Norfolk is one of my favourite counties in the UK. With endless sandy beaches, historic towns, the unique man-made Norfolk Broads and mystical adventure play parks, there are so many things to do in Norfolk with kids.<\/p>\n
I grew up in Suffolk and so I frequently visited the attractions in Norfolk for kids. Some of them are still going strong (Pleasurewood Hills I\u2019m looking at you!).<\/p>\n
By the way, I also have a post on what to do with kids in Suffolk<\/a> and a general visitor\u2019s guide to Suffolk<\/a>.<\/p>\n Quite frankly, I don\u2019t know why it\u2019s taken me so long to write a post about visiting Norfolk with kids.<\/p>\n So many people have asked \u2018is Norfolk good for kids?\u2019.<\/p>\n That\u2019s a big fat yes. We love it! There are so many family-friendly activities in Norfolk that you\u2019ll keep wanting to return.<\/p>\n This is our list of family days out in Norfolk and only includes the very best things to do in Norfolk for kids.<\/p>\n This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one and book or buy something, we may earn a small commission but this is at no extra cost to you.<\/em><\/p>\n We\u2019ll start with things to do with kids in Norwich first as you will most likely pay it a visit during your stay in Norfolk.<\/p>\n I already mentioned that Norwich is the county capital of Norfolk.\u00a0Norwich is a lovely city.\u00a0 It has been going from strength to strength over the years.<\/p>\n Whilst other UK towns and cities have suffered decline, Norwich is booming and today it is a thriving market town.<\/p>\n There is so much history packed into this relatively small city, including 31 churches (although down from 57 in medieval times).<\/p>\n Did you know that Norwich is one of the top ten cities in Europe for its number of churches? Read more about the churches in Norwich here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Some of them have been given a new lease of life and are really worth visiting.<\/p>\n It is said that Norwich had a church for every week of the year and a pub for every day of the year.<\/p>\n I found this map of Norwich (from the Norwich Museum) fascinating.<\/p>\n I love that Norfolk\u2019s county capital, Norwich, has become a foodie town. So as well as all of the fun things to see and do in Norfolk with kids, the adults can grab some tasty food along the way too.<\/p>\n Norwich has been undergoing a regeneration with lots of trendy bars and restaurants moving into the Norwich Lanes.<\/p>\n If you happen to be needing a restaurant in Norwich, we can highly recommend Haggle<\/a> (Lebanese food which the kids love) and L\u2019Hexagone<\/a> (French bistro).<\/p>\n You can visit Norwich on a day trip from London<\/a>. It takes just under 2 hours on the train.<\/p>\n Here are some of our favourite things to do in Norwich with kids.<\/p>\n Norwich Castle<\/a> is a great place to visit with kids.<\/p>\n There are lots of family friendly activities including a trail with questions to answer after finding the clues around the castle.<\/p>\n There is so much to see there. There is a large natural history section which includes many species native to Norfolk.<\/p>\n The main part of the castle was closed for renovations during our visit but there was still plenty to do. We got a free ticket to visit the Museum of Norwich as an apology and we\u2019re so glad we did as we might have missed it otherwise. See below.<\/p>\n Norwich Castle is perfect if you\u2019re looking for rainy day activities in Norfolk with kids.<\/p>\n Sticking with Norwich, you should defintely keep Museum of Norwich<\/a> up your sleeve if you encounter another rainy day.<\/p>\n It is worth visiting anyway regardless of the weather. It tells the fascintating story of Norwich over the years from its industrial hey day when it was the fabric trading centre of the UK.<\/p>\n We absolutely loved their early 20th century pharmacy with all of its lotions and potions in original bottles.<\/p>\n Norwich Market is the largest and oldest open air market in the country. These days it is buzzing with people enjoying tasty treats from all around the world.<\/p>\n We enjoyed tasty tapas from Spain, noodles from Singapore, delicious dosas from India and sumptuous dumplings from China.