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4 Must Do Things for Families In Northern Ireland

Home / Destinations International / 4 Must Do Things for Families In Northern Ireland

Kathy Penney, Updated June 16, 2020

From open farms to fun and educational museums to engaging parks there are many things for families in Northern Ireland to add to their itineraries.

Along with castles, museums, history, and beautiful scenery, Northern Ireland offers engaging things for families. Kids can visit a farm and see native red deer, program a robot, or even do a hedge maze. From the city to the country, Special Needs SheBuysTravel Kathy has put together information on four of her favorite things for families in Northern Ireland, her second home. Add these to your Northern Ireland itinerary for a trip the whole family will love.

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Bangor is a picturesque town with great things for families in Northern Ireland.
Check out the marina area in lovely Bangor, Northern Ireland for must-see shops and restaurants and even a park for the kids. Photo: Kathy Penney, Special Needs SheBuysTravel.

Don’t Miss These 4 Fun Things for Families in Northern Ireland

When you visit a place often enough, it becomes familiar. You learn the roads, where the shops are, the good restaurants, and the fun things to do. It becomes a second home. Northern Ireland has become that way for us. My husband is a native so we visit family as often as we can. (If you are looking for tips on visiting Northern Ireland I’ve put together this list.)

Over the course of our visits we’ve driven the breathtaking Causeway Coastal route, sighed over the rolling hills that are just as green as you’d expect Ireland to be, and we’ve let our imaginations run wild visiting its many castles. We have also found plenty of kid friendly things for families in Northern Ireland. Here are four of our favorites.

1. Carnfunnock Country Park

Take the beautiful Antrim Coast Road about 25 miles from Belfast and you will find Carnfunnock Country Park. Carnfunnock Country Park offers 191 hectacres of Northern Ireland natural beauty and fun. The park contains 5 star camp grounds, picnic areas with a sea view, hiking trails and much more. At Carnfunnock Country Park, one of our favorite activities was trying our hand at the age-old United Kingdom fun, the hedge maze. The park is vibrant with a painter’s palette of flower gardens. As a Scout leader, one of my favorite features was that most of the plants and trees are labeled or signed. We were able to see many plants and trees we do not see in our native Texas.

Carfunnock Country Park's hedge maze is one of the fun things for families in Northern Ireland.
Experience the UK tradition and fun of a hedge maze at Carfunnock Country Park. Photo: Kathy Penney, Special Needs SheBuysTravel

Carnfunnock has a bright and whimsical playground with room for everyone. Families can also play mini golf with a sea view or channel their inner explorer with treasure hunting, geocaching, or orienteering. Families pay to park and the playground, trails, and maze are free. Other activities, such as mini golf and face painting, are extra.

 

Carfunnock Country Park offers a great playground and is one of many fun things for families in Northern Ireland.
Kids will love the bright and fun playground at Carfunnock Country Park. Photo: Kathy Penney, Special Needs SheBuysTravel

Special Needs Mom’s Perspective

For special needs families with mobility issues, there is parking directly next to the playground. The rest of the park does involve a lot of walking. Other than crowds, there aren’t too many sensory triggers here.

2. Streamvale Open Dairy Farm

Belfast is a bustling cosmopolitan city, but just a few minutes outside the city center, Streamvale Open Farm made us feel as if we had driven miles into the countryside. Driving through Northern Ireland, it’s easy to see how important agriculture is to the country. Streamvale is a working family dairy farm that was established in the 1800’s. Visit and spend a fun and interactive day learning about dairy farming in Northern Ireland. Prices are about $8 for children and $10 for adults, but they do have family packages available.

When you're looking for things for families in Northern Ireland check out Streamvale Open Dairy Farm.
Take the tractor ride to feed the majestic red deer and enjoy the beautiful few at Streamvale Open Dairy Farm in Northern Ireland. Photo: Kathy Penney, Special Needs SheBuysTravel.

It’s one of my kids’ favorite things for families in Northern Ireland. We made our second visit on our trip this summer. Along with being able to walk through the working dairy, kids can feed a wide variety of animals, including beautiful red deer, pigs, and chickens. They can also have cuddle time with bunnies and puppies.

Do your kids love tractors? Put Streamvale Open Farm on your list of things for families in Northern Ireland.
When you visit Streamvale Open Dairy Farm in Northern Ireland check the schedule for the free tractor ride. Kids will love it! Photo: Kathy Penney, Special Needs SheBuysTravel

Lots of Fun on the Farm

Since the last time we visited, they have added scheduled activities such as dog agility training, cow milking, and the feeding time. They have also added a Play Village where kids can dress up and be a vet or farmer. At each activity, there was a Streamvale employee teaching kids about the animals and the farm. Streamvale offers pedal go carts and an indoor play area. The kids loved riding the tractor up to the hilltop to feed the deer. Mom and dad loved the view of the emerald rolling hills and city below. This is a working dairy, so the ice cream can’t get any fresher. Be sure and finish your visit at the ice cream shop, where I highly recommend the lemon ice cream.

