As the kids get older, finding family days out that everyone is genuinely excited about can get a little harder. You want enough adventure to keep them interested, but something the grown-ups can throw themselves into too. North Yorkshire Water Park manages to strike the perfect balance.
Set around a huge watersports lake near Scarborough, North Yorkshire Water Park is packed with activities both on and off the water. This summer, my husband James and I headed there with our sons Isaac, 12, and Elijah, 9, to take on Giant Paddleboarding and The Ultimate Aquapark, which meant tackling both of the park’s huge inflatable courses.
It was energetic, competitive, slightly chaotic and a fantastic family day out!
Taking on the Giant Stand Up Paddleboard
Our first activity was the Giant Stand Up Paddleboard (or SUP), essentially one enormous paddleboard which is big enough to take up to eight people all at once.
There were just four of us on ours, which gave us plenty of room to paddle out together and take our time attempting some degree of family coordination. Once we were out on the lake though, we quickly realised the paddling part was only half the fun.
Before we set off, one of the instructors talked us through everything we needed to know and gave us some great advice on how to make the most of the session. Following their suggestion, we hooked the board onto one of the buoys and turned it into our own floating base. From there, all four of us were in and out of the water, jumping off, swimming around, clambering back onboard and then doing it all over again.
There was plenty to watch while we were out there too. We passed paddleboarders, open-water swimmers and, somewhat unexpectedly, even a real-life mermaid (or at least someone whose job involves being one, complete with tail and practicing tricks from a boat).
Despite all that going on, the lake never felt crowded. At around 250 acres, it’s huge, so there’s a real sense of space and plenty of room for everyone to enjoy it in their own way.
The Giant SUP costs £40 for up to four people, with additional participants £10 each, up to a maximum of eight. The board, paddles, buoyancy aids and helmets are all included.
Two Aqua Parks and One Very Happy Family
Next came The Ultimate Aquapark.
For summer 2026, North Yorkshire Water Park has combined its two main inflatable courses, Wipeout and Warrior, into one hour-long session. You spend 30 minutes tackling Wipeout before moving across to Warrior for another 30. The courses are huge and so much fun. Between the two there are slides, climbing sections, swings, balance beams, jumps, trampolines, rollers and plenty of obstacles designed to send you unceremoniously into the lake.
Isaac and Elijah needed very little encouragement. At 12 and 9, this is very much up their street, and they quickly make it a competition over who could get across each section fastest and who could make the biggest jump, (to be fair, James and I were just as competitive!). The beauty of doing The Ultimate as a family is that everyone is tackling the same course together, with plenty of fun family rivalry along the way.
The Ultimate costs £22 per person, with a minimum age of six and minimum height of 1.2 metres. Children aged 12 and under must have an adult ticket holder accompanying them in the water. Buoyancy aids and helmets are included, while wetsuits and Aqua Grip Socks are available separately.
What Else Can You Do?
You could very easily spend a full day here without repeating an activity, there is so much to try.
Alongside paddleboarding and the Aqua Parks, there’s kayaking, wakeboarding, open-water swimming and mini electric ships, plus pedalos if you fancy something a little more sedate after being thrown around an inflatable obstacle course.
The pedalos hold around four to five people and cost £12 per pedalo for a 20-minute session, with buoyancy aids included.
And it isn’t all about getting wet. Back on dry land there’s a 250-metre zipline across the lake, climbing, archery, axe throwing, laser tag, low ropes, puzzle rooms and an escape room.
There’s also a waterside café overlooking the lake, which is open daily from 9am, making it easy to stop for breakfast, lunch, coffee, whatever you fancy after all that activity.
For families with older children, North Yorkshire Water Park gets the balance just right. It gives the kids plenty of adrenaline and independence, while still being somewhere parents can get stuck in alongside them.
And in our family, that is always going to win over watching from the sidelines!
PS: You can also stay over in their helicopter glamping pods!
The Facts
Where: North Yorkshire Water Park, Long Causeway Road, Wykeham, Scarborough, YO13 9QU.
Giant SUP: £40 for up to four people, plus £10 for each additional person up to a maximum of eight. Suitable from age six. Board, paddle, buoyancy aid and helmet included.
The Ultimate Aquapark: £22 per person. Includes 30 minutes on Wipeout and 30 minutes on Warrior. Minimum age six and minimum height 1.2m. Children aged 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult ticket holder in the water.
Aquapark extras: Short wetsuit hire £3, full 5mm wetsuit hire £6 and Aqua Grip Socks £3.
Pedalos: £12 per pedalo for a 20-minute session, accommodating around four to five people. Buoyancy aids included.
Arrival: Allow at least 45 minutes before Giant SUP and Aqua Park sessions for check-in, kit and safety information. Waiver forms must be completed.
Food and drink: The waterside café is open seven days a week from 9am.
More to try: Kayaking, wakeboarding, open-water swimming, mini ships, zipline, climbing, archery, axe throwing, laser tag, low ropes, puzzle rooms and escape room.
How to book: Activities can be booked online in advance via the North Yorkshire Water Park website at www.northyorkshirewaterpark.co.uk. Booking ahead is recommended, particularly during weekends and school holidays, as session availability can fill up.
Review and images by Victoria Reddington @vic_reddington
