Travel | Five things to do in… Great Yarmouth

Boy with jellyfish at the sea life centre
boy on bouncy castle

Did you catch last week’s post? I'm continuing our Norfolk getaway with the things you need to do – with kids this time! – in Great Yarmouth. Alfie thoroughly enjoyed the day and actually we had a laugh too. So, lets get straight into it!

1)    Visit the Sea Life Centre

OK, so you don't need to be, or have a kid for this one. Who doesn't love seeing animals, or in this case, sea creatures? That said, Alfie bombed it around in an hour, asked to see the penguins three times, and kept getting 3/14 on an interactive quiz. He was honestly pressing the same buttons every time. I loved all the hands on and interactive experiences. I got to touch a starfish and hold a mermaid’s purse... So cool! You could easily spend half a day here – at least! There's also a Costa Coffee and soft play, although it was closed due to current restrictions.

2)    Relax on the beach

While Cromer Beach was very stony, Yarmouth Beach has the driest, softest sand. Probably not ideal for building sandcastles, unless you fancy constantly getting buckets of water from the sea, but perfect for laying on. Or try other pursuits like football, frisbee or bat & ball. If you're into it, there's also donkey rides available. We spent less time on the beach this time, but that's because we crammed so many activities in. And one of my favourites is coming up next…

3)    Enjoy a round of crazy golf

There are a few 18-hole crazy golf courses along the sea front. We played at Pirates Cove, which is supposedly suitable for pirates of all ages. And it’s all fun and games until we got to hole 10 and Alfie asked to go to the toilet. We were allowed to exit and return to finish off our game, but time wasn't on our side as we needed to get back that evening. You can just turn up to play, but be warned, it can get quite busy and a queue for the next hole was a constant thing. It's still plenty of fun though and priced at £8 for pirates (13 years and older), and £7 for buccaneers (under 12s). A bit pricy, I would say for a nearly 4-year-old, but actually, he had loads of fun, and was almost getting the hang of it – with a lot of help! Oh, and after 10 holes, I was winning.

4)    Spend all your ££ on the inflatables

Want your kids are let off some steam? Don't worry, along the sea front, are all manner of bouncy castles, slides, and other inflatables. £5 for 15 minutes play might seem quite reasonable, unless:

a)    Your child is 7 minutes in and once again asks to go to the toilet. There's no re-admission. Once you’ve paid, you’re in for the long-haul!

b)    Said child continuously asks for one more go. It all adds up.

There are different sections for different age groups, including a tiny tots area. Just be careful of the kids who aren’t being supervised. But bonus – while your little one has loads of fun, you can sit, relax and even catch some sun.

5)    Explore the pier

Of course, you can't go to a seaside town and not visit the pier. There's so much to do at Britannia Pier in Great Yarmouth, from fairground rides to the arcades, and old-fashioned bowling. There are plenty of places to stop for a bite to eat or drink – sitting outside or grabbing a takeaway – a strawberry daiquiri in the sunshine is the dream! And there no end of amusements. Whatever your age, you're guaranteed to have fun.

We visited the arcades and did the bowling. I’ve not played for years, not since my grandparents had taken me to Maldon Promenade Park – and I amazed myself and even got a strike. Alfie could have spent loads in the arcades too, but annoyingly, all the ATMs charge to get cash out. So, we walked across the beach, further along the sea front and grabbed an ice cream instead. Consider this your reminder to remember to bring your change.

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Again, had our stay been longer, there’s no doubt we would have ventured in land. We picked up leaflets for Thrigby Hall, Wildlife Gardens, and Wroxham Barns, and I've heard amazing things about BeWILDerwood too… There's always next time. But we also missed out on Merrivale Model Village, Joyland and The Time & Tide Museum.

What's your favourite thing to do in Great Yarmouth? Do I need to add anything to my list for next time?

Love, Lucy xx

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