We have three generations of children between us at the farm, so we have tested most of the things to do in Weston-super-Mare with kids at least twice. Some are classic seaside, some are muddy and outdoorsy, and a few are for the days when the rain comes in off the Bristol Channel. Here are the twelve we recommend to families staying with us, roughly in order of distance from Kewstoke.
In this guide
Classic seaside things to do in Weston-super-Mare with kids
1. The Grand Pier
The Grand Pier is the heart of the seafront and the first stop for most families. Inside the pavilion at the end you will find arcades, rides and a big indoor play area, which makes it a rainy-day option as well as a sunny one. Walking out along the boards over the water is an adventure in itself for smaller children.
2. Weston beach and donkey rides
Two miles of sand, donkey rides in season and the sea a long way out at low tide. Bring buckets, spades and a kite. The tide comes in fast across the flats, so stay within the marked areas and check the times before you build anything ambitious.
3. Marine Lake at Knightstone
When the tide is out the sea disappears, but the Marine Lake beside Knightstone Island keeps its water. It is shallow, sheltered and ideal for paddling, crabbing and first goes on a paddleboard. There are cafés on the island for ice cream afterwards.
4. Weston Museum
Weston’s town museum in the centre is free to wander and has a family gallery on the story of the seaside, from donkeys to the pier. It is small enough for an hour and a good bolt-hole when the weather turns.
Farm parks, animals and the great outdoors
5. Puxton Park
Ten minutes from the farm, Puxton Park is a big adventure park with indoor and outdoor play, farm animals, tractor rides and enough to fill a whole day. It is the one our own children ask for most. Read more about Puxton Park on our experiences page.
6. Court Farm Country Park
A smaller, gentler farm park near Banwell with animals to feed, tractor rides and play barns. Good for toddlers and an easy half day.
7. Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm
Half an hour towards Bristol, Noah’s Ark has elephants, rhinos, giraffes and big cats alongside farm animals, mazes and huge play areas. Allow a full day and pack a picnic.
8. Sand Bay and Sand Point
Our own beach is quieter than the town one and brilliant for kite flying, rock pooling and dog walks. The National Trust headland at Sand Point has an easy path with big views, and the walk is short enough for little legs.
Caves, hills and adventures a little further out
9. Cheddar Gorge and Caves
Britain’s biggest gorge is twenty-five minutes away. The show caves are lit and dramatic, the cliff-top walk is a proper adventure for older children, and the village has cheese, ice cream and fudge shops for the walk back to the car. Our Cheddar Gorge day trip guide has a full plan.
10. Wookey Hole Caves
Guided tours through vast limestone caverns carved by the River Axe, with the legend of the Witch of Wookey to keep everyone listening. There is plenty above ground too, from adventure golf to a dinosaur valley. About forty minutes from the farm.
11. Brean Leisure Park
A seaside theme park with rides for every age, from gentle carousels to proper rollercoasters, plus the beach right next door. Twenty-five minutes south of Weston.
12. The Helicopter Museum
For rainy days, the world’s largest dedicated helicopter museum is on the edge of town, with dozens of aircraft and cockpits you can climb into. It is one of the best value things to do in Weston-super-Mare with kids when the forecast is poor.
Rainy days in Weston-super-Mare with kids
It rains here. Not as much as people think, but enough that a family holiday needs a wet-weather plan. The Grand Pier pavilion is the obvious first stop, with a huge indoor play area, arcades and rides under one roof. Weston Museum in the town centre is free to wander and has a good family gallery on the history of the seaside town.
Further out, The Helicopter Museum has cockpits to climb into, Puxton Park has enormous indoor play barns, and the caves at Cheddar and Wookey Hole are the same temperature whatever the weather. The Playhouse theatre in Weston runs family shows through the year. With those in the bag, a wet day in Weston-super-Mare with kids is no problem at all.
Toddlers and under-fives
Small children do not need much. The Marine Lake is the best paddling in town because it is shallow and sheltered, and the sand beside it is soft. Sand Bay at low tide is a giant sandpit with no crowds. Court Farm Country Park near Banwell is gentle, with animals to feed and a play barn, and it is a much easier day than a big zoo. Clarence Park in Weston has a good playground for a quick run around.
For sleeping, the cottages at the farm have cots and high chairs on request, enclosed gardens where toddlers can play safely and quiet lanes with no traffic. Ask when you book and we will have everything ready.
Older children and teenagers
Teenagers in Weston-super-Mare with kids of the younger sort in tow can be a balancing act. The Grand Pier arcades and rides keep older ones happy while the little ones do the donkeys. Cheddar Gorge’s cliff-top walk is a proper adventure for anyone over about ten, and the rock climbing and caving centres in the gorge run sessions for older children. Brean Leisure Park has rollercoasters. Paddleboarding on the Marine Lake and at Clevedon is popular with teenagers in summer.
Weston also has a skate park on the seafront, a swimming pool at Hutton Moor and, for a big day out, Bristol is half an hour away by train with the SS Great Britain, the M Shed museum and the Clifton Suspension Bridge.
Free things to do in Weston-super-Mare with kids
- The beach, obviously. Two miles of sand and a very long tide.
- Walking out along the Grand Pier is free; only the attractions inside charge.
- The Marine Lake for paddling and crabbing.
- Sand Point at Kewstoke for a short headland walk with big views.
- Weston Museum, which is free and has a family trail.
- Uphill Beach and the roofless old church on the hill.
- Weston Woods and the Iron Age hillfort above Kewstoke.
- Watching the boats float and settle with the tide at Uphill marina.
Eating out with children
The seafront is full of fish and chip shops, ice cream parlours and cafés, and most of them are used to children. Knightstone Island has restaurants with tables looking over the bay. In Kewstoke, The Old Manor Inn is a short walk from the cottages with a children’s menu and a garden. And the chip shop at Sand Bay, eaten on the sea wall as the sun goes down, is the meal our own children remember most.
For nights in, every cottage has a proper kitchen and a dining table, and the big supermarkets in Weston are ten minutes away. Inglenook Cottage seats ten around one table, which turns dinner into an event.
A sample three-day plan for families
Day one: settle in, walk to Sand Bay from the cottage and let everyone run. Chips on the sea wall. Day two: Weston in the morning for the pier and the Marine Lake, then Puxton Park in the afternoon if the energy holds. Day three: Cheddar Gorge, caves in the morning and cheese and the Strawberry Line in the afternoon, back to the cottage for a barbecue in the garden. If it rains on any of those days, swap in the Helicopter Museum or Weston Museum. That is Weston-super-Mare with kids done properly.
Planning tips from a local family
- Tides shape everything on this coast. Check the times and plan beach time for low water and pier or museum time for high water.
- Weston gets busy on sunny weekends in summer. Sand Bay and Uphill are the quiet alternatives ten minutes away.
- Most attractions are cheaper booked online in advance, and several close on winter weekdays, so check before you set off.
- Bring wellies. Even in summer the farm walks and Sand Point can be muddy after rain.
Where to stay with the family
Our cottages sleep two to ten, so there is room for grandparents, cousins and the dog. Inglenook Cottage has five bedrooms and a garden big enough for a football match, while the smaller cottages suit a family of four. See all the cottages and apartments, and have a look at our year-round guide to Weston for events and seasonal ideas.
Official opening times and prices change through the year, so we always point guests to Visit Weston-super-Mare and the attractions’ own websites, such as The Helicopter Museum, before booking. If you want a recommendation for a particular age group, just ask when you book. We have a child of most ages to test things on.