Are you looking for things to do in the lake district with kids? We love the Lake District and have visited the area a lot over the years. We usually visit in the autumn so I have lots of ideas for things to do in Cumbria with kids as well as child-friendly walks in the Lake District. Find more great family days out North West here.
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Many people only think of climbing mountains when they think of the Lake District and perhaps don’t realise what a great place it is to visit with kids including young children. There are lots of things to do in the lake district with toddlers and older children. We’ve been taking our children since our eldest was 6 months old. Here are the best Lake District family activities.
Visit Brockhole on Windermere
Brockhole has one of the best playgrounds in the Lake District. It has equipment suitable for all ages. Last year we tried out their treetop nets which was so much fun. Find out more in my Treetop Nets Windermere review. There is also treetop treks, kayak hire, bike hire, mini-golf and so much more. There is also a fantastic, free soft play area for under 5s, making it a great rainy day attraction. Find out more here – Brockhole on Windermere.
Enjoy a Lake District boat trips
Kids love these boat trips. Lake District boat trips are a great way of exploring the lakes and seeing them from a different perspective. There are boat trips on all the major lakes. You can combine boat trips with walks and visiting attractions like Wray castle, Brockhole and the Lakes Aquarium. These 3 can all be reached by Windermere lake cruises.
Other lake cruises include:
- Coniston launch,
- Coniston Steam Yacht Gondola,
- Derwent water,
- Ullswater steamers.
- There is also the Windermere ferry.
Spend time in the woods
We love Grizedale forest but there are plenty more forests and woodland to explore. At Grizedale forest there is plenty for all the family to do, segway hire, go ape, a fantastic adventure playgroup and lots of woodlands to explore. There are sculptures throughout the forest too which we love to spot.
Another fantastic woodland walk (but much shorter) is Sizergh Castle play trail. One of the best wild play trails we’ve enjoyed.
Visit the Rheged centre
The Rheged Centre is somewhere we discovered several years ago before we had children. We’ve since visited with our children to break up the drive to Scotland. It has a cafe (which serves delicious food), shops, both indoor soft play and an outdoor playground, as well as an exhibition space and a cinema. My kids loved the outdoor play area. Visit their website for full details.
Enjoy Lake District walks with children
You really are spoilt for choice for child-friendly walks in the Lake District. There are walks for all abilities and many that are suitable for pushchairs. From climbing a mountain to more accessible walks. One of my favourites is this Gummers how walk.
Here are my favourite pram-friendly walks Lake District.
If you are in the north of the region, read my guide to Family walks near Bassenthwaite.
Ad- Shop the walk
1 – Lake District picnic map, lightweight and machine washable, * Available here.
2 – The complete 214 Wainwright Fells of the Lake District. Illustrated map checklist, * Available here.
3 – Wainwright challenge logbook, * Available here
Visit Beatrix Potter world
This is another place we haven’t been yet but it looks perfect for young children and fans of Beatrix Potter. Find out more on their website.
Visit Keswick museum in Fitz park
We’ve visited Fitz park a couple of times now. It’s perfect for little ones. There’s lots of space to run around in and a great playground which includes lots of sand. My two love this play area and all the different structures in the giant sandpit.
Visit the pencil museum
Another option for a rainy day in Keswick is the pencil museum. Did you know the Pencil museum is a Blue Peter badge attraction? Kid’s can get free entry with a Blue Peter badge. Find out more here – Blue Peter badge attractions North West
Visit a National Trust Lake District property
There are lots of National Trust properties in the Lake District as well as areas managed by them and car parks run by them. We have National Trust family membership which is well worth it if you are planning a holiday in the Lake District. Find out just how much you could * save with annual membership here.
Wray castle National Trust
We love Wray castle. It’s a mock-Gothic castle which has been filled with lots of things for kids to do. Our favourite rooms are the Peter Rabbit themed rooms but there are plenty more areas to explore. You can read my full review of it in my post – Wray castle, child-friendly National Trust. Update for 2022 – This year all the playrooms are closed for the foreseeable future and the outdoor play area is still closed due to storm damage.
Allan Bank
Update for 2022. Allan bank is only open on the ground floor and I have heard that the art room and playroom are currently empty of toys and art materials. There is an outdoor kids’ nature trail in the grounds.
This is another great Lake district family attraction especially when it is raining (find all the best things to do in the Lake District when raining here). My kids loved the playroom full of toys (the dolls house was a particular favourite) and the art room where they painted whilst we admired the amazing views out of the windows. For full details see their website. If you do visit, you must walk down into Grasmere and buy some traditional Grasmere gingerbread, it’s delicious.
Sizergh castle
As well as an amazing woodland play trail, there are lovely gardens to explore and you can explore the castle too. See their website for full details.
Mirehouse Keswick
Mirehouse Keswick includes woodland play areas for kids of all ages, gardens, lakeside walks and a historic house which is child-friendly. Find out more here – Mirehouse Keswick.
Ambleside is one of my favourite areas of the lakes to visit. Find the best things to do with kids in Ambleside here.
So there you have my suggestions for lots of things to do in the lake district for kids. If you have a favourite place to take children in the lakes I’d love to know. Please leave me a comment below.
Wondering where to stay? Review: Gingerbread House at The Quiet Site, Lake District– this look lovely.
