What to do in the Lake District with the kids this summer holiday

It’s that time of year again when as parents you are wracking your brains trying to think of things to do during the summer holidays – but worry not.

The Lake District is the perfect place to visit this summer to keep the children entertained – yes, it is a beautiful place for walking, but there are loads of other wonderful family activities in the Lake District too.

Of course, there is so much open space,  that you can just let them roam and play freely – pooh sticks down the river or hide and seek in the woods.

But, if the weather gets a bit damp, or you fancy a day out, we’ve put together a list of our top 8 places to visit in the Lake District to keep your little mites entertained this summer.

The World of Beatrix Potter

Young or old, this is a must-see. You almost feel like you’re in a Beatrix Potter story as the exhibition includes sounds and smells to bring the beloved stories to life.

www.hop-skip-jump.com

The Go Herdwick public art trails

These trails have been put together by the Lake District Calvert Trust to raise money for its outdoor activity centre for people with disabilities – and are a great way to have fun and explore the countryside.

Can you find and tick off all 60 of the decorated ewes and their 20 lambs across the Lake District.

You may even meet our Rangi- Tiki little lamb – we’ll give you a clue, he’s dressed as a mountain rescue dog!

www.goherdwick.co.uk

Go Ape

What child can resist climbing trees? And, at Go Ape at Grizedale and whinlatter, kids can have a real tree top adventure.

And, for even more adventures youngsters can leap off the Tarzan swing and tackle crossings while enjoying some of Britain’s most breathtaking scenery. Yep, it is as fun as it sounds (even for big kids!).

www.goape.co.uk

Brockhole

Brockhole is a great place for the kids to run free without forking out lots of cash. The adventure playground – packed with rope swings, scramble nets and zip wires – is free. But check out their events too, as there’ll be plenty of activities on during the summer– such as archery, rafting and bird watching to take part in.

www.brockhole.co.uk

Peter Rabbit the musical

If you love Peter Rabbit – and who doesn’t! Then, Where is Peter Rabbit? is a great piece of theatre for the whole family.

The show is inspired by Beatrix Potter’s world-famous stories and explodes with music, dance and show-stopping songs.

You’ll definitely leave feeling happy!

www.oldlaundrytheatre.com

Rheged

If you’re struggling to know what to do in the Lake District with the whole family, then Rheged has plenty on offer for all ages.

As well as a 3D cinema and a variety of different activities on throughout the summer – including a pottery workshop –  there are play areas in  and outdoors for the children too.

And, with plenty of shops and cafes too, you’ll have a full day of fun.

www.rheged.com

Lakeland Maize Maze

Get lost with the family – well for a few hours anyway! – in one or two of the maize mazes at Lakeland Maze Farm.

There’s more to the attraction than just mazes though and throughout the day kids can enjoy tractor rides around the farm and get the chance to meet and feed animals in the pet barn.

www.lakelandmaze.co.uk

Boating

For Lake District family water-based activities, there are plenty of places to go – Take your pick from places such as Windermere, Derwent Water and Ullswater.

Adventures galore await for kids on the shores of the lakes  and they’ll love pretending they are like Arthur Ransome’s  Swallows and Amazons.

There are plenty of boat hire places around all of the lake shores.

And, if you’ve never done it before, you can have lessons at centres such as the Glenridding Sailing Centre.

www.glenriddingsailingcentre.co.uk

Or, if you want to give the oars a miss, then sit back and enjoy the beauty of the Lake District from a boat with Ullswater Steamers.

www.ullswater-steamers.co.uk

There is so much to do and to be explored  – that you’ll not be bored of places to visit in the Lake District during the school holiday.

And, to make the most of it all, we have more than 450 VisitEngland graded 3-5-star luxury holiday cottages right on the doorstep of some of these great attractions in the Lake District.

The beauty of staying in self-catering Lake District cottage is that you are free to come and go with your children as you choose and many of our cottages are in idyllic locations, so that means  there is plenty of free fresh-air fun for your kids too.

The children can have the freedom to roam around, play hide and seek in among the trees, have a paddle in the lake, while you can sit back, relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery that these beautiful spots in the Lake District have to offer, while listening to your children laughing and having fun. Perfect!

Our helpful team at Lakelovers are always on hand to help too and we will be more than happy to advise you on which cottages will be best for you and also, if you are not sure what to do,  where to visit in the Lake District to make the most of your stay here.

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