11 Top Family Friendly things to do in Cornwall
Cornwall is wonderful place for a U.K family staycation. Here’s our favourite family friendly things to do in Cornwall with kids. One of the best things about the U.K is there’s so many wonderful places to visit and brilliant holiday destinations that you don’t have travel abroad to have the best family holiday there is! We’ve been on two family holidays to Cornwall and I’m hoping we get to visit many more times as there’s so many lovely things to do there, it’s a gorgeous part of the country that is great for families.
11 top Family Friendly things to do in Cornwall for families:
Read on for lots of family friendly things to do in Cornwall and the best places to visit with kids in Cornwall!
Lappa Valley Railway is a a great family activity in Cornwall – its a park reached by a real life steam train! Once you’re in the main park there’s lots of train-related activities, like a small woodland railway, play carriages, play park, boating lake (with kayaks!), walking trails, ride on tractors and crazy golf. This is a great thing to do with toddlers and children in Cornwall and will be a highlight for your family holiday with kids in Cornwall.
Photograph courtesy of Our Nicola Says
Bude is a really stunning part of Corrnwall and is worth a visit – simply for the beach. But if you can tear yourself away from the beach, you can download a Treasure Trails map and explore Bude in a different way. There are a variety of trails for differing ages and the vary in length too. But a treasure trail is brilliant family friendly activity because it encourages you to look up, look down, look at nooks and crannies and discover a whole host of interesting things.
Best Days out in Cornwall for Kids
Having visited the St Michels Mont in France, we totally want to visit the namesake in Cornwall. St Michael’s Mount is a really unique setting and perfect for an interesting walk, tide dependent and an explore. They also have craft activities and storytelling. It’s closed to the public on Saturdays to give the residents on the mount and the family living in the castle a day to themselves so it’s wise to plan your visit accordingly. It’s one of the great family friendly attractions in Cornwall.
Photo courtesy of Candyfloss Dreams.
4,5 and 6 Cornish Beaches!
It should probably be number one but the beaches in Cornwall are totally beautiful. Nothing beats a best sandy beach for family friendly thing to do in Cornwall. Our favourite is Poldhu Cove but there are so many different beaches to try. At Poldhu Cove, you can also take a walk along the National Trust’s ‘The Lizard’ which a beautiful coastal walk with varied landscape. Porth beach in Cornwall is also great for kids as there are loads of shallow pools and rock pools with loads of little fish swimming at your toes- a must for toddlers! Try this list for more ideas for beautiful spots in Cornwall to visit.
Photo Courtesy of Emmy’s Mummy
This is a unique theatre in a Cornwall bay with the waves crashing next to you. It is something your kids won’t forget in a hurry! The performance season is varied and suitable for all ages, but there is also a very successful season of storytelling shows targeted at families with children aged 5-10. On a fine day in Cornwall – this is such an amazing thing to do in Cornwall with kids!
Things to do in Cornwall in the rain
Not the cheapest day out but The Eden Project is a must for all families. Kids love it there and all ages seemed to be fascinated by the huge tropical plants, waterfalls and wildlife.
If you’re looking for fabulous places to stay in Cornwall, check out Aspects Cottages, for the best places to stay in Cornwall for families which have the most gorgeous cottages in a variety of sizes and prices – all in stunning locations. They have a every type of cottage you might be looking for from dog friendly to family friendly.
Kids will love looking round the 48 different types of chocolate in this Chocolate Factory! They also have llamas and an Art Gallery If you’re looking for somewhere to stay nearby – these local cottages in Mullion would be perfect!
10. Telegraph Museum in Porthcurno
This is a great family friendly Cornwall attraction for children who have never known anything other than a life filled with iPhones and laptops. This takes children on a trip through the different types of communication from Morse Code to the first mobile phone. It’s a perfect thing to do on a rainy day in Cornwall with Kids! For more fun rainy day ideas for kids – that will work in any place!
11. The Lost Gardens of Heligan
The charming Lost Gardens of Heligan is a beautiful place to explore in Cornwall with the kiddos and it offers over 200 acres of ancient land for you to discover. You can even trek right through the Jungle on the only Burmese rope bridge in the UK if you dare but mostly kids will love rushing about and the freedom to explore all the different plants. If you’re there in August or September, there’s often a festival of family activities.
Photo Courtesy of Ian Capper
13. National Maritime Museum, Falmouth
Just like the Maritime Museum in London, the museum in Cornwall is a wonderful playground where children get to sail model boats, experience what it’s like to be on call for a search and rescue mission and explore a real search and rescue helicopter. It’s a brilliant way to keep kids occupied on a rainy day in Cornwall.
St Ives with Kids
A trip to Cornwall with the family has to include a visit to St Ives! Although busy in the peak season, St Ives a quintessential Cornish town with its gorgeous painted houses and a ton of cute shops to explore. We advise spending some time in Tate St Ives, there’s always lots of kid friendly art activities and then head to Porthmeor Beach, not far from Tate St Ives. It’s one of the best beaches in Cornwall to learn to surf but it also has rockpools for the kids to splash in and a fantastic family friendly café above the sands. Or you could stay in St Ives to make exploring the area easier.
Hope that’s given you lots of family friendly ideas for a trip to Cornwall! If you’re off to Cornwall for a family holiday this Summer – have a wonderful time – I’m very jealous!! It’s a totally beautiful part of the world. Enjoy your Cornwall staycation!
Hop down the road to Dartmoor to check out Canonteign Falls too – a beautiful waterfall in Devon.
More UK Family Holiday Destinations:
Try our list of things to do in Wales – Best UK Family Holiday Destinations or hear about another favourite family holiday destination and the things you can do in Norfolk with kids or, if you’re feeling adventurous, what about our list of Quirky Places to stay for a Unique family friendly holiday in the UK.