<\/p>\n The kids will LOVE the variety of food choices and no doubt will want to grab something from And Eat It<\/a>, including their famous Brookie (cross between a cookie and a brownie).<\/p>\n Norwich is located next to a network of waterways with the River Wensum running right through the city.<\/p>\n There are also lots of tributaries running to the Norfolk Broads so you can even get on your paddleboard in the middle of the city and head out into the countryside.<\/p>\n There are quite a few places to hire a paddleboard in Norwich of you don\u2019t have your own.<\/p>\n The Rivergarden<\/a> in Thorpe St Andrew or The Red Lion Bishopgate<\/a> were just a couple that we came across.<\/p>\n This is one of the most fun things to do in Norfolk with children when the weather is good.<\/p>\n If you have your own paddleboard, even better. It\u2019s one of our favourite free things to do in Norfolk with kids.<\/p>\n Visiting an indoor market is a great idea if you\u2019re looking for indoor things to do in Norfolk.<\/p>\n There are actually lots of indoor markets in Norwich but one that we loved is St Gregory\u2019s Antiques and Collectibles<\/a>.<\/p>\n It is an Aladdins Cave of treasures, including old toys and books.<\/p>\n This is definitely an alternative use for one of the many churches in Norwich.<\/p>\n See also this guide to markets in Norfolk<\/a> or our guide to Christmas markets in Norfolk<\/a>.<\/p>\n We have visited BeWILDerwood a few times now with the kids at different ages and have loved it every time.<\/p>\n I\u2019m not going to write too much about it here because we have written a detailed review of BeWILDerwood<\/a>. I\u2019ll just say it is one of the most fun things to do in Norfolk with kids.<\/p>\n In fact, as well as being one of the top attractions for kids in Norfolk, it is one of the top attractions in the whole of the UK.<\/p>\n So you really do need to visit! Just make sure to visit when it\u2019s not raining as it is all outdoor based and not a great place to visit on a rainy day in Norfolk.<\/p>\n Roarr! Dinosaur Adventure<\/a> is one of the top things to do in Norfolk with kids who love dinosaurs.<\/p>\n In fact, it is one of the best dinosaur days out in the UK<\/a>!<\/p>\n As well as the many dinosaurs there are adventure rides, indoor play and a splash pad for summer visits.<\/p>\n They also have special events through the year. We love Halloween at Roarr!<\/p>\n See here for more Halloween days out in Norfolk<\/a>.<\/p>\n Whether you are visiting Norfolk in the summer or winter, you will want to head to one of the many beautiful beaches in Norfolk.<\/p>\n Along the 100 mile stretch of coastline you\u2019ll find lots of very different beaches.<\/p>\n From the huge expanses of sand at Holkham to colourful beach huts at Wells-next-the-sea. From fossil finding at Hunstanton Beach to the thrills of Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach.<\/p>\n We love the beaches in Norfolk<\/a> \u2013 even in the winter. There\u2019s nothing better than a bracing walk along a beautiful beach (as long as you are wrapped up warm)!<\/p>\n Perfect days out with kids Norfolk for our would be a walk along the beach followed by a warm and cosy pub lunch by an open fire.<\/p>\n We highly recommend The Victoria<\/a> at Holkham Beach for this.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re wondering where can I take my kids in half term in Norfolk \u2013 why not try a boat trip on the Norfolk Broads?<\/p>\n We once hired a boat for a week and spent a lovely time slowly travelling the waterways and stopping off at pubs along the way.<\/p>\n You can also hire boats for day trips. See Broads Tours<\/a> for more details.<\/p>\n The Norfolk Broads are also great for other watersports such as paddleboarding of kayaking.<\/p>\n Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach<\/a> offers fun for the whole family. There are lots of rides to choose from but their traditional wooden rollercoaster is undoubtedly the star attraction at Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach.<\/p>\n Opening in 1932, it is one of only two wooden rollercoasters still standing in the UK.<\/p>\n Our kids have been many times over the years and are showing no signs of getting bored.