The Great Northern Giant Sandpit

Shekina Rose, Families Editor

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Great Northern Sandpit

13 July 2023-31 August 2024

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Great Northern Sandpit
The Great Northern
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Are you looking for a fun and free day out with your family? Want a trip to the beach but it’s just a bit too far to travel? Or perhaps you have shopping to do in the city centre and you also want to find an activity to keep the kids happy?

Head to the Great Northern Playhouse this summer, where you’ll find a family-friendly space providing a creative, safe environment for young people to enjoy. Completely outdoors, the Playhouse is a perfect place to go on a sunny day.

One of the main features at the Great Northern is the popular Great Northern Sandpit, located in the basin of the amphitheatre. With its 50 tonnes of soft sand, wooden logs, buckets and spades for digging and building amazing sandcastles, here, you can expect hours and hours of free entertainment for children.

What’s even better, is while your child plays and has fun in the Great Northern Sandpit, it’s time for you to sit back and relax in the sun. Bring your tastiest sandwiches, crisps, biscuits (and fruit if you’re feeling healthy), and find a comfortable seat on one of the many colourful picnic benches dotted around the amphitheatre. Alternatively, you could also book onto one of Great Northern’s popular cafes and restaurants, including Almost Famous, All Star Lanes and Evuna.

After a long day of digging and playing in the sand, you could also head to the Great Northern cinema and see what family friendly films are available to watch with your little ones.

The Great Northern Sandpit is free and booking is not required.  Simply turn up, get your spades out, and have fun!

Where to go near The Great Northern Giant Sandpit

Hern Food
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Indie Makers, located in Leads’ corn exchange, trades in art and gifts from independent makers across the UK.

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Eat Your Greens is a vibrant, organic restaurant bringing a hint of European flair to the city’s plant-based dining scene.

Sela opened in 2004 with an idea to provide quality imported beers from around the world, fun cocktails to compliment the beer selections and a stage for the region’s finest and most talented musicians to play on.Over ten years later, we’re still all about the beer, cocktails, live music and pizza!We carry over a selection of over thirty different beers spanning the globe from Pickering with The Great Yorkshire Brewery’s Yorkshire Blackout, to New York with a selection from Brooklyn Brewery, and Belgium with longtime Sela favourite, Vedett.Our cocktails change regularly too. Our best-sellers are joined by fun, new offerings and our pizza menu is regarded as one of the best the city of Leeds has to offer.As for the live music, Sela has had not only the great and the good from the region. Local funksters, The New Mastersounds are regular visitors and we stage the amazing Mojah Reggae Band for their weekly Wednesday residency.  Our other long running programming incl
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Sela Bar is a cosy Leeds basement spot with live music, great drinks, and a cool, laid-back, atmospheric vibe.

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Leeds Beckett Student Union

Leeds Beckett Student Union hosts big-name artists and supports students through events, live music, and a vibrant campus venue.

Located on Cardigan Fields Leisure Park, Vue Leeds Kirkstall is a nine screen cinema with almost 2000 seats. There's ample parking and the cinema is surrounded by various restaurants and entertainment facilities, making for a great evening out!

Watch the latest film releases and enjoy the industry-leading Sony 4K Digital screens, boasting spectacular picture quality, along with enhanced audio quality courtesy of Dolby 'Profound Sound'. Stepped SuperVue seating means you will never miss a second of the action while VIP seating guarantees you an extra touch of luxury whenever you want to upgrade.

Three of the nine screens showcase the newest 3D releases while Vue Classical brings the latest stage sensations to the big screen, and parents can save as they go with Family Tickets and Kids AM screenings offering great value for money.
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Located on Cardigan Fields Leisure Park, Vue Leeds Kirkstall is a nine screen cinema with almost 2000 seats. There’s ample parking and the cinema is surrounded by various restaurants and

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Phranakhon Thai Tapas is a revolutionised Thai dining restaurant with a combination of European indulgence and authentic Thai tastes.

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Wen’s

Wen’s is a family owned Chinese restaurant specialising in authentic, home cooked cuisine.

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