Aladdins Cave Gifts & Gaming Shop Pickering

Walking down Pickering's high street, you'll spot Aladdins Cave - and the name's spot on. This is the sort of shop that'll keep kids entertained for a solid hour while you grab a coffee next door. It's a gaming and gifts shop, which sounds straightforward until you actually step inside and realise it's crammed with board games, card games, tabletop miniatures, and gift bits you won't find on the supermarket shelf.

Families with children aged six upwards will get the most mileage from it. There's enough here to distract kids on a rainy afternoon, and the staff actually know their stuff - they'll steer you toward something age-appropriate rather than just flogging you the flashiest thing in stock. If you're into proper board games yourself, you might lose an hour browsing. Less so if you're just after a novelty gift.

It's the kind of place that justifies a visit if you're already in Pickering town centre, not something to drive across Yorkshire for specifically. But if you're camping at Swallowtails or Lakeside just down the road, it's handy for a rainy morning. Admission is free - you're only spending money if something catches your eye, which it probably will.