Aquarium

The aquarium here pulls in families by the coachload, and you can understand why when you're standing in front of a proper tank full of sharks. It's the kind of place where even reluctant teenagers forget their phones for a bit.

You get the usual suspects - tropical fish, rays you can actually touch if you're brave enough, and enough information boards to keep the curious occupied for a solid couple of hours. The walk-through tunnel with fish swimming overhead never gets old, even if you've seen it before elsewhere. It's touristy, sure, but it works.

Allow a minimum of two hours, though families with younger kids often stretch it to three. The admission isn't cheap, but it's free to wander the gift shop, which is where they get you in the end.

If you're basing yourselves at one of the nearby caravan parks - Black Bull is closest at just under two miles away, or Westgate Carr Farm if you fancy something slightly further out - this makes for a solid rainy day activity. Pair it with a walk around the countryside between Pickering and Helmsley when the weather cooperates, and you've got a decent balance. It's not revolutionary, but it's reliable entertainment, which counts for something when you're on a family holiday in North Yorkshire.