Where are the best places you have visited in Cornwall with children?

[nowwearefour]

Best beaches/ wet weather places please! If they are free, so much the better but anything really! Staying in Falmouth but willing to travel all over the county for great spots or things to do!

[mynameis]

I would love some tips too, off there for the first time next week.
Can't wait

[Bunbaker]

Tintagel Castle was awesome. The topography of the area is amazing.
Eden Project. Some people think it is overrated but I disagree. It is better to go on a nice day because it gets packed when it isn't beach weather. Morwelham Quay, which is just into Devon, is an old copper mining village.

[Nonky]

Crabbing in padstow. Hours of entertainment for me and my husband.... Er I mean my two young boys

[ByTheWay1]

Body boarding at Portreath beach...

[ilooklikegrotbagstoday]

The Minack theatre is a beautiful outdoor theatre built into the cliffside. They run children's shows in the morning. I think we only paid £4.00 for each adult, My then 4 year old loved it but suited older kids too. We loved it actually too. The beach below is gorgeous and well worth a visit.

[PandaNot]

I haven't found anywhere in Cornwall that my dc haven't loved! Every beach is a hit, Padstow fab and even the miniature railway place that we went to as a last minute thing was excellent. A few years ago we also went to a farm somewhere near Newquay area which had a soft play barn. The tickets lasted a week which was good when it rained!

[celeriac]

There are so many that it's hard to narrow it down! Daymer Bay is great for rockpooling. Another vote for Porthcurno beach by the Minack theatre. Watergate Bay is a lovely beach to visit and excellent refreshments available from the Beach Hut.

Paradise Park is worth a visit. Cardinham woods is forestry commission land, so you pay to park, but there are play areas, walks, stream to play in, bbq areas & cafe. Crealy & Dairyland have good indoor soft play areas and I think once you have paid entry price you can then return for free for the rest of the week.

Waterworld in Newquay is good for a wet day, likewise Kidzworld in St Austell.

Have a walk at Argal reservoir - this also has a children's play area.

Catch the King Harry ferry and go to visit St Mawes. Go and see St Michaels Mount at Marazion. Cycle the Camel Trail. Try Geocaching to find other local landmarks. A few ideas to start with

[nowwearefour]

thanks for all these amazing suggestions. i loved st ives as a child but never went in august. is it just bonkers to even consider going?

[celeriac]

Yes, it will be very busy but on the whole I think this summer the season has been quieter than normal (so far!).

[starlings383]

Crealy's is very popular! It's a huge adventure play area, with animals too. Or Padstow for speedboat rides, krazy golf, cycle path (Camel Trail). You can also get the ferry across to Rock which is always an experience in itself! Padstow also has Rick Stein's famous fish and chips! Lanhydrock is a lovely National Trust house, always good for a rainy day, or there are beautiful walks around the outside on a nice day. Trerice another good National Trust house. Obviously all the beaches; swimming in the sea is still good in the rain! There's the screech owl sanctuary, Eden project, Lappa Valley, Trethorne - all good places! Have a google of some of these! Good walks at Cardingham woods too, we've been there when it's been raining and you barely notice because it's all undercover! St Austell good for cinema and bowling. Hope some of this helps!

[MyndAndMist]

Tintagel is great fun, and the Lost Gardens of Heligan are a great day out too, loads to see.

[MegBusset]

We've just spent two weeks in Mevagissey with DC 3 and 5. Loved it :)

Best beaches: Poldhu Cove, Kynance Cove on the Lizard.
Best places to visit: Heartlands (free), Trerice NT, Lanhydrock NT, Glendurgan NT, Lappa Valley Railway. St Michael's Mount (we didn't fit it in this time but been before). We didn't go to Heligan but looks good. Boat trip was a big hit, also just bummed around on local beaches and poked around harbours, stuffing ourselves with ice cream and pasties :)
Avoid: Flambards, Eden Project (overpriced and overcrowded)

[MegBusset]

Pendennis Castle has jousting events on Tues/Weds all holiday I think. That was great.

We were surprised how non-manic everywhere was. Apart from the Eden Project.

