Alpamare Scarborough with Children: Family Tips

What Your Kids Can Actually Do

Alpamare works well for a mixed-age family because there is water for everyone, not just big-slide thrill-seekers. The Splash and Play area is built for younger children, the wave pool erupts with metre-high waves every 30 minutes, and there is a large main pool plus heated outdoor garden pools with whirlpools that suit all ages. The four big flumes are there for older, taller children.

The Four Slides, by Height and Age

Each slide has a minimum height and age, so it is worth measuring your child before you go. Heights are checked on the day.

• Cresta Run (mat racer): from 1.1m, age 6+. The most accessible for smaller children.
• Olympic Run (double tube): from 1.2m, age 6+. You can ride it together on a two-person tube.
• Black Run (Alpamare's one-of-a-kind slide): from 1.2m, age 8+.
• Snow Storm (four-person tube): from 1.2m, age 8+. A whole-family ride once everyone is tall enough.

For Toddlers and Little Ones

If you have the very youngest with you, head for the Splash and Play area and the heated garden pool with its whirlpools and bubble recliners. Children who are not toilet trained need to wear swim nappies, and there are baby-care rooms for changing. Because the water is warm, keep babies' time in it short so they do not get too hot.

The Rules Worth Knowing Before You Go

These are Alpamare's supervision rules, and they shape how you plan the day:

• Children under 12 must be with an adult, and anyone under 11 needs a responsible person aged 16 or over with them in the waterpark.
• One adult can look after up to two under-8s in the water. Under-4s need one-to-one supervision in the water, whether or not they can swim.
• Weak or non-swimmers aged 8 and over need a swimmer aged 16 or over with them, and weak or non-swimmers must wear double-chambered armbands.

Family Tip Work out your adult-to-child split before you arrive. With under-4s needing one-to-one in the water, two adults can comfortably manage two toddlers, but the maths gets tight beyond that.

Prices and How Long You Get

Every ticket includes three hours in the waterpark, with an extra 30 minutes if you buy food, which is plenty for younger children. Toddlers aged 0 to 3 are the cheapest entry, and a family ticket covers two adults and two children. As a guide:

• Low season, weekday daytime: adult £10.50, child (4 to 14) £7.90, toddler £2.75, family £36.
• High season: adult £20.50, child £15.75, toddler £4.40, family £62.

Prices change by season and time of day, so check the current rate when you book.

Money Saver A low-season weekday daytime visit is the cheapest by far, and it is usually quieter too, which suits nervous younger swimmers.

Getting There

Alpamare is on Scarborough's North Bay at 28 Burniston Road, YO12 6PH, with a 300-space Pay and Display car park. If you are coming by train, Scarborough station is about a mile away, a 20-minute walk or a short taxi.

Family Tips for a Smooth Visit

• Give each child their own change bag so nobody's towel goes missing.
• Feed and rest younger children beforehand, and do not pack another big activity in straight afterwards.
• Agree a meeting point before anyone gets in the water, and allow plenty of time to shower and change at the end.

Frisk Find With a three-hour session, you do not need a full day here. Pair it with a walk on North Bay beach to make a relaxed day out of it.

FAQs

Is Alpamare Suitable for Toddlers?

Yes. The Splash and Play area and the heated garden pool suit little ones, and toddlers aged 0 to 3 get the cheapest ticket. Under-4s need one-to-one adult supervision in the water.

How Tall Does My Child Need to Be for the Slides?

The Cresta Run starts at 1.1m (age 6+), and the Olympic Run, Black Run and Snow Storm start at 1.2m (ages 6+ or 8+ depending on the slide). Measure before you go.

How Long Do You Get?

Each ticket includes three hours in the waterpark, with an extra 30 minutes if you buy food.