101 Best Things To Do With Kids In The Lake District (Updated 2022)

Feed the giraffes and kangaroos at South Lakes Safari Zoo.
Step into The World of Beatrix Potter and meet Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddleduck and more famous characters for the books.
Get lost in the maze at Muncaster Castle & Hawk & Owl Centre.
Take a walk around the beautiful Tarn Hows.
Play with the dolls house in the playroom at Allan Bank and Grasmere.
Visit the home of the world’s first pencil at The Derwent Pencil Museum.
Explore Wray Castle, set on the banks of Lake Windermere.
Visit Keswick museum in Fitz park and check out the local pre-historic worked stones and axes.
Step inside the historic haunted Mucastle Castle and wander through the sumptuous state rooms.
Cruise Derwentwater Lake on a Keswick Launch and experience the beautiful surroundings.
Take a picnic and paddle in the lake at Fell Foot Park.
Find a mini beach at Buttermere and spend time skimming pebbles and paddling in the lake.
Take an enchanting steam train ride on The Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway.
Hop on board the Ullswater Steamer and visit a roaring 65ft waterfall.
Visit the setting for Beatrix Potter‘s tale ‘The Fairy Caravan’ at Graythwaite Estate Gardens.
Take a memorable steam train journey through stunning scenery on the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway.
Whip up a treat at Lucy Cooks Cookery School; a perfect rainy day activity.
There’s plenty of activities for the whole family at Brockhole including crazy golf, archery, kayaking and much more.
Walk through the underwater tunnel at Lakes Aquarium where you will find all types of marine life including sea turtles and otters.
Take a Treetop Trek and enjoy the thrill of the high ropes courses.
Take a tractor ride and meet the animals at Lakeland Maze Farm Park.
Go Ape and swing through the trees at Grizedale Forest.
Explore the beautiful garden and lake of Sizergh.
Take the Gruffalo Spotter’s Trail at Whinlatter Forest.
Watch a family friendly live show at the Theatre by the Lake in Keswick.
Take in the panoramic views across the central Lake District with a walk in the Wainwright Fells.
Paddle in the natural pools of Ullswater and see the power and beauty of nature at Aira Force Waterfalls.
Spend the day at The Rheged Centre, for all-weather activites including indoor and outdoor play areas, 3D cinema and more.
Enjoy the natural play area’s of Mirehouse, a 17th-century manor house on the shores of Bassenthwaite Lake.
Meet the meerkats and over 100 species of exotic animals at The Lake District Wildlife Park.
Walk with alpacas or even go llama trekking with Alpacaly Ever After.
Tumble in the ball pits, ride the giant slide and climb the squashy stairs at The Fun Factory Bowness.
See the cars, motorcycles and pedal cars from the past 100 years at Lakeland Motor Museum.
Experience the beauty of the Lakeland countryside on a pony trek.
Solve the clues and complete the Treasure Trail at Bowness on Windermere.
Try ghyll scrambling or canyoning with Crags Adventures.
Join a wolf pack or handle an eagle at Predator Experience.
Try climbing and bouldering at Ambleside Climbing Wall.
Putt and play at the 9 hole mini-golf course at White Platts recreation ground.
Step back in time at the Dove Cottage and Wordsworth Museum.
See over 100 tiny buildings made from local Coniston slate at Lakeland Miniature Village.
Become a zookeeper for the day and look after a whole range of exotic animals at Lakeland Wildlife Oasis.
Make a splash at England’s highest heated open air swimming pool.
Tour the depths of Honister Slate Mine and dare to venture on a vertical climbs across cliff edge ladders on the Via Ferrata.
Watch old film footage of the world famous comedy duo at The Laurel and Hardy Museum.
Go on a family friendly walk that has fabulous views of Derwent Water at Castle Crag.