<\/p>\n You might also like Pleasurewood Hills Theme Park<\/a> which is just on the Norfolk \u2013 Suffolk border. It is packed with good old fashioned theme park fun. The rides are more aimed at younger kids.<\/p>\n Also in Great Yarmouth is the Hippodrome Circus<\/a> where you can enjoy good old fashioned circus fun.<\/p>\n And if you\u2019re visiting Norfolk at Christmas with kids, the Hippodrome puts on a fabulous Christmas show.<\/p>\n See here for a whole load of Christmas events taking place in Norfolk this year<\/a>.<\/p>\n Blakeney Point<\/a> is home to the largest grey seal colony in the UK. But there are other places to see seals in Norfolk.<\/p>\n The main places to see seals in Norfolk are:<\/p>\n You can spot the seals by hiking along the coastline from Winterton-on-Sea to Horsey Gap but the best way to see the seals is by boat.<\/p>\n This causes them the least disturbance. You can take boat trips from Blakeney harbour and Morston quay. These trips last around one hour.<\/p>\n The best companies to take a boat trip with is Beans Boats<\/a> and Bishops Boats<\/a>. Make sure to book in advance.<\/p>\n Best time to see the seals in Norfolk? This depends on what type of seal you want to see. Also bear in mind pupping seasons.<\/p>\n Grey Seals have their pups between November to February.<\/p>\n Common Seals have their pups between June to August.<\/p>\n While you\u2019re in the area, head to Horsey Windpump<\/a> run by the National Trust and climb to the top for the views.<\/p>\n Sticking with sea life, you can have a fun and educational day out at the SeaLife centres in either Great Yarmouth or Hunstanton.<\/p>\n See here for more information on SeaLife Great Yarmouth<\/a>. Kids will love the immersive VR experience, ocean tunnel, rockpool experience and sleepovers!<\/p>\n See here for more information on SeaLife Hunstanton<\/a>. If you can\u2019t get to see the seals on the Norfolk coast, you can see them here and learn about their seal rescue programme.<\/p>\n These SeaLife centres are good to have in your back pocket for things to do in Norfolk when it rains.<\/p>\n Norfolk Lavender<\/a> is one of the best places to see lavender in the UK<\/a>. It may not sound like fun for kids but they also have an animal garden and play park.<\/p>\n Norfolk Lavender is just down the road from Hunstanton so you could pop in for a visit before or after your day at the beach.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re into water sports then you need to visit Whitlingham Adventure<\/a>.<\/p>\n Alternatively, there are lots of land based activities there and it is a great place for a walk or a bike ride.<\/p>\n Blickling Estate<\/a> is a beautiful Norfolk National Trust property.<\/p>\n The house is a beautiful Jacobean mansion with sprawling grounds. If you\u2019re visiting in late spring, you will encounter their stunning bluebell wood.<\/a><\/p>\n Around Christmastime, the estate transforms into a winter wonderland. It is one of the best places to see Christmas lights in Norfolk<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you haven\u2019t got your National Trust membership<\/a>, we highly recommend getting a family one. Especially when visiting Norfolk.<\/p>\n The other Norfolk NT properties worth visiting are:<\/p>\n At Holkham you will find Holkham Hall & Estate<\/a>. As well as visisting the beautiful hall and walled gardens, there is a high ropes course<\/a>, a woodland play area, boat hire and more.<\/p>\n Despite being a Royal residence, Sandringham Estate<\/a> is open to the public and is a lovely place to take the kids in Norfolk.<\/p>\n There are beautiful walks in the grounds and a play area as well as a variety of places to eat.<\/p>\n Watch out for their seasonal event at Christmas (Luminate) which is hugely popular.<\/p>\n Football fans visiting Norfolk may want to take a look around the Canaries home turf with a Norwich City FC stadium tour<\/a>.<\/p>\n We haven\u2019t actually done this tour but suspect that it would be very similar to our tour of Chelsea Football Stadium<\/a>.<\/p>\n Norfolk even has its own ski run. OK, it\u2019s an artificial ski slope but the\u00a0Norfolk Snowsports Club<\/a> is a great place to try out a variety of winter sports including snowboarding, skiing and tubing.