With kids, age range 3 to 12!

Recommendations for walks but also any hidden gems – pubs, cafes, restaurants, boat trips, museums, etc.

Thanks

What time of year?

Ullswater steamer and walk back (might be a bit long for little one u less you have carrier). If too long then take a picnic and just walk up Hallin Fell for the views and lunch then catch steamer back again.
Loughrigg Fell and caves – ditto Hodge Close (take care! But fun to find the back way down to platform that sticks out into the water)
Go Ape in Grizedale
Visit a mine
Beatrix Potter?
Eat at Zefferellis and then cinema – see if they notice it’s veggie?!?
Boat on Grasmere out to island – pretend you are in Swallows and Amazons
If summer so wild swims – combine swim at Birk’s Bridge in Duddon Valley with drive over Hardknott and Wrynose and visit to Roman Fort

Or simply just let them relax and enjoy the wonderful scenery!!!

If you’re in Keswick area, a group of local parents made this booklet:
Kids Keswick

Includes a lot of good activities suggested by people that live here. Recommended.

Lakeland Pedlar cafe in Keswick is ace for veggie / wholefood.

Eat at Zefferellis and then cinema

+1 for Zeff’s. One of my favouritest restaurants, I’ve made the 140 mile round trip just to go there before now.

http://www.wildanimalpark.co.uk/
http://ravenglass-railway.co.uk/
http://www.wilfs-cafe.co.uk/. This includes a brewery, deli and bike shop in the area as well as good walking and riding 😆

The Lakes also extends over to the likes of Workington, Whitehaven and Siloth areas for a bit of seaside fun and other visitor attractions.

Muncaster castle

Ravenglass and Eskdale railway
Aquarium of the lakes
Beatrix potter
Lakeside and Haverthwaite railway combined with a cruise on lake Windermere

Wasn’t massively impressed with the aquarium when we took our two, and neither were they. To be honest, there’s better steam railways as well.

Seemed a bit of a “shit it’s raining, what we can do?” panic buy option (it was raining, and heavingly busy, when we went).

Loads, Keswick Museum, Cars of the Stars Keswick, Fitz Park in Keswick has Crazy/Minature Golf. Grasmere has some lovely cafes and walks that kids can do as its not too hilly in the area.
Get a Lap Map from tourist info and visit some of the Waterfalls in the area, Aira Force is good, the kids love ’em

I would recommend cathedral quarry for an explore

Linky

Thanks all

As well as the biking Grizedale has some great forest sculpture and quite a bit of it is close to the Theatre in the forest so not too far to go.

Cars of the stars has closed and the cars have been sold but there is a Motor Museum between Ulverston and Newby Bridge, the Lakeland Motor Museum, which occupied our lot for the morning and has a good caff.

If they are into Swallows and Amazons ( or you are ) you can see the original Amazon in Coniston museum and Bank Ground Farm on the opposite side of Coniston Water is the original Holly Howe and does excellent teas in the season. You can check opening times on their website.

Second the recommendations for Wilfs, Zeffs and Beatrix Potter land.

South Lakes Wild Animal Park at Dalton is good.
The Bobbin Mill near Lakeside can combine with the aquarium.
Gummers Howe for an easy walk that feels higher than it is

Cool thread. Going the lakes in may for a week with mates and was wondering what to do if it just pishes down like last year…

Edit: double top

for big Kids I would suggest many brewery tours, then everyone gets a go.

During school holidays the FC puts on stuff at Whinlatter & Grizedale for kids – check with their sites first though.

Coffee and cake at Chesters is always a winner!

The Watermill pub at Staveley is easy to dismiss from the roadside, but it is a very family friendly pub with a LOT of ale and great food.

Can’t beat a good old cruise on the lake..

Puzzle Museum Keswick – my 3 year olds loved it, also the Pedaler Cafe is nice.

watch TV
play games console

normal good form is however to walk round the towns pretending it’s all olde worlde and waling out into the road in front of bikes, take hungry bored kids for a trip to the “Supermarket”, drive at 5mph while looking at the sheep, try and stay in the pub making a pint last all night cause you got the table by the fire and the campsite is cold and wet……

+1 for cathedral quarry, we usually park at hodge close and walk from there

I go the lakes as often as I can and drag the family there at every opportunity so I can go running on the fells and cycling.
The wild animal park above is probably one of the best attractions! bit of a drive but the kids will love it.

Waterfalls and plunge pools for wild swimming – up[ by Ulpha is good.

Beatrix Potter’s house is nice for the little ones.

Dalton Zoo is good but take a packed lunch as the cafe ain’t all that!

Muncaster Castle and Ratty’s Railway are good if you are over the West side.

Dare I say the pencil museum in Keswick.

Rheged near Penrith is worth a visit, especially if its wet.

I quite liked Brantwood on the east side of Coniston where John Ruskin lived. Food is good, house and paintings are good if a little dry for the kids but the gardens and area around are great to explore with kids on a fine day.

coniston .. bluebird cafe .. beach.. stream.. canoes .. dinghys.. steamboats.. long/ short walks.. as a useless info point at the end of the war they dumped hundreds of lorry loads of munitions in the lake… word of caution though.. do not even drive into the carpark by the tourist information centre in the village as it is covered by camears and you will be asked to pay just for driving through and straight out..

Dalton Zoo (South Lakes Wild Animal Park) is well worth a visit.

I worked in the area for the last 2.5 years and my kids (currently 5 & 7) loved the place. Have a look at the website and try and time your visit for the feeding sessions – Penguins, Tigers, Giraffes & Lions were very good.

Hire a Landy for the day and take them on a green-laning safari around the Lakes?

http://www.kankku.co.uk/