Things to do in the Lake District with toddlers
There are loads of things to do in Cumbria with toddlers. Many of the ideas above are great for toddlers but this next post is specifically about which ones are the best for toddlers and why. Read it here – Things to do in Lake District with toddlers.
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The Lake District is so pretty. But I haven’t got round to taking my toddler yet. Thank you for pointing out buggy friendly walks – I always try to find them wherever we are on holiday. #familytraveltips
It’s always handy to know where you can take a buggy.
I’m going to bookmark this for when we head up to Coniston again!
Great. I hope you find it useful.
It’s ages since we last went to the Lake District. It’s such a beautiful part of the world, so much to do there for all the family.
It’s stunning and yes there is plenty to do.
I’d love to go to Beatrix Potter world, the area just looks so pretty for walks and woods x
It is stunning.
I’ve always wanted to visit Beatrix Potter World and I think my girls would too! The adventure playground looks a lot of fun for my active small people! #familytraveltips
The adventure playgrounds at grizedale abd brockhole are both amazing.
This is a really useful post. We’ve not been yet as a family but hopefully soon. I’d like to go to Beatrix potter before Jamie gets too old for it. There’s plenty here I didn’t know about, thanks
You’re welcome. I’m glad you found it useful.
I’ve always loved the Lake District, but have to admit I’ve never taken my own children there. Oh the shame! I know! I’ve pinned your pin as a reminder that we must go there soon!
I’m sure you’ve taken them plenty of other great places.
I absolutely love the lakes but I haven’t been up there since having Luke (he’s now 4!) so I’ll definitely save this and take a look next time I go. I think I need to plan a visit 🙂
You do. It’s great for kids too.
I’m originally from Cumbria so loving this idea list. The Rheged centre is beautiful and the pencil museum is a must.
You are very lucky to have grown up here. We are hoping to visit the pencil museum this week.
I love this list. We’re lucky enough to live in the area and Brockhole is one of our favourite places to visit with the kids. There’s so much to do there. Nice post 🙂
Thank you. You are very lucky to live in this area.
What a great list, whenever I think of the Lakes, I always think about taking a really lovely, peaceful boat trip, so I’m glad you’ve included that!
Definitely. The boat trips are lovely.
Love this comprehensive list! We haven’t been to the Lakes with our little one yet but this has certainly given me the inspo to go! We spent a few days in Grasmere a couple of months before D arrived and found THE best Indian restaurant in Windermere. I’ve been threatening to return ever since!
Thank you. Grasmere is lovely.
We love how they dressed up Wray Castle for Halloween! We’d like to visit Grizedale forest as there looks like so much to see and do! #CountryKids x
It was great last year. They really got into the Halloween spirit.
I’ve not visited the Lakes since I was a young child myself. It always looks so beautiful and there is so much to do there. October must be really pretty in all the places you suggest with the leaves turning colour. I’d really like to try one of the lake cruises, it must be such a wonderful way to take in the scenery and I know my kids would love to try Go Ape in the woods. Have a lovely half term holiday there.
Thank you for sharing with me on #CountryKids
what a great guide. covering all ages and abilities with free stuff as well as paid, indoors and out.
But you would not get me into the castle with those eight legged creatures hanging there……even skipped past the picture as quick as I could……”shudder”
#countrykids
It all looks so beautiful, I’ve always envied my cousins’ lifestyle growing up in the Lakes. Sadly, I’ve never been, but I’d love to visit over the next few years and do some of these things with my daughter. We adore Beatrix Potter! #CountryKids
Some great ideas there. I love the Lake District but haven’t yet had the chance to take my son #CountryKids
Wray Castle looks amazing! I love Halloween and it looks like they have decorated the property spectacularly! #countrykids
I’ve only done 2 of these things and one of those was go for a walk! I’ve been to the Lakes lots but he last was with the OH so we had specific places we wante to visit. #countrykids
What a wonderful round-up of things for kids to do in the Lake District. Wray Castle and Beatrix Potter World are both on my list of places I’d like to visit with the girls one day. The Miles without Stiles page sounds really useful – we always need to find buggy friendly routes when walking with the girls so will have to remember this if we visit the Lake District 🙂 #countrykids
It’s great for kids. So much to do.
Thank you for the recommendation. Tarn hows is stunning.
You must. There are somethings better for older children.
Popping back via #bloggerpinparty
Oh, isn’t the Lake District beautiful? I haven’t been with the children yet but we did have a wonderful weekend there before we had them. These are brilliant tips for things to do, I hope you had a lovely week there. I particularly like the look of the Rheged Centre, love the fact it has indoor and outdoor play. National Trust properties are always a good call as well, they are our go-to.
Thanks for linking up to #FamilyTravelTips
Nat.x
I love this! The lake district is so beautiful and there is so much to do there. Beatrix potter world is such a lovely day out, and we really enjoyed our day on the Ullswater Steamers this time. Fab post 🙂
We’ve been dying to go to the Lakes for ages and never got round to it! I’ve pinned this for next year – we WILL go! #Bloggerspinparty
So many great places to visit and things to do, it would be hard to chose just one or two. I’d love to visit the Lake District with our son as it’s an area of the UK I’ve never had the chance to go to. I’d really like to visit Wray Castle, my son would just love it there! #bloggerpinparty
I’ve never been to the Lake District but it looks amazing #bloggerpinparty
We love it there.
Great article Claire!
Thanks!
🙂