plenty of hands-on participation.

Ada has been doodling since she was five and always knew she wanted to be an illustrator. She has drawn everything from babies to queens, dinosaurs to unicorns and lots and lots of poo in the children's book series 'Poo in the Zoo'!

The exhibition is on at Nunnington daily between Saturday 13 July – Sunday 8 September 2024 from 10.30am – 5pm with last entry at 4.15pm. Normal admission applies.

Follow the link to find out more about our activities at Nunnington Hall: What's on at Nunnington Hall

Children enjoying Lion's Den play area at Nunnington Hall — Enjoy the children's Lion's Den play area at Nunnington Hall this summer | © National Trust Images/James Beck

Family-friendly things to do

Things to do when it rains

For the inevitable rainy days, there is plenty to see and do indoors at Nunnington Hall. This spring we have the British Wildlife Photography Awards exhibition, celebrating the diversity of British wildlife and wild spaces, the exhibition aims to raise awareness about British biodiversity, species, and habitats.

Elsewhere in the hall, children can dress up as evacuees and learn about the history of Nunnington Hall during World War Two. Then there's the impressive Oak Hall, the Carlisle Collection of miniature rooms and, of course, the quintessential tea-room in the old dining room offering table service.

The Lion's Den play area

Enter the Lion's Den play area where little explorers can climb up, over, and wobble along a natural obstacle course. There are tree stump steps to jump across, a rope bridge to climb across as well as a wooden climbing frame to conquer. There's also a picnic bench for mums, dads, or grandparents to sit and have a rest whilst your little ones burn off some energy.

Bird watching and observation area

Come and see how we garden organically at Nunnington. We've got our compost beds up here so you can see how we break down our waste to reuse around the garden. Help us by feeding your food waste to the RolyPig. Wander along the path to our bird watching area - see if you can spot some of our resident feathered friends. Use the chalk board to write down and tell us what you've seen.

50 things to do before you’re 11¾ at Nunnington Hall

Let the adventure continue and tick off some items from the ‘50 things’ activity list. Here's a few suggestions to get you started:

No. 1 Get to know a tree: Head to the orchards and admire our blossoming trees. Which will be your favourite?
No. 33 Go cloud watching: Lie back on the lawn and watch the clouds go by. What shapes can you spot?
No. 36 Make a home for wildlife: Be inspired by the bug hotel and hedgehog house in the garden - could you help animals in your garden or local area?
No. 44 Watch a bird: Head to the cutting garden and take a peep through the bamboo bird hide to see what you might find. Birds can be easily scared, so be as quiet as a mouse and watch them fly in to feed. You might also spot a frog or newt swimming in the pond.