Best Playgrounds in Whitley Bay

Whitley Bay benefits from a seafront setting that makes its outdoor play spaces feel like a proper day out rather than just a trip to the swings. Here is a guide to the best playgrounds and play areas in and around the town.

The Links Play Area and Water Park

The Whitley Bay Water Park at The Links is the standout family attraction. Located close to the town centre and seafront, the water park has a variety of splash and spray features, a water rill with channel and dam, and a pooled area that keeps children entertained for hours on warm days. It is free to use and hugely popular in summer.

Adjacent to the water park is the Whitley Park playsite, which has traditional playground equipment alongside a multi-use games area (MUGA). The combination of water play and conventional playground equipment makes The Links the best single destination for families in Whitley Bay.

Best for: Free water park with splash features plus a playground and games area. The best family play destination in Whitley Bay.

The Beach

Whitley Bay's long sandy beach is one of the finest natural play spaces in the North East. At low tide there is firm sand for miles, ideal for building, digging, and general running about. The southern end near the Spanish City dome is the busiest stretch, while further north towards St Mary's Lighthouse you can find rock pools and the causeway crossing (tide permitting).

Combined with an ice cream from the seafront or fish and chips from one of the town's chippies, a beach visit is hard to beat as a free day out.

Best for: Miles of sandy beach, rock pools near St Mary's Lighthouse, and free to enjoy all year round.

Waves Leisure Centre

Waves at The Links (NE26 1TQ) has an indoor aquatic play area for younger children alongside its main pool. On rainy days when the outdoor options are less appealing, it is a reliable fallback. There is also a soft play area within the centre.

Best for: Indoor aquatic play and soft play at Waves -- the rainy-day alternative to The Links outdoor play area.

Neighbourhood Playsites

North Tyneside Council maintains several smaller playsites across Whitley Bay's residential areas:

• Wilton Drive Playsite at Wellfield Estate (NE25 9QJ) has equipment for younger children
• Various other playsites are dotted across the estates -- check the North Tyneside Council parks and play sites page for a full map

Play Streets

Whitley Bay is one of the most active areas in North Tyneside's Play Streets programme, with streets regularly closing to traffic so children can play outdoors safely. It is a brilliant community initiative -- check the Play.Meet.Street website to see if your street is involved or to find out how to set one up.

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Quick comparison:

The Links (water park and playsite) -- the best all-round destination, free water play and playground The beach -- the best natural play space, miles of sand and rock pools Waves -- the rainy-day option, indoor pool and soft play

Know another playground near Whitley Bay we should add? Get in touch via our contact page.