28 June 2021 Local area
Family friendly attractions and activities in The Lakes
The Lake District is a fantastic holiday destination for families with young children. There are plenty of activities and attractions within a short drive of Park Cliffe Caravan Park that provide endless entertainment during your stay. To help you plan your days out, the Park Cliffe team have compiled a list of just some of the top things to do with babies and toddlers in the Lake District. Here we share our pick of swimming pools, play parks and wildlife days out!
Discover an underwater world at the Lakes Aquarium – home to exotic species of fish, reptiles and amphibians from all over the world. Spend a couple of hours browsing the various displays, which are cleverly split into different themes including ‘at the seashore’, ‘Asia’, ‘the Americas’ and ‘the English Lake District’
One of our favourite exhibits is the underwater tunnel, where hundreds of native fish swim right above your head. Little ones will enjoy pointing out the different species and looking at all the different colours as the fish swim past.
A trip to the World of Beatrix Potter is a must for visitors with young children. This popular family attraction brings to life the works of Beatrix Potter and the magical children’s stories that were inspired by her time in The Lakes.
The exhibition features some of the books best loved characters, including Peter Rabbit, Mr Tod and Squirrel Nutkin. Various scenes have been recreated and there’s even a Peter Rabbit Garden which includes plenty of details from the stories.
Events include summer tea parties, the chance to meet peter rabbit and even theatre shows.
Photo credit: Ann Lee, Flickr
Lake District Wildlife Park is set in a scenic location at the base of Skiddaw Mountain. The 24-acre site has more than 100 species of animals, well-looked after by a team of experienced and knowledgeable keepers.
Children will love touring the various enclosures and looking at the animals within. You’ll get to see meerkats, zebras, lynx, red panda, pythons and lemurs, in addition to a range of domestic animals including micro pigs, donkeys and sheep.
Throughout the day there are a number of keeper talks offering a glimpse into the lives of these spectacular animals. The site also has a café and gift shop where you can pick up a souvenir to treat your little one before heading home.
Brockhole Visitor Centre is situated in between Windermere and Ambleside and offers a fun day out for all the family. In addition to a range of outdoor activities for older children there’s plenty to keep even the youngest members of the family entertained.
There’s a fantastic outdoor playground with a variety of equipment including a dedicated toddlers area centred around a boat. Children aged 3 and over can have a go on the Treetop Nets – a unique trampoline play area with walkways, slides and tunnels suspended 9 metres off the ground!
Other activities include mini tractors, woodland faerie trail and mini golf.
We think Lakeland Maze Farm Park is one of the best family attractions in the Lake District. There is so much to see and do it’s easy to spend the whole day here enjoying the great outdoors. Toddlers will love meeting all the animals and exploring the different pens. They’ll get an up-close look at llamas, horses, donkeys, ferrets and cattle and can even feed some of the animals by hand.
The Wandsworth family have owned the farm for over 100 years and are constantly expanding their offering to include different petting areas, all weather mazes, tractor rides and an indoor soft play. One of the biggest draws is the gigantic maize maze which opens from July to September as well as the mini maze, which has been specifically designed for younger children.
There is plenty of play equipment available including trampolines, outdoor karting, sandpit, bouncy castle and a playroom with giant Lego.
The Wacky Warehouse soft play area is situated within The Owl & The Pussycat pub. It’s the ideal venue to spend an hour or two, while little ones burn off some energy and play with new found friends.
The indoor play area features a multi-level play framed with a range of equipment, including slides, ball pit and soft obstacle course. Throughout the year the friendly and welcoming team host a number of children’s events and activity sessions. These include arts and crafts, Santa’s grotto and build a bear workshops.
Dalton Leisure Centre is a popular rainy-day activity in Cumbria. It is located approximately 30 minutes’ drive from our caravan and camping site and a big hit with families with young children.
The leisure centre has a 20m heated indoor swimming pool with paddling pool for toddlers. There’s also a frog themed slide and splash zone, where little ones can play with a range of water themed equipment. These include tipping buckets, overhead showers and interactive puzzles and games.
Spectators can sit in the poolside viewing area and there’s a small café on-site, where you can order some drinks and snacks to refuel after your session. Children under 3 swim free.
Younger members of the family will love the children’s chocolate workshops at the Chocolate Factory in Hawskhead. The sessions last around 45 minutes and are run by a team of friendly and engaging hosts. During this fun-filled experience, participants can mix their own chocolate bars and decorate a chocolate animal of their choice.
While the sweet treats cool they can make their own marshmallow creations and even paint their face with chocolate! At the end of the session, they can take their goodies and apron home!
Parents can watch from the viewing area while enjoying a drink and snack. If you want to get involved, or feel your younger child needs additional supervision, family sessions are also available a couple of times a day.
Park Cliffe is a family friendly holiday park in the Lake District with beautiful views over Lake Windermere. We have a range of accommodation options well suited to children including camping and touring pitches, caravan holiday homes for hire and glamping pods. There is also a well-equipped children’s play area on site.
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