Hi going down to the lakes in late Aug, staying in Windermere, any advice on things to do with our 18 month old boy?

Also hoping to get half a day bike hire at whinlater, or anywhere else recommend?
Cheers

Wray castle (if you’re a NT member, bit spendy otherwise)
Decent soft play in ambleside (rufty tufties?)
Ambleside and COniston Parks good

re riding, unless you’re desparate to head over to Whinlatter/see a different bit of the lakes just hire a bike in WIndermere Ambleside (Ghyllside, Bike treks for bling) and get over Garburn, dead easy to follw route.

ah 18 month…. scratch those ideas

Grisedale’s nearer Windermere and has a good hire fleet.

I was just down there a few weeks back, stayed at bowmere, absolutely lovely. Lots of watersport, also a lot of really touristy stuff which you all might or might not be into- we did a nice combo of a cruise down to lakeside, then a train ride on the steam railway, what’s good is that it all combines together really nicely- very well set up.

Strap that boy to your back and get up a hill.
Swimming pool.
Boat trips on windermere/derwentwater/ullswater.

Coniston lake shore. Feed the ducks and paddle.(less swans than windemere very shallow shelving but stony so shoes that can get wet are handy)

Good paddling spot by the stream at Chapel Style. Just over the foot bridge. Tea and cake upstairs from the Co-Op.

Boat trips on Windermere, Coniston, Derwent Water or Ulswater

Walk from Skelwith Bridge to Elterwater is easy with a push chair. Posh teas at Chesters in Skelwith Bridge

Walk round Grasmere is good will need some carrying I think

If you are up for carrying then Loughrigg is not a bad family walk

Swimming pools at the langdale time share and just outside Windermere. Both pricey day membership but as its day leisure club membership. But might be worth every penny of it really rains

Thanks all, yeah boat trip is on the list and will look at trains, good to have some soft play as a backup for bad weather,

He has a rucksack carrier so planning a walk so planning a walk somewhere any recommendations?

Only said whinlater as I’d been there before with rallying and have the single track calendar with a picture from there in front of me on my desk now, but will look at garburn now

Walk recommendations now above as I edited as you posted

Aaah shit, rufty tufty’s shut after flooding, one on the Glebe in Bowness through

Oh 18 month! I read 18 years. Don’t take him paddleboarding then

2 great walks that also involve a boat and aren’t that taxing are:
Catbells from Keswick lake shore (grab a leaflet from the tourist info place in the centre)
Ullswater: Park at Pooley bridge, walk over the fell to Howtown and then get the ferry back. (again grab a leaflet from tourist info place)
Both are very easy to navigate and the Ullswater one is along what is more commonly known as the ‘Ullswater singletrack’ so you can pretend you’re on 2 wheels zooming down the path. Both are lovely scenic walks and will occupy half a day.

Think I took my daughter when she was a little over one.

Couple of hikes with her in a back pack we borrowed … one around Grasmere and maybe up Katbells.

Paddling at the bottom end of windermere and the top end of Bassenthwaite Lake…. there’s a wild life park up there that was surprising good, spent a nice afternoon in there … lots of Gibbons running about on their hind legs sticks in my mind. 😆

Boat trip yeah do that, that was nice.

I’ll have a think of anything else we did …. half a dozen years ago now

At that age, you want to be on a bike!!

Hire a trailer and a bike and explore to your hearts content. I used to love taking my kids out in the trailer, and they loved it too!

Get to a Lakes NP office and pick up their Miles without Stiles pack, brilliant, we and friends used it loads when ours were small and littlest still needed pushchairs.

great that, thanks Spud. We’re off to Windermere on saturday so this will be invaluable.
http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/thingstodo/walking/mileswithoutstiles/mwsmap

Great thanks all! Lots of things to look into
What about places to eat? That are toddler friendly