IN THE LEEDS
How to do a budget family city break in Leeds – with tropical indoor wildlife parks and interactive attractions
The Royal Armouries is a surprising hit with young kids
YORKSHIRE’S biggest city is a fine place for a night out, but does it cut the mustard for a budget family break this Easter?
David Whitley visits with his boisterous eight and six-year-old daughters to find out. . . .
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FIRST UP: The Leeds City Museum () is an all-rounder with several themed sections to it.
The unanimous first choice is the Life On Earth section, which kicks off in time-honoured fashion with lots of stuffed animals.
Once my six-year-old can be torn away from cooing at the snow leopard, it turns out there’s plenty to play and experiment with.
Clever presentation means the girls can move a boat around to learn how creatures such as the Chinese mitten crab can spread to new continents.
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They can also hunt for fossils in piles of rubber chips.
The Ancient Worlds section holds their attention too where they attempt to put a model temple together.
They press buttons to light up ancient trade routes on a map then they set about writing their names in the Greek alphabet.
Entry to the Leeds City Museum is free and there are a number of kid-friendly free events happening over the Easter holidays.
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THE SURPRISE HIT: The Royal Armouries (), a big museum about arms and weaponry, doesn’t exactly leap out as being that kid-friendly.
But never underestimate the power of a crossbow, or a life-size model of an Asian war elephant, to bring out bloodthirsty enthusiasm.
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The real surprises come on the second floor, however.
Here, Miss 8 finds herself engrossed in a video about how medieval castles were designed.
She then gets bafflingly interested in displays about battle strategies and troop movements.
And Miss 6 thinks the big 3D model of the Battle of Agincourt is cool, and wonders how long it took to paint so many soldiers. Entry to the Royal Armouries is free.
THE MAIN EVENT: Tropical World brings a touch of South America to northern England.
This indoor wildlife park focuses on life in the tropics, with lots of rainforest creatures on display.
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Half the fun comes from trying to spot where the animals are hiding and with stick insects and chameleons in among shrubs, this can be quite the game.
But the Aztec-themed aquarium area holds my pair’s attention for the longest time.
They’re particularly entranced when watching the stingray glide through its enclosure.
Tropical World () costs £7.60 for adults and £3.80 for children.
KIDS’ CHOICE: The gigantic Roundhay Park proves the perfect place for some serious energy-burning.
The girls charge along the woodland paths and show off monkey-like skills in the hilltop playground.
There is also a series of specialist themed gardens, many of which feature fountains and ponds as well as skate parks, adventure trails, and an eight-minute land train that costs £2 for a return trip.
THE FAMILY FEAST: The sprawling Kirkgate Market, in the city centre, first opened in 1822 and now has more than 800 stalls.
Fun fact: Michael Marks of Marks and Spencer fame started out here with only a small stall.
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At lunchtime the star attraction is the food hall where dishes from all around the world are available for around a fiver.
That means if one kid wants fish and chips, another fancies Asian chicken noodles and dad wants a Turkish lamb kofta wrap, everyone’s happy.
SOMEWHERE TO STAY: The two-bedroom suites at Roomzzz Leeds City () are a relative bargain at from £147.60 per night with one double room for the grown-ups, and a separate room with bunk beds for the kids.
The sizeable living space comes with a kitchenette — handy if you want to save money by self-catering.
Free pastry and fruit breakfasts can be grabbed from the lobby, but the girls were more interested in the coffee machine which doles out free mugs of hot chocolate.
MAYBE NEXT TIME: MathsCity (), an interactive play space which introduces maths and science to children on the sly, was booked out when we visited.
It costs £6.50 for adults and £4.50 for kids.
Book a timeslot in advance if you fancy a bout of hands-on stealth learning in the school hols.
THE VERDICT: Leeds doesn’t have the big headline attractions of other UK cities.
But the lower-key sights it does have are done surprisingly well.
Engaging presentation, it turns out, counts for a lot more than wow factor.
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More importantly, this was two days successfully accomplished on the cheap.
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