<\/p>\n We love trying out these treasure trails in the cities we visit. They are a great way to get to know the place you are visiting as they are packed full of facts. They\u2019re also a very inexpensive day out with kids.<\/p>\n See here<\/a> for all of the Treasure Trails in Norfolk.<\/p>\n Wroxham Barns<\/a> is a great place to visit with kids in Norfolk.<\/p>\n They can offer a full day out for the family, including jumping pillows, go-karts, mini golf, truck ride and more. Then there are the animals on the Junior Farm to visit.<\/p>\n At Halloween and Christmas they have fun events, including a popular Santa\u2019s Grotto.<\/p>\n There are a number of great steam train experiences for the train enthusiasts in your family.<\/p>\n Each of them run specials through the year including Santa Trains<\/a> at Christmas. Mid Norfolk Railway also runs the popular Polar Express train ride experience<\/a>.<\/p>\n See also \u2013 Wells and Walsingham Light Railway<\/a> which is the smallest light railway open to the public.<\/p>\n On the topic of steam trains, Thursford offers an interesting day out at their steam engine museum.<\/a> But Christmas is when it all kicks off.<\/p>\n Thursford is one of the best places to visit in Norfolk at Christmas with its Enchanted Journey of Light, its Christmas Spectacular and Santa\u2019s Magical journey.<\/p>\n Looking for more places to see Santa? See here for the best Santa\u2019s Grottos in the country.<\/a><\/p>\n There are so many activities on offer at High Lodge in Thetford Forest that it is best to just direct you to their website<\/a> to see what\u2019s going on.<\/p>\n In brief, there\u2019s:<\/p>\n They also have a Gruffalo trail<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s one of our favourite places to visit with kids in Norfolk. You can also stay there in their Forest Holidays<\/a> accommodation.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for lovely family holiday accommodation in Norfolk, we recommend Forest Holidays<\/a>. They offer a similar holiday to Center Parcs<\/a>.<\/p>\n West Lexham Treehouses<\/a> \u2013 see also our guide to treehouse holidays with kids<\/a>.<\/p>\n Wroxham Barns Camping<\/a> \u2013 how about trying family camping at Wroxham Barns? New to camping? Take a look at our guide to camping with kids<\/a>!<\/p>\n We hope that you have enjoyed our guide to visiting Norfolk with kids. If you have any suggestions for more things to do in Norfolk with kids, please drop us a line and let us know.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Norfolk is one of my favourite counties in the UK. With endless sandy beaches, historic towns, the unique man-made Norfolk Broads and mystical adventure play parks, there are so many things to do in Norfolk with kids. I grew up in Suffolk and so I frequently visited the attractions in Norfolk for kids. Some of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7059109,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[103223],"tags":[351,36542],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-7059108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-united-kingdom","tag-kids","tag-norfolk"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Norwich](\"https:\/\/flashpackingfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Norwich-Cathedral-on-a-sunny-day..jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/p>\nFun facts about Norfolk<\/h2>\n
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These are the best things to do in Norfolk with kids<\/h2>\n
![\"Drink](\"https:\/\/flashpackingfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Drink-Map-of-Norwich-from-1892-on-display-at-the-Norwich-Museum..jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/p>\nNorwich Castle<\/h3>\n
![\"Kids](\"https:\/\/flashpackingfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Kids-visiting-Norwich-Castle-in-Norwich..jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/p>\nMuseum of Norwich<\/h3>\n
![\"Early](\"https:\/\/flashpackingfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Early-20th-century-pharmacy-at-the-Museum-of-Norwich..jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/p>\nNorwich Market<\/h3>\n
