Days Out with Toddlers and Babies

Cornwall is a fantastic place to come on holiday whatever your age. Along with an abundance of natural beauty there are a host of attractions and things to do that will suit all the family.

Toddlers days out Cornwall

Many of Cornwall's natural assets will appeal to even the youngest family members; heading up the list would be our fantastic beaches, they are totally free and what toddler doesn't love a super-sized sandpit?! If it isn't quite beach weather (it sometimes happens!) then you can do a lot worse than heading to the vast swathes of open space at some of Cornwall's world renown gardens and stately homes. Perfect for picnics and toddling around this is a great option, particularly if you already have National Trust membership.

Of course there are plenty of purpose built attractions in Cornwall, and many of these more than cater for the under 4s. Soft play is a particular favourite and many of Cornwall's best days out will have an area specifically for younger children.

While you would imagine it might be a bit of a stretch keeping the youngest kids interested as you traipse around art galleries and museums many of these have upped their game in recent years and have a host of interactive displays and activities to entertain all ages.

Other firm favourites with kids of all ages are wildlife based attractions and, certainly with my kids, anything involving trains!

Things to do with babies & toddlers

  • Heligan - Mud Maid

    80 acres of superb grounds with a complex of walled gardens and a huge, productive vegetable garden. Set in one of the most mysterious estates in England, Heligan.

  • Impressive late Victorian country house near Bodmin with extensive servants' quarters, church, gardens and wooded estate

  • St Micheal's Mount Sunset

    Island castle set in the middle of Mount's Bay, just off the coast of Marazion. The Mount is now managed by the National Trust but remains the home of St Aubyn family.

  • Blue Reef Aquarium Newquay

    Overlooking a popular Newquay surfing beach, the Blue Reef Aquarium is a stunning collection of marine displays from the Cornish coast to as far afield as the Caribbean

  • The Lappa Valley Steam Railway is a narrow gauge railway which opened in 1849 as a mineral line from Newquay to East Wheal Rose and was reopened in 1974 as a tourist attraction

  • Newquay Zoo

    Newquay Animal World is Cornwall's only zoo and has become one of the leading wildlife parks in the country

  • Grey Seal

    The National Seal Sanctuary is a haven for injured and orphaned seal pups set on the picturesque Helford Estuary in the lovely village of Gweek

  • One of the great sub-tropical gardens of the South-West on the Helford Estuary.

  • Paradise Park - Hayle

    Paradise Park carries out conservation work on native UK species, including the Cornish Chough, Otters, Owls, and Red Squirrels.
    It is also home to rare and endangered parrots, and is an excellent and informative day out for any family.

  • Located in Madron near Penzance. Woodland garden with views over Mounts Bay. Exotic trees and shrubs including tree ferns create a prehistoric feel

  • National Trust owned Tudor and Stuart Grade 1 mansion complete with Elizabethan stables.
    Surrounded by formal gardens (c.1500), orchards, bluebell woods and extensive estate.

  • Trerice House - Newquay

    Elizabethan manor house situated 3 miles from Newquay.Now managed by the National Trust

  • A seventeen mile long cycle path which follows the River Camel from Padstow, on the north Cornish coast, to Poley's Bridge, on the edge of Bodmin Moor.

  • Pendennis Castle was built in the middle of the 16th century by Henry VIII as one of a pair of forts, with St Mawes Castle, to protect the Fal Estuary from the threat of invasion from France and Spain

  • Tranquil garden near Truro with wonderful views of the River Fal. Set on many levels, containing a superb collection of tender and exotic plants

  • Camel Creek Adventure Park

    Camel Creek Adventure Park is one of Cornwall's largest theme parks featuring masses of outdoor rides and indoor entertainment for all the family.

  • Tehidy woods are the largest woodland in West Cornwall covering over 250 acres. The country park here features over 9 miles of paths and trails, a lake and café with picnic area. Tehidy is a great family day out and dogs are welcome too.

  • Tremenheere arid gardens

    The Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens are probably the newest addition to Cornwall's tradition of great gardens. Only opened in 2012 the gardens have already become an established fixture on the itinerary of green-fingered visitors...

  • Said to be the oldest gardens in Cornwall, Enys Gardens date back to the early 1700s. Spread over 30 acres there are formal gardens, open meadow and woodland. One of the best times of year to visit is in spring when the ancient meadow of Parc Lyre comes alive with a carpet of bluebells.

  • Land’s End, with its rugged wave battered cliffs, is the most westerly point in mainland England and the most visited outdoor tourist attraction in Cornwall

  • Tate - St Ives

    The Tate Gallery St Ives opened in June 1993 in a purpose-built building with five galleries offering an introduction to modern art, with special emphasis on the St Ives School

  • The Bodmin & Wenford Railway is the only standard gauge railway in the county to run both steam and diesel trains

  • Morrab Gardens. Sup-tropical garendens located between Penzance's town centre and promenade

  • Dairyland Farm Park

    DairyLand Farm World is a family owned farm and entertainment complex offering not only the traditional farm interests but varied amusements for visitors of all ages

  • Antony House & Woodland Gardens. Superb early 18th-century mansion set in parkland and fine gardens. Located near Torpoint in Cornwall

  • Cardinham Woods - autumn

    Sitting on the western fringes of Bodmin Moor, Cardinham Woods offer a different, but equally picturesque, kind of scenery to the familiar Cornwall seen on postcards. Riddled with footpaths and trails, its shady glades feel a world away from the...

  • Autumn afternoon - Penrose Estate

    The Penrose estate is a large area of parkland between Porthleven and Helston. The rolling parkland of the estate stretches down to, and includes a section of coast from Gunwalloe to Porthleven. There are many areas of mature woodland and miles...

  • Base Camp - Portreath

    Base Camp offers hours of indoor fun for all ages. There is over 2,000 square feet of soft play along with West Cornwall's only "Clip'n'Climb" climbing wall. Free wifi in the Cafe which serves a range of drinks, snacks and light meals.

  • Trethorne Leisure Park

    The largest undercover attraction in North Cornwall, combining various activities for the whole family and meetings with lots of cuddly animals

  • Kidzworld - St Austell

    All weather adventure centre for children, featuring mega slides, giant tubes, ball pools and much more

  • Polperro Model Village

    Ever popular family attraction which continues to entertain all ages with its rendition of Cornwall in miniature.

  • Colliford Kids map

    [CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE] An action day out for all ages with a ball pool, rollers, net mazes, drop slides, cart rides and lots of indoor and outdoor attractions

  • Skullduggery Laser Tag

    Bombadingas & Skullduggery has something for all ages, whatever the weather. For toddlers up there is a reasonably sized soft play area featuring all the usual slides, ball pools and climbing frames. There is also a slight twist in the form...

  • Porfell Wildlife Park

    Cornwall’s biggest exotic animal sanctuary. Located only a few miles from Looe in South East Cornwall itoffers sanctuary to many different animals from around the world. They might be neglected, injured, imported illegally or simply no longer wanted. For whatever reason they come to us, they’re always welcome.

  • Mount Edgcumbe House

    Grand country house set in 865 acres Country Park on the Rame Peninsula near Torpoint

  • One2Eleven soft play

    One2eleven is a dedicated soft play area located right next to the Flambards theme park. There are a good range of play areas suitable for toddlers to pre-teens featuring slides, a cannon park, ball swamps, climbing frames, an assault course,...

  • Launceston Steam Railway

    The Launceston Steam Railway links the town of Launceston with the hamlet of Newmills. Trains are hauled by steam locomotives built at the end of the 19th century.

  • The Venue - Soft play

    The Venue - all weather and for all the family. 10 lanes of ten pin bowling along with a huge soft play area.

    ...
  • Mining - Poldark Mine

    Located in the picturesque Wendron Valley, close to Helston, Poldark Mine has free admission to the main site and offers something for all the family

  • Ozzell Bowl - St Austell

    Providing all weather / all the family entertainment with 8 lanes of bowling and a soft play area.

    ...
  • Jungle Jack's

    Purpose-built soft play area providing over 1,700 square feet of fun including challenging climbs, a rope bridge, our astra-glide slide, crafty crawl tubes and peekaboo bubble windows.

  • World of Model Railways - Mevagissey

    The World of Model Railways has a main layout with over 30 trains travelling through varied landscapes and is home to a well-stocked model shop.

  • Indoor Active - soft play

    Soft play and Clip 'n' Climb centre located at Cornwall Services. Features 4 storey purpose-built Soft Play Centre is for children aged 0 to 11 along with 15 climbing walls suitable for older kids (4+).

  • Raze the Roof

    One of the longest established indoor / soft play areas in Cornwall. Great range of activities for a wide range of kids - from toddlers to teens.

    Kids love to play in our mega play frame, slides, climbing wall, ball cannons, astro glide....

  • iBounce trampoline park

    iBounce is Cornwall's longest running trampoline park. Featuring over 60 trampolines with stunt zones, dodgeball, parent and toddler sessions, adult fitness classes, disco nights and a lot more this is a great indoor attraction for all the family.

  • Tregrehan

    Dramatic 20ha woodland garden created over the last 200 years by the Carlyon family, forming an exotic green gene bank of known source plants in a temperate rainforest

  • Monkey Sanctuary - Looe

    Home to a social colony of woolly monkeys and a small group of rescued capuchin monkeys, provides advice and support for primate rescue centres around the world

  • Seahorse - Pentewan

    Set within Pentewan Sands Holiday Park, overlooking the beach, the Seahorse is a small leisure complex with something for all the family, whatever the weather. There are two indoor swimming pools, featuring a flume and play pool along with a...

  • Screech Owl Sanctuary

    The sanctuary provides care and rehabilitation for wild sick and injured owls within Cornwall, and ensures their safe release back to the wild where possible

  • Bonython Manor - First Lake

    Country estate located on The Lizard Peninsula comprising of 20-acre garden, farm and woodlands.

  • Tamar Otter Centre

    Delightful attraction for all the family and the only place in the West Country where British otters are bred on a regular basis

  • Antony Woodland Garden

    Antony Woodland Garden is one of Cornwall’s most beautiful hidden gardens that runs along the edge of the Lynher Estuary – renowned for its collection of camellias, magnolias and rhododendrons – this is one for serious gardeners.

    Described...

  • Holywell Bay Fun Park

    Rides and entertainment ideal for kids. Including go-karts, pitch and putt and bumper boats.

  • Springfields Pony Centre

    Home to a variety of different ponies and other animals, in addition to having lots of other attractions for the whole family

  • Hidden Valley Discovery Park

    A wonderful mix of gardens, puzzles, nature trails and a miniature railway, Hidden Valley Discovery Park should appeal to all ages.

  • Jump 4 trampoline park

    JUMP 4 HAS NOW PERMANENTLY CLOSED

    The Jump4 Trampoline Park is an ideal rainy day attraction for all ages. Consisting of six different jumping areas there is more on offer than just bouncing. The main Freestyle Jump area...