Family-friendly activities in Yorkshire this autumn

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Are you looking for things to do with the family in and around Harrogate? Whether you're looking for a beautiful autumnal day activity, rainy-day inspiration or an adrenaline-fuelled adventure, check out these suggestions.

Did you know that Stockeld Park has thousands of pumpkins to be picked from its Halloween patch? What’s more, every child will also get his or her pumpkin for free with a paid ticket up until October 31.

Gather your loved ones for this fun day out for all the family, and say hello to the Scarecrow who will be waiting in the patch to greet you. There will also be speciality pumpkins to buy.

In addition to its pumpkin offering, Stockeld Park has plenty of fun-filled days of Halloween and half-term activities available including its Woodland Witches in the Enchanted Forest, mysterious fun in its Magical Maze, a Masquerade Ball and crafts in its theatre, and Zombie Lazer in the woods.

Tickets from £17, weekends only from October 5 and every day from October 26 to November 3, see the website for times, The Adventure Park, Stockeld Park, Wetherby, LS22 4AN.

Live For Today is all about adventure. Offering more than 25 activities all over the county, from its indoor climbing centre at Hornbeam Park to activities out in the Yorkshire Dales, thrill-seekers are sure to find their calling with one of its activities. Hazlewood and Ripley Castle also provide bases for its fun and adventurous itineraries.

As well as the usual kayaking, archery and quad biking, other outside the box activities include learning the fundamentals of survival through bushcraft, the ultimate bomb defusal challenge and raft building. 

All you need to do is book online, or it also accepts walk-ins to its activity centres if there is availability.

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Various locations. Visit the website for more details.

Pots2Go is a friendly, family run pottery painting café in the heart of Harrogate's town centre, where you can unleash your inner creativity on over 200 items of unglazed pottery, which are then glazed and fired in their on-site kilns, and presented back to you as your own bespoke piece of artwork.

With no studio fees or time limits, you can take your time to choose from smaller items such as coasters and cute character animals, or larger pieces such as dinner plates, serving bowls, vases and plant pots. These can then be decorated with a kaleidoscope of colours, sponges, paint pens, stencils and crystal glazes. Whatever your age or level of ability, you will find help and inspiration readily available from the Pots2Go team.

There's also an extensive range of seasonal pottery in the run-up to key calendar events such as Halloween, Christmas, Easter, Mother's and Father's Days.

And if you're a new parent, Pots2Go can help capture your child's tiny hand and footprints on a vast number of pottery items, or with their beautiful clay imprints.

Together with Make-A-Bear, parties, adult events, hen dos, team building, foam clay and slime (!), Pots2Go is your one-stop-shop for all things creative.

12a Beulah Street, Harrogate, HG1 1QQ. Visit the website for further details.

Pick your own pumpkins from this family-run farm, Spilmans.

Impressively, it has 125,000 of them. And as well as making memories and picking your perfect pumpkin, there are also photo opportunities dotted all over the farm. Adults can accompany children in the carving barn and its famous spooky walk for free too.

There’s three pumpkin picking activities to choose from, from its Back to Basics event that is just pumpkin picking, its festival that includes pumpkin picking, a Spilmans’ Wizfords Academy of Witches and Wizards show, a Halloween fancy dress disco with Skelebones, as well as £4 credit to spend on pumpkins, and its Pumpkin Nights that give the opportunity to pick pumpkins by moonlight.

The latter also features live music from Doubtful Bottle, toasting marshmallows over the fire pits and taking pictures under the magical festoon lights.

Finally, there’s also a pumpkin festival and a live orchestrated firework display on October 27.

Tickets from £5.50, see the website for times and dates, Church Farm, Thirsk, YO7 3NB.

A visit to Stump Cross is more than a family day out. It’s a voyage back in time – a portal to a long-forgotten age before humans or dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

Here you can go for a day of discovery and explore some of the best-preserved prehistoric caves in the UK. You can navigate twisting passageways, uncover incredible rock formations and learn of ancient mysteries hidden deep underground.

And new to Stump Cross Caverns this autumn is its Stone Age experiences where its knowledgeable experts share captivating stories and facts about early human life, their tools, daily routines and survival techniques. During this workshop you can get creative and try your hand at making some stone-age inspired crafts using traditional materials and methods.

And make the most of your visit by bundling this activity as a part of its Discovery Day package which includes a cave adventure, UV experience, Stone Age experience and gem panning. 

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Greenhow Hill, Pateley Bridge, Harrogate, HG3 5JL. Visit the website for further details.

Looking for the perfect day out or weekend escape? Look no further than How Stean Gorge.

Whether it’s an adrenaline-fuelled adventurous day out or a relaxing weekend in one of its gorge-ous wooden lodges with hot tubs, How Stean has it all.

Specialising in outdoor pursuits, group activities, team-building days and unique visitor attractions its activities include gorge scrambling, abseiling, canyoning, canoeing, rock climbing, abseiling, caving, paddleboarding, orienteering and mountain biking. From half day to full day experiences, there’s something to suit everyone.

Those looking to extend their stay can do so overnight in one of its wooden lodges that can accommodate couples, families and large groups. Nestled in the picturesque rolling hills of Nidderdale, the lodges, all accompanied by wood fired hot tubs, provide the perfect base for a cosy relaxing stay.

Meanwhile for sustenance, there’s a glass-floored café that serves food and drink all year round seven days a week, and it’s an attraction in itself as it has a glass-floored ceiling where you can watch the action unfold in the gorge below.

Lofthouse, Pateley Bridge, Harrogate, HG3 5SF. Visit the website for further details.

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