![\"Kids](\"https:\/\/flashpackingfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Kids-choosing-a-brookie-at-And-Eat-It-stall-in-Norwich-Market..jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/p>\nPaddleboarding<\/h3>\n
![\"Paddleboarding](\"https:\/\/flashpackingfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Paddleboarding-in-Norfolk-with-kids..jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/p>\nIndoor markets<\/h3>\n
![\"Images](\"https:\/\/flashpackingfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Images-of-St-Gregorys-Antiques-and-Collectibles-in-Norwich-a-great-place-to-find-alternative-toys-for-kids-in-Norwich..jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/p>\nOther things to do with kids in Norfolk<\/h2>\n
BeWILDerwood<\/h3>\n
![\"Boy](\"https:\/\/flashpackingfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Boy-pointing-at-a-map-of-BeWILDerwood..jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/p>\nRoarr! Dinosaur Adventure<\/h3>\n
![\"Small](\"https:\/\/flashpackingfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Small-kids-underneath-the-Brachiosaurus-at-Roarr-in-Norfolk-one-of-the-best-things-to-do-in-Norfolk-with-kids..jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/p>\nNorfolk beaches<\/h3>\n
![\"Kids](\"https:\/\/flashpackingfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Kids-on-Wells-next-the-sea-beach-with-lots-of-colourful-beach-huts-in-the-background..jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/p>\nNorfolk Broads<\/h3>\n
![\"Boat](\"https:\/\/flashpackingfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Boat-on-the-Norfolk-Broads-in-Norfolk..jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/p>\nGreat Yarmouth Pleasure Beach<\/h3>\n
![\"Two](\"https:\/\/flashpackingfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Two-young-boys-on-a-rollercoaster-at-Great-Yarmouth-Pleasure-Beach-one-of-the-best-days-out-for-families-in-Norfolk..jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/p>\nHippodrome circus<\/h3>\n
![\"Hippodrome](\"https:\/\/flashpackingfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Hippodrome-Circus-in-Great-Yarmouth..jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/p>\nNorfolk Seal Colony<\/h3>\n
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![\"Family](\"https:\/\/flashpackingfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Family-walk-at-Blakeney-Point-and-a-grey-seal-pup..jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/p>\nSeaLife<\/h3>\n
![\"Kids](\"https:\/\/flashpackingfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Kids-looking-at-fish-in-an-aquarium..jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/p>\nNorfolk Lavender<\/h3>\n
![\"Kids](\"https:\/\/flashpackingfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Kids-taking-lavender-cuttings-in-a-lavender-field..jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/p>\nWhitlingham Adventure<\/h3>\n
Blickling Estate<\/h3>\n
![\"Blickling](\"https:\/\/flashpackingfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Blickling-Estate-in-Norfolk..jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/p>\nHolkham Hall<\/h3>\n
Sandringham Estate<\/h3>\n
Norwich City Football Club tour<\/h3>\n
![\"Norwich](\"https:\/\/flashpackingfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Norwich-City-Football-Club..jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/p>\nNorfolk Snowsports Club<\/h3>\n
Norfolk Treasure Trails<\/h3>\n
![\"Boy](\"https:\/\/flashpackingfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Boy-studying-a-Treasure-Trails-Map..jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/p>\nWroxham Barns<\/h3>\n
Steam Trains in Norfolk<\/h3>\n
![\"Father](\"https:\/\/flashpackingfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Father-and-son-looking-at-a-small-blue-steam-train..jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/p>\nThursford<\/h3>\n
High Lodge in Thetford Forest<\/h3>\n
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![\"Kids](\"https:\/\/flashpackingfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Kids-on-a-Gruffalo-trail-in-Thetford-Forest..jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/p>\nPlaces to stay in Norfolk with kids<\/h2>\n