Housed in a converted flour mill on the banks of the River Tyne in Gateshead, the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art is stunning inside and out. We’ve become regular visitors; my kids start hopping up and down with excitement at the prospect of riding the great glass elevators which send you five floors skywards to a breathtaking view over the Tyne, its celebrated parade of bridges and the grand quayside buildings.

The Baltic is trendy without being formidable and learned without being lofty. The contemporary art exhibitions are fun and challenging – so much so that grown-ups and kids find themselves asking the smiley staff the same questions and engaging with the art together. A truly neat trick.

If the little ones are feeling inspired afterwards they can troop off to the craft area and create their own masterpieces. There’s an airy café with quirky crockery, enormous cakes and good-humoured service as well as a lovely shop heaving with craft and design goodies.

Want your kids to grasp how curious, joyous and awe-inspiring the visual arts can be? Start right here, at what is surely the most welcoming art gallery in the country.

Images courtesy of Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art