Coco's Children's Adventure Playground

Coco's is the sort of place you'll find yourself dragging the kids towards on a rainy afternoon in Newcastle, and honestly, it does the job. It's a children's adventure playground - slides, climbing frames, swings, the usual suspects - set up for the under-12s who need to burn off some energy without you having to trek halfway up the Mourne Mountains.

The playground itself is fairly standard fare: safe enough, well-maintained, and the kind of place where you can actually sit on a bench and watch rather than constantly fishing small people out of trouble. Kids who like climbing and scrambling will get a solid hour or so out of it. Younger ones might lose interest quicker, but that's the nature of these setups.

What makes it worth knowing about is proximity to the caravan parks dotted around Newcastle - Bonnys and Woodcroft are less than a mile away, and there's the luxury option of Enniskeen Estate if you fancy glamping instead of canvas. If you're staying at any of these and the weather's turned, Coco's is your relief valve. It's also close enough to Camping Tollymore Forest Park that you could easily combine a bit of woodland walking with playground time if you're mixing activities.

Bring a packed lunch if you're staying local. The playground itself is free, though you'll want to check opening hours before you show up - the usual Northern Ireland park timings apply, so mornings and afternoons work best during school holidays.