Jo Addison

What with having to visit the home of every child on the planet, we all know that jolly Saint Nick gets about a bit. Still, while we might be familiar with him trying to squeeze down a chimney or accompanied by reindeers at his North Pole retreat, it appears that Santa is also popping up at several rather more unusual places across the Yorkshire. So, as long as you don't mind travelling outside of Leeds to catch him somewhere out of the ordinary, here are five places to take the kids to meet Santa and discover whether they've been naughty or nice... Down a mine <img id="83d64331-6953-0626-254e-5d3595099982" data-caption="" data-credit="National Coal Mining Museum" data-width-class="100" type="image/jpeg" total="343945" loaded="343945" image_id="102956313" src="http://media.timeout.com/images/102956313/image.jpg" class="photo lazy inline"> National Coal Mining Museum   Santa isn’t normally known for hanging out underground, but this year he'll be travelling 140 meters down a mine to meet children at the National Coal Mining Museum near Wakefield.  Children will need to don their helmet and miner’s lamp, and make their way along a snow covered walkway to meet Santa in his subterranean grotto.  Santa's underground grotto. December 5-6 (10am-4pm), December 12-13 (10am-4pm), December 18-20 (10am-4.30pm), December 21-23 (10am-5pm). £6 children, £5 adults. Pre-booking essential. Call 01924 848806 or visit the National Coal Mining Museum website for details. National Coal Mini

The school half term is fast approaching, meaning parents will be looking for ways to keep their youngsters occupied this autumn. While there are plenty of Halloween related events for families taking place towards the end of October, what if you're all spooked out and fancy something different? Here are five ideas: Go on a National Trust walk  <img id="0cbff6a9-361f-ff2e-48a7-27f683b1070c" class="photo lazy inline" src="http://media.timeout.com/images/102910438/image.jpg" alt="Hardcastle Crags" align="none" data-caption="Autumn at Hardcastle Crags" data-credit="Jo Addison" data-width-class="100" data-mce-src="http://media.timeout.com/images/102910438/image.jpg" image_id="102910438"> Autumn at Hardcastle CragsJo Addison   Head out of Leeds and take part in one of the 15 family friendly walks organised by the National Trust this autumn. For example, you could search woodland folk hidden in the trees at Hardcastle Crags in Halifax, spot wildlife at East Riddlesden Hall or uncover myths and legends at Fountains Abbey near Ripon.   A trip to Hyde Park Picture House   A photo posted by Nichola (@nikki_ear) on Sep 16, 2015 at 12:11pm PDT   When the weather gets a bit colder, grab your popcorn and spend a cosy afternoon at the Hyde Park Picture House. There are family friendly films every Saturday at midday, including favourites such as 'Annie', 'Monsters Inc' and 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit?'   Tickets are £1.50 for kids and £5 for adults. There are also special BYO Baby s

Believe it or not, many parents enjoy taking their kids out for something to eat. However, it's easy to get tired of the lazy options that often appear on the children’s menu. Who can get excited about frozen nuggets or a plain bowl of pasta? True, kids can be fussy eaters, but they appreciate a thoughtfully made meal as much as the rest of us. Plus, if there's the opportunity to get them to eat something healthy at the same time, all the better. So, we've hunted down some of the best places in Leeds which have cast aside dull kids' meals in favour of something far more interesting. In fact, you'll probably have your fingers crossed that the kids'll leave some for mum or dad to tuck into, too...  The Botanist   Enjoy a family day out this half term... Mini burgers, chicken fingers, ice cream LETS GOOO #Leeds #halfterm #lunch A photo posted by The Botanist Trinity (@thebotanisttl) on May 27, 2015 at 9:56am PDT   This quirky restaurant really pulls out all the stops to make eating out fun for adults and young children. The food is beautifully presented around a potting shed theme with sausages on on skewers, tomato sauce served in a wheelbarrow and beans in a plant pot. It'll be a huge hit with toddlers, without a deep fat fryer in sight. The children’s menu costs £6.95 for two course and has options including chicken fingers, scampi, bangers and mash and mini burgers served with seasoned chips and an option of either beans, peas or salad. There is a choice of ice cream fl