Family-friendly things to do on the Yorkshire Coast

A rainbow across the beach at Robin Hood's Bay — What will you find on your rockpooling adventure? | © Heather Tennant

It's hard to ever be bored on the Yorkshire Coast when there are so many family activities on offer. Find out what adventures you can have beside the seaside.

Rockpooling and beachcombing at Robin Hood's Bay

Rockpooling and beachcombing are absorbing ways to while away the hours when the tide is right. You might be surprised at how many different species you can discover on Yorkshire's rocky shores once the tide has left them exposed.

During school holidays and half-terms, we run family-friendly workshops from the Old Coastguard Station on the slipway to the beach in Robin Hood's Bay. The one-hour sessions are led by National Trust staff and you can observe and investigate the creatures that live in the rockpools and look for fossils and other treasures during beachcombing.

The sessions also teach families how to explore beaches in this way safely and responsibly. See the Events page of this website to find out more details, including other events we hold such as sandcastle building competitions during spring and summer.

You can always call in to our Visitor Centre at Robin Hoods Bay to check the tide.

Pick up a Tracker Pack

Borrow one of our Tracker Packs from the Old Coastguard Station on your way down to the beach.

These rucksacks are free-to-hire and are full of useful information and guides on fossil hunting, bird watching and rockpooling. Games and ideas are included in the activity leaflet, which when completed is yours to keep.

You can borrow the Tracker Pack all day or for a couple of hours, depending on your plans. Just drop it back off at the centre when you’re done and don’t forget to share with the centre staff the fascinating things you have discovered!

Group of young children rockpooling at Robin Hood's Bay — Enjoy family friendly rockpooling and beachcombing sessions at Robin Hood's Bay | © Andrew Davies

New for 2025 in Ravenscar

This year we've created a fun, family-friendly Ravenscar countryside trail exploring the fascinating history and natural history of Ravenscar.

Drop into the visitor centre to purchase a trail booklet and map before heading out on a short walk around the surrounding countryside. Find out about what exactly was in the barrels at the Alum Works, look for signs of wildlife in Bluebell woods and try to spot a Ravenscar Brick. Call back to the visitor centre with your completed booklet to get a sticker then enjoy some refreshments.

Stargazing

During the year, we hold family-friendly stargazing nights from our visitor cenre in Ravenscar - the next one being during the February half-term.

As part of the National Park's Dark Skies Festival, our 2-hour sessions are in partnership with local experts. Check the Events page to find out more details.

Our visitor centres

We have two visitor centres on the Yorkshire coast, at Ravenscar and Robin Hood's Bay. The Ravenscar Visitor Centre and The Old Coastguard Station at Robin Hoods Bay are open daily (please see our homepage for opening times).

In Ravenscar, pop in to delve into stories of life on the coast and find out about the fascinating story of ‘The Town That Never Was’. At Robin Hood's Bay, have a look at our exhibition room and be inspired to do some beachcombing by our collection of fossils on display.

Both centres have National Trust cafes where you can take a break from outdoor activities with a warming drink and snack or browse a selection of second-hand books.

We are wheelchair accessible with the Old Coastguard Station having an outdoor ramp available on request, as well as a lift to access the exhibition.

Cycle the Cinder Track

The Cinder Track follows the old Scarborough and Whitby railway line and offers excellent views of the surrounding coastline and countryside.

The Whitby to Hawsker section of the track offers flat easy cycling on a good surface for families, whilst the Robin Hood's Bay to Ravenscar section provides more challenging terrain and may be suitable for more experienced cyclists.

The Ravenscar easy cycle loop is a trail ideal for families with beginners on two wheels.

Walking and cycling on the Yorkshire Coast