After you visit the farm check out the onsite creamery for a treat. Streamvale Open Dairy farm is one of many things for families in Northern Ireland.
Ice cream doesn’t get any fresher than the ice cream shop at Streamvale Open Dairy Farm in Northern Ireland. It’s homemade right at the farm. Photo: Kathy Penney, Special Needs SheBuysTravel

Special Needs Mom’s Perspective

There is some walking involved here and a few trails, but much of the farm is accessible. The farm is one of the very popular things for families in Northern Ireland and can be crowded. Farms also come with allergens.  All of these are things for special needs families to consider as they plan a visit.

3. Pickie Fun Park

We visited the picturesque seaside town of Bangor, Northern Ireland for the first time this past trip. It was like stepping into a postcard, with the boats reflecting off the water in the marina and the cheery colorful buildings. After a day out in Bangor we visited Pickie Park. It’s a small but adorable little park on the Bangor waterfront perfect for younger kids.

Visit picturesque Bangor and check out Pickie Park one of the fun things for families in Northern Ireland.
The marina in Bangor, Northern Ireland is full of family fun and great photo opportunities. Photo: Kathy Penney, Special Needs SheBuysTravel

At Pickie Park kids can play on the playground or enjoy the splash pad or “help” mom and dad pedal the swan boats. Challenge each other to a round of mini golf then all aboard the Pickie Puffer for a tour around the park. After the train, take a slide down the bounce house. My kids’ favorite activity was the go carts. Pickie Park’s carts were fast enough for the kids enough to have fun but slow enough for mom to not worry.

Families can also grab lunch or a snack at the Pickie Park cafe. The playground and splash pad are free but the other activities require park admission and separate tickets.

The go carts at Pickie Park are fun and safe. Put them on your list of things for families in Northern Ireland.
From go carts to swan pedal boats to mini golf, Pickie Park in Northern Ireland is fun for the whole family. Photo: Kathy Penney, Special Needs SheBuysTravel

4. W5 at the Odyssey

With an engineer dad and two science loving kids, we have been to a science museum or two. W5 at Odyssey in Belfast is one of the nicest children’s science and STEM museums we have visited.  W5 has 6 themed exhibition areas with over 250 interactive exhibits in areas like CSI, engineering, and science. Admission to the museum is around $11.

The W5 is one of the best things for families in Northern Ireland and is a world of wonder and fun.
The W5 if full of hands on ways for kids to have fun with STEM. This fun experiment is in the lobby. TMOM tip: There is easy parking right across from Odyssey. Photo: Kathy Penney, Special Needs SheBuysTravel.

With airplane simulators to fly, microscopes to view, or crimes to solve, the museum is completely hands-on for kids. It was a great place for sensory input for my special needs kiddo. The museum is located in the heart of the Titanic Quarter. The enormous wall of windows provides beautiful views of the port and the nearby Titanic Museum Belfast.

The W5 offers great views of the Titanic Museum. Both are great things for families in Northern Ireland.
The W5 has exhibits for all ages. Check the schedule for fun science demonstrations throughout the day. Photo: Kathy Penney, Special Needs SheBuysTravel

The programmable robot was my son’s favorite as he is a young coder. There is also a floor for virtual reality and technology. Even got mom and dad into the exhibits on this floor going on a virtual safari.

Fun & Learning in The Titanic Quarter

After seeing the museum, there is a fun multi-story outerspace climbing structure to work up an appetite. The Odyssey – where the W5 is located – offers dining options from Pizza Hut to Indian to an American Style Diner. Families can make a whole day of fun and learning by visiting W5 in the morning, grabbing lunch at the Odyssey, and then heading over to the Titanic Belfast. The Titanic museum offers the Family Trail scavenger hunt activity to get kids involved in the visit. These are two of the best things for families in Northern Ireland right in vicinity of each other.

Kids will love the programmable robot at W5. Put this museum on your itinerary for things for families in Northern Ireland.
The robot lets you program it to move and say phrases. It’s such a fun and interactive way to introduce kids to robotics and programming. Photo: Kathy Penney, Special Needs SheBuysTravel

Special Needs Mom’s Perspective:

The museum is very accessible from the exhibits to the restrooms to the elevators. The W5 is understandably one of the most popular things for families in Northern Ireland. The popularity can lead to crowds, a possible sensory trigger for fellow special needs families.

A Memorable Destination for Families

Northern Ireland is full of castles, museums, and history. By all means, visit as many as you can. But it is also full of things for families that are geared toward young travelers. These places are a wonderful way to burn off steam or keep kids engaged in a trip.

Visiting Northern Ireland? From fun on the farm to hands on at a science museum to beautiful parks, there are so many great things for families in Northern Ireland. Add these must visits to your itinerary for a trip the whole family will enjoy.
From stunning seaside towns to fun things for the kids Northern Ireland is a memorable destination for the whole family. Photo: Kathy Penney, Special Needs SheBuysTravel

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