Things to Do in the Lake District With Kids: The Best Family Days Out
· Updated
The Lake District is the easiest national park in England to fill a family week in, because the big attractions sit close together around Windermere and almost all of them work for a range of ages in the same day. A cruise on the lake, a steam train, a first proper fell and a waterfall are all within about half an hour of each other, and several cost nothing at all.
This is a practical run through the days out that actually keep children happy, with real prices and age guidance so you can plan around them. It sits inside our wider guide to camping in the UK's national parks, and it is written by Camping Sites in Britain, where you can find and compare campsites, caravan parks and glamping across the region.
The quick answer: the best family days out
If you only do a handful of things, do these. They cover water, rail, forest, fell and something genuinely different, and they suit families with younger children and teenagers alike.
| Day out | Best for | Rough cost | Book ahead? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windermere lake cruise | All ages | From about £11 adult, family tickets available | No, but check the timetable |
| Lakeside and Haverthwaite steam railway | Under 10s especially | £12.50 adult, £7.30 child return | No, buy on the day |
| Brockhole on Windermere | Toddlers to teens | Free entry, pay for parking and activities | Only for Treetop Nets |
| Grizedale Forest | Walkers and Go Ape teens | Free, pay for parking and Go Ape | Yes for Go Ape |
| Catbells or Loughrigg Fell | First family fell | Free | No |
| Aira Force waterfall | All ages | Free, pay-and-display car park | No |
| Honister slate mine tour | Age seven and up | £25 adult, children free | Yes |
On the water: a Windermere lake cruise
A cruise on Windermere is the single most reliable family day out in the Lake District, because it works in any weather and asks nothing of small legs. Windermere Lake Cruises runs regular boats between Bowness, Ambleside and Lakeside, and you simply turn up at a pier and board.
Shorter island cruises of around 45 minutes are the cheapest way to get everyone afloat. If you want to hop on and off all day, the Freedom of the Lake ticket costs £35 for adults and £17.50 for children aged 5 to 15, with a family ticket (two adults and up to three children) at £95.50 and under-fives free. It also lets you combine the boat with the steam railway or the aquarium at Lakeside, which turns a boat trip into a full day.
Steam and miniature railways
The Lake District has two family railways that are worth building a day around, and young children tend to remember them more than anything else. Both run through scenery you cannot easily reach on foot.
The Lakeside and Haverthwaite steam railway
This short heritage line runs proper steam engines along the Leven valley to Lakeside at the southern tip of Windermere, where it connects with the lake cruises. A return is £12.50 for adults and £7.30 for children aged 3 to 15, with a family return (two adults and up to three children) at £37.50 and under-threes free. You buy tickets on the day at the station, as the railway does not sell online or take advance bookings, so check the timetable before you set off.
The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway
Known to everyone locally as La'al Ratty, this is a narrow-gauge miniature railway on the quieter western side of the park, running seven miles from the coast at Ravenglass up into the Eskdale fells. A full-line return is around £25 for adults and £16 for children aged 5 to 17, with under-fives free. The open carriages and the 40-minute climb make it a brilliant morning, and Ravenglass sits well away from the Windermere crowds.
Big attractions for younger children
Two places near Bowness carry a wet afternoon or entertain a toddler who is done with walking. Both are a short drive from the main Windermere campsites.
The World of Beatrix Potter
In Bowness-on-Windermere, this indoor attraction brings the Peter Rabbit stories to life with recreated scenes, a garden and a tea room, and it is aimed squarely at pre-school and primary-age children. Adult entry is roughly £12 to £13 and children aged 3 to 16 are around £7 to £8, with under-threes free. It takes about an hour, which makes it a good rainy-day filler rather than a whole day.
Brockhole on Windermere
Brockhole is the Lake District's official visitor centre and one of the best free family stops in the park. Entry is free and the large adventure playground costs nothing, so you only pay for parking and for the activities you choose. The paid options include Treetop Nets, a set of giant trampolines and slides strung through the trees, plus the Treetop Trek high ropes, gentle rowing boats and mini golf. You can easily spend a full day here without going near the tills.
Forests, sculpture trails and Go Ape
Grizedale Forest, between Coniston Water and Windermere, is the pick of the family forests because it layers a free day out with a paid adventure for anyone tall enough. Run by Forestry England, it is free to enter and you pay only to park.