[Chubfuddler]

Lamorna cove a little gem with a great beach cafe.
AVOID sennen - used to be lovely, now full of up themselves surfer types who push small children out of the way in their rush to hire a wetsuit.

[nowwearefour]

ooooh so many ideas! THANK YOU! keep them coming!

[kilmuir]

I second Lanhydrock house and gardens.

[JarethTheGoblinKing]

Yy to Tintagel and Pendennis Castle. The maritime museum is Falmouth is quite good, make sure you go all the way to the bottom.

I didn't like minnack - it took all day to get there and was heaving.

If you are down that way go to sennen cove. Beautiful beach.

[snowchick1977]

Mawgan Porth beach is the best beach in Cornwall in my opinion. We stayed at Bedruthan steps for 2 nights with our 9 month old.

The baby listening service in the room meant that we had our first "meal out" together since she was born.

I would recommend x x x

[Falandfree]

I live in Falmouth and have two young DSs. I recommend the beaches obviously. Castle Beach is best for very young children as it has rock pools all the way along it which prevent very young children from running off in to the sea. It also has a steep slope back up to the road - also not easy for small children to escape up. Gylly Beach is a good all round beach, with a bouncy castle. Swanpool is good too, it also usually has a bouncy castle. Then you have Maenporth, which is more sheltered and better for watersports.

The National Maritime Museum is great for kids on a wet day, my two love it. Also, if it's raining, there is Raze the Roof in Penryn. An indoor soft play area.
Then there's Pendennis Castle, or if that's too expensive, walk around the moat and then walk down to Little Dennis from the car park on the point, and that's a mini castle which is free.

Getting a ferry to St Mawes or Flushing is fun for the kids, and/or you could take them on the King Harry Ferry over to St Mawes.

Falmouth Art Gallery is small but interactive, and has art sessns for kids.

Falmouth Aquarium has just opened up. We haven't been yet, but it looks good and is in the middle of town, so could be combined with a bit of shopping.

Argal Reservoir is good. It's a small charge to park, but there's a playpark and picnic area and the walk around it is around an hour and a half.

Then there are all the parks and gardens.... Phew! You don't need to go far to have fun in Falmouth, but if you have got a car it would make life easier and you could also visit some of the other places mentioned by other posters.

[serin]

Falmouth Maritime museum sounds boring but it just isnt at all! there is an air sea rescue helicopter to clamber on, kit to dress up in, crabbing on the jetty, Ben Ainslies boat.....

Choakes bakery in Falmouth teaches you to make a cornish pasty (£10 per person but my 10yr old DS loved it)

Free plane watching at RNAS Culdrose from the cafe, or you can pay a fortune and surrender your passport for the guided tour

Lido at Penzance.

Body boarding, anywhere with waves.

Pay for the fishing trip from Falmouth harbour (not cheap but worth it as all kit is provided and you get loads of mackerel to eat later).

Rockpooling.

HEARTLANDS play park is totally free and fabulous.

There are amazing gardens behind the church at St Just in Roseland and the Church does free coffee (but we left a donation!)

Lighthouse at Lizard point then go searching for serpentine.

[nowwearefour]

These are such good recommendations! Thanks guys. we tried loads of these. We were staying at Maenporth so could use some of yours falandfree. Just a note to anyone else reading this tot ake note of tide times if visiting Kynance Cove (or more generally!)

[JessieQ]

Harlyn Beach is lovely, even for a wet and windy walk! www.mumsnet.com/emo/te/1.gif

I second the recommendation for Padstow too - lots of places to visit, pubs and Rick Stein of course!

[Meglet]

Yes, we realised Kynance is lovely but the pesky tides mess it up a bit. Poldhu Beach was better for kids. Hayle beach is massive so you don't get the crowds.

Lizard Lighthouse do a great tour.

And not everyone likes it (and yes it's expensive) but we love the Eden project. Silly queues but once you're in it's fine. The dc's don't really play up when we go there.

Portreath beach is nice, the cafe on the beach (Atlantic Cafe?) is great.

I was disappointed in St Ives, tiny streets, expensive and the Tate wasn't very child friendly. I would have probably enjoyed it if I was on my own though.