Step inside Cathedral Cave, which was featured in the 2014 film, Snow White and the Huntsman.
Get your fingers sticky on a family chocolate workshop at Hawkshead Chocolate Factory.
Take a cruise on the Steam Yacht Gondola, a rebuilt Victorian steam-powered yacht on Coniston Water.
Give the kids a run around in a giant wooden play fort in the grounds of Lowther Castle.
Visit the ‘home of the sticky toffee pudding’ at The Cartmel Village Shop.
Prepare to be amazed by some giant optical illusions at The Puzzling Place in Keswick.
Visit Hutton-in-the-forest, a historic house, and explore the beautiful walled gardens, woodland walk and parkland.
Explore the ancient ruins of Furness Abbey.
Check out Long Meg & Her Daughters Stone Circle, where local legend claims a witch was turned to stone.
Visit William Wordsworth’s childhood home.
Search for crabs on the beach along the Solway Coast.
Watch a live puppet theatre show at the Upfront Theatre.
Visit the dramatically sited Senhouse Roman Museum which is on cliffs overlooking the Solway Firth.
Dig and play in the JCB-themed sand play area at Walby Farm Park.
Be transported to an exotic island in the Caribbean at The Rum Story.
See cows being milked on a working farm at Low Sizergh Barn Café.
Start your Hadrian’s Wall adventure at Birdoswald Roman Fort.
Sample the delights at Grasmere Gingerbread Shop.
Pop those paintballs at Raw War Paintball in Aspatria.
Explore the medieval castle rooms and discover a turbulent history at Carlisle Castle.
Stroke the sting rays at Lake District Coast Aquarium.
Hire some bikes and go for a ride around Windermere.
Learn some essential survival skills on a Bushcraft Course, suitable for older kids.
Take a Hop-on Hop-off Cruise on Lake Windermere.
Run through the sprawling sand dunes of Bowness-on-Solway.
Go Pony Trekking in the Troutbeck Valley.
Enjoy a half-day tour of Beatrix Potter country and places.
Walk from Little Town to Catbells, an easily conquerable summit for all ages.
Have a go and throw a pot on the potter’s wheel at Gosforth Pottery.
Take a fabulous journey around the unique islands of Windermere by kayak. Suitable for over 12’s.
Search for red squirrels that inhabit the woodlands of Ennerdale Valley.
Try some stand-up Paddleboarding on Buttermere Lake.
Follow in the footsteps of the Romans to the dramatically-sited Hardknott Fort.
Visit inside Dove Cottage, Wordsworth’s first home in the Lake District.
Paint and glaze your own pottery design at Pandemonium Pots.
Pet the tiny pygmy goat kids at Greenlands Farm Village.
If the weather’s nice take a dip at Askham Outdoor Swimming Pools.
Master the step-ups, rollers and doubles at Fitz Park BMX Track.
Cool off in the interactive sprinkler area at Happy Mount Park.
Play a classic game of tenpin bowling at Soul Bowl.
Go wild at The Wacky Warehouse indoor softplay.
Explore the boat collection at Lancaster Maritime Museum.
Ride the vintage steam engine on The Scarborough Spa Express.
Take a trip down into a reconstructed lead and coper mine at Threlkeld Quarry and Mining Museum.
Have fun at the interactive museum, Millom Discovery Centre.
Bounce off the walls at Jump Rush Trampoline Park.
Check out Low Gillerthwaite Field Centre, an activity centre set in England’s least inhabited valley.
Watch a film at the Brewery Arts Centre.
Families can book a wild swim with Chill Swim’s.
Learn to sail on beautiful Ullswater Lake.
Take a buggy walk from Coniston to Torver and admire the peacocks at Coniston Hall Farm.
Become a Viking for the day and set sail on The Gift of the Gael, a replica Viking Longship.
Get to grips with how steam engines work at the Ravenglass Railway Museum.
Climb the whacky and interactive climbing walls at Kong Adventure.
Catch a flick at The Royalty Cinema an Art Deco-era cinema with auditorium and Wurlitzer organ.

See Also

101 Things To Do With The Kids