The forest is threaded with waymarked walking and cycling trails and a famous sculpture trail, where more than 40 artworks are hidden among the trees for children to hunt down. For older kids and teenagers, Go Ape runs a Treetop Adventure here with zip wires and rope bridges through the canopy, which has minimum age and height limits and must be booked in advance. Whinlatter Forest near Keswick offers a similar mix if you are staying further north. If you like the idea of camping under a proper tree canopy, our guide to the best campsites for exploring ancient woodlands is a good place to start.
A first family fell: Catbells or Loughrigg
Every family should climb one small fell, and Catbells is the classic first summit. Rising to 451 metres above Derwentwater near Keswick, it gives you a proper ridge, real views and a genuine sense of achievement, and most families manage the up-and-back in two to three hours. It is steep and rocky in places rather than dangerous, so pick a clear day and take your time on the scrambly sections near the top.
If Catbells feels like a stretch for very young walkers, Loughrigg Fell near Ambleside is gentler at 335 metres, with big views for far less effort. Whichever you choose, take waterproofs, snacks and proper footwear, because Lakeland weather turns fast even in summer.
Waterfalls and wild spots: Aira Force
Aira Force is the waterfall to take children to, a spectacular drop of roughly 20 metres set in National Trust woodland above Ullswater. It is free to visit, with a pay-and-display car park (free for National Trust members), and a well-made path of stone bridges and steps leads you to viewpoints above and below the falls. The full loop takes under an hour and works for most ages, and the wider Ullswater valley is one of the loveliest corners of the park.
Something different: the Honister slate mine
For a wet day or an older child who wants an adventure, the Honister Slate Mine on Honister Pass runs guided tours deep into a working mountain. The Mine Tour takes you underground into the last working slate mine in England, lasts around 90 minutes, and costs £25 for adults with children going free alongside a paying adult. The minimum age is three and you must book ahead. The pass itself is one of the most dramatic drives in the Lakes, and features in our roundup of the best scenic drives to campsites. For families interested in how this landscape was made, it also pairs well with our guide to the UK's geological wonders near campsites.
Where to stay
Basing yourself near Windermere, Keswick or Coniston puts most of these days out within about half an hour, which matters when you are travelling with tired children. Browse and compare family-friendly options in our directory of campsites in the Lake District and Cumbria, from full-facility holiday parks to quiet back-to-nature pitches.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best things to do in the Lake District with kids?
A Windermere lake cruise, the Lakeside and Haverthwaite steam railway, Brockhole on Windermere, Grizedale Forest and Aira Force waterfall are the standout family days out. Add a first small fell such as Catbells for older children.
What free things can families do in the Lake District?
Plenty. Grizedale and Whinlatter forests, the Aira Force waterfall walk, the adventure playground at Brockhole, and climbing Catbells or Loughrigg Fell all cost nothing beyond parking. Only the boats, trains and guided attractions charge admission.
What is a good first fell to climb with children?
Catbells above Derwentwater is the classic first family fell at 451 metres, with a clear path and big views in two to three hours. Loughrigg Fell near Ambleside is gentler at 335 metres for younger legs.
Is the Lake District good for a rainy day with kids?
Yes. The World of Beatrix Potter in Bowness, the Honister slate mine tour, a covered lake cruise and the Lakes Aquarium at Lakeside all work well in poor weather, so a wet forecast rarely spoils a Lake District trip.
How much does a Windermere boat trip cost for a family?
A short island cruise starts from around £11 for adults. A Freedom of the Lake day ticket, giving unlimited hop-on-hop-off travel, is £95.50 for a family of two adults and up to three children, with under-fives free.
Do you need to book Lake District attractions in advance?
Mostly no. Cruises, the steam railway and Aira Force are turn-up-and-go. Book ahead for Go Ape at Grizedale, Treetop Nets at Brockhole and the Honister slate mine tour, as these have limited slots and age or height limits.
The short version
Stay near Windermere or Keswick, pick a lake cruise and a steam train for the little ones, save a small fell and Aira Force for a clear day, and keep the World of Beatrix Potter or Honister mine tour in reserve for rain. Almost everything is close together, and half of it is free.
When you are ready to sort where to pitch, compare your options in our directory of Lake District and Cumbria campsites, or read the wider guide to camping in the UK